PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Geneva softball team blew by Chatham University in both games they played Saturday afternoon, taking game one 8-2 before shutting out the Cougars in game two, 5-0. The women stole 12 bases in the sweep, with junior Molly Shelley breaking a program record by securing the 139^th stolen base of her career, doing so in less than three seasons. The Golden Tornadoes have now won 15 of their last 16 games, and their record moves to an impressive 26-6 following Saturday's games, including a 13-3 mark in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play.

The scoring began for Geneva in the second inning of game one. A walk by junior Aliya Ottaviani, a single from senior Madison Rapp, and a Chatham error put Golden Tornado players on every base with zero outs. Ottaviani scored on a wild pitch in the next at-bat, and then a sharp grounder from junior Molly Shelley brought in Rapp. Junior Kyra Wilcox singled to drive home sophomore Stacey Rodriguez, and Wilcox wound up making it all the way around the bases and stealing home herself later in the frame. Another wild pitch allowed junior Lexi Zanic to cross the plate, capping off a big five-run inning for the GTs.

Chatham loaded up the bases themselves in the bottom of the inning, reaching three times before anyone got out. Geneva's starting pitcher, senior McKenzie Rapp, handled the situation well, getting a line out, a strikeout, and a foul out to end the inning and prevent Chatham from scoring.

The Golden Tornadoes struck again in the fourth inning, as Shelley singled and then stole both second and third base during the next at-bat. Yet another Cougar wild pitch allowed her to score from third, putting Geneva ahead 6-0. The women added another run in the fifth via an RBI from Ottaviani that scored senior Payton James, and they capped off their scoring in the seventh inning on an RBI-single by Shelley. Chatham scored runs of its own in the fifth and seventh frames, but not enough to trouble Geneva as the GTs took the win 8-2.

McKenzie Rapp pitched 6.1 innings to earn the victory, allowing just two runs and striking out three batters before senior Jorja Koerner finished out the final two outs. Shelley led the women offensively, going 2-for-5 with two RBIs, a run, and two stolen bases. Senior Justine Robbins was 2-for-3 with a triple and a stolen base in game one, while Zanic also picked up two hits and a steal.

Geneva gained an early edge in game two as well, with Robbins doubling in Shelley after the junior led off the inning with her third hit of the day. That was the only run the GTs could muster through the first four frames, however, as they struggled against Chatham starter Hannah Uhrinek.

Senior starter Sophia Tvaroch was tremendous in the pitcher's circle for Geneva, keeping the Cougar side of the scoreboard blank while the Golden Tornadoes found their bats again. Her teammates gave her an extra run in the fifth when Zanic plated Wilcox on an RBI-single, putting Geneva ahead 2-0.

A two-out triple by Madison Rapp, followed by a Chatham error, gave Geneva another run in the sixth inning. Another triple, this time from Robbins, scored a run in the seventh, and then junior Faith Bonar scored Robbins from third on an RBI-single in the next at-bat to extend the lead. Tvaroch did not allow a Cougar hit through the final three innings, securing the 5-0 shutout for Geneva.

Tvaroch earned her third complete-game shutout of the season, tossing the full 7.0 innings and allowing just three hits for her 11^th win of the year. Robbins was an impressive 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and two RBIs, while Bonar also went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

The Golden Tornadoes will travel out to Hiram College on Monday for their next game, making up the second half of a doubleheader that has already been postponed twice due to weather. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).