BETHANY, W.Va. – The Geneva College softball team earned an important split on Wednesday at Bethany, bouncing back from a 4-2 loss in game one, which broke a nine-game winning streak, to win game two, 6-3.  The split puts the Golden Tornadoes in great shape to lock in the No. 2 seed for the upcoming Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), which comes with an important bye in the first round.  Geneva improved to 29-7 with the split, 16-4 in PAC play.

Geneva took on Bethany ace Trinity Edge in game one, and the Golden Tornadoes pushed across a run in the top of the first on a two-out, bases-loaded walk by junior Aliya Ottaviani.  Geneva left the bases loaded, though, and also left the bases loaded in the third inning, missing out on a couple chances to increase its lead.

Senior McKenzie Rapp got the start in the circle, and she pitched three scoreless innings before running into some trouble in the bottom of the fourth.  Bethany struck for three runs in the frame to put Geneva in a 3-1 deficit, highlighted by a two-run home run by Bethany's Emma Jackson, the leading home run hitter in the conference.

The Golden Tornadoes got one of those runs back in the top of the sixth when, with two outs, junior Kyra Wilcox singled and senior Lexi Zanic brought her home with an RBI-double.  However, Bethany added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame, and Edge closed out the game in the seventh inning on her 146^th pitch of the contest to end Geneva's nine-game winning streak, 4-2.

Rapp took the loss, pitching all six innings while giving up eight hits and four runs, striking out four.  Zanic led the offense with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate, while senior Justine Robbins added two hits.  The biggest highlight of the game occurred when junior Molly Shelley stole two bases in the fourth inning to reach 50 stolen bases on the season, setting a new single-season school record.

Bethany sent Edge back out to start game two, and after retiring Geneva in order in the top of the first, a rough stretch of command to open the game by senior Sophia Tvaroch allowed the Bison to score three times.  Tvaroch walked the first two batters before a triple and a groundout produced three runs.  The triple proved to be the only hit she gave up all game.

The Golden Tornadoes responded in the top of the second, though, scoring twice to pull within one run.  Robbins and junior Faith Bonar led off with singles, and Geneva caught a break when with two outs, a Bethany throwing error allowed both runs to score.

The Golden Tornadoes knocked Edge out of the game on her 186^th pitch of the day in the top of the third.  With one out, Wilcox walked and Zanic singled, and both scored on a double from Robbins to give Geneva the lead, 4-3.  Edge exited after Robbins' hit, and Robbins later stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly from Bonar.

Tvaroch settled down after her tough opening of the game and kept the Bison offense in check, giving the Geneva offense the chance to come back, which it took advantage of.

Bonar added a solo home run to right field in the top of the sixth for an insurance run, and Tvaroch finished off the victory with a complete-game effort.

Tvaroch earned her 13^th victory of the season with 7.0 innings pitched, giving up just one hit but walking six, allowing three runs while striking out two.

Bonar led the offense, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs.  Robbins added a 2-for-3 effort at the plate with a double, a run and two RBIs.

Geneva wraps up its conference schedule on Friday when the Golden Tornadoes host Franciscan for a doubleheader, starting at 3:30 p.m.   The program will honor its nine seniors in between the two games.  The doubleheader was originally scheduled for Saturday but was moved up to Friday due to rain in the forecast on Saturday.