NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The two teams were neck-and-neck through the entire seven innings, but the Geneva College softball team eventually beat out Bethany in the second round of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Softball Championship Tournament on Thursday afternoon, narrowly defeating the Bison 3-2. Bethany threatened to tie the game late, but a strong outing in the pitcher's circle from senior
Sophia Tvaroch along with some excellent defense by the players behind her helped the Golden Tornadoes advance to the next round, where they will face top-seeded Westminster.
The GTs had earned a bye through the first round of the tournament thanks to their spot as the No. 2 seed, so Bethany had already played one game before the start of their contest with Geneva. The No. 3 seed Bison defeated No. 6 seed Saint Vincent 4-2 earlier in the day, so the West Virginia team entered their game against Geneva with some momentum.
That momentum carried through to the top of the first inning, with the Bison's leadoff batter reaching and making her way all around the bases to score, giving Bethany an early advantage.
The early run did not phase Geneva, however. Junior
Kyra Wilcox and senior
Lexi Zanic both singled with one out in the bottom of the inning, and then a lined single to centerfield by senior
Justine Robbins scored both runners. The GTs loaded up the bases before the inning ended, but Bethany ace Trinity Edge limited the women to just the two runs.
After giving up the run in the opening inning, Tvaroch did well to maintain her composure, not allowing more than one batter to reach base in each of the next two innings. Her performance in the circle proved to be crucial, as they GTs couldn't plate a run during that span.
Geneva finally struck again in the fifth inning. Zanic led off the frame with a double, and after the next two Golden Tornadoes were retired, junior
Aliya Ottaviani sent her home via a two-out RBI-single to centerfield.
Bethany began the next inning with back-to-back doubles, pulling back within one run, 3-2. Tvaroch proved her mettle once again, however, retiring the next three Bison batters to limit the damage. Some impressive plays on defense from Robbins in rightfield and Zanic at shortstop kept Bethany at bay, and Geneva held on to win the game 3-2.
Tvaroch tossed the full 7.0 innings to earn the complete game victory, striking out two batters and walking none in an impressive playoff-opening start. Zanic led the offense with a 3-for-4 effort, hitting a double and scoring two runs, while Wilcox and senior
Payton James also registered multiple hits. Robbins finished with a team-high two RBIs.
Geneva advances to play Westminster in the next round of the double-elimination tournament, with the winner of that contest earning a spot in the championship game. Tomorrow's game against the Titans is currently scheduled for 2:00 p.m. On the flip side, Bethany drops into the loser's bracket, where it will take on Waynesburg.
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).
