WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College softball team welcomed one of the top teams in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) to Brooks Park on Monday afternoon to close out the non-conference portion of the Presidents' schedule.
The Golden Tornadoes swept the doubleheader with a 9-4 win in game one and a 9-0 five-inning victory in game two.
Geneva extended its winning streak to 14 and improved its record to 17-3. W&J fell to 8-7-1 in non-league play.
Game 1 – Geneva 9, W&J 4
The Golden Tornadoes capitalized on five W&J errors to score four unearned runs and claim a victory in the first game.
Geneva plated an unearned run in the top of the first inning.
W&J tied the game at one in the bottom of the second with three consecutive singles to lead off the inning by
Brooke Stout (Berwick, Pa./Berwick Area Senior),
Olivia Dewick (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) and
Breanna Thomas (Baden, Pa./Ambridge). Thomas drove in Stout with the third base knock of the frame. One run was all the Presidents would manage as a strikeout and double play ended the inning.
The Golden Tornadoes smacked four hits in the top of the fourth to score a pair of runs to push the visitors ahead 3-1.
Two walks and an error led to another Geneva run in the top of the fifth to give the Golden Tornadoes a 4-1 lead.
Geneva smacked three straight hits to begin the sixth inning and plated another three runs thanks to an RBI, a throwing error and a sacrifice fly.
W&J trimmed the deficit to 7-2 as
Peyton Eckenrode (York Haven, Pa./Northeastern) homered to lead off the home half of the sixth inning. Thomas belted a two-run double down the left field line to score Stout and
Sarah Labbe (Belgrade, Maine/Messalonksee) to make it a 7-4 ballgame.
Geneva added two runs in the top of the seventh to extend its lead to 9-4. The Presidents put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to mount a last-ditch comeback.
Thomas led the Presidents offensively with two hits, a double and three runs batted in. Stout scored twice and Eckenrode had a home run.
Alisha Kulka (Hanover, Pa./South Western) tossed a complete game and gave up five earned runs.
Game 2 – Geneva 9, W&J 0 (5 innings)
Geneva scored three runs through the game's first five batters of game two.
The Golden Tornadoes had their first two runners reach base safely in the top of the second inning, but freshman pitch
Jordan Hinz (Ellicott, City, Md./Centennial) retired the next three batters in order.
Hinz retired Geneva in order in the third and stranded a pair of Golden Tornadoes in the fourth. The W&J.
W&J's best chance to score in the early going was when
Brooke McCleester (Johnstown, Pa./Conemaugh) doubled to lead off the third inning, but the Presidents were unable to bring her home.
Geneva added to its lead in the fifth inning as The Golden Tornadoes opened the frame back-to-back singles. A re-entry issue took an out off and board and Geneva capitalized on its second chance as they visitors scored five runs in the top of the fifth.
W&J managed just two hits against Geneva's Haley Smith. Thomas singled in the second inning and McCleester doubled to lead off the third.
W&J officially begins conference play next Tuesday against Westminster.
