BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Softball Tournament got underway Thursday with Geneva College winning the three-team play-in series in Beaver Falls, Pa., to advance to the double elimination portion of the tournament starting Friday.

The first game Thursday matched five-seed Grove City College against Saint Vincent College. The sixth-seeded Bearcats scored three first-inning runs and never trailed in posting a 7-3 victory. Freshman Nicolette Kloes (Houston, Pa./Chartiers-Houston) hit a two-run single in the first and added an RBI double later to drive in three in the win. Other big hitters included junior Olivia Persin (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield), who was 3-for-5 with two RBIs, and junior Leah Yoder (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin), who was 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored.

Earning the win for Saint Vincent in the circle was sophomore Olivia Bushore (Claysburg, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel), who threw a complete game and scattered nine hits and three runs while striking out one.

For Grove City (21-15), who finished the year with a program-record for single-season wins, sophomore Maci Linhart (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and run scored and sophomore Annika Rinehart (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry), senior Janessa Dawson (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) and sophomore Brooke Brodie (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) all drove in one.

In the second game of the day, Saint Vincent jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but Geneva rallied with three runs in the third and two more in the fifth to collect a 5-3 victory. The Golden Tornadoes (22-15) had 11 hits, including six doubles in the win. Senior Sarah Johnson (Highlands Ranch, Col./Mountain Vista) paced the offense from her leadoff spot with three hits, including one double, and one RBI and junior Julia Hart (Prospect, Pa./Slippery Rock) laced two doubles, including a clutch two-run double in the fifth inning that provided the winning margin.

Senior pitcher Haley Smith (Joshua Tree, Calif./Yucca Valley) earned the win to improve to 13-5 this season, as she allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits with a pair of Ks.

The Bearcats, whose season ends with a 23-15 record, had Yoder go 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored and Kloes and sophomore Katelynn Stokan (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) each drove in one run.

The double-elimination portion of the PAC Tournament starts Friday, May 5 with all games being played at top-seeded Westminster College. Third-seeded Allegheny College (24-10, 14-6 PAC) and No. 2 Waynesburg University (26-8, 15-5 PAC) will play the opening game Friday at 10 a.m. Westminster and Geneva will square off in the second opening-round game at 12 p.m. 

The losers of Friday's opening-round tilts will meet in elimination Game E at 2 p.m., followed by the winners of the two opening-round games (Game F) facing off at 4 p.m.

On Saturday, the winner of Game E will meet the loser of Game F in an 11 a.m. elimination game for the right to play for the conference title against the Game F winner at 1 p.m. If both teams have one loss at that point, the "if necessary" game is scheduled for 3 p.m.

The winner of this year’s championship tournament title will secure the league's automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Softball Championship, with teams and regional site selections announced on Monday, May 15. Regional round play is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, May 19-21 and the Super Regionals will be played Friday-Saturday, May 26-27. The eight teams advancing from the Super Regionals will participate in the Division III Championship finals, slated for Thursday-Wednesday, June 1-7 at Taylor Field in Marshall, Texas.
 

2023 PAC Softball Championship Tournament Hosted by Westminster College - New Wilmington, Pa. Note: Times may be adjusted based on weather
Thursday, May 4 (at Geneva; games rescheduled from May 3)
3 p.m.	Game A: No. 6 Saint Vincent 7, No. 5 Grove City 3
5 p.m.	Game B: No. 4 Geneva 5, No. 6 Saint Vincent 3
Friday, May 5 (at Westminster)
10 a.m.	Game C: No. 2 Waynesburg 1, No. 3 Allegheny 0 - Box Score
12 p.m.	Game D: No. 1 Westminster 3, No. 4 Geneva 2 - Box Score
2 p.m.	Game E: No. 4 Geneva 3, No. 3 Allegheny 1 (13 inn.) - Box Score
4 p.m.	Game F: No. 2 Waynesburg 9, No. 1 Westminster 2 - Box Score
Saturday, May 6 (at Westminster)
11 a.m.	Game G: No. 4 Geneva vs. No. 1 Westminster
1 p.m.	Game H: No. 2 Waynesburg vs. Game G winner
3 p.m.	Game I: if necessary
Monday, May 8 (at Westminster)
TBD	Rain date