HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- So far in the 2022-2023 season the Bridgewater College women's golf team has finished second, second, and second. So it might not come as a shock that after the first round of the Cardinal Fall Classic, being played at Black Rock Golf Course, they are in second place.
 
Saturday provided a beautiful but breezy day, and team-leader Sophia Martone came out in her usual form, just +1 through six holes. On the inward nine as the wind got up, though, she had a few errant tee balls that resulted in a triple and a double-bogey. Martone, who entered the week third in ODAC scoring, said her scrambling kept her in it, and she posted an 81 in the first round (t-7th).
 
Senior Savannah Scott, also top-10 in the ODAC (77.8), had a similar experience -- she was +1 through six holes and then had three doubles during the remainder of the round. The greens were playing firm at Black Rock and Scott, who tends to play a low draw, said she had a tough time holding the greens. Her 84 has her in 12th place among 44 players.
 
After a shotgun start, senior Shaina Beach had a slow start, and she was +7 through five holes. Despite the rough start and a nagging injury, she battled through, and played nine holes in the middle of the round at just +2. Beach said she scrambled well, including a great save on the long par-4 9th hole after she popped up her drive. She posted 86.
 
Senior Maddi Neff played the par-5s at +2 and the par-3s at +1, but dropped some strokes on the par-4s. Early in the round she had to face the tough 18th hole (par-4) which robbed her of four strokes, and she had a pair of doubles later in the round. Generally Neff chips and putts well, and that kept her in the round on Saturday. She sits in a tie for 15th after an 86.
 
Freshman Emily Price hit her tee shots well during the first round of the Cardinal Classic on her way to a 92.
 
Compared to personal scoring averages, it was Evelyn Hunter, playing as an individual, who led the way for the Eagles -- she tied her low collegiate round with an 88. She said she handled the slick greens well, and thought she could go even lower if she hit her tee shots a little better.
 
Halfway through the Classic, the Eagles are tied for second with Marymount, trailing the host team from Catholic by sixteen strokes.

"Looking at this season, the circumstances have been strange and a little off-kilter," said head coach John Rogers. "In our first tournament we were in the hunt when the final round was rained out, and we had to settle for runner-up. At home we played great, but faced a tough team from Lynchburg -- second again. Last week we led after the first round but had an uncharacteristically rough day after that to finish second again. We looked at this tournament as a chance to break through and finally claim that victory, but now we have a large uphill climb to make against the home team. Sadly, the VSGA tournament was also rained out, so tomorrow represents our final statement of the fall season. Hopefully we will go out in style, and while it has been tough chasing the "W" this fall, we also need to keep it in perspective -- we are 19-3 head-to-head against all opponents this season, and that's pretty good."
 
The Eagles posted 337 as a team (15 strokes above average) while Catholic shot 321. Rogers pointed out that Black Rock was closed for other tournaments on Friday and the Bridgewater Squad went into the first round having never seen the course.

"We will try to be quick learners and see if we can't get back to scoring the way we did in our first couple of events. If nothing else, we want to set a tone for the spring season when we will play some national-level teams and tournaments."
 
Play resumes at 10 am on Sunday with a shotgun start.