WINTERGREEN, Va. - The Bridgewater College women's golf team again posted a team score below their normal scoring average during the second round at the ODAC Championship, but on Tuesday, senior standout Sophia Martone had the second-lowest score of the day, jumping six spots on the leaderboard.
 
The Eagles entered the 2025 championship at Stoney Creek Golf Club as the fourth seed, and had aspirations of jumping at least to a third-place finish this week. The first round yesterday resulted in their highest team total of the season, though, and today only saw marginal improvement as they shot 340 (still ten strokes higher than normal). Two-thirds of the way through the event, the Eagles remain in sixth place.
 
Martone, however, caught fire during the second round making five birdies in a thirteen-hole stretch in the middle of the round. It looked like the round might get away when she made the turn and had four straight bogies, but she responded with three birdies on the final five holes to post 73. The low round of the day among 39 players was even par (72). Moving from 13th after the first round to t-7th on Tuesday made Martone the second biggest mover of the day on the leaderboard.
 
"Yesterday none of us, except Evelyn, were very sharp," noted head coach John Rogers, "but Sophia has another gear and today she showed it. She had a round two weeks ago with seven birdies and she almost matched it today with six. Hopefully this puts her in a spot to finish a great career with a strong showing in the championship."
 
Freshman Brooke Tyler reduced her large numbers from seven in the first round to two today and posted a solid score of 85 for Bridgewater. She had a six-hole stretch in the middle of the round where she was just +2, and on No. 10 her approach shot was within three inches of the cup. Rogers commented that her athleticism is very high and she just has a few technique and management issues to sharpen as she becomes a high-level collegiate player.
 
The remaining Eagles all struggled to match their scoring norms at Stoney Creek today. Hannah Rizzo followed the highest score of her career yesterday with a score one stroke higher today. She continued to have uncharacteristic blow-up holes en route to a final tally of 90.
 
Evelyn Hunter had the challenge of following one of the best rounds of her career yesterday. The pars did not come as easily on Tuesday and she turned in a 92. Emily Price rounded out the group having trouble with her ball-flight patterns and finished the second round with a 95.
 
Looking to move up today, the Eagles ended up losing ground to most of the field. They will need a strong finish tomorrow to move up from 6th place. W&L increased their lead over Randolph-Macon to twelve strokes as they pursue their seventh straight ODAC title.
 
The Eagles return to Stoney Creek at 9:30 AM Wednesday to complete the championship.