MATCH RESULTS

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – Hitting the course for the first time this spring, Morehead State women's golf showed no signs of rust as the team captured a third-place finish at the Mid-American Match Play Championship Tuesday.

The Eagles—who entered as the event's No. 7 seed—secured their placement following a pair of victories in the opening and quarterfinal rounds of the match play event, defeating host and No. 10 seed Bowling Green and No. 2 seed Northern Illinois Monday. In the semifinal round, Morehead State dropped their match with No. 6 seed Western Michigan before upending No. 4 seed Akron in the Third-Place match.

Morehead State returns to the course in three weeks, competing at the Oyster Shuck Match Play event at Patriots Point Links in Mount Pleasant, S.C. The event, which tees off Feb. 24-25, marks the first time in program history the Eagles will compete in back-to-back match play events.

HOW IT HAPPENED
No. 7 Morehead State defeated No. 10 Bowling Green: 3-0-2
Sarah Black (MOR) def. Kelsey Sager (BGSU): 5&2
Bridget Connolly (MOR) def. Alyson Kovach (BGSU): 3&2
Hailey Rietz (MOR) tied Jessica Madry
MacKenzie Neal (MOR) def. Nichole Cox (BGSU): 1 UP
Gypsie Hutchinson (MOR) tied Kayla Davis

No. 7 Morehead State defeated No. 2 Northern Illinois: 3-2-0
Isabella Samudio (NIU) def. Sarah Black (MOR): 5&3
Bridget Connolly (MOR) def. Ahra Ko (NIU): 1&1
Caroline Klemp (NIU) def. Hailey Rietz (MOR): 1 UP
MacKenzie Neal (MOR) def. Jasmine Ly (NIU): 2&1
Gypsie Hutchinson (MOR) def. Lauren Ingle (NIU): 2&1

No. 6 Western Michigan defeated No. 7 Morehead State: 4-1-0
Cameryn Lucia (WMU) def. Sarah Black (MOR): 3&2
Alissa Fish (WMU) def. Bridget Connolly (MOR): 1 UP
Brooke Gibbons (WMU) def. Hailey Rietz (MOR): 7&6
Fiona Khaing (WMU) def. MacKenzie Neal (MOR): 5&4
Gypsie Hutchinson (MOR) def. Jasmine Chee (WMU): 4&2

No. 7 Morehead State defeated No. 4 Akron: 3-2-0
Jacinta Pikunas (AKR) def. Sarah Black (MOR): 3&2
Bridget Connolly (MOR) def. Riley Dean (AKR): 5&4
Hailey Rietz (MOR) def. Jessica Hahn (AKR): 2&1
Ivana Shah (AKR) def. MacKenzie Neal (MOR): 2&1
Gypsie Hutchinson (MOR) def. Jenn David (AKR): 2&1

NOTABLE
Freshman MacKenzie Neal recorded Morehead State's first hole-in-one since Katie Rice in 2016, acing the 141-yard, Par-3 17th hole in the Eagles' opening match

Over the course of 329 total holes played during four matches, Morehead State fired par or better on 252 holes (76%), recording one eagle, 43 birdies, and 208 pars.

In addition to firing one of the tournament's five eagles, Neal also finished the event ranking second in the field in pars, carding 46 over 66 total holes.

Senior Gypsie Hutchinson finished seventh in the field with 43 pars over 68 holes while she and redshirt junior Bridget Connolly tied for eighth in the field with 11 birdies apiece.

Hutchinson completed the event with three individual victories and a tie, becoming the first Eagle to not drop a match in a match play event,improving her career match play record to 5-1-1.

QUOTING COACH BARKER
On her team's performance throughout the Mid-American Match Play Challenge…
"I'm so proud of our team as every match was a battle and the performance was a total team effort. Everyone won some key matches which allowed the team to be in contention for the title."

On her team's finish and looking ahead…
"We are thrilled to take home third place and look forward to getting ready for our next event!"