LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – The Bradley women's golf team opened its spring schedule with a 4-1 victory against #4 seed Ohio, before falling to #2 seed and tournament-host Bowling Green 3-2 Monday in the semifinals at the Mid-American Match Play Championship.
Sophomores Danielle Lemek (Doniphan, Neb./Doniphan-Trumbull) and Jenna Roadley (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Sturgeon Heights) got the Braves started on a strong note with convincing 6 & 5 victories to help highlight the 4-1 opening-round win against #4 seed Ohio.
Lemek carded 11 pars and one birdie, closing out a 6 & 5 victory against Kristen Helmsdoerfer with a three on the par-3 fourth hole. Roadley fired four birdies during her opening round match against Angela Codian, with her last birdie on the par-3 fourth sealing the 6 & 5 win.
Sophomore Allison Walsh (Mt. Prospect, Ill./Mt. Prospect) trailed by four holes through 11, before rallying for the victory. She parred the third, fourth and fifth holes to pull within one of Hailey Hrynewich, before another par on the seventh knotted the match with two holes left. Walsh claimed the par-5 eighth with a bogey and matched Hrynewich to claim the 1-up victory.
At #4, freshman Paige Jordan (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) held on for a 1-up win against Julie Lechner. Jordan was 3-up through nine holes and was still 3-up with three holes remaining, before Lechner shot a par on #7 and cut Jordan's advantage to one with a five on the par-5 eighth. Both shot a par on #9 as Jordan was a 1-up winner.
In the semifinals, #2 seed Bowling Green posted a 3-2 victory to advance to Tuesday's championship against #1 seed Toledo. Bradley will face #6 seed Western Michigan in the third-place match.
After both earned wins in the opening round, Roadley and Walsh were both winners in their matches in the semifinals to highlight the afternoon for the Braves.
Roadley fell behind early against Shelby Wilson before claiming the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, ending the streak with a birdie on a par-3. Wilson fought back early on the back nine to pull within one with a par on the 13th, but Roadley birdied the 14th and back-to-back pars sealed the 3 & 2 win.
Walsh had to rally again in the afternoon, after Bowling Green's Patricia Holt won two of the first four holes. The match was all square after 10 holes, however, and a pair of birdies on par-3's helped Wash rally for the victory 4 & 3.
At #4, Bailey Arnold was a 4 & 3 winner for the Falcons against Jordan. Junior Katarina Mangieri (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) led most of her match at #5 against Hannah Lewis, before Lewis rallied to seal the match for Bowling Green. Mangieri was 3-up through 11 holes, but Lewis claimed five of the next six holes to take the match 2 & 1.
The Braves will face #6 seed Western Michigan Tuesday in the third-place match of the Mid-American Match Play Championship at the par-72 Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.
