SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The Saint Mary's golf team posted the fourth-lowest score of the day and moved past host Bethel to take sixth place at the Pilot Spring Invitational on Saturday.

 

NAIA member Taylor University won the team title by one stroke with a 324 on day two and a 641 36-hole total. Division III No. 14 ranked Illinois Wesleyan was second at the tournament with a 642 after posting a 325 on Saturday. No. 23 ranked Carthage and NCAA Division II member Lewis tied for third with 652s. The Belles finished the tournament with a score of 661 to edge Bethel by a stroke. Taylor's Nicole Jung won the individual title with a 150- (72-78). 

 

As a team, the Belles led the field with 12 total birdies and tied for the third-best par four scoring at the tournament.

 

Katherine Hopkins and Haley Angel led the way for Saint Mary's as the pair both shot rounds of 81 on Saturday. Hopkins, who finished tied for 15th (164) in the field of 74 golfers, did not post a score above a bogey and had nine pars, including a team-best five pars in-a-row. The junior finished one-over on par three holes at the tournament, which was good enough to tie her for third in the category, and had 15 pars on the weekend to lead the team. Angel, who placed 11th (160) overall, circled birdies on par five No. 9 and par five No. 18 and collected six pars in the round. Her five birdies on the weekend was tied for the most by any golfer in the field as she finished one-over on par five holes over the two-day event. 

 

Sydney Hruskoci shot an 82 on day two and finished tied for 21st in the field (168) after shaving four strokes off of her Friday score and moving up 11 spots on the leaderboard. The senior opened her round with a chip-and-roll birdie on par three No. 13 and closed out the final three holes of the day one-under with a birdie on par four No. 10 and pars on No. 11 and No. 12. Hruskoci had the team's best back-nine score of the day (+2). Erin Bennett closed out the team score with an 83 on Saturday and finished tied for 27th at the event (169). The junior carded eight pars and added a birdie on par five No. 4. 

 

Isa Patacsil was the fifth golfer in the Belles lineup and shot an 88 while finishing tied for 51st (179). Patacsil had a birdie on par five No. 15 and posted six pars in her round. Joanna James competed as an individual and shot an 83 on Saturday to move up seven spots and finish 54th (180). The freshman had a birdie on par five No. 9, six pars, and just one double bogey.

 

The Belles now focus their attention to the three MIAA NCAA Automatic Qualifying rounds, which will determine the conference's representative at the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships based on the cumulative results of 54 holes. Saint Mary's hosts the first 18-hole round on Tuesday, April 19 at Knollwood Country Club starting at 1:00 p.m.