Devils defeat JC

The Patriots played their first home match of the season Thursday. But it was the visiting Red Devils who seemed more comfortable.
Richmond posted two sub-40 rounds at Portland Golf Club as it handed the Jay County High School girls golf team a 172-237 defeat.
“We struggled,” said JCHS coach Butch Gray. “And it’s not nice to see your team struggle on their home course.
“I don’t know if the struggling got more and more because Richmond was such a quality team, or if they were worried maybe too much about scoring …
“I’ve got to get them thinking about one shot at a time, one hole at a time, and go from there.”
Jay County picked up four pars on the day, including two by freshman Abby Saxman, but its top four scorers also played 3-over-par or worse on 18 holes. A lot of those problems were brought on by penalty strokes.
“We talk about staying out of that stuff,” said Gray. “That’s what kills your score.”
Senior Alysia Fennig posted the top score for the Patriots (2-2), bouncing back after playing the first three holes at 9-over-par.
She recovered to par the 150-yard, par-3 13th hole and had bogeys on three of the final four holes to finish with a 51.
Whitney Gray, also a senior, had two bogeys and played even on the 344-yard, par-4 17th hole. She finished with a 59.
Richmond’s Haley Owens and Erin Ingram had an intrasquad battle for medalist honors.
Ingram finished with seven pars to turn in the best score with a 37. Owens birdied the 178-yard, par-3 18th hole and also had four pars as she finished with a 38.
Kayla Owens had three pars and shot 43, and Ashley Mills finished with a 54.
Abby Saxman played one of the better rounds of her young career for the Patriots, falling just a stroke short of the career-best score shot posted at Maplewood Golf Club on Aug. 14.
The freshman started a strong run midway through her round when she parred the 498-yard, par-5 12th hole. She added a bogey on No. 13, and later hit her tee shot on the 168-yard, par-3 15th hole to the fringe on the back side of the green.
She left her birdie putt from just off the green about 18 inches short of the hole and then rolled in her next attempt for her second par of the day.
‘There’s a bright spot,” said Gray of Saxman, who finished with a 60. “She’s a girl that hasn’t played till this year. She’s getting better. She’s got to get confidence in herself.
“(The pars) have got to be stuff to build on. They’ve got to be.”
Maddison Baughn completed the team score for the Patriots as she posted a 67. Katlin Petro shot 70, and Sidney Robbins finished with a 78.
“We’ve got to get better at the all-around game,” said Gray, whose team will play at home just two more times this season. “We need to stay away from the penalty strokes, stay away from the big numbers.”[[In-content Ad]]