Tightening their strangle hold on the Valley-Foothill League championship this week, the Escalon Lady Cougars golf team won the league’s Mid-Season Tournament at Micke Grove Golf Course, then scored dual match wins over Bret Harte and Calaveras. That helped the Lady Cougar linksters increase their first place lead.
“It was a really good week,” coach Rusty Fachner noted. “We really took care of business. It was a great effort by the ladies.”
The week began with the Mid-Season Tournament, and as it has been all year, it was Escalon’s depth that was the key. With no golfer shooting higher than 115 on the day, the Lady Cougars (422) easily outdistanced Ripon (442) and Bret Harte (446) for the title.
“When you look at all six of our scores, as a team, it was pretty impressive,” commented Fachner. “And considering some of our players had never played there before, it was even more impressive. With the End of the Year Tournament and Divisionals both being held at Micke Grove, I like our chances.”
On the day, it was the one-two tandem of Piper Rockwell and Molly Landon who led the way, both coming in with scores of 101. Breq Bedell turned in one of her career best rounds with a 108, while Lauren Ballard followed with a 112. Kaitylynn Mayfield brought home a 113, and Cindy Defreitas completed the scoring with a 115.
“I was overjoyed with the way Molly and Piper played, and really excited for Breq. Actually, even Cindy’s score of 115 beat every other golfer that she played with by over 20 strokes. It was a good effort,” stated Fachner.
On Tuesday, Escalon hosted perennial rival Bret Harte and walked away with a 151-173 victory. Always a tough match-up, Fachner was delighted with his team’s focus and intensity.
“Bret Harte is always a thorn in our side. They are so well-coached and they play so well, that they can never be taken lightly. Our girls knew that and really rose to the occasion. I was proud of the effort, especially Molly and Kaitlynn.”
Fachner’s comment about Landon and Mayfield were a result of their outstanding scores on the day. Landon came in with the overall low at 35, while Mayfield, at 36, saved one of her best rounds of the season for the Lady Bullfrogs. Rockwell was steady once again, firing a 38 and Ballard checked in at 42. Defreitas added a 43 and Bedell a 45 to complete the scoring.
Thursday, Escalon traveled to La Contenta GC and managed a tough 201-239 win against the Lady Redskins. Fachner noted that despite the lopsided score, that he saw some real areas where his team needs to improve to take it to the next level.
“We have to play a little smarter at times, and understand the course a little better. That comes from playing and listening to advice. We also need to focus a little more,” said the coach. “Teams now realize that we’re pretty good and they’re going to come after us. We can’t let strokes slip away. It wasn’t pretty, but we won. We learned a few lessons, and that will help us down the road.”
Rockwell was the leader on the day with a 44, while Landon came in at 49. Ballard bounced back to shoot a solid 50, while Bedell shot a 64 and Defreitas a 68.
The Lady Cougars close out their dual match season with home matches against Riverbank and Ripon before playing in the End of the Year Tournament. Wins in the last two matches will give Escalon an undefeated dual match season, and practically guarantee the Lady Cougars a league title.
“It would take something pretty catastrophic for us not win the title, but it could happen. The girls want to go undefeated, so I don’t think there will be any letdowns.
“We just need to finish strong and we’ll be okay,” Fachner concluded.
