Pikunas Undefeated in Match Play, Akron Finishes fourth

Tuesday, February 4

ROYAL LAKES COURSE | LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL

18 Holes

University of Akron

MAC Match Play Challenge

Photo by: Ernie Aranyosi

Pikunas Undefeated in Match Play, Akron Finishes fourth

February 04 | Women's Golf

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Lakewood Ranch, Fla. – Sophomore Jacinta Pikunas (Youngstown, Ohio) recorded three consecutive match play victories en route to leading the Akron Zips women's golf team to a fourth-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Match Play Challenge on Monday and Tuesday.

Akron won the quarterfinal match against Illinois State (3-2), but fell in the semifinals to top-seeded Florida Gulf Coast (3-2) and the third/fourth place match to Morehead State (3-2).

Pikunas opened the MAC Match Play Challenge with a 2&1 win over Illinois State's Morgan Savage. Pikunas established a 4up ledger by hole No. 11, but dropped to a one-hole advantage by the end of the sixteenth hole. Pikunas bounced back with a win on No. 17 for a 2up lead and the match ended.

Pikunas moved to 2-0 for the tournament with 3&1 victory over Florida Gulf Coast's Isabella Portokalis. Pikunas and Portokalis battled back-and-forth through the front-9 with six lead changes and four stalemates. Pikunaks held the lead on three of those occasions, taking 1up advantages on holes No. 2, 4 and 8. When Pikunas reestablished herself as the leader on hole No. 8 she never relinquished the lead. She carried a 2up advantage into the back-9. Pikunas increased her lead to as many as 4up before ending the match 3&1 on No. 17.

In the final match against Morehead State, Pikunas defeated Sarah Black 3&2. The Zips started on hole No. 10, but it did not slow down Pikunas as she continued her dominate play by establishing an early 1up score on the first hole. She increased the lead to 2up on No. 13 and took a commanding 3up advantage at No. 15. Pikunas increased the led by as many as four holes before the match ended at No. 7 with a 3up tally.

Posting a 2-1 record for the Zips was freshman Jennifer David (Hudson, Ohio). David won her opening match in convincing fashion, defeating ISU's Emma Rouger with a 6&5 performance. She earned her second victory against FGCU's Laura Edmonds (2up) before falling 2&1 to MSU's Gypsie Hutchinson in the final match.

Sophomore Ivana Shah (Mumbai, India) and freshman Riley Dean (Lewis Center, Ohio) also secured wins for the Zips. Shah finished the event with a 2&1 victory over MSU's MacKenzie Neal while Dean opened match play with a 3&2 winning effort over ISU's Emma Sutton.

Akron's first stroke play tournament is slated for Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23 in Rio Verde, Ariz. The Zips are scheduled to play the Rio Verde Invitational at the Quail Run Course hosted by Western Michigan.