KYLE, Texas – Texas State women's golf picked up four wins and two ties in match play against Sam Houston on Friday at Plum Creek Golf Course to take down the Bearkats, 5-3.
 
In a battle of two teams ranked in the top-70 of the national rankings, the Bobcats earned wins by Matilda Svahn, Marine Griffaut, Hailey Jones and Junia Gabasa to claim the team victory. Mattingly Palmer and Fia Lindblom also earned ties in their respective matches.
 
"It was great to beat a solid Sam Houston team, but the experience of playing match play at a high level is worth even more for our team," said Par Nilsson, Texas State head coach. "With the format changing at the Sun Belt Conference tournament, where it now will be decided by match play, having a played a few match play events is a great advantage for us. Our older players – Hailey, Junia, Marine and Matilda – all played great and showed the way today with big wins."
 
Svahn was the first to win with a 6&4 victory against Viera Rosada. Svahn took up a five-up lead at the turn after she captured holes 1, 3, 5, 6 and 9. She used birdies on holes 1 and 9 to take those holes and her only blemish – a bogey on the par-4 fifth hole – was negated when Rosada double-bogeyed the hole.
 
Griffaut and Zulaikah Nasser were locked in a close match at the No. 3 spot in the lineup, but Griffaut eagled the par-five ninth hole to better Nasser's birdie and take a one up lead into the turn. Griffaut then made it two-up after back-to-back pars on holes 10 and 11 and then birdied on 14 to take a three-hole lead. Her par on the par-five 15 sealed the match after Nasser bogeyed.
 
Jones won four of the first six holes to take an early lead. She and Amelia Guo traded holes from 9 to 14 before Jones clinched Texas State's third point by matching Guo's par on 15.
 
Gabasa picked up a key victory with a 2&1 win out of the No. 8 spot in the lineup against Gracie Heinle. Gabasa fell behind one-up after the first four holes, but she carried a one-up advantage at the turn after wins at hole 5 and 7. She then took a two-hole lead with a par on the par-three 10th. She and Heinle matched each other's scores through the remainder of the holes before a par on 17 clinched the match for Gabasa and the Bobcats.
 
In the ties by Palmer and Lindblom, neither side took a lead bigger than two-up. Lindblom climbed out of a two-up deficit by parring hole 9 and then coming through with a birdie on 11 to tie up the match. Cari Denson then eagled 15 to take a one-up lead once again, but Lindblom bounced back with a par against Denson's bogey on 16.
 
The Bobcats will return to the course with the Chevron Collegiate at the Golf Club of Houston on Feb. 26-27.
 
Final Results
Jen Herbst def. Yvonne Chamness, 1 up
Mattingly Palmer vs. Jenn David, Tied
Marine Griffaut def. Zulaikah Nasser, 4&3
Matilda Svahn def. Viera Rosada, 6&4
Grace Jin def. Carla Bourdeaux, 1 up
Hailey Jones def. Amelia Guo, 4&3
Fia Lindblom vs. Cari Denson, Tied
Junia Gabasa def. Gracie Heinle, 2&1