BEAUMONT, Texas – Elodie Chapelet and Eva Martinez won both of their matches on the day as the Lamar University women's golf team placed second at the Cardinal Challenge at the Beaumont Country Club on Monday.
 
The Cardinals were 3-2 winners over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the morning round of the match-play tournament to move into the finals against South Alabama, which was a 4-1 winner over Stephen F. Austin in Monday's other first-round match. The title match came down to the wire, with South Alabama claiming a 3-2 win as Caroline Berge parred the 18^th hole to hold on for a 1-up victory over LU's Brooke Duzan in the fifth spot.
 
The Cardinals got off to a slow start in the morning match against the Islanders before heating up as the temperature rose. Chapelet battled back after being down by two just four holes into her match against Autumn Bynum in the No. 1 spot for a 2 and 1 victory. Olivia Le Roux did get off to a quick start in the third position, winning three of the first four holes before holding on for a 2 and 1 victory.
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won at the fourth and fifth spots to even the match at 2, as it all came down to a battle between Martinez and Brooklyn Sutton of the Islanders in the No. 2 spot to decide the match. Martinez evened the match with a birdie on the 133-yard, par-3 17^th hole. After both players made par on the 18^th hole, the match came down to a playoff, with Martinez winning on the second extra hole to propel the Cardinals into the finals.
 
"I think the weather affected us early," LU coach Jessica Steward said. "We had to come back in some matches in the morning."
 
In the title match against the Jaguars, Chapelet cruised to a 4 and 3 win over Siti Shaari in the No. 1 spot, while Martinez, who never trailed, claimed a 1-up win over Julie Hovland in the second spot.
 
The Jaguars would win the final three matches, claiming the title with Berge's par on the 18^th hole.
 
"Brooke battled back in both of her matches, which was good to see," Steward said. "Elodie and Eva have a wealth of experience in match play, and that showed today."
 
The Cardinals return to action when they compete at the Southland Conference Championships that get underway Monday at the Woodcrest Golf Club in Montgomery, Texas. The three-day, 54-hole event runs through April 18. Steward hopes the lessons learned at the Cardinal Challenge will serve the Cardinals well at the conference tournament.
 
"It opened our eyes as to how we are dealing with pressure. Some players dealt with it well, others are not," Steward said. "We'll learn from what we did well, and we'll work on what we didn't do well."
 
Cardinal Challenge
Beaumont Country Club
Beaumont, Texas
Yardage: 5,942; Par 71
 
First Round
Lamar University 3, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2
1: Elodie Chapelet (LU) def. Autumn Bynum, 2 and 1
2: Eva Martinez (LU) def. Brooklyn Sutton, 20 holes
3: Olivia Le Roux (LU) def. Daniela Bergmann, 2 and 1
4: Olivia Lowe (AMCC) def. Felicia Sauceda, 7 and 6
5: Julia Dereniwsky (AMCC) def. Brooke Duzan, 3 and 1
 
South Alabama 4, SFA 1
1: Erica Lautensack (SFA) def. Siti Shaari, 4 and 3
2: Julie Hovland (USA) def. Alexandra Batista, 5 and 3
3: Madison Connell (USA) def. Jamee Jorgensen, 5 and 3
4: Mackenzie Peyton (USA) def. Paola Cortes-Ortiz, 1 up
5: Caroline Berge (USA) def. Alexis Szewczyk, 4 and 3
 
Championship
South Alabama 3, Lamar University 2
1: Elodie Chapelet (LU) def. Siti Shaari, 4 and 3
2: Eva Martinez (LU) def. Julie Hovland, 1 up
3: Madison Connell (USA) def. Olivia Le Roux, 3 and 2
4: MacKenzie Peyton (USA) def. Felicia Sauceda, 3 and 2
5: Caroline Berge (USA) def. Brooke Duzan, 1 up
 
Consolation
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4, SFA 1
1: Autumn Bynum (AMCC) def. Erica Lautensack, 4 and 3
2: Alexandra Batista (SFA) def. Brooklyn Sutton, 1 up
3: Daniela Bergman (AMCC) def. Jamee Jorgensen 1 up
4: Olivia Lowe (AMCC) def. Paola Cortes-Ortiz, 7 and 5
5: Julia Dereniwsky (AMCC) def. Alexis Szewczyk, 3 and 2