Geneva subdues Batavia with depth

The two archrivals had a girls golf encounter where conventional wisdom was unceremoniously discarded.

Batavia was seemingly in command of the Upstate Eight Conference dual match Thursday afternoon at Hughes Creek in Elburn when the bottom of the Geneva lineup completely altered the outcome.

The Bulldogs had a 15-shot advantage when the first three golfers turned in their scores.

But Batavia should have realized rivalries have a unique dynamic.

“Our coach (Eric Hatczel) told us (late in the round), ‘We really need your scores,’” Geneva senior Elise Anderson said.

The four-year varsity member and her playing companion teammate, junior Nicole Hassels, paired in the fourth and fifth slots for the Vikings, responded.

Making pars on nearly half the holes, Hassels fired a 6-over 42 to take medalist honors.

Anderson was poised for a similar score until a triple-bogey 8 on her final hole in the shotgun start — the par-5 second — cost her similar honors.

But Anderson still managed to fire a 45.

In the final two slots for the Vikings, sophomore Kari Kirl fashioned another 45, and junior Allie Henry was two shots higher.

Batavia, which was led by Lauren Anderson with a 44, could manage only a 51 for its final score.

Geneva secured the 179-192 victory in the process as the squad managed a 28-stroke turnaround from the first three golfers’ scores.

“Anyone from anywhere on our team can be the medalist,” Hatczel said. “That’s the beauty of our lineup. It’s a nice thing to have.”

“My putting was much better than usual,” Hassels said of her owning the distinction. “I had a lot of 1-putts (14 for the round). A lot of my drives were much farther than usual here.”

“I was neck and neck with Nicole (for potential medalist honors),” Elise Anderson said. “I don’t count my score until it’s all over. The last hole got me.”

Batavia (1-5, 1-5) was coming off a pair of one-sided losses to West Chicago and Waubonsie Valley on Wednesday.

But the Bulldogs had the Vikings (4-1, 4-1) scrambling for air after Becca Haseman and Candace Eamon augmented the team-low Lauren Anderson round with a 48 and 49.

Geneva, meanwhile, opened with three scores in the 50s.

“I’m really proud of them having three scores in the 40s,” Batavia coach Morgan Connell said. “Maybe we can create a buzz in the few weeks before conference.”

The Bulldogs’ Anderson pared almost 10 shots off her total Wednesday against West Chicago and Waubonsie Valley.

“I trusted my swing better (than on Wednesday),” Lauren Anderson said.