Seton Hall University
Second Round
Erin McClure Wins 2013 Rutgers Invitational
10/15/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
Oct. 15, 2013
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Junior Erin McClure (Tucson, Ariz.) became the third player in Seton Hall women's golf history to win an individual championship with a one-stroke victory at the 2013 Rutgers Women's Invitational on Tuesday. As a team, the Pirates finished second among 17 participants.
McClure joins teammates Hannah Basalone (Brea, Calif.) and Ali Kruse (Overland Park, Kan.) as the only individual champions in the program's young three and a half year history. She fired identical 1-over-par, 73's, to finish at 2-over-par with a 146, one stroke ahead of LIU's Marison Doglioli and Delaware's Amanda Terzian.
McClure's tournament total of 146 is the lowest par-72, two-round score in Seton Hall history and her 2-over-par score is a personal career-best. It's been a banner fall season for the Pirates' junior who leads the team in scoring average and is the reigning BIG EAST Golfer of the Week.
"I'm so proud of Erin," said head coach Sara Doell. "She's worked so hard on her game and it has really shown this fall. This title is the culmination of all that hard work and it couldn't be more deserving."
Collectively, the Pirates weren't as successful as McClure, but played well enough to earn a second place finish with a 32-over-par, 302-306-608, five strokes behind team champion, Delaware. The teams were tied entering Tuesday's final round. Seton Hall handily defeated a pair of BIG EAST competitors. The Pirates bested St. John's by nine strokes and Georgetown by 18 strokes.
"Certainly we would have liked to have successfully defended our title here, but I'm very pleased with the overall effort," Doell said. "We'll use this performance as a springboard heading into our two final events of the fall season."
Sophomore Karlie Zabrosky (Erie, Pa.) notched her second career top-10 finish with a 9-over-par, 76-77-153. She tied for 10th overall among 113 individual golfers. Zabrosky's 9-over-par is a career-best against par.
Ali Kruse successfully moved up the leader board with a strong second round. The junior tied for 18th place overall with an 11-over-par, 80-75-155. Finishing just one stroke behind, classmate McKenzie Cutter (Waldorf, Md.) tallied a 12-over-par, 75-81-156.
After a solid first round, Hannah Basalone struggled a bit in round two. The Pirates' veteran leader finished in a tie for 36th place with a 16-over-par, 78-82-160.
Senior Samantha Massei (Allen, Texas), competing as an individual, was 11 shots better in round two and finished with a 35-over-par, 95-84-179.
Seton Hall will return to the links on Sunday, October 20 for the first of two rounds at the Sacred Heart Fall Classic.
