Boys golf battles Marist

The boys golf team earned a second-place finish in their lone league match for the week. The Outlaws finished with a team score of 321, seven strokes behind Marist, their biggest league foe, that took first-place honors (314). Junction City took third (383), Cottage Grove fourth (387), La Pine fifth at 408, and Elmira rounded out the scoring at 415.

Michael Reeve and Cody Farr-Baenzinger both shot a 78 to lead the Outlaws in individual scores. Reeve got two birdies in the round, as did Evan Mitchell who carded an 81. Jonathan Standen shot an 84, and Aaron Simundson rounded out the scoring with a 97.

Reeve told The Nugget that his toughest competitor in league is Marist's Robbie Pitts (individual medalist for the tournament), the defending state champion. Reeve said he personally felt like he hit the ball well but admitted he had trouble getting his putts to fall.

"I would really like to beat him (Pitts) at state this year," said Reeve. "He has a great ability to scramble up and down for the par and did that today. I need to really work on getting my shots closer to the pin, so I have a shorter shot for a birdie rather than trying to make a 40 foot putt."

Evans birdied the 10th and 18th holes (both par fives) and did particularly well on the 18th. Mitchell drove the ball down the middle of the fairway about 240 yards and hit his second shot just short of the green. A good wedge shot put the ball about four feet short of the hole, and then Mitchell nailed a left to right break for the birdie.

Coach Jeff Barton said: "This was one of our best showings of the year. We're getting closer to Marist as the weather gets better."

The Outlaws golfers will travel to Trysting Tree in Corvallis on Wednesday, April 23 and the following day will play at Broken Top in Bend.