Spiders Fall to VCU in Black & Blue Cup

Friday, April 23

Richmond, VA

1:30 PM

University of Richmond

VCU

04/23/2021 | Men's Golf

Results

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond Spiders men's golf team fell to A-10 rivals VCU in the Black & Blue Cup Friday on the Creek Course at the Country Club of Virginia. The competition featured eight head-to-head 18-hole matches, with VCU winning by a score of 6.5-1.5.

Spiders coach Adam Decker said that the competition provided an important opportunity for his team just seven days before the start of the Atlantic 10 Championship. "There's a very different feel when you are playing against your own teammates in practice versus another team," said Decker. "It's how we learn and improve areas that might need work. Hitting shots and making putts under tournament pressure is a skill and this is another opportunity to improve."

Junior Michael Childress provided the lone full point for the Spiders on Friday, defeating VCU's Mikkel Antonsen 6&5. Childress took control of the match by winning four straight holes on the front nine, birdieing the fifth and sixth holes and winning holes 7 and 8 with pars. Childress closed out the match with a birdie on the the 13th hole.

Senior Andrew McInerney halved his match against VCU's Cam Barackman, rallying after being 2 down through 13 holes. McInerney won holes 14 and 15 with pars and took his first lead of the match with a birdie on the par-4 16th hole. Following a birdie by Barackman on the 17th hole, both players made par on the par-5 18th to halve the match.

Two other matches reached the 18th hole. Junior Carter Cook lost to VCU's Joe Retford 2 Up and senior Michael Baker lost to VCU's KT Donaldson 1 Up, with both golfers posting birdies on the 18th hole.

Richmond and VCU will compete in the Atlantic 10 Championship next weekend at the Reunion Resort & Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. VCU, the defending A-10 champions, was picked to finish first in the official conference preseason poll earlier this spring. Richmond was picked fourth.

"It's very beneficial for us to play against a deep, solid team like VCU before conference," said Childress. "At this point, we know that we have the ability to play with anyone in the A-10, so we loved to get in a competitive environment and battle a little with a cross-town rival. Not that we necessarily need it, but I know it's going to light a little fire under us, and give us some more motivation to win in Orlando next week."