Scotland's Ashley Barringer has been the team leader thus far this season, finishing first in team-scoring in each of the Scots' first four regular season matches.

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It’s a testament to the challenge Scotch Meadows Country Club poses that scores were up across the board after Thursday’s southeastern conference golf match.

But with that said, the girls of the Scotland varsity golf team put forth another solid effort, finishing second behind Pinecrest yet again in the fourth match of the season.

“You have to be accurate when you play Scotch Meadows, because the course is a lot harder than people think when they come out here,” said Scotland coach Gary Barfield. “But it’s good to see courses like that throughout the season, because they help get this team prepared for regionals in a few weeks.”

The Fighting Scots finished their round Thursday afternoon with a combined scorecard of 378. Leading the Scots as she has all season, Ashley Barringer shot a 92 and was followed by Kaylan Ganus who finished with a score of 94, good for second on the team.

Gabby Gualtieri and Allison Critcher both shot a 96 on the day, and the Scotland field was rounded out by Caitlin McCormick and Kira Gregory who posted scores of 99 and 113, respectively.

The top golfer on the Patriots this season, Gabby Weiss, was again the top scorer on the afternoon with a 72. Pinecrest as a team shot 338 to keep their first-place momentum going in the conference.

Another constant this season has been Pinecrest and Scotland’s ability to shoot scores consistently under 400, which puts both teams a cut above their conference competition who have yet to do so. Hoke was third at Scotch Meadows with a team score of 412 and was followed by the Purnell Swett Rams who shot a 426. Lumberton and Richmond didn’t tally final scores due to a lack of players.

With just three regular season matches remaining, the Scots have much room for improvement according to Barfield. Nonetheless, Scotland has still impressed this season and hopes remain high that the team is currently building towards a standout showing at regionals.

“This team is shooting the best scores it has in the four years I’ve been here,” Barfield said. “They can get even better if these girls continue to work hard at becoming better golfers.”

The next match on Scotland’s schedule will take place next week at National Country Club in Pinehurst. The match is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.