NEW CASTLE, Del. -- Kutztown battled back from three games down in its opening match, Sunday, to win its best-of-seven against Caldwell, 4-3, and springboard its way to a fifth-place finish at the Wilmington-hosted Wildcat DII/DIII Invitational at Bowlerama.

The Golden Bears dropped game one, 192-182, game two, 200-148, and game three, 221-202, before rallying to knock off the Cougars, who sit just behind them in the NTCA DII/DIII Preseason Poll in eighth. Head coach Angela Reynolds' lineup of Molly Agnello (Stroudsburg, Pa./Pocono Mountain East), Dana Henry (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township), Alexis Case (Ocean, N.J./Ocean Township), Madison Burkert (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) and Keanna Delp (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) avoided the sweep with a 219-211 win in game four and a pair of convincing victories, 245-195 and 237-199 in games five and six. KU (21-11) would prevail, 196-186, in the decisive seventh game.

Kutztown put itself in the same position against Felician in the second round of Baker format bracket play, but could not complete the comeback. After dropping the first three games, the same Golden Bear lineup rolled two 200+ games and forced a seventh game with a 193-169 triumph in game six. Felician's fifth 200+ game of the series was enough to hold off the Bears in a 222-170 decision.

Reynolds shuffled the order, but did not alter players for the 5th/6th-place match against Daemen, which the Golden Bears won in six games. KU won the opening game 204-177 and despite losing the next two, recovered to win three straight to close it out. Games five and six were strong for the Maroon and Gold, resulting in 216-171 and 225-167 wins.

KU will compete one more time in the fall semester when it heads back to the First State for the Eastern Shore Hawk Classic at Millsboro Lanes in Millsboro, Delaware, next weekend.