MILLSBORO, Del. -- The Kutztown University women's bowling team was dealt a tough opening day draw that included three teams ranked in the NTCA Preseason Top 25 as they dropped five Baker format matches, Friday, at the Eastern Shore Hawk Classic at Millsboro Lanes.

The Golden Bears fell to St. Francis Brooklyn 931-808, sixth-ranked Arkansas State 1104-825, 15th-ranked Delaware State 976-885, 23rd-ranked Youngstown State 980-855 and took a tough one-pin defeat to fellow East Coast Conference bowling member Caldwell, 885-884.

Fielding a lineup of Renee Riffey (Glen Burnie, Md./North County), Laura Hartley (Mt Pleasant Mills, Pa./Midd-West), Alexis Case (Ocean, N.J./Ocean Township), Madison Burkert (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) and Keanna Delp (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg), the Golden Bears (21-16) won their first game of the day, 180-170, over St. Francis Brooklyn, but the Terriers outscored KU in the remaining four games to take the match by 123 pins. Arkansas State, the highest ranked team KU has faced this year, justified that ranking by knocking down more than 1,100 pins and putting forth three straight 200+ games to finish the match.

Molly Agnello (Stroudsburg, Pa./Pocono Mountain East) and Ella Luzzi (Spring Lake, N.J./Manasquan) joined head coach Angela Reynolds' lineup for the Delaware State match, where the Maroon and Gold approached 200 in the middle game (198) and won the finale 182-151, despite falling to 0-3 on the day. Dana Henry (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) was called upon in the Youngstown State match and Kutztown held the lead midway through the match after a 190-180 win in game two and 176-147 victory in game three, but the nationally-ranked Penguins closed with two huge scores, winning the fourth, 235-150, and the fifth, 222-170, to pull away.

Kutztown climbed all the way back from a 73-pin disadvantage after the first game of its match with Caldwell, who shares a spot with the Bears in the NTCA Division II/III Preseason Poll. KU won game two, 192-138, and rolled its first 200+ game in game three, though Caldwell eked out a three-pin victory, 205-202. The Golden Bears triumphed in games four and five, but came up one pin shy of the Cougars' total at the end.

The schedule is tough again on Saturday as the Golden Bears get into traditional format play against five nationally-ranked opponents, including No. 9 Fairleigh Dickinson, No. 16 Saint Francis (Pa.), No. 5 Sam Houston State, No. 14 Tulane and No. 25 Monmouth. Play begins at 10 a.m.