SINKING SPRING, Pa. -- For the second straight weekend, the Kutztown University women's bowling team started the weekend off right by going a perfect 5-0. The Golden Bears, No. 11 in the latest NTCA Division II/III Poll, collected wins over three fellow teams in the poll on their way to a fourth-place showing, Friday, at the Griffin Baker Classic at Berks Lanes.

Kutztown opened with a 202 game against Molloy and went on to defeat the Lions, ranked No. 12 in the DII/DIII Poll, 902-850. Lindsey Gotwalt (Hanover, Md./Meade), Dana Henry (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township), Renee Riffey (Glen Burnie, Md./North County), Madison Burkert (Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg) and Keanna Delp (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) comprised the Bears' lineup, which turned a 3-pin lead after four games into a 52-pin victory by outscoring Molloy 192-143 in the final game.

Freshman Rachel Wagner (Cheektowaga, N.Y./Depew) joined Gotwalt, Henry, Burkert and Delp for the Howard match, which KU (40-33) captured in dramatic fashion with a 213-166 victory in the final game. Howard led by 16 entering the fifth game, but the 47-in difference in the closing game propelled Kutztown to a 930-899 decision.

In a common theme, the Golden Bears' 970-955 win over Caldwell also came down to the wire. Laura Hartley (Mt Pleasant Mills, Pa./Midd-West) was inserted into KU's lineup for the match, which was highlighted by back-to-back 204s in games three and four to put KU ahead. The Bears ceded only three pins in a hard-fought game five against the 14th-ranked team in the DII/DIII Poll. Along with its two 200+ games, KU put forth a 199 in game two.

KU topped host Chestnut Hill, ranked eighth in the DII/DIII Poll, 994-925, in its highest-scoring match of the afternoon. It was a tale of two matches for the Maroon and Gold, which started with a 245 and 209 in the first two games to lead by 121 pins. The Griffins responded with a 207 and 208 in games three and four to close the gap, but the Bears finished with a 202-177 win in game five.

Coach Angela Reynolds rolled with the same lineup in each of the last three matches and another strong start against Walsh paved the way for a 986-854 win to end an unbeaten day. The Bears outscored the Cavaliers by 52 pins in a 197-145 game one win and broke it open with a 243-159 win in game two. KU totaled a 193 in game three and a 198 in game five.

Kutztown knocked down 4,782 pins on the day (191.3 average) to rank fourth of 14 teams. The Golden Bears were only 101 pins behind second-place Delaware State, which is ranked 18th in the nation. No. 20 Adelphi with 5,048 and a 201.9 average led the field, while No. 17 Fairleigh Dickinson was third (4,880/195.2) and No. 25 Long Island (4,749/190.0) rounded out the top five.

Henry led the Golden Bears with a 21.75 frame average, while Hartley finished at 19.93, Wagner at 19.19 and Delp at 19.02.

Play continues at the Griffin Baker Classic, Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. Kutztown is set to face No. 18 Delaware State, No. 20 Adelphi and No. 17 Fairleigh Dickinson along with Saint Thomas Aquinas and Norfolk State.