SINKING SPRING, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's bowling team came back from a 1-2 start on the day to claim the top seed in the best-of-seven baker placement round, only to fall to Mercyhurst in the championship round on Sunday to conclude the Golden Bear Invite at Berks Lanes.
The Golden Bears (18-11) picked up where they left off after a perfect first day at their home tournament, opening the final day with a 922-825 victory over Molloy. Kutztown dropped its first two matches of the tournament to Felician (861-902) and Belmont Abbey (847-967), but bounced back with a 974-827 win over Wilmington to conclude the four baker matches and set up a rematch of Saturday's final match against Mercyhurst for the championship.
The Lakers carried the momentum from a stronger second day to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven baker round against the Golden Bears. Kutztown, who rolled most of the match with
Ally Sipe (York, Pa./Central York),
Sydney Snyder (Morrisville, Pa./Conwell-Egan Catholic),
Kamryn Brenneman (York, Pa./Central York),
Shelby Wunch (Easton, Md./Easton) and
Chloe Sromovski (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial), managed a four pin victory in game three after striking four times and filling seven frames to cut Mercyhurst's lead in half.
The Lakers, fresh off a move to Division I's Northeast Conference, put away the Golden Bears with two stellar marks of 193 and 246 to claim the title.
Brenneman claimed Tournament MVP honors after an opening day average of 207 through five games, including a day-high of 237. The York native bowled another strong day in the third and fourth positions for KU.
The Golden Bears will have three weekends off before traveling to Maryland for the Lady Eagles Invitational, hosted by Coppin State University at AMF Woodlawn Lanes in Woodlawn, Md. Competition takes place throughout the day on Saturday, Nov. 16 and Sunday, Nov. 17.
