SINKING SPRING, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's bowling team claimed its first-ever East Coast Conference Championship after a 2-1 mega match victory over the Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks on Sunday, a win that was capped off by a strike from ECC Bowler of the Year Chloe Sromovski (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./G.A.R. Memorial) to win the best-of-seven baker battle 4.5-2.5 at Bowlero Berks Lanes.
The Golden Bears (63-43 overall) leaned on the same starting five all day, rolling Megan Hanaway (Forked River, N.J./Lacey Township), Sydney Snyder (Morrisville, Pa./Conwell-Egan Catholic), Shelby Wunch (Easton, Md./Easton), Kamryn Brenneman (York, Pa./Central York) and Sromovski against the Redhawks.
Roberts Wesleyan opened the championship matchup in command after winning the traditional match 972-919. The five-game baker total pinfall match ended in the Golden Bears' favor, 1021-923, sending the contest to a baker best-of-seven that would decide the champion.
Roberts Wesleyan won the first game, 174-146, but Kutztown responded with two consecutive wins, 236-155 and 214-189, to take a 2-1 lead. The teams tied, 192-192, to give the Golden Bears a one-point edge heading into the fifth game. KU took game five 175-152 to go ahead 3.5-1.5 before the Redhawks earned a 212-191 win in the sixth game to close their deficit, 3.5-2.5.
The championship would be secured on the final ball from Kutztown, as Sromovski struck on her final shot to lock down the two-pin victory and claim the team's first ECC Championship and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.
The Maroon and Gold's weekend included qualifying round wins over D'Youville (870-783), Saint Anselm (1016-894), Roberts Wesleyan (989-943) and St. Thomas Aquinas (1007-652), and double elimination wins over No. 8 Saint Anselm (4-0), No. 4 Molloy (4-2) and No. 3 Bryant (4-1).
The Golden Bears secured their second conference championship in team history, the other coming as a member of the Northeast Conference in 2009. KU also clinched its second trip to the NCAA Bowling Championship, returning for the first time since its 100-win season in 2011.
Kutztown will learn where they will go and who they will face on the NCAA Selection Show on Wednesday at 4 p.m., which will be streamed live on NCAA.com.
