NEW CASTLE, Del. – The 23rd-ranked Kutztown University women's bowling team won one of its three best-of-seven baker matches on Sunday morning, finishing 22nd out of 36 teams at the Northeast Classic, hosted by Sacred Heart University at the Bowlerama bowling alley in New Castle, Del.
The Golden Bears (25-13 overall) faced three opponents ranked between 20th and 25th in the National Tenpin Coaches Association on the final day of competition. It dropped a 4-0 opening match against No. 20 Bryant before rebounding to defeat No. 25 Central Missouri via tiebreaker, 4-3.5, to earn a spot In the 21st place match. There, it met No. 24 Delaware State, and although KU had defeated the Hornets in traditional competition at the Golden Bear Invite in November, it fell, 4-3, to wrap up the three-day tournament.
After its opening match, Kutztown won its first two games against Central Missouri, turning in a 215-game total that was its second-highest of the day. The Jennies responded with a 3-1 run heading into a seventh game, one in which they tied with 178-pin games. In the tiebreaking game, the Golden Bears defeated Central Missouri by 16 pins, moving them up in the bracket for the final match of the day.
It was back and forth between Delaware State and Kutztown, as the Hornets picked up all the odd games and Kutztown won all even games. After a day high 231 from KU in game six forced a seventh game, DSU pulled off a five-pin victory over the Golden Bears to finish 21st on the weekend.
Similar to most of the weekend, the Golden Bears used starting lineups that included
Sydney Snyder (Morrisville, Pa./Conwell-Egan Catholic),
Shelby Wunch (Easton, Md./Easton),
Miranda Pielhau (Waretown, N.J./Southern Regional),
Isabella Hopper (Mifflinville, Pa./Berwick) and
Madilyn Bogovic (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff). After competing against 10 teams ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation, the Golden Bears finished with five wins on the weekend, while their 22nd-place finish eclipses the 25th-place finish they ended with a season ago.
The Golden Bears have a weekend off before traveling to Deptford, N.J., to compete in the Griffin Baker Classic, hosted by Chestnut Hill College, at the Bowlero Deptford bowling alley, on Saturday, Jan. 31, through Sunday, Feb. 1.
