SINKING SPRING, Pa. – Kutztown University women's bowling concluded its two-day season-opening Golden Bear Invite with a ninth-place finish at Lucky Strike Sinking Spring, Sunday.
 
The Golden Bears (3-6) dropped all three of their Baker seeding matches, though two of the defeats came by tight margins.
 
In its opener against Adelphi, KU built a 27-pin advantage after two games before the Panthers used a 222 third game to go in front and hold on for a 37-pin victory, 896-859.
 
Head coach Angela Reynolds' team squared off with another East Coast Conference foe in Daemen next. The Maroon and Gold trailed throughout but cut the deficit to three with a 188-162 win in game four. Kutztown then rolled its best game of the day with a 224, only to see Daemen respond with a 236 to scratch out a 970-955 victory.
 
Morgan State dealt the Bears an 853-772 setback in the final seeding match, sending the hosts into the 9th place match against Alvernia.
 
After a rough game one in the best-of-7 Baker match, KU's lineup of Brooke Heimbach (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown), Miranda Pielhau (Waretown, N.J./Southern Regional), Kylie Downing (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post), Isabella Hopper (Mifflinville, Pa./Berwick) and Madilyn Bogovic (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) won the next four to take the match, 4-1. The quintet bowled a match-high 200 in game four and won the clinching game by a single pin, 155-154.

Prior to Sunday's first match, Kutztown held Senior Day ceremonies for Heimbach, Natalie Conrad (Wyoming, Pa./Dallas), Kayla Mackney (Burlington, N.J./Burlington Township) and Cassie Mockler (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley).
 
The Golden Bears will return to Lucky Strike Sinking Spring Saturday, Nov. 7, for the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) sanctioned Nittany Lion Cup, hosted by Penn State Berks.