MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The ninth-ranked Fairleigh Dickinson women's bowling team began the UWW Warhawk Classic with wins in two of five baker matches on Friday.
The Knights (22-7) saw their 14-match win streak snapped in the first game of the day but rallied back with wins in each of their next two contests before ending the day with two more defeats. FDU finished the first day in 11th place out of 18 teams, scoring an average of 188.3 per game against some of the top teams in the nation.
"I like how we finished the day, when we scored more competitively," said head coach
Mike LoPresti after the day ended. "Still, we obviously need to elevate our play and be more competitive every round tomorrow."
Seven players contributed to the Knights' efforts on the day, with senior
Amy Caruso, junior
Brianna MacLeod and sophomore
Aimee Sherman starting all five matches. Junior
Samantha Hart, the reigning NEC bowler of the week and sophomore
Amanda Chrzanowski were in the lineup for four of the games, while sophomore
Deborah Epps started in one of the Knights' wins and came off the bench in two more contests. Freshman
Lanasia Neal started in both Knights victories.
In their first match, FDU jumped in front of Maryville (Mo.) after two games to lead by 30 pins, but Maryville erased that lead with a strong third game. The Knights were then outscored in each of the next two frames to fall to the Saints, 926-867.
FDU bounced back in its next match against sixth-ranked Stephen F. Austin. The Knights scored higher in each of the last four frames with a high-score of 202 in earning a big 947-893 victory over the Lumberjacks.
The Knights carried that momentum into their next match against Lincoln (Mo.), winning 863-765. FDU rolled a high score of 212 in the fourth frame and scored higher in four of the five games in the match.
The next match pitted the Knights against fourth-ranked Sam Houston State, and both teams were at their best in the match. FDU rolled four 200-plus point frames in the match, including its best game of the day with a 239 in the second frame. Sam Houston State, however, recorded higher pin totals in three of the five games and finished with a strong fifth game, outscoring the Knights by 26 pins in the final frame on its way to earning a 1046-1032 victory.
FDU wrapped up the day against host Wisconsin-Whitewater and despite rolling over 200 in three of the five frames fell 1134-998.
The Knights continue the Warhawk Classic tomorrow with five traditional team matches, starting with a contest against fellow NEC rival LIU Brooklyn. FDU is scheduled to play three more ranked opponents, including two of the top three teams in the country in McKendree and Nebraska.
Check back here at fduknights.com for further updates and scores at the end of play Saturday.
