WILMINGTON, Del. – The 15th-ranked Fairleigh Dickinson women's bowling team earned its first tournament title of the season by going unbeaten at the Northeast Roundup, winning all four Baker matches Sunday to finish a perfect 9-0.
The Knights (66-38) only dropped four of their 20 total games, averaging 219.0 pins per game across all four of their matches for a total pin fall of 4,379. The Knights defeated Mercyhurst and Chestnut Hill in their final two qualifying matches to enter the two-round Baker bracket in first place, knocking off both no. 23 Wilmington and no. 22 Monmouth in five games to win the first-place trophy.
Across both days of the tournament, FDU accrued a pin fall total of 10,097 for a game average of 224.4 per game.
Utilizing the lineup that completed a
record-breaking day on Saturday, the Knights employed a Baker lineup of freshman
Cameron Spring as the leadoff, junior
Amanda Chrzanowski in second, junior
Aimee Sherman bowling third, junior
Jenna Henderson as the setup and senior
Samantha Hart as the anchor.
FDU started its day with a 1040-879 victory over Mercyhurst. After falling behind by seven pins to start the match, the Knights quickly made up the deficit with a 216-165 advantage in the second game before adding to their lead in the remaining three stanzas to create the winning margin. FDU compiled a match-high score of 254 in the third game.
The Knights also cruised to a victory in the final qualifying match against Chestnut Hill, winning 1114-997. FDU totaled at least 217 pins in each of their first three games (226, 217, 258) to build up a 138-pin lead before the Griffins cut into the margin in the fourth game, but the Knights finished strong with a 232-200 advantage in the final game to solidify the victory as subs
Lanasia Neal,
Brianna MacLeod,
Ashley Sham and
Deborah Epps helped close out the battle.
In the first round of the bracket against Wilmington, FDU won each of the first three games by at least 17 pins, with scores of 224-182, 210-193 and 193-164. The Wildcats stayed alive with a win in the fourth game, but the Knights quickly put to rest any potential comeback with a 216-181 clinching victory in the fifth game to advance to the championship match.
The Knights then repeated their winning formula against Monmouth, scoring at least 246 pins in each of the first three games. After a 246-177 first-game win, the Knights almost combined for a perfect second game if not for one pin on a first ball staying upright, leading to a 279-190 win. FDU then took game three 257-211 before the Hawks rallied for a fourth-game win, but the Knights closed out the tournament and their championship with a 226-196 fifth-game victory.
The red-hot Knights will look to carry their winning ways into the Northeast Conference Championship in two weeks, with competition beginning Friday, March 20, with a first-round elimination match between the Knights and Mount St. Mary's. A win would extend FDU's stay to potentially play for a fifth NEC title on Sunday, March 22.
