Bowling Takes Down Two Nationally Ranked Teams First Day at Music City Classic

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 18, 2016) -- The Franklin Pierce University bowling team took wins against No. 8 nationally ranked North Carolina AT&T and No. 16 Sacred Heart University, and went .500 on the day on Friday. It was sophomore Colleen Kelly (Quincy, Mass.) leading the team with a 192.5 average pinfall on the first day at the Music City Classic, hosted by Vanderbilt.

The total pinfall of the day for the Ravens was 5,282, good for an average of 880 pins per match in what would be a 3-3 day. The best game of the day was a 224-pin score against Sacred Heart, which would also mark the best match of the day, with the Ravens dropping 1,016 pins.

The Ravens faced Bethune-Cookman in their first match of the day. Unable to match their opponents' pinfall, Franklin Pierce dropped the first match, by a final score of 920-769.

The second match was against No. 8 North Carolina AT&T, and the Ravens able to outshoot the Bulldogs, using a match-best 215 pins in game the second game. After five games, Franklin Pierce took the win, 923-889.

In the third match, Franklin Pierce played Saint Francis University (Pa.). The Red Flash outshot the Ravens, 931-895 overall, but the latter was able to take one game along the way, dropping 211 pins to Saint Francis' 161.

The Ravens shot their best game of the day in the fourth match, against the No. 16 Sacred Heart University Pioneers. Franklin Pierce dropped a high of 224 pins and collected a total pinfall of 1,016 to Sacred Heart's 886. The Ravens outshot their opponent by at least 10 pins in each game of the match.

The fifth match was against host Vanderbilt, and Ravens kept things close, but eventually fell to the Commodores, 1050-812.

In the sixth and final match, both teams kept it close, but a pinfall of 212 in game two set the Ravens up for the win against Louisiana Tech, 867-839.

The Ravens return to the lanes tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. for the second day of the Music City Classic, where they will play in a traditional style.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce bowling apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).