Bowling splits second day of action at Hawk Classic, end day at 3-3
MILLSBORO, Del. (November 21, 2015) – After a tough first day, the Franklin Pierce University Ravens bowling team stepped up their game on Saturday afternoon, as they split their six matches on the day in the second day at the Hawk Classic, hosted by the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
After playing Baker matches on Friday, the second day of the tournament featured traditional matches, where each bowler went the full 10 frames, and the team's combined five would lead to the team's score for the match.
The first match of the day brought the crimson and grey against Coppin State. Thanks to a score of 206 from sophomore Jessica Davies (Cape Coral, Fla.), the Ravens ran away with the match taking a win by the score of 836-576.
With a W under their belt, the Ravens then faced number 20 nationally-ranked Norfolk State. Franklin Pierce would put up decent numbers, but couldn't overcome a deficit as they dropped the match 881-835. Sophomore Nicolette Vucak (Garfield, N.J.) put up a score of 180 to lead Franklin Pierce in the match.
Match three brought one of the toughest matches of the year for the Ravens, as they squared off against number three nationally-ranked Vanderbilt. Despite playing a highly-ranked opponent, the Ravens couldn't get anything going on the lanes as they weren't able to find the win column, losing by a score of 964-792.
Things didn't get easier for the Ravens, as they once again went up against a ranked opponent in their fourth match of the day, facing 21st nationally-ranked Tulane University. Franklin Pierce received a great score from Vucak once again coming in at 198, but also found a solid score in sophomore Colleen Kelly (Quincy, Mass.) as she bowled a 182. However, the solid scores couldn't contain the Wave, as they defeated the Ravens 995-866.
Down 1-3 on the day, the Ravens found some momentum in match five, as they faced off against Morgan State. The crimson and grey would grab a win, breaking 900 for the first time as they won by a score of 953-815. Davies shot one of the top scores on the year for the Ravens finishing the match with a 236, while Kelly impressed with a 191. Sophomore Kaitlyn Poirier (Winchester, N.H.) also but up a solid score, bowling a 189 on the match.
The sixth and final match of the day for the Ravens put them as ninth in their group in pool position play. Their matchup would be against the 10th team in the pool, New Jersey City University. Franklin Pierce would once again prevail coming off their strong match five, and take their third win of the day by a final score of 870-641. Davies led the way once again, topping 200 with a score of 227.
With the win, the Ravens are now ranked 17th in Sunday's Championship Bracket, where they will first square off against Morgan State. They will finish up the final day of the tournament on Sunday.
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 women's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).