PORT JEFFERSON STATION, N.Y. - - Competing in its first postseason event, the Wilmington University women's bowling team got off to a fast start at the East Coast Conference Championships, finishing eighth overall after Pool Play at the Port Jeff Bowl.
The Wildcats opened with the highest score in the first Baker Match, but dropped the final two matches and a tough best-of-seven bracket match to Kutztown to end the day.
The team is guaranteed one match on Saturday, as it awaits to see who its opponent is in the double elimination bracket. The Wildcats will play the loser of second seconded Franklin Pierce and seventh seeded Chestnut Hill in an elimination match.
The Wildcats started hot, defeating Molloy 945-817 to briefly sit atop the ECC leaderboard by total pinfall. The Wildcats dropped to fourth after their second match of the day, falling to one of the ECC favorites Franklin Pierce, 1,019-791. Wilmington bounced back in the third Baker Match of the day, defeating St. Thomas Aquinas, 848-485, but slid down the leaderboard once more according to total pinfall.
A tough seven-pin loss to nearby rivals Chestnut Hill set the Wildcats back even further, as they fell to the Griffins, 879-872, in their fourth match of the day. The Griffins ended up one position ahead of the Wildcats after five Baker Matches.
The final Pool Play match was against Kutztown, as the Golden Bears finished with their second highest score of the day to defeat the Wildcats, 912-823. The two would meet again in the first round of the bracket.
In a tight match throughout, the Wildcats fought back from a 3-1 deficit to force a seventh and deciding game in the bracket play. The Wildcats defeated the Golden Bears, 160-140, in game five and bowled a match high 204 in game six to win 204-186. But Kutztown held off the Wildcats in game seven, narrowly defeating the Wildcats, 163-160, to win the match, 4-3.
Lincoln Memorial earned the top seed in bracket play and a first round bye with a total pinfall of 4,883 in five baker matches. Franklin Pierce (4,846), Adelphi (4,577), and Felician (4,575) also earned first round byes by finishing in the top four after Pool Play.
Day two of the ECC Championships continue on Saturday at the Port Jeff Bowl.
AGATE:
ECC Championships Day 1 Results:
Pool Play Baker Matches
Match 1 – Molloy – W – 945-817
Match 2 – Franklin Pierce – L – 1019-791
Match 3 – St. Thomas Aquinas – W – 848-485
Match 4 – Chestnut Hill – L – 879-872
Match 5 – Kutztown – L – 912-823
Double Elimination Bracket (Best of 7 Baker):
#8 Wilmington – 133-150-159-143-160-204-160 – 3
#9 Kutztown – 203-149-168-182-140-186-163 - 4
Saturday, March 24:
Double Elimination Bracket (Best of 7 Baker):
#8 Wilmington vs. Loser #2 Franklin Pierce/#7 Chestnut Hill