SHU Bowling Takes 16th at Kutztown Invitational

Friday, January 23

Sacred Heart

Kutztown Invitational

SHU Bowling Takes 16th at Kutztown Invitational

1/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Bowling

READING, PA. (Monday, Jan. 26, 2015)—The Sacred Heart bowling team finished sixteenth at the Kutztown Invitational this weekend. The Pioneers started off hot winning all six matches on the opening day of this season's largest tournament, but cooled off Saturday and Sunday winning just two matches over the latter two days.

"After our success first semester, we didn't expect this start to the second semester," said Head Coach Becky Kregling. "The quality and execution of shots has dropped. We have a lot of work to do on the lanes during practice to be prepared for our next match."

The only constant in the Pioneers' lineup, Lauren Hoffman (Monroe Township, N.J.) led the team in frame average, averaging 60 pins per frame. The sophomore also led the team averaging 201.6 per game. Right behind her was junior Jayna Tartaligia (Rye Brook, N.J.) with 198.0 per game.

After defeating North Carolina Central 899-712 and Coppin State 823-724 to open the tournament, the Pioneers downed No. 3 Arkansas St. 1006-999.

Friday's win streak continued as SHU picked up W's against Bethune Cookman (968-938), North Carolina A&T (933-916) and Valparaiso (1008-970).

The momentum carried on to Saturday as Tartaglia's 248 game led Sacred Heart to a win 958-834 win over Norfolk State, but was stopped dead in its tracks in the day's second match. The 962-844 loss to Central Missouri marked a turning point in the weekend for the Pioneers, who couldn't find the consistency they had the day before to compete against some of the nation's top 10 teams. The loss to the Jennies sent SHU on a four game slide as they fell to UMES (1039-886), Vanderbilt (1018-990), Stephen F. Austin (1007-926).

The Pioneers did close the day out with a win, using Hoffman's 224 and Corinne Maher's (Brick Township, N.J.) 212 games to propel SHU over Wisconsin Whitewater 999-960.

Entering match-play as the 14 seed, Sacred Heart dropped three straight matches to Alabama Birmingham (4-3), Kutztown (4-3) and Valparaiso (4-2) to fall into sixteenth place overall.