SYMRA, TENN. (March 21, 2016)—The Sacred Heart bowling team finished tenth at the Columbia 300 Music City Classic this weekend in a field of 30 that featured 23 of the Top 25 teams in the country. After going 7-5 during qualifying Friday and Saturday, SHU went into Sunday's match play in 10th place with a total pinfall of 11,179.
The Pioneers took on Northeast Conference foe LIU Brooklyn in the first round, sweeping the Blackbirds in four games to move onto another NEC rival in Fairleigh Dickinson. Sacred Heart fell to the Knights in the first three games (194-158, 201-149, 182-171), but bounced back with two wins (177-171, 235-201) to prolong the match. Unfortunately, SHU fell in the sixth game by just five pins, 206-201, to fall in the bracket.
Sacred Heart took on UMES in a battle to decide ninth or tenth place. The Pioneers were off to a good start, winning the first game 191-146, but the Hawks evened the match with a game two win. UMES took a 3-1 advantage with wins in games three and four, but the Pioneers stayed alive with a 185-181 win in game five. They couldn't keep the momentum going, however, loaing the sixth game 159-141 to finish the tournament in 10th place.
SHU looks for its third NEC Championship this weekend at Howell Lanes in Howell, N.J. The Pioneers enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed earning a bye in the qualifying round.
Friday: Baker Matches
#23 Elmhurst 831 – #16 SHU 812
#16 SHU 987 - #7 McKendree 960
- Starting Lineup: Smith, Hoffman, Jayna Tartaglia, Zimmerman, Rhodes
- Hoffman led the Pioneers with 244 over the 10 frames with seven of 10 for strikes
- Smith and Tartaglia added 214 each over 10 frames
#1 Nebraska 984 - #16 SHU 860
- Starting Lineup: Smith, Zimmerman, Hoffman, Tartaglia, Rhodes
Franklin Pierce 1016 - #16 SHU 886
#16 SHU 901 – Howard 836
- Starting Lineup: Smith, Newton, Tartaglia, McGinn, Hoffman
#16 SHU 906 - Prarie View A&M 836
Saturday: Team Games
- Hoffman led Sacred Heart for the day with a 21.09 frame average
- The Pioneers shot over 1000 in three straight matches during the afternoon block for the second highest pinfall in the field in that block
#5 Stephen F. Austin 916 - #16 SHU 875
- Starting Lineup: Zimmerman, Amanda Nardiello, Smith, Rhodes, Hoffman
- Rookie Smith filled in all 10 frames for 200
#16 SHU 919 – Alabama A&M 780
- Starting Lineup: Mikaela Marbot, Abby Rossi, Smith, Nardiello, Maher
- Nardiello filled 10 frams for a 213
- Rossi threw seven strikes for a 212
#18 St. Francis Brooklyn 919 - #16 SHU 873
- Starting Lineup: Marbot, Rossi, Rhodes, Nardiello, Hoffman
- Hoffman had the team's high game of 213 followed by Nardiello with a 204
#16 SHU 1098 - #3 Vanderbilt 1041
- Starting Lineup: Nardiello, Amanda Tyrrell, Rhodes, Smith, Hoffman
- 4 of five bowlers threw over 200, combining to leave only four frames open in the big win over Vanderbilt
- Rhodes paces Sacred Heart with 247. Right behind her were Hoffman and Nardiello each with a 211 game, and Tyrrell with a 204
#16 SHU 1000 – Louisiana Tech 820
- Starting Lineup: Nardiello, Tyrrell, Rhodes, Smith, Hoffman
- Hoffman filled all 10 frames for a 216 game
- Smith and Rhodes also shot over 200 recording 2016 and 207 respectively
#16 SHU 1044 - #19 Tulane 854
- Starting Lineup: Nardiello, Tyrrell, Rhodes, Smith, Hoffman
- Again, four out of five players shot 200+
- Hoffman led the way with a 225 with Smith just four pins behind her with a 221 game. Tyrrell threw a 212, and Rhodes a 204
Sunday: Match Play
10 seed SHU 4 – 9 seed LIU Brooklyn 0
- Sacred Heart swept the Blackbirds in the first match: 204-193, 202-190, 177-169, 179-178
- Starting Lineup: Tyrrell, Smith, Nardiello, Rhodes, Hoffman
- Rhodes threw seven consecutive strikes in her eight shots
- Tyrell and Smith both filled all eight frames
8 seed Fairleigh Dickinson 4 – 10 seed SHU 2
- FDU took the first three games: 194-158, 201-149, 182-171
- The Pioneers pushed the match to a sixth game, winning games four and five 177-171 and 235-201 respectively, but fell in the sixth 206-201
- Starting Lineup: Tyrrell, Smith, Nardiello, Rhodes, Hoffman
- Rhodes had the team's best performance striking on seven of 12 shots
12 seed UMES 4 – 10 seed SHU 2
- In the second straight match, the Pioneers fell 4-2
- After starting out hot winning the first game 191-146, Sacred Heart dropped three straight 192-178, 194-173 and 176-165. SHU struck back winning the fifth game by just four pins, 185-181, but dropped the final game 159-141 to finished the tournament tenth
- Starting Lineup: Nardiello, Tyrrell, Smith, Rhodes, Hoffman
- Rhodes led the team again in frame average and filled the most frames, 11 of 12
