Youngstown State University
Arkansas State
YSU's Season Closes at Lansing Regional
4/9/2022 12:00:00 AM | Bowling
The Youngstown State bowling team's season came to a close on Saturday morning as the Penguins fell 2-1 to Arkansas State in an elimination mega-match at the NCAA Lansing Regional.
The Penguins finished third among the regional pod of four teams as they wrapped up their second consecutive NCAA Tournament. Youngstown State dropped its first-round match on Friday to the Red Wolves 2-1 but stayed alive by sweeping Alabama State in an elimination match in the afternoon. In the rematch with Arkansas State on Saturday, the Penguins won the traditional point and held a 48-pin lead after one game of the quint Baker round, but the Red Wolves got hot and fought off YSU in a battle of Southland Bowling League rivals.
Saturday's loss completed the careers of Penguins Emma Dockery, Emma Wrenn and Sarah Florence. Dockery was a five-year starter who endured a stretch of three head coaches in three semesters earlier in her career, and she finished her playing career as a two-time NCAA Tournament participant. Wrenn, who joined the program as a transfer before Head Coach Doug Kuberski's first full season in 2019-20, rewrote the record book in her three seasons on campus. Florence, another transfer that first season under Kuberski, had her fifth year abbreviated with a nagging lower-body injury but was a major contributor during last season's run to the national semifinals.
"There is a lot to process, and it'll take me a few days, but I want to thank the ladies for everything," Kuberski said. "They all mean a great deal to me, and I'm very lucky to know them and work with them. I also want to give special kudos to our seniors, Emma, Emma and Sarah, and also to Coach Nikki (Mendez). There is no Youngstown State Bowling as we know it without them. They are all going to do special things in life, and I hope they know they are Penguins for life."
Just as it did in its two matches on Friday, Youngstown State took a 1-0 lead in Saturday's match by claiming the traditional point.
Arkansas State had three opens in the first two frames while the Penguins were clean, and YSU maintained that lead throughout the round to win 1,018-957. Leadoff bowler Megan Grams had the highest score on the pair with a 233 that featured a six-bagger from the third through eighth frames, and four Penguins reached 200. Jade Cote threw the front five strikes and was clean through the first eight frames in a 214 game, and Dockery and Lyndsay Ennis also broke the 200 plateau with a 203 and 200, respectively.
Arkansas State was strong over the final several frames to build momentum for the quint Baker round, but Youngstown State shot 206 in the opening game to take a 48-pin advantage. The Red Wolves then struck in six of the first seven frames in game two in what was the turning point of the match. Arkansas State had a nine-strike 245 while YSU had a 184, which flipped a 48-pin deficit into a 13-pin lead. YSU opened in the ninth and 10th frames in game two, and the Penguins had three splits in game three as the margin grew to 48 pins in Arkansas State's favor. YSU shaved 18 pins off the deficit with a clean 217 in game four, but, needing to win game five by 30 pins, back-to-back opens in the third and fourth frames were too much to overcome.
Going to a best-of-seven Baker set to decide who would advance to take on Vanderbilt in the round, Arkansas State claimed all four games.
Two early opens and a split in the eighth doomed the Penguins in a 192-161 loss in the first game, and Arkansas State shot 214 in game two in a 214-188 win to take a 2-0 lead. YSU got a three-bagger from Ennis, Dockery and Wrenn in game three, and Cote converted a 3-4-7-10 split in the seventh to help the Penguins have a chance late. YSU had an open in the eighth and couldn't cover it with strikes over the final two frames in an 11-pin, 197-186 loss. Arkansas State stacked four strikes together in the second through fifth frames of game four, but the Penguins battled to have a chance at the end. However, just as YSU didn't catch a break with its tournament draw, the pins didn't do the Penguins any favors. Dockery left a solid 4-pin in the ninth and converted the spare, and Wrenn needed to strike out in the 10th to extend the match. Wrenn got the first 10, but she left the big-four split on her second attempt, and Arkansas State won game four 210-198.
Traditional Point
| Player | YSU | A-State | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grams | 233 | 169 | +64 |
| Ennis | 200 | 178 | +22 |
| Cote | 214 | 216 | -2 |
| Dockery | 203 | 195 | +8 |
| Wrenn | 168 | 199 | -31 |
| Total | 1,018 | 957 | +61 |
Baker Total Pinfall Point
| Game | YSU | A-State | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 206 | 158 | +48 |
| 2 | 184 | 245 | -61 |
| 3 | 164 | 199 | -35 |
| 4 | 217 | 199 | +18 |
| 5 | 160 | 226 | -66 |
| Total | 931 | 1,027 | -96 |
Best-of-Seven Baker
| Game | YSU | A-State | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 161 | 192 | A-State |
| 2 | 188 | 214 | A-State |
| 3 | 186 | 197 | A-State |
| 4 | 198 | 210 | A-State |
| Total | 0 | 4 | A-State |
