The Youngstown State bowling team went undefeated and posted the second-best Baker set in program history on the opening day of the Penguin Classic. The three-day tournament is being held at Holiday Bowl, YSU's home center in Struthers, Ohio, and it is the first competition for the Penguins in the 2023-24 season.
The Penguins averaged 204.2 per game and 1,021 per set in Baker play on Friday, and their 5,105 total pinfall was the second-highest in the field. With eight more matches of qualifying remaining over the next two days of competition, YSU is 70 pins behind first-place Arkansas State and 158 pins ahead of third-place Nebraska.
"Overall, it was a solid start to our season. I'm proud of the way we stayed together and communicated well throughout the day," said YSU head coach Doug Kuberski. "We were able to grind well together on some tricky pairs and string some strikes when the opportunities were out there. We are focused on keeping things simple, having some fun, and continuing to grow together heading into the weekend. If we do that, the scores will take care of themselves."
The Penguins began the day on one of those tricky pairs as they opened with a 911-801 victory over Wright State. They immediately bounced back on lanes 19-20 in their home house by shooting 1,170 in a 131-pin victory over #25 Morgan State. Megan Grams, Lyndsay Ennis, Madison Doseck, Kirsten Moore and Madyson Marx combined to post the second-highest Baker set in school history, and a 278 in game two tied for the four-best Baker game in the program's record book.
YSU fought for a 925-912 win over Saint Francis for its third victory, and it eclipsed 1,000 in the final two matches of the day. The Penguins topped #16 Mercyhurst 1,045-939 in match four, and they finished the day with a 1,054-867 win over Lewis in which all eight active bowlers competed.
The second day of the Penguin Classic will feature five traditional matches, and the competition will begin at 9:25 a.m.
For more information, visit the tournament central page at ysusports.com/2023bowlpc.
