New Castle, Del. — The Youngstown State bowling team earned four head-to-head wins and sits third in total pinfall after the first day of the Northeast Classic. The three-day tournament began on Friday, and it is being hosted by Sacred Heart at Bowlarama.
The Penguins were back in competition mode for the first time in exactly two months, and they were back in solid form after posting the best fall in program history. YSU entered the Northeast Classic ranked third in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association Top 25 poll.
Youngstown State topped 1,040 in four of its five sets, and it won its first two matches and its last two to finish with a 4-1 mark. The Penguins are third in the team standings with a total pinfall of 5,274, which trailed only North Carolina A&T (5,457) and Maryville (5,393) in the field of 34 teams. With five more matches of qualifying on Saturday, YSU has a 16-pin lead on Vanderbilt, and Jacksonville State and Nebraska are both within 60 pins.
"Overall, it was a very solid start. The ladies' shotmaking and communication were outstanding, and we did a solid job staying focused on our process and keeping things simple," said YSU head coach Doug Kuberski. "We also gathered some great notes as we navigated the house and transition. We're looking forward to an evening of rest and to getting back after it tomorrow."
Lyndsay Ennis, Ellie Drescher, Kirsten Moore, Madyson Marx and Jade Cote served as the primary lineup for most of the day, and all nine Penguins who traveled bowled in the final match.
The Penguins began the spring by breaking 200 in four of their five games in a 1,076-842 win over Chestnut Hill, and they followed that with a 1,042-774 victory over NJCU. YSU started its match against 15th-ranked Mount St. Mary's with a 150 and couldn't string enough strikes together in the final four games to catch up as it fell 955-921, but the Penguins responded by posting their highest two match totals of the day.
In match four, the Penguins threw 11 strikes in a 280 to start the match, and they shot 194 or better in all five games to beat No. 24 Delaware State 1,142-976. YSU closed the day with a 1,093-861 victory over Wilmington.
Youngstown State will bowl five traditional matches on Saturday beginning at 9:25 a.m. Eastern. All five matches will be streamed live on the YSUsports YouTube channel.
