Arlington, Texas —  The Youngstown State bowling team defeated three top-10 teams and picked up four victories overall on Friday in the opening day of the Prairie View A&M Invitational. The three-day tournament is being held at the ITRC.
The Penguins posted the third-highest pinfall in the field of 12 teams on Friday in which teams bowled five Baker matches. Youngstown State totaled 5,063 pins overall for an average of 202.5 per game, and the Penguins averaged 207.25 over their last four matches.
"We navigated some adversity on the first pair of the day, and the way the ladies handled it set the tone for the day," said YSU head coach. "I'm really proud that we stayed together, focused on making quality shots, and channeled positive energy throughout the day. We're excited to enjoy an alumni chapter dinner, rest up, and get back after it tomorrow."
The Penguins fought through some tough splits and missed single-pin spare opportunities in their opening match, but they were able to hang on for a 918-909 victory against the host Panthers. YSU then earned its first top-10 win of the day by beating No. 6 Arkansas State to improve to 2-0 on the day. The Penguins threw the front five in game one to set the tone, and they had a big 215-161 edge in game four to gain some cushion. Anchor Madyson Marx struck out in the 10th frame of game five to seal the win.
Youngstown State seized the momentum from the close victory over the Red Wolves and bowled its highest match total of the day against No. 10 Maryville. The Penguins broke 220 in three of their five games against the Saints, and they won 1,096-880. YSU dropped down to 967 in its fourth match in a 1,045-967 loss to top-ranked Jacksonville State, but it closed out the day with a 1,061-982 victory over No. 2 Vanderbilt. YSU topped 220 three times and punctuated the win over the Commodores with a 247 in game five.
Jacksonville State sits at the top of the standings with a five-match total of 5,282. Arkansas State is second at 5,095, YSU is third with 5,063, and Louisiana Tech is fourth at 5,034.
Qualifying will continue on Saturday as the Penguins will bowl in five traditional matches beginning at 10:25 a.m. ET. All matches this weekend are being streamed on BowlTV.
Friday's Baker Match Results
Match 1 vs. PVAMU
Lineup: Drescher, Bunk, Moore, Cote, Marx
W: 918-909 (YSU scores 182-198-188-157)
Match 2 vs. #6 Arkansas State
Lineup: Drescher, Bunk, Moore, Cote, Marx
W: 1,021-1,010 (226-173-187-215-220)
Match 3 vs. #10 Maryville
Lineup: Drescher, Bunk, Moore, Cote, Marx
W: 1,096-880 (221-188-245-207-235)
Match 4 vs. #1 Jacksonville State
Lineup: Drescher, Bunk, Moore, Cote, Marx
L: 967-1045 (175-198-198-213-183)
Match 5 vs. #2 Vanderbilt
Lineup: Drescher, Bunk, Moore, Cote, Marx
W: 1,061-982 (171-225-224-194-247)
