Harahan, La. -- The Youngstown State bowling team fought off elimination twice by beating Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech on Saturday at the Conference USA Championship.
The Penguins remain alive in their quest to capture their first league title and earn Conference USA's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. They will try to win their third consecutive elimination match on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Arkansas State.
"Today was close to a 10-hour day at the lanes, and we enjoyed every minute together," said YSU head coach Doug Kuberski. "Our shotmaking has been solid across the board. I'm really proud of the ladies for channeling positive energy and being there for each other. We are excited for tomorrow and are focused on continuing to elevate together."
Youngstown State, the third seed in the tournament, had a rematch with sixth-seeded Sam Houston to begin Saturday's action and beat the Bearkats 2-0 for the second straight day. Both rounds were tight and came down to the final frames.
The Penguins battled through opens and splits in the first half of the traditional round, but they were clean from the eighth through 10th frames to pull out an 11-pin victory. YSU picked up momentum after Madyson Marx converted a 2-10 split in the eighth, and Kirsten Moore doubled in the 10th to finish off a 205 game. Anchor Jade Cote struck on her first ball in the 10th to close out a 937-926 win.
Neither team broke 200 in any of the five games during the Baker round, and Youngstown State held on for a low-scoring 869-868 victory. The Penguins led by 43 pins after firing a 187 and 193 in the first two games, and both teams shot 184 in game three. YSU dropped to 138 in game four as Sam Houston closed the game to three pins, and the Penguins did just enough in game five for the one-pin win. Megan Grams and Madison Doseck had a big double in the sixth and seventh frames, and Cote had a spare and nine in the 10th.
The Penguins had contributions throughout the lineup in their victory over fifth-seeded Louisiana Tech, which was their first match that extended to best-of-seven Baker match play. Youngstown State held a 15-pin lead after nine frames, and it pulled away in the 10th for a 982-908 win. Cote had the highest game on the pair with a 218, Moore shot 214, and Marx fired a 208. Ellie Drescher and Lyndsay Ennis came off the bench and gave YSU a lift in the top two spots in the lineup.
In the Baker pinfall portion of the match, the Lady Techsters fired a 248 in game two to take a 79-pin lead, and they were ahead comfortably the rest of the round. Louisiana Tech won 1,023-926 to even the match at 1-1 and force the best-of-seven match play.
The Penguins were clean in game one for a 197-157 win, and Moore and Marx doubled in the eighth and ninth to help close out a 189-176 win in game two. Youngstown State then had a string of five strikes to cruise to a 232-164 win in game three and take a commanding 3-0 lead in the match. Louisiana Tech extended the contest with a 230-205 win in game four, but the Penguins fired a clean 236 in game five for a clinching 236-200 win. Amanda Granata bowled in the second slot in the best-of-seven portion and marked in all 10 of her attempts.
No. 1-seeded Jacksonville State advanced to the championship round by beating No. 2 Arkansas State 2-1 in the winners' bracket final on Saturday. The winner between YSU and Arkansas State will need to beat the Gamecocks in a mega match and a best-of-seven, winner-take-all match to claim the title on Sunday. All matches at the tournament are being streamed live on ESPN+.
Match Results
Match 1 vs. Sam Houston
Traditional Format - W: 937-926
Baker Format - W: 869-869
Starting Lineup: Grams, Doseck, Moore, Marx, Cote
- Game 1: 187-160 (+27)
- Game 2: 193-177 (+43)
- Game 3: 184-184 (+43)
- Game 4: 138-178 (+3)
- Game 5: 167-169 (+1)
Match 2 vs. Louisiana Tech
Traditional Format - W: 982-908
Baker Format - L: 1,023-926
Starting Lineup: Drescher, Ennis, Moore, Marx, Cote
- Game 1: 208-213 (-5)
- Game 2: 174-248 (-79)
- Game 3: 190-165 (-54)
- Game 4: 178-216 (-92)
- Game 5: 176-181 (-97)
Best-of-Seven Baker Format - W: 4-1
Starting Lineup: Doseck, Granata, Moore, Marx, Cote
- Game 1: 197-157 - YSU
- Game 2: 189-176 - YSU
- Game 3: 232-164 - YSU
- Game 4: 205-230 - LaTech
- Game 5: 236-200 - YSU
