Lockport, Ill. — Youngstown State's bowling team went 4-1 in head-to-head matches and topped 940 in every set on Friday in the opening round 0f the 2026 Flyer Classic. The three-day event is being hosted by Lewis University at Strike & Spare II.

The Penguins won their first three Baker pinfall matches, and they were 2-1 against teams ranked in the top 25 of the NTCA Top 25 Poll. YSU beat No. 19 McKendree 970-944 in its second match, and it finished the round with a 943-856 win over No. 12 Wright State. Youngstown State's highest set of the day was 1,112 against Carroll, which was its second-best total of the season regardless of format.

The tournament will shift to traditional play on Saturday with five more matches of qualifying. The round will begin at 10:25 a.m. Eastern, and YSU's contests will be broadcast live on the YSUsports YouTube channel.

Baker Match Results

Match 1: Win — 946-903 vs. Marian
Match 2: Win — 970-944 vs. No. 19 McKendree
Match 3: Win — 1,112-865 vs. Carroll
Match 4: Loss — 973-1,089 vs. No. 14 Sam Houston
Match 5: Win — 943-856 vs. No. 12 Wright State

Team Summary

YSU's total pinfall: 4,944
Game average: 197.76
Highest game: 256 vs. McKendree
Standings update: 5th of 26 teams

• YSU is three pins behind fourth-place Vanderbilt and 90 pins ahead of sixth-place Oklahoma Christian.

Saturday's Schedule

Five traditional matches starting at 10:25 a.m. ET

Match 6 vs. Aurora — Lanes 13-14
Match 7 vs. Emmanuel — Lanes 21-22
Match 8 vs. Lewis — Lanes 23-24
Match 9 vs. No. 10 Maryville — Lanes 27-28
Match 10 vs. No. 17 Tulane — Lanes 15-16