Lansing, Mich. — Youngstown State's bowling team battled low-scoring conditions and fought off elimination against Carroll to survive in the Lansing Regional on Friday at Royal Scot.

The Penguins dropped their opening match 2-0 to North Carolina A&T, and they lost the traditional point to the Pioneers to fall behind 1-0 in the elimination match. YSU trailed by 50 pins after three games of the Baker pinfall point, but it flipped the match in game four with a 250. YSU threw the front seven on its way to winning the game by 83 pins and taking a 33-pin lead into game five. Youngstown State won the Baker point 917-891 to extend the match to the best-of-seven tiebreaker, which it won 4-0.

Youngstown State advances to the final day of the Lansing Regional for a rematch against North Carolina A&T at 9 a.m. The Aggies lost their second match on Friday to Jacksonville State, which awaits the winner of the YSU-North Carolina A&T match for the Regional Championship on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Seeded second in the region, Youngstown State dropped both points to North Carolina A&T, the region's third seed, in the morning session. The Penguins got games of 212 from Kara Beissel and 204 from Gianna Varano in the traditional point, but the Aggies won 965-896 to take a 1-0 lead in the mega match.

The teams were tied at 380 apiece through two games of the Baker pinfall match, and a 209-160 edge in game three allowed the Aggies to take a 49-pin advantage. YSU shaved 40 pins off the deficit by firing a 214 in game four, but an open in the 10th allowed North Carolina A&T to maintain the lead and lane choice. The Aggies moved the Penguins off the left lane, where it was averaging 213.5 in the point, to the right, and they held on for a 180-167 win in game five. Amy Chrzanowski and Beissel doubled to give the Penguins a push and force Aggies anchor Victorya White to mark, and the two-hander struck to seal the match.

In the elimination match, the Pioneers battled from behind over the final two frames to win the traditional point 902-890. The Penguins did not strike after Varano's from the third slot in the lineup in the eighth frame. Carroll had eight strikes in the final two frames, and it got doubles from its final three bowlers in the lineup. Liv Baskin had the highest score on the pair with a 222 for the Penguins.

Carroll kept the pressure on to open the Baker portion of the match with a 207-154 edge in the opening game, and the Pioneers led 543-493 through three games. That's when Youngstown State met the moment, starting game four with seven straight strikes on lane 53 as it erupted for a 250. Amber Mason was moved to the leadoff position and opened with a strike, and Baskin, Kaitlyn Greenaway, Beissel and Chrzanowski followed. Mason and Baskin struck on their second turns through the lineup, and the Penguins finished with one open in their 250 that gave them a 33-pin lead.

In game five with the match still in the balance late, Greenaway covered a washout, picking up the 1-2-4-8-10 in a clutch moment right after Carroll's bowler picked up the 4-7-10 on the right lane. The Pioneers' anchor left a 10-pin in the 10th, and Beissel and Chrzanowski followed Greenaway's spare with a double as YSU held on for a 26-pin victory.

Youngstown State went on to win the best-of-seven tiebreaker 4-0, beating the Pioneers 189-176, 194-174, 178-169 and 191-168.

All action throughout the tournament is being streamed live for free on BowlTV.

Results

North Carolina A&T 2, Youngstown State 0

Traditional point — NCAT won 965-896

• Chrzanowski: 188-199 | -11
• Varano: 204-204 | even
• Baskin: 130-180 | -50
• Mason: 162-199 | -37
• Beissel: 212-189 | +29

Baker pinfall point — NCAT won 943-921

• Game 1: 167-171 | -4
• Game 2: 213-209 | +4 (even)
• Game 3: 160-209 | -49 (-49)
• Game 4: 214-174 | +40 (-9)
• Game 5: 167-180 | -13 (-22)

Youngstown State 2, Carroll 1

Traditional point — Carroll won 902-890

• Chrzanowski: 188-199 | -11
• Baskin: 222-152 | +70
• Varano: 169-213 | -44
• Chrzanowski: 170-177 | -7 
• Beissel: 162-180 | -18

Baker pinfall point — YSU won 917-891

• Game 1: 154-207 | -53
• Game 2: 182-166 | +16 (-37)
• Game 3: 157-170 | -13 (-50)
• Game 4: 250-167 | +83 (+33)
• Game 5: 174-181 | -7 (+26)

Best-of-seven point — YSU won 4-0

• Game 1: 189-176 | YSU
• Game 2: 194-174 | YSU
• Game 3: 178-169 | YSU
• Game 4: 191-168 | YSU