Women’s Bowling Opens SFU Invitational Weekend
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's bowling team returned to action on Friday for the first time since November 19, competing in day one of this weekend's Saint Francis University Red Flash Invitational at Holiday Bowl.
Friday's round of the three-day tournament consisted of five matches played in the traditional team format. Penn State Altoona faced off against four Division I programs, as well as one Division III Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent.
The Lions suffered five losses on the day, falling to Division I opponents Duquesne University, Valparaiso University, Morgan State University, and host St. Francis, as well as AMCC foe Pitt-Greensburg. Penn State Altoona finished the day in ninth place out of 10 teams with a total pinfall of 3,729.
Duquesne ended day one in first place with a record of 4-1 and a total pinfall of 4,784. Mount Saint Mary's University held down second place with a 5-0 record and a pinfall of 4,752, while Valparaiso was third with a 5-0 record and 4,604 pins.
Chloe Mazza (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Township) led Penn State Altoona in total pins and average during Friday's round, dropping 905 pins for an average of 181.0 per game, ranking 15th out of 62 individual bowlers in scoring average. Kennedie Lauver (New Berlin, PA/Mifflinburg) averaged 174.0 per game to rank 18th individually, putting down a total of 870 pins and also recording the Lions' high score on the day with a 215.
Kaitlyn Search (Allentown, NJ/New Egypt) was 25th individually with an average of 161.6 per game, totaling 808 pins. Isabelle Forcey (Clearfield, PA/DuBois Central Catholic) was 43rd on the individual leaderboard, averaging 112.6 per game and dropping 563 pins.
Additionally, Janine Maxwell (North Chicago, IL/North Chicago) bowled three games for the Lions and finished with 339 pins, averaging 113.0 per game. Maddy Sosko (Latrobe, PA/Greater Latrobe) rolled two games, putting down 244 pins for an average of 122.0 per game.
Penn State Altoona opened the day against Duquesne, suffering a 941-692 loss. Search led the Lions in the match with 160, and Mazza had her team's second-best score of the match with a 157.
In their second match of the day, the Lions lost 898-772 to Valparaiso. Mazza led the way for Penn State Altoona by rolling a 209, while Lauver shot 188.
Penn State Altoona faced a familiar opponent in its third match of the round, as the Lions fell 893-812 to fellow AMCC program Pitt-Greensburg. Two different Lion bowlers eclipsed the 200-pin mark in the match, as Lauver bowled Penn State Altoona's high score on the day with a 215 and Search dropped 202.
The Lions returned to Division I opponents in their fourth match, when Penn State Altoona lost 957-744 to Morgan State. Lauver had the Lions' high score in the match with 194, while Mazza followed with a 176.
Penn State Altoona took on host St. Francis in the Lions' fifth and final match of the day, losing 819-709 to the Red Flash. Mazza bowled a 183 for the Lions, while Search scored a 156.
Penn State Altoona women's bowling heads into the second day of the SFU Invitational tomorrow, Saturday, January 27. The day's action will begin at approximately 10 a.m. and will consist of baker format matches.
