Bearkat bowlers eliminated from NCAA Championship
4/11/2015 2:24:00 PM | Women's Bowling
RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. – Facing elimination for the second time in the day, the Kats were unable to mount a second comeback, falling to Nebraska in the semifinals of the NCAA Bowling Championships.
In the first match of the day, the Kats came back from a game down after five to win the sixth and seventh games and advance against Fairleigh Dickinson University. But trailing 3-2 for the second time, SHSU couldn't pull it off.
“Today overall was a good day,” said head coach Brad Hagen. “The girls came out and they knew what we had to do. We made some good shots, but when we needed a few pins to go our way, unfortunately they didn't.”
After dropping the opening two games to the Cornhuskers, the Kats stormed back taking both games three and four. But a rocky fifth game that included two open frames to start, put the Kats with their back against the wall.
In the sixth game, both teams came out swinging with strikes in each of the first four frames. But in the second half of the game, the Bearkats could only manage spares, while Nebraska stayed hot to close out the match. The Cornhuskers advance to the National Championship match for the third consecutive season. They won in 2013 and lost to the Bearkats last year.
In the opening match of the day, the Bearkats and FDU alternated wins with FDU taking games one, three, and five and the Kats taking two, four and six. In the sixth game, Janine Kuwahara and Anna Groce combined to roll three consecutive strikes in the 9th and 10th frames to seal the win.
In the Game 7, Hagen changed up the bowling order and inserted Rebecca Pittser into the lineup. The senior responded with a strike and helped the Kats to a runaway victory.
It was the second straight season for the Bearkats to advance to the NCAA semifinals. Last season the Bearkats went 4-0 in the bracket play to win the school's first NCAA Division I national championship.
“For the new girls this was huge,” Hagen said. “This team is going to continue to grow and continue to be competitive. We are only going to get stronger and this si going to help us next fall.”
