ALTOONA, Pa. – On the strength of a 5-0 dual-match performance in Saturday's traditional match play, The Felician College women's bowling team finished fourth out of 11 teams at the Red Flash Invitational, hosted by Saint Francis (Pa.) University Friday through Sunday at Holiday Bowl.
The tournament format called for five five-game Baker matches on Friday and six traditional team matches on Saturday. The teams were then seeded based on dual-match record into Sunday's playoff bracket, consisting of best-of-7 Baker matches. Due to the odd number of teams present, one of each's school's 11 matches on either Friday or Saturday would be a bye.
During Saturday's traditional play, no Felician entrant started more than four of the six games. Of those who started four, sophomore right-hander Jessica Zalewski (Barnegat, N.J./Barnegat) enjoyed the best day. She started off with scores of 212 and a school record-tying 244 before setting for a 749 (187.3 average). Zalewski, who anchored all but one of Felician's Baker matches on the weekend, placed 42nd out of 70 entrants in the individual standings.
Sophomore Kristin Natoli (Freehold, N.J./Howell) was 43rd with 728 (182.0 avearage) while also bowling leadoff in Baker play. Right behind were fellow sophomores Kaitlyn Stapleton (Washington Township, N.J./Westwood Regional) (713, 178.3) in 44th and Kristen Keller (Reading, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) (695, 173.8) in 45th.
On Friday, the Golden Falcons were 2-3 in dual Baker matches, earning victories over Coppin State University and Mount Aloysius College. The Felician contingent averaged 164.4 for the 25 Baker games, including a 905 five-game series in a tournament-opening loss to the host and No. 13 nationally-ranked Red Flash.
Saturday's undefeated performance in traditional games vaulted the Golden Falcons from seventh place into third, giving them a chance to win the tournament during Sunday's playoffs. As a team, Felician averaged 168.0 on Saturday, including a 954 (190.8 average) in a Match 2 victory over the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford.
The Golden Falcons would have needed a 3-0 performance in Sunday's playoff bracket to capture the championship. But their hopes were dashed in the first position-round match against Mount Aloysius, who entered the day in fourth place. Felician shot 234 in Game 5 of the best-of-7 Baker match to move ahead, 3-2, but then suffered losses of 160-130 and 166-157 to drop the match in seven games.
Felician earned a five-game win over Morgan State University to move on to the third-place match and a re-match with Mount Aloysius. Felician stayed alive with a 190-189 triumph in game six, but once again, the Mounties took game seven, this time by a 164-146 tally, to relegate the Golden Falcons to fourth place.
After posing an 11-0 dual record to that point in the tournament, Saint Francis was knocked off in the championship match by No. 16-ranked Kutztown University, four games to two.
