Bessemer, Ala. --- The Minnesota State University women’s bowling team moved up to seventh-place after the second of three days of competition at the Holiday Collegiate Classic by going 4-1 in five matches played in the Five-Person Team Game (total pinfall) format. MSU’s record improves to 24-33 on the season.
The Mavericks opened the day with an 896-777 victory over Southern, with sophomore Hali Clark leading the way with a 228, thanks in part to striking in six of seven frames at one point. Senior Sarah Izydorek added a 189 in the win. During the middle part of the match, Minnesota State rolled off 16 consecutive marks.
In MSU’s second match of the day, it once again went for a wire-to-wire victory, never trailing throughout the contest in dispatching host #11 Alabama A&M 874-798. Izydorek led the Maverick charge with a 201, while sophomore Jackie Nolt chipped in with a 197, helped by only one open frame in the match.
#3 Central Missouri and Minnesota State then engaged in a tight back-and-forth affair that saw the lead change hands six times during the match, with the Jennies prevailing 843-828. The largest lead either team had was 16, that being in the fourth-frame by UCM. Izydorek once again had a team-high score in the match, this time going for a clean sheet 198, including striking on all three balls in the 10th frame.
Minnesota State got back on the winning side of the ledger in its next match, downing South Carolina State 786-705 in its third victory of the day. Once again, MSU never trailed throughout the match, and Clark had a team-high 178 in the win, with freshman Danie Schulz scoring 178.
The final match of the day saw the Mavericks knock off their second ranked team of the day, downing #14 Stephen F. Austin 876-808. After five frames, MSU trailed by 27 pins, but just two frames later held a 28-pin lead, which was the same advantage it had going into the final stanza. In the 10th, all five Maverick bowlers had at least one mark, with Schulz closing with three strikes. Clark had only one open frame in posting a 202, with freshman Amanda Klinger notching a 191.
Clark had a MSU day-high average of 188.0 in five matches, with 25 strikes to her credit, while Izydorek averaged 177.4 with 14 strikes on the day.
The Mavericks will conclude play tomorrow in the Holiday Collegiate Classic with three matches played in the Baker Format (Best Four-of-Seven Games).
