COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 1 seeded and top-ranked McKendree University women's bowling team opened play here Friday morning in the 2022 National Collegiate Bowling Championships Final Four with a 2-1 mega-match loss against eighth-ranked Stephen F. Austin at Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl.
With the loss, the Bearcats will now play an elimination match of the double elimination championship finals on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET against Fairleigh Dickinson, who fell 2-1 in Friday's other first round mega-match against No. 4 ranked Vanderbilt. Vandy won in a modified 5-game tiebreaker (137-84) after both teams were tied 3.5-3.5 after the best-of-7 Baker games.
In Friday's opening match against the Ladyjacks, who were the champions of the Arlington Regional, McKendree, who won the Erie Regional, trailed by seven pins after the two frames of the traditional game, before rallying to post 163 pin victory of 1,139-976 to take a 1-0 lead in the mega-match. Four of the Bearcats' five bowlers rolled a 200 or better in the game.
In the traditional game of the mega-match, senior All-American and two-time reigning Division II Player of the Year
Hope Gramly (Prosper, Texas/Prosper) tossed a 258 to pace the Bearcats, including ending her game with eight consecutive strikes and finshed with nine total strikes. Along with Gramly, junior
Maranda Pattison (Redwood Valley, Calif./Ukiah Independent), who was named an NTCA Honorable Mention All-American, rolled a 243 as she finished with eight strikes and sophomore
Isabel Allen (Tamworth, England/Polesworth High) was next with a 236 as she totaled eight strikes. The fourth Bearcat to bowl over 200 was junior
Rebecca Hagerman (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem), who was named an NTCA Second-Team All-American and was the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 Award, bowled a 215 with six strikes.
After winning the traditional game of the mega-match, the two teams played a five-game Baker total pinfall format game as SFA would post a 1,062-983 win to earn the win and force a best-four-of-seven Baker game tiebreaker to determine the match winner. SFA opened with a 221-184 win in the first game and then picked up a 245-228 in the second game to push their pinfall total to 54 pins.
The Ladyjacks would then win the third game, 174-161 to push their pinfall total to 67 pins. The Bearcats fell 218-215 in the fourth game to push SFA in front by 70 pins heading into the fifth and final game. In the fifth game, SFA picked up a 204-195 victory to post its 79-pin win.
In the best-of-7 Baker games, the Ladyjacks won all four games to sweep the Bearcats. SFA opened with a 238-199 win in the first game and then picked up a 189-179 win in the second game to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 set. The Ladyjacks would then win the third game, 200-148 and then capped the match with a 197-181 victory in the fourth Baker game
With the win, SFA will face Vanderbilt in a winner's bracket match at 3 p.m. ET to determine who advances to Saturday evening's championship final, which will be broadcast live on ESPNU beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
2022 National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship – Final Four
McKendree vs. Stephen F. Austin
Traditional Game
McKendree 1,139, Stephen F. Austin 976 (+163)
Britaney Myers - 187
Maranda Pattison - 243
Isabel Allen - 236
Rebecca Hagerman - 215
Hope Gramly - 258
Baker 5-Game Total Pinfall
Game 1: Stephen F. Austin 221, McKendree 184
Game 2: Stephen F. Austin 245, McKendree 228
Game 3: Stephen F. Austin 174, McKendree 161
Game 4: Stephen F. Austin 218, McKendree 215
Game 5: Stephen F. Austin 204, McKendree 195
Totals: Stephen F. Austin 1,062, McKendree 983 (+79)
Best-of-7 Baker Games
Game 1: Stephen F. Austin 238, McKendree 199
Game 2: Stephen F. Austin 189, McKendree 179
Game 3: Stephen F. Austin 200, McKendree 148
Game 4: Stephen F. Austin 197, McKendree 181
Totals: Stephen F. Austin 4, McKendree 0
Here is the schedule for the National Collegiate Bowling Championships Final Four:
Friday, April 15
Match 1 - Stephen F. Austin def. #1 McKendree, 2-1 (Lanes 21-22)
Match 2 - #3 Vanderbilt def. Fairleigh Dickinson, 2-1 (Lanes 27-28)
Match 3 – Stephen. F. Austin vs. #3 Vanderbilt, 3 p.m. ET (Lanes 23-24)
Match 4 – #1 McKendree vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, 3 p.m. ET (Lanes 29-30)
Saturday, April 16
Match 5 – Winner Match 4 vs. Loser Match 3, 9 a.m. ET (Lanes 31-32)
Championship Final – Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 5, 8 p.m. ET (Lanes 8-9) (ESPNU)
