ERIE, Pa. – The No. 1 seeded and top-ranked McKendree University women's bowling team remained undefeated in the Erie Regional of the 2022 National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championships here Friday afternoon following its 2-0 mega-match victory over 11th-ranked Mount St. Mary's at Rolling Meadow Lanes.
The win puts the Bearcats into Saturday's 3 p.m. championship match of the double-elimination tournament. Mount St. Mary's will now face either Medaille or Bowie State in an elimination match on Saturday at 9 a.m. with that winning team facing the Bearcats in the championship match.
"It was a great day today. We came here to do what we set out to do and that made it a good day," said McKendree head women's bowling coach
Shannon O'Keefe. "We don't care who we bowl, so confidence for us does not come and go based on who we bowl. The longer we're on the lanes, bowling on a specific pattern, we get more and more comfortable and the more comfortable we get, the better your shot making gets and we saw that today thoughout our two matches."
Against Mount St. Mary's, the Bearcats trailed after the two frames of the traditional games, before rebounding to post a 1,021-854 win over the Mountaineers, who earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. In the traditional game of the mega-match format, junior
Maranda Pattison (Redwood Valley, Calif./Ukiah Independent) tossed a 246 to pace the Bearcats, including recording eight strikes in 10 frames. In addition to Pattison, junior
Kayla Smith (Salem, Ill./Salem) tossed a 221, including ending with four consecutive strikes, including three in the 10th frame and junior
Rebecca Hagerman (Loves Park, Ill./Harlem) recorded a 214, including scoring four straight strikes to close the match. Fifth-year senior
Britaney Myers (Mechanicsville, NY/Stillwater) subbed in and bowled the 10th frame for the Hagerman.
After winning the traditional game of the mega-match, the two teams played a five-game Baker total pinfall format and the Bearcats posted a 1,107-1,009 win to earn the match win and earn its spot in the championship match. McKendree opened the Baker games with an impressive 264-224 win in the first game as the Bearcats recorded eight strikes in 12 frames to lead by 44 pins.
MSM, though, would slice McKendree's pin lead to just 16 pins after its 223-195 win in the second game, but the Bearcats would push its total pin lead to 65 pins after winning the third Baker game, 215-166.
The Bearcats won the fourth Baker game 218-183 to push its total pin lead to 100 pins heading into the fifth and final Baker match. In the final Baker match, MSM won 213-211 as the Bearcats prevailed by 98 pins. In the 10th frame of the fifth Baker game, Gramly recorded three straight strikes.
2022 National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship - Erie Regional
McKendree vs. Mount St. Mary's
Traditional Game
McKendree 1,021, Mount St. Mary's 854
Kayla Smith - 221
Maranda Pattison - 221
Isabel Allen - 147
Rebecca Hagerman - 214
Hope Gramly - 193
Baker 5-Game Total Pinfall
Game 1: McKendree 268, Mount St. Mary's 224
Game 2: McKendree 195, Mount St. Mary's 223
Game 3: McKendree 215, Mount St. Mary's 166
Game 4: McKendree 218, Mount St. Mary's 183
Game 5: McKendree 211, Mount St. Mary's 213
Totals: McKendree 1,107, Mount St. Mary's 1,009 (+98)
Here is the schedule for the Erie, Pa., Regional:
Friday, April 8
Match 1 - #1 McKendree 2 def. Bowie State 0 (Lanes 5-6)
Match 2 – Mount St. Mary's 2 def. Medaille 1 (Lanes 21-22)
Match 3 – #1 McKendree 2, def. Mount St. Mary's 0 (Lanes 19-20)
Match 4 – Medaille 2 def. Bowie State 0 (Lanes 7-8) - Bowie State eliminated
Saturday, April 9
Match 5 – Mount St. Mary's vs. Medaille, 9 a.m. ET (Lanes 9-10) - Loser eliminated
Match 6 (Regional Final) – #1 McKendree vs. Winner Match 5, 3 p.m. ET (Lanes 7-8)
Match 7 (If Necessary) – Winner Match 6 vs. Loser Match 6, TBA
