Photo by: SFA Athletics
Bowling Struggles on Opening Day of Music City Classic
3/16/2018 11:28:00 PM | Women's Bowling
Ladyjacks sit in 17th place after totaling just 4,603 pins in five Baker matches and posting a day one record of 2-3
SMYRNA, Tenn. – Beginning its final regular-season tournament of 2017-18, the Stephen F. Austin bowling team had its difficulties on the opening day of play at the 14th Annual Columbia 300 Music City Classic in Smyrna, Tennessee. The Ladyjacks tallied just 4,603 total pins in five Baker matches Friday, submitting a 2-3 record at the Smyrna Bowling Center on the outskirts of the Nashville metropolitan area to sit in 17th place among the 32-team event field.
Hosted by Southland Bowling League counterpart Vanderbilt, who is ranked fourth nationally in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) top-25 poll, the 2018 Columbia 300 Music City Classic is a highly competitive tournament that features 20 top-25 teams. Defending NCAA champion and second-ranked McKendreee University leads after the first day of competition with 5,043 total pins and a perfect 5-0 record. Southland Bowling League member No. 3 Arkansas State is in second place with a pinfall total of 5,038 as event host Vanderbilt went 5-0 on day one and recorded 4,990 pins to stand in third place.
Sixth-ranked SFA, uncharacteristically, did not reach the 1,000-pin mark in any of its five matches Friday, falling to three nationally-ranked opponents and picking up a pair of wins over Grambling State and North Central College. In three of their matches, the Ladyjacks totaled 900 pins but it was not nearly enough to keep pace with the tournament's leaders.
Taking on No. 2 McKendree in its first match of the Music City Classic, SFA reached the 200-pin mark just once and was swept in five-straight games, including being edged by a single pin in game two of the match. Falling 1,052-899 to McKendree, the Ladyjacks suffered a similar result against 12th-ranked Sacred Heart. SFA won just one of the five games in the contest, a 221-208 game three victory, but posted its highest match score of the day in the 1,080-992 loss.
The Ladyjacks picked up their first match win of the tournament by defeating Grambling State by a tally of 866-609, claiming each game of the affair by a comfortable margin. In its fourth match of the day, SFA was halted by No. 23 Lincoln Memorial University 1,007-926. After dropping game one 223-166 the Ladyjacks responded with game two and three wins of 188-174 and 190-181, before the Railsplitters out bowled SFA by six pins in the fourth game and 41 pins in game five.
In their final match of the afternoon, the Ladyjacks made quick work of North Central College. SFA earned the 920-641 rout no game being closer than 18 pins.
The three-day event will resume Saturday as teams will bowl five traditional team matches starting at 9:30 a.m. Bracket play will conclude the tournament Sunday, March 18, beginning at 8:30 a.m. with three best 4-of-7 Baker matches. Seeding for Sunday's bracket play will be determined by teams' pinfall total from the first two days of competition.
The Ladyjacks will start Saturday's second day of play by bowling against 13th-ranked LIU Brooklyn.
SFA's play at the 2018 Columbia 300 Music City Classic can be viewed live via Ladyjack bowling's Facebook page here.
Stay tuned to SFAJacks.com, as well as SFA's social media platforms, for complete coverage of Ladyjack bowling throughout this winter and spring.
Columbia 300 Music City Classic – Day One Results
Baker Matches
Match One | No. 2 McKendree 1,052 – No. 6 SFA 899
L, 236-161; L, 191-190; L, 213-157; L, 223-210; L, 189-181
Match Two | No. 12 Sacred Heart 1,080 – No. 6 SFA 992
L, 209-203; L, 246-202; W, 221-208; L, 213-195; L, 204-171
Match Three | No. 6 SFA 866 – Grambling State 609
W, 149-134; W, 192-117; W, 160-123; W, 182-110; W, 183-125
Match Four | No. 23 Lincoln Memorial University 1,007 – No. 6 SFA 926
L, 223-166; W, 188-174; W, 190-181; L, 196-190; L, 233-192
Match Five | No. 6 SFA 920 – North Central College 641
W, 158-140; W, 186-118; W, 214-108; W, 158-121; W, 204-154
-SFA-
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