St. Louis, Mo. --- The #13 Minnesota State University women's bowling team moved up a spot into a tie for fourth-place after the second day of competition at the Shrewsbury Invitational with a 3-2 mark on the day.
The Mavericks are tied with Wisconsin-Whitewater with 5-5 records in the event, with Nebraska leading the way with a 9-1 mark. MSU improved to 34-26 on the season with the results on the day.
The first two matches of the day were played in the Baker Format (Five Game, Total Pinfall), and the Mavericks dropped both of them, falling to #6 Arkansas State 997-851 and #8 Nebraska 917-846. Of note in the first two matches was the performance of freshman Jackie Nolt, who recorded marks in 14 of the 15 frames she bowled.
The format of the event changed in the third match of the day to Five-Person Team Match (Total Pinfall), and the change in format suited Minnesota State as it rolled off three straight wins to end the day, starting with a 914-892 triumph over #11 Valparaiso. It was a see-saw affair as the Mavericks led by 25 pins after five frames, but Valpo raced back to hold a 12-pin advantage after eight. Heading into the final frame, MSU trailed by four, but a strong ninth featuring four strikes put the Mavericks in position to rally for the victory, helped by freshman Hali Clark collecting 29 pins in the 10th. Senior Ashley Clinchoc led the charge with a 202 and threw six strikes against the Crusaders, including notching a four-bagger from the third through sixth frames. Fellow senior Lisa Hoover added a 190, and recorded a turkey in the third through fifth frames.
In MSU's final two matches of the day, it downed the pair of schools that are tied for the #14 ranking in the nation, first defeating Wisconsin-Whitewater 909-826, and closing out the afternoon with an 883-801 victory over Louisiana Tech. Against the Warhawks, Hoover posted a team-high 216, thanks in part to seven strikes and only one open frame. Clinchoc added a 193 while posting a clean sheet with no opens.
In the finale against Louisana Tech, Clinchoc again went the distance without leaving an open frame, posting a 205 for her second 200 game of the day, while junior Sarah Izydorek added an 180 with five strikes to her credit.
Minnesota State closes out the Shrewsbury Invitational Sunday with four more Five-Person Team Matches (Total Pinfall), with action beginning at 8:00 a.m.
