Pittsburgh, PA – Contributed – The Arkansas State women’s bowling team opened NCAA Championship play with a 2-0 win over Belmont Abbey and rallied past Nebraska 2-1 to advance to the Pittsburgh Regional Championship Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (CT).
A-State grabbed an early lead in the opener against Belmont Abbey taking the traditional point 1,068-977. Junior Kaylee Back rolled a perfect 300 to pace the Red Wolves while Amanda Lange added 223. Malaya Chavez (195), Maggie Thoma (182) and Alex-Anne Auclair (168) also rolled the team game.
Needing to win the Baker 5-game total pinfall to advance, the Red Wolves faced a stout test against Belmont Abbey. A-State took game one by 26 pins, 243-217, but Belmont Abbey trimmed the lead to 13 with a 193-180 margin in game two. The Red Wolves took game three 225-202 to lead by 36 and Belmont Abbey got two pins back with a 183-181 advantage in game four. A-State led by 34 pins entering game five and it was just enough as Belmont Abbey took game five 243-211 resulting in a narrow 1,040-1,038 margin for the mega-match victory.
In a winner’s bracket match pitting the third-ranked Red Wolves and fourth-ranked Cornhuskers, Nebraska grabbed the early advantage with a 1,045-957 margin in the team game. Lang led A-State with 201 while Chavez and Auclair each rolled 197 pins. Thoma downed 190 while Back totaled 172.
With their backs against the wall in the mega-match, A-State grabbed a six-pin lead in game one of Baker 5-game total pinfall, 193-187. The lead swelled to 51 pins with a 252-206 tally in game two before Nebraska trimmed it to 17 pins following a 211-200 game three and 244-220 game four. The Red Wolves took game five 217-181 to force a decisive Baker best-of-seven series.
Nebraska took game one 216-199 and A-State answered with a 201-182 margin in game two. The Cornhuskers grabbed a 2-1 lead in the series taking game three 216-194 but the Red Wolves evened it up with a 201-192 tally in game four. A-State was the first two break through on the left lane taking game five 222-194 and followed with a 197-192 margin in game six to clinch the match.
Since the first season with regional play in 2022, A-State is set to make an appearance in the regional final for the fourth time in five seasons. A-State was runner-up in the Lansing Regional in 2022 while claiming regional titles and advancing to the National Collegiate Bowling Championship in 2023 and 2024.
Nebraska and Duquesne meet in an elimination match at 8 a.m. (CT) with the winner meeting A-State at 1:30 p.m. (CT) Saturday. All matches are available to watch on BOWL TV.
