MILWAUKEE, WIS. - The LIU Brooklyn Bowling team beat two top ten teams on day two at the Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawk Classic in Milwaukee, going 3-2 in traditional play on Saturday. The No. 19 Blackbirds dropped 5,015 pins in five matches on the day to climb two spots in the standings, going into the final day of competition on Sunday.
LIU began Saturday with a NEC showdown against No. 9 Fairleigh Dickinson and despite posting their lowest total of the day, the Blackbirds dropped the Knights, 925-870, behind a 202 from sophomore Jennifer Roback.
In the second match, three LIU players topped the 200 mark, led by junior Tyler Karpinecz with a 254, but the team from Brooklyn fell to No. 3 Nebraska, 1018-1159. Roback (204) and senior Kayla Johnson (202) were the Blackbirds' two other top scorers in the match.
Next up was No. 22 Maryville, and despite a 228 from Johnson and a 216 from sophomore Kellie Frain, the Blackbirds fell 975-1040. But then LIU scored their biggest win of the season so far, beating No. 6 Stephen F. Austin, 1090-981 with Johnson notching a 258. Frain and Roback were on point as well throwing a 223 and 200, respectively, as LIU dropped a season-high in pins in the match.
Last on the slate was Lincoln (Mo.), and the Blackbirds continued their roll, winning 1007-731 to close out the day. Three Blackbirds, Frain (236), Roback (223) and Karpinecz (212) all bowled 200+ games.
Coming off Saturday's 100.3 scoring average (200.6 individually), LIU stands in tenth place going into Sunday's bracketed playoff. First, the Blackbirds will face No. 14 Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.), who won a close baker match on Friday, before facing two more ranked teams to finish the top-notch event.
The competition gets under way at AMF West Lanes in Milwaukee at 8:25 a.m. on Sunday.