2019 KU INVITATIONAL FINAL RESULTS
LIMERICK, PA -- The LIU Brooklyn bowling team went 1-2 in Sunday's bracketed baker playoff to finish in 12th place at the Kutztown University Invitational. In a huge field of 28 teams, which including 20 ranked opponents, the Blackbirds carried a 190.2 final average, going 6-7 overall, playing nine of the NTCA's top 25 teams in the three-day event at Limerick Bowl, including three straight on Sunday.
No. 20 Alabama-Birmingham was first up on Sunday for the Blackbirds, as the Blazers ran away with the match 4-0 (171-226, 156-254, 167-189, 199-207). Then in the second match, the Blackbirds threw three 200+ baker games to beat a NEC rival, No. 9 Saint Francis U., four games to two (205-197, 232-161, 158-199, 192-180, 175-236, 224-199).
That set up a rematch with UAB in the third and final match of the tournament. The match was a nail biter, going a full seven games, with LIU losing the first two games, 195-158 and 185-173, respectively, before winning the next two, 164-152 and 187-173 to knot the match at 2-2. UAB then won game five, 179-174, but the resilient Blackbirds rebounded for a win in game six, 224-189 to send the match to a final game, where the Blazers would earn the win, 169-148.
For the tournament, the Blackbirds (30-28) had four bowlers rank individually among 198 participants in the event with junior Tyler Karpinecz (199.0) and sophomore Kellie Frain (198.8) finishing in the top 30 at 28th and 29th respectively. Also, senior Kayla Johnson wast listed 41st with a 194.6 average and sophomore Jennifer Roback was ranked 45th with a 192.4 traditional scoring average.
Next up, LIU will have two weeks off of competition before heading to Berks Lanes in Reading, Pa. for KU's Golden Bear Classic (Feb. 8-10), the team's last event before the final weekend of Northeast Conference play (Feb. 22-24) at the same venue.