LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. -- The LIU Brooklyn bowling team went 3-2 on day one at the Monmouth Hawk Flite Invite on the Jersey shore in Egg Harbor, N.J. The No. 17 Blackbirds, who dropped 4,614 pins in their five matches for a 184.6 scoring average in total pinfall baker matches, are in eighth place in the 18-team field going into Saturday's traditional play.
The day began with a 850-757 (177-158, 173-159, 177-168, 129-146, 194-126) win against Wilmington. The Blackbirds stumbled in the second match to No. 25 Youngstown State, 918-983 (180-224, 202-213, 198-188, 190-180, 148-178), before rebounding in the middle match, a 951-936 win over Felician (160-167, 177-126, 216-196, 175-194, 223-253). A 932-729 (161-171, 214-133, 136-150, 213-136, 208-139) win against Norfolk State was next for LIU, before facing the No. 1 Vanderbilt. The Commodores came away with a 1048-963 win with games of 157-209, 192-192, 181-247, 198-196 and 235-204. Vandy leads the event after Friday with a 200.4 pinfall average,
LIU (46-42) will begin Saturday play starting at 9:30 a.m. with five sets of traditional team games on before finishing on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. with best-of-seven Baker matches in a ladder playoff. Saturday's opponents are (in order): No. 11 North Carolina A&T, No. 4 Sam Houston State, LIU Post, Bloomfield and Caldwell.