ARLINGTON, Texas — Baker matches can prove to be an Achilles' heel for a bowling team trying to find their niche. For the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) bowlers, the struggle of coming together as a group has been at the forefront. However the squad's resiliency blossomed on the first day of the Prairie View A&M Invitational, splitting a quartet of matches while earning a total pinfall of 5,040, placing the Hawks in fifth.

The team's day started out almost as well as it possibly good for the Hawks when it was challenged by Arkansas State. UMES eclipsed 200 in three of the five games, including a 231 game, on the way to a decisive 1015-878 victory.

In the second pairing, an old nemesis in Vanderbilt waited, and the matchup turned into a battle royal. The Hawks jumped out to a 38 pin lead with a 217 in the first 10 frames, but the Commodores countered with a 248 to even things out. Momentum kept Vanderbilt consistent while UMES scored both higher-than-normal and lower-than-normal games back-to-back, giving the Commodores a 27 pin lead entering the fifth and final game. UMES impressed with a 258, but Vanderbilt held on for the win by a mere two pins. The matchup would be the most intriguing of the day, and the Hawks would bowl a 1,077 series, their highest on the season, but unfortunately, it came in a loss.

However the team was not deterred. After a slow start the ladies bowled a pair of 203 games and a 229 to lead UMES over Tulane by a final of 975-889. The win was followed by a 1,023 series in a bye matchup, because the tournament features an odd number of teams.

UMES wrapped up its final matchup of the day with a 234 game, but fell in another close loss to Sam Houston State by 11 pins.

Currently, Nebraska leads the field with Stephen F. Austin in a close second, but third thru sixth place will be a tough battle, as those teams are separated by a meager 175 pins from top to bottom. The Hawks are joined by Vanderbilt, Arkansas State and Sam Houston State in this closely grouped quartet.

Six traditional rounds commence on Saturday morning, providing the Hawks a chance to advance in the field.