March 20, 2016 SMYRNA, Tennessee- In what might have been their toughest test this season, the Maryland Eastern Shore bowling team won 11 matches out of 15, and rallied with a strong 3-0 Bracket Sunday to finish in ninth place at the Columbia 300 Music City Classic in Tennessee this past weekend.
The 11 wins give the Hawks 64 total for the regular season in events sponsored by the NCAA, to go along with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division title, which they secured in late February.
Maryland Eastern Shore knocked over 14,727 over the course of the weekend, including 3,588 on Sunday, one of the highest totals on the day.
Play began on Friday with Baker competition. After opening the tournament with a 202, the Hawks were unable to maintain that pace in a loss to Arkansas State. But the team would rebound with consistent play in the second pairing and a 979-890 defeat of Valparaiso, followed by a 944-847 victory over Monmouth that was capped with a 235 game.
A loss to Sam Houston State would follow, but the last two pairings would go the Hawks way. The first of these pairings was against MEAC rival Florida A&M and Maryland Eastern Shore grinded out an 887-803 win. In the last matchup, the Hawks delivered their finest performance of the first day, knocking down 992 pins including a Friday high 244 and a defeat of St. Francis Brooklyn. The Hawks were placed in 11th after the first day.
Senior Thashaina Seraus (Oranjestad, Aruba) led the charge in individuals on the second day, finishing ninth in the massive field with a 1,225 series over six matches. Freshman Jacqueline Rhoda (Portage, Indiana) also knocked over a thousand pins with her total of 1,086, and sophomore Jalesa Johnson (Delmar, Delaware) averaged 198 over four matches bowled.
Like Friday, the Hawks went 4-2 in individuals. They opened the day with a defeat of Felician, bolstered by freshman Danielle August (Mililani, Hawaii) and her score of 211. Rhoda would register a 216 in the second game but the team would lose to Fairleigh Dickinson.
Seraus' 1225 series placed
her ninth in individuals
Seraus would be the leading scorer over the next three games, which included a team high 230, and scores of 222 and 213. The Hawks would defeat LIU Brooklyn and Wisconsin-Whitewater while losing to Adelphi over those three games. In Saturday's finale, Johnson's 212 helped the Hawks win over Central Missouri. Despite the 4-2 record, the Hawks slipped one spot to 12th entering bracket play.
Sam Houston State would be the Hawks' first opponent in bracket play, presenting an opportunity to avenge a Friday loss. It would take seven games after Maryland Eastern Shore rallied from three games to one down. The Hawks would take the decisive match-and avenge that loss-by six pins.
Riding the wave of momentum, Maryland Eastern Shore followed it with a 3-0 start over LIU Brooklyn. A 203-169 victory in the sixth games allowed the Hawks to move up once again.
The battle for ninth at Music City would pair the Hawks with Sacred Heart. Another close battle ensued with each team taking a game in the first two rounds. With scores of the 194 and 176 the Hawks would take the next two games, before cementing ninth in the sixth game.
Arkansas State defeated McKendree in the championship match to win the tournament. The Hawks finished the highest out of the five MEAC schools competing, with North Carolina A&T State coming in 13th, Bethune-Cookman in 19th, Howard in 26th, and Florida A&M in 27th.
All that is left now for Maryland Eastern Shore is the postseason, beginning with the MEAC Championships on Friday.
