MILLSBORO, Delaware — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore finished the first day of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference competition with a perfect 4-0 record and stand in third place in total pinfall heading into Day 2 of the MEAC No. 1 meet.
"Well 4-0 is 4-0," Hawks head coach Roger Petrin said. "We got our wins and the scores were low in the building. I thought the pattern was going to play easier, especially in this building, but they are hooking and moving fast. When they are hooking and moving fast and there is not a lot of rev rate to keep moving left the lanes are hard and tricky."
The National Tenpin Coaches Association No. 14 Hawks (23-5) picked up an opening 895-855 win against Howard. They followed that up with a 979 in a bye. In the second match of the day, they gained a 932-837 victory against Coppin State.
"We would get a three-bagger and then the lane would transition and we'd be left trying to figure out what just happened," Petrin said. "Then you make a move and overcorrect."
"It isn't frustrating when you see everyone else going through it. But it is frustrating because you just know you are so close to just running away with it. But I'm sure everyone else was feeling the exact same way."
UMES broke through the frustration to put up a big 1,118-985 win against No. 19 Morgan State and then finished out with a 919-731 win against Norfolk State.
"Toward the end of the day we picked things up and I thought we did really well for one match and then we fell off," Petrin said. "We got kind of lax at the end. I think we were ready to be done."
Freshman Alexis Ingersoll (Fulton, New York) saw her most extensive action of the young season, bowling the bye and the final three matches.
"She bowled really well," Petrin said. "She probably had the best ball motion on the team for two and a half sets. She came in and threw a lot of really good shots and filled a lot of frames."
No. 7 North Carolina A&T State was the only other team to finish the opening day without a loss. The Hawks will face the Aggies, No. 12 Delaware State, No. 23 Monmouth and University of Alabama Birmingham on Saturday.
Competition begins at 1:30 at Millsboro Lanes and will feature a second day of Baker play.
"Tomorrow is just about running it back and doing it better," Petrin said.
