PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore finished Day 2 at the Stallings Invitational with a 4-1 overall record and win's against National Tenpin Coaches Association No. 10 Mount St. Mary's and No. 14 Delaware State.
But while the win-loss record was right in line with what the No. 16 Hawks were looking for, the total pinfall numbers were still not enough to make any positive moves in the overall standings heading into bracket play on Sunday.
"We did better than yesterday, but you look at the numbers and we had the lowest pinfall of any team in the Top 8," Hawks coach Roger Petrin said. "We had three matches against teams in the Top 8 and we won two of them. But it's time for us to start grinding through and figuring out how to get to 180 when it feels like we only have 160 out there."
The Shore (61-42, 11-5 MEAC) opened with victories against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foes Norfolk State (872-816) and Coppin State (913-745).
Petrin said that the team could feel that something was off early and there was nothing particular, just a feeling they couldn't shake. That feeling carried through the first two games.
"It took us a little longer to wake up today," Petrin said. "The 913 in the second win came with a lot of strikes at the end of the game. At that point, I felt like we had found the transition. I had all the girls hold out their hands like they were holding a cup and I poured them all an imaginary coffee and told them to wake up and let's go."
Things kicked up in the third match with a 1088-1051 win against the Mountaineers. That was followed by a 1017-977 loss to No. 4 Vanderbilt. Eastern Shore then closed it out with a 962-910 win against the Hornets.
"From that third game on it felt more like the way we are capable of bowling," Petrin said.
Brook Roberts (Port Orange, Florida) led the Hawks with a 213.60 average over five Traditional games — she was 7th overall. Paulina Torres (Ponce, Puerto Rico) averaged 198.0 over five games, which was good enough for 15th individually.
The eighth-seeded Hawks will face No. 21 Lincoln Memorial to open Baker bracket play on Sunday.
