LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore took good advantage of their opportunities on Day 1 of the Stormin' Blue & White Vegas Classic, topping three ranked teams and finishing 4-1 and in sixth place in total pinfall.
The National Tenpin Coaches Association No. 10 Hawks (35-15, 6-2 MEAC) took down No. 5 Stephen F. Austin (955-903) to begin the day and then followed that up with a 1,064-982 win against No. 3 Vanderbilt.
"We just bowled," Hawks head coach Roger Petrin said. "Today kind of felt like we were in our own little world and we just didn't do anything crazy. We were very patient as the day went on. We made moves as a team and I honestly didn't talk to the girls much today. They made a lot of moves without me getting involved. That's what I want. I want them to know and trust one another. If they trust one another they are more likely to make better shots than me getting involved."
A 1,025-960 win against No. 15 Newman came next followed by a 970-812 decision against Prairie View A&M. The Hawks ended the day with a 1,010, but that wasn't enough against No. 1 McKendree and a 1,106.
"I felt like Alejandra Amezcua (Baja California, Mexico) had a really good day today," Petrin said. "Then when Mariana Santos (Jumandi, Colombia) came in for the last two-and-a-half sets, she put a lot of really good shots together as the day went on."
Brooke Roberts (Port Orange, Florida) who was fresh off Team USA qualifying this week also had a strong start.
"Brooke looks much more like Brooke," Petrin said. "We had been working with her fit a little bit before the break and we'll probably continue to tweak it. I only expect things to improve for her."
Day 2 will see the Hawks face No. 17 Tulane, Daemen, No. 9 Louisiana Tech, Spalding and No. 4 Nebraska in five traditional matches.
"Looking at the standings we did drop to sixth in total pinfall which wasn't ideal," Petrin said. "There were a couple big scores in the last set and we just haven't had one. We had a good day from a win/loss perspective for sure."
