Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
HOUSTON – The No. 10 Louisiana Tech bowling team picked up their first NCAA tournament win of the season with a perfect 3-0 record during bracket play at the Track Kat Klash on Sunday at Emerald Bowl.
The Bulldogs finished the weekend 11-2 and improved the overall record to 22-4.
“This weekend sums up how the season has been so far,” said head coach Matt Nantais. “We have our ups and downs, and spare shooting is nonexistent at times, but they work through it and persevere. There is no quit in this team, and I feel lucky to have this group of ladies. We will definitely work on fine-tuning some things before our next event, but for now, we are going to enjoy a win in a center we have not had the best success in.”
LA Tech advanced to the championship match by defeating No. 9 Maryville 4-1. The Bulldogs shot 211, 183, 201, 157, and 208 to take games one, two, three, and five.
Going into the tenth frame in game five, Patricia Rosales needed to strike out to lock out the Saints. Rosales connected on the first, but a flat 10 left the door open. Needed to double, Maryville’s anchor struck in the 10th but hit light on the 11th to secure the victory for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs made a clean sweep over Grambling, winning each game by over 50 pins. Tech finished with games of 228, 226, 211, and 214.
The championship match was a battle from the beginning. The Bulldogs started with a turkey to grab the early lead against No. 8 Sam Houston. The Bearkats clawed their way back into the game but Tech did enough to come away with the 186-182 win.
Sam Houston was on fire to start the second match, starting with the first five. Tech would not be able to string any strikes together and finished with three open frames in the 231-159 defeat.
The fourth game was a struggle for both teams, as doubles were hard to come by. A stone nine in the tenth by Rosales opened the door for Sam Houston. The Bearkats would leave a flat 10, and Rosales would strike in the fill. Sam Houston would have to strike on their fill to tie it up, but a light pocket hit left the two-pin, giving the Bulldogs the 174-173 win and a 2-1 advantage.
Louisiana Tech would find their grove in games five and six on their way to consecutive 246 games. Sam Houston would shoot 166 and 206, giving the Bulldogs the 4-1 win.
