Collegiate Ticker - Nov. 20, 2019

The Pikeville women and Webber International men recorded victories in their respective divisions last weekend at the Striking Knights event in Louisville, Kentucky.

The competition was held at Kingpin Lanes, bringing together 10 women's and 19 men's varsity programs. All teams bowled six traditional games and 16 Baker games, with total pinfall determining the champions in each division.

After Saturday's six-game block, 59 pins separated the top three teams in the women's division, with Pikeville holding a slight advantage over Lindenwood and Webber. Pikeville kept the rest of the field at bay during Sunday's Baker block, recording the highest Baker total (2,959) on the way to the top spot, finishing with an 8,458 total.

Lindenwood finished second with 8,355, and Webber took third with 8,213.

In addition to the team victory, the Bears also placed three players in the top five of the individual standings. Lauren Piotrowski earned the top spot with a 1,193 score (198.8 average), while Jessica Wolfe (1,137) and Mallory Liversedge (1,128) finished tied for third and fifth, respectively. Piotrowski now has claimed four individual wins so far this season, along with two additional top-five performances in six events.

The three Pikeville student-athletes were joined in the top five by Lindenwood's Margie Gish (second with 1,158) and Northern Kentucky's Paige Stokes (tied for third with 1,137).

The men's division was a two-team race from the start, with Webber and Lindenwood distancing themselves from the rest of the field during Saturday's block. Lindenwood held a 90-pin advantage heading into Baker play, but Webber averaged more than 205 as a team to take over the lead and secure the victory with a 9,169 total.

Lindenwood was second with 9,126, and Purdue was third with 8,694.

After recording a second-place finish the previous weekend at the Leatherneck Classic, Lindenwood's Andrew Sacks claimed his first career individual win at the Striking Knights, posting a 1,341 total for six games (223.5 average). Webber's Tom Hankey was second with 1,330, while Purdue's Zach Singer (1,291), Shawnee State's Zach Otto (1,230) and Vincennes' Connor Hickey (1,223) rounded out the top five.

In other USBC Collegiate action over the weekend:

- At the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack Classic in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Nebraska women rolled to the title match as the No. 4 seed, which included a Baker 300 in the semifinals, to defeat McKendree for the win, 4-2.

- At the Hornet Classic in Montgomery, Alabama, the Jackson State women took the early advantage against Florida A&M in the championship round and finished with a 4-1 victory.

- At the Wildcat Invitational in New Castle, Delaware, the Chestnut Hill women won the deciding game in a back-and-forth title tilt with Wilmington, 224-215, to claim the championship, 4-3.

- At the Stallings Invitational in Greensboro, North Carolina, the North Carolina A&T women rebounded from back-to-back losses to win the final game against Maryland Eastern Shore, 183-169, to win the bracket, 4-3.

- At the Bowling Green State Falcon Classic in Rossford, Ohio, the Wright State men and Alma women finished at the top of the leaderboard.

- At the Eastern Intercollegiate Bowling Tournament (EIBC) No. 2 in Farmingdale, New York, the St. John's men rolled to the top pinfall total.

- At the Hastings Bronco Open in Hastings, Nebraska, the Morningside women and Nebraska men made their way through bracket play to record victories.

- At the Spring Hill Fall Tournament in Mobile, Alabama, the Savannah College of Art and Design-Savannah men and women swept the top spots.

- At the Tiger Cup in Webster, New York, the Roberts Wesleyan women and Rochester Institute of Technology men cruised to wins.

- At the West Coast Collegiate Team Championships I and II in Fresno, California, the Arizona State men and San Jose State women finished at the top of the standings.

For complete results and the full schedule for the 2019-2020 season, click here.