LAS VEGAS – The fourth-ranked Louisiana Tech bowling team finished in sixth place at the Stormin' Blue and White Vegas Classic on Wednesday at the South Point Bowling Plaza.
Louisiana Tech looked like they would sweep through the first round of bracket play against No. 14 Maryland Eastern Shore. After starting with a 219-146 win in game one, the Bulldogs strung together the front 10 in game two. A split would end their run at perfection, but a 286-185 win put them ahead 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. The split would be a sign of what would come for Tech.
Splits in games three and four cost the Bulldogs in both games, as the Hawks would take both 180-175 and 201-205. Tech would rebound to take game five 240-162 and needed just one more win to take the match. Opens would continue to haunt the Bulldogs as they would fall in the final two games 218-205 and 202-192.
Against No. 9 Stephen F. Austin, Tech started slow and dropped the first game 188-146. Picking things up in the second game, the Bulldogs would finish the rest of the match in the plus. Tech would pick up a 213-190 in game two before falling in game three 213-207. Carry turned to Tech's favor as they would win three in a row, 215-155, 202-194, and 228-157, to take the match 4-2.
In the final match, the right lane scored higher than the left. Tech was on that lane for games one, three, and five. The Bulldogs would take all three games, 224-175, 239-187, and 211-150. No. 8 Duquesne took games two, four, and six, all on the right lane. Tech put up a good fight in game two with a 223, but Duquesne had ten strikes in a row for a 278. The Dukes took game four by a score of 208-174 and six 181-162.
Being the higher seed, Duquesne had a choice on their lane for game seven and decided to stay on the right. Going into the 10th frame, Allie Leiendecker could have struck out to lock Duquesne out, but a ringing 10 left the door open. The Dukes' anchor bowler stepped up and delivered three strikes to take the game 230-227 and the match 4-3.
UP NEXT
Louisiana Tech will be back in action for the Northeast Classic from Jan. 19-21, hosted by Sacred Heart in New Castle, Del.
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