FORT WORTH, Texas — Louisiana Tech moved into first place with four wins on the second day of the Bulldog Classic at Cityview Lanes on Saturday.
 
The 11thg-ranked Bulldogs (72-39) finished with a 9,360-pin fall after the qualifying portion of the schedule, nearly 300 pins ahead of second.
 
Rachel Ong and Paulina Avalos earned All-Tournament honors after being one of the five bowlers to finish in the plus for the tournament. Ong shot a 1,026 for a 205.2 average to finish third, just five pins behind first. Avalos rolled a 1,003 to finish fifth with a 200.6 average.
 
Louisiana Tech started the day in third and quickly moved up to first after a 981-889 win over Oklahoma Christian. Jenna Stretch led the way with a 217, followed by Avalos with a 200. Ong shot 199 in the leadoff position. Allyson Sand opened with 198 for the Bulldogs on her senior day.
 
The lanes started to change, which came into play as Tech fell to Alabama State 895-857. Ong was the only Bulldog in the plus at 203. Stretch had a 181, and Avalos rolled a 177.
 
Tech jumped to the inside of the lanes, and it started to pay off in the back half of game three. The Bulldogs would come away victorious over Jackson State 966-828. Stretch led the way again with a 203, with Avalos hitting even for the second time in three games. Arianna Araujo shot a 196 in her first complete game, while Ong had her lowest game of the day at 185. Ashley Imhoff rounded out the scoring with an 182.
 
That momentum carried over into the highest set of the tournament at 1,067. The Bulldogs beat No. 20 Tulane by 223 pins. Imhoff doubled to open the game before leaving the four-pin. After she picked it up, she would string together eight in a row and finish with a 275, the highest game of the tournament by nearly 40 pins. Ong rebounded with a 214, and Avalos shot 208. Araujo and Stretch finished with 190 and 180, respectively.
 
After starting the day with Oklahoma Christian, the Bulldogs and Eagles would face off again. This time, it would come down to the 10th frame. Ong leadoff with a 225 to keep Tech in the set. Avalos would strike on her first ball and spare in the fill to lock it up. Abbie Leiendecker struck out to slam the doors for a 925-885 win.
 
QUOTEABLES
Head Coach Matt Nantais
 
"The team continues to find success on the lanes, showing strong performances against top-tier competition. While there are still moments where adjustments need to be made for better shot-making, the overall performance has been impressive."
 
"This past weekend, the team competed in a highly competitive field featuring most of the top 10 teams in the nation. Finishing with an 8-4 record against such elite competition is a strong accomplishment and a testament to the team's hard work and dedication."
 
"With a week off, the team will now shift focus to preparing for its upcoming home event in Fort Worth. With only two more regular-season events remaining, followed by the conference championship, the team is determined to continue its strong play in pursuit of a regional bid this year."
 
UP NEXT
The final day of the Bulldog Classic will consist of three best-of-seven Baker matches in a bracket format. LA Tech will take on No. 8 Sam Houston to open play. With a win, the Bulldogs will move on to the championship match but with a loss, Tech would have to beat the winner of the Oklahoma Christian and Tulane match to move on.
 
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