BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Redhawks captured their first tournament win of the season, placing first at the 2021 Medaille Brunswick Invitational, hosted by Medaille College in Kenmore, N.Y.
On Day 1 of traditional game competition, the Redhawks opened up with a win against Daemen, defeating the Wildcats 834-826. In their second match, they fell by just 3 pins to D'Youville, losing 847-850. However, the Redhawks quickly bounced back to defeat tournament host Medaille by a score of 940-931. The last two matches showed strong performances by the ladies, but not enough to secure a win to close out the day. The Redhawks lost to Walsh (864-943), as well as Mercyhurst (923-961), finishing with a 2-3 record for Saturday.
Senior
Sarah Gerken led the squad with impressive games of 279, 211, and 267 for an overall pin total of 1,100 and a 220.00 average for the day, securing first place individual honors and the top spot on the All-Tournament Team. Sophomore
Mykenzie Burnett chipped in with games of 200, 203, and 223 for a solid 958 total pinfall and an 8th place overall finish.
On Day 2 of baker game competition, the Redhawks faced a strong Pittsburgh-Bradford squad, but were able to grab the victory with a score of 916-891. The next two matches were both against Penn State-Behrend, and although the ladies struggled to obtain the first win against the Lions (810-775), they recovered with their best showing of the tournament, defeating PSB 984-863.
With a total pinfall of 7,117 (177.9 average), the ladies locked in a 3rd place seed for bracket play, and faced 2nd place Mercyhurst Invite in the next match. The Redhawks gained an early lead against the Lakers (210-139) and never let up, winning 942-913 and advancing to the championship match against Medaille.
In the finals, the Redhawks opened with another quick lead (209-184), but the Mavericks fired off games of 192 and 224 to take a 38-pin advantage going into the fourth game. The Redhawks rallied back with a 212-172 game over Medaille, and moved into the last game with just a 2-pin lead. Going head-to-head until the 10th frame, the Redhawks each contributed crucial game winning marks to post a 193-188 score over the Mavericks, winning by a total of 967-960 to earn the championship title, and a 5-0 record for Sunday.
Sarah Gerken led the way averaging 205.0 and filling 96% of her frames.
Mykenzie Burnett averaged 185.7 for the ladies, while freshman
Kelly McCarthy also had a sound performance, filling 72% of her frames in her baker match debut.
The ladies are back in action on November 20, 2021, when they compete in the USBC RIT Tiger Cup, hosted by Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y.
