McKowen’s hot hand was a key component to LIU Brooklyn’s third-place showing at the Monmouth Hawk Flight Invitational. Contributing significantly to the Blackbirds’ .667 team weekend win percentage, the sophomore right-hander averaged 22.97 pins per frame while moving in between the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the Blackbirds’ lineup. Converting with her strike ball 65.3 percent of the time, McKowen filled 88 of 96 frames (.917) and made 27 of 28 (.964) non-split spare attempts. The Central Missouri transfer, who competed at the 2015 NCAA Championships, came off the bench during Saturday’s traditional competition and shot a trio of monster games. She lifted the Blackbirds past No. 5 Sam Houston State by throwing a 254 game in a 1069-970 triumph. McKowen led the team again against No. 15 Kutztown, turning in a 249-pin performance. In LIU’s final traditional match of tournament on Sunday morning, the Michigan product spearheaded the team’s record showing. Her 247 game led LIU to an 1135-pin effort in a win over Franklin and Pierce, marking the highest traditional set in the Blackbirds’ program history. McKowen was also effective during baker play, including the team’s 4-to-2 victory over event host Monmouth in Sunday’s third-place match. Accounting for a 66-frame sample, she averaged 22.05 pins per baker frame.