Taylor, MI - Fairleigh Dickinson's repeat bid ended at the hands of Maryland-Eastern Shore in a best-of-seven baker match on Saturday morning at the 2011 NCAA Bowling Championships. FDU, which was seeded first, was one of the last four teams standings at the national championship tournament for the seventh time in eight years.
After falling to the Hawks in fourth round play on Friday, the Knights faced off with UMES in a Saturday morning rematch.
Senior Tracy Ganjoin spared to start the series for the Knights. UMES responded with a spare in their first frame but struck in the second, taking an early lead after FDU left an open frame. With five frames left to bowl, the Knights trailed by 40 pins. UMES took control of game one with doubles in the fifth and sixth and the seventh and eighth. They recorded no open frames and knocked down no less than nine pins on each strike attempt. The Hawks took game one, 217-167.
The Knights began game two with consecutive strikes from Ganjoin, Meghan Kelly and Michigan native, Sara Litteral. The Hawks responded with a double of their own but spared in the third to give FDU control of the game. With frame five left open by UMES the Knights increased their lead to 117-83. Strikes from Kelly, Litteral and Joely Carrillo in frames seven through nine sealed the 235-198 win for FDU.
The Hawks responded with a burst of emotion going into game three. They began with two strikes and four consecutive spares to take a 124-103 lead in the sixth frame. An open frame from UMES helped the Knights catch up. Kelly spared in the seventh frame to lead the Knights’ rally. Litteral spared in the eighth to bring the Knights within ten pins. The UMES anchor pulled out a win for the Hawks with a strong tenth frame. UMES took the win, 192-166 and a 2-1 advantage in the series.
Ganjoin and Kelly struck to begin game four to cut the Hawks’ momentum early on. The Knights strung together three strikes between the fourth and the sixth but were met with a five-strike retaliation from the Hawks. UMES left a 7-10 split in the 10th frame, leaving the game up to sophomore anchor, Danielle McEwan. McEwan struck three times in the tenth to give the Knights the win, 247-224.
With the series tied at two games each, the Knights and Hawks went shot-for-shot in the first two frames. The Hawks took the lead on a double in frames three and four and did not leave a frame open all game. Kelly and Carillo struck in the second half of the game before McEwan fiished with three strikes for FDU but it would not be enough as UMES outscored the Knights, 221-193 and took a 3-2 lead in the series.
Both teams began game six with a pair of spares. UMES strung five strikes in the next six frames to take a 40 pin lead. Litteral struck in the eighth frame and Carrillo spared in the ninth but the Hawks had too much of an advantage. The Knights fell, 220-170.
With the win the Hawks advanced to the NCAA National Championship Final against Vanderbilt University. The final match can be viewed on ESPN on Sunday, April 17 at 2:30 pm.