STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. - UPIKE women's bowling overcame multiple series deficits en route to a 4-3 series win over No. 10 Lawrence Tech University in round one of match play of the 2025 NAIA Women's Bowling National Championship.
Game 1: Lawrence Tech 145, UPIKE 138
Brianna Rogers shot an eight in frame one and Erica Warne nine spared in the next frame. The next three frames in game one went strike by Katarina Hagler, nine by Kelsey Cummings, and Kristina Catoe dropped nine.
Rogers got the back half started with a seven and Warne knocked down eight. Hagler struck for the second time in the eighth, Cummings knocked down nine in the ninth, and Catoe recorded back-to-back strikes in the tenth. Victoria Hines checked into the game and struck. Despite the strong finish, the Blue Devils made the Bears pay for leaving five open frames and took game one by a final score of 145-138.
Game 2: Lawrence Tech 178, UPIKE 164
Rogers, along with her LTU counterpart, struck in their respective first frames. Warne struck in the second and then Hagler filled the third with a nine spare. Cummings made the Blue Devils pay for leaving the fourth open with a nine-spare and Catoe closed out the front five frames with an eight.
Rogers struck to open the back half, then Warne and Hagler recorded back-to-back spares. Cummings and Catoe left the ninth and tenth frames open and the Blue Devils took a 2-0 series lead.
Game 3: UPIKE 210, Lawrence Tech 166
For the second consecutive game, Rogers opened the match with a strike. Warne struck in the second, and Hagler struck after LTU left the third open. Cummings and Catoe closed out the front half with a strike and a seven spare, respectively.
The back half opened with a strike and Warne dropped nine in the seventh. Hagler and Cummings recorded back-to-back strikes and Catoe finished off game two with a nine. The Bears' seven strikes in game three powered them to a 210-166 win to cut LTU's series lead to 2-1.
Game 4: UPIKE 202, Lawrence Tech 196
Game four began with a nine from Rogers and an eight spare from Warne. Hagler struck in the third, Cummings nine spared in the fourth, and Catoe struck in the fifth.
Rogers struck in the sixth and Warne made it three in a row with a strike in the seventh. Hagler nine spared in the eighth and Cummings recorded a nine right after. Catoe capped off game four with back-to-back strikes and a nine. The Bears held off a late LTU rally to level the series at 2-2.
Game 5: Lawrence Tech 190, UPIKE 181
Rogers eight spared in the first frame and Warne dropped nine right after. Hagler and Cummings recorded back-to-back nine spares and Catoe closed out the front five with a strike.
The back five started with a nine spare from Rogers and then a strike from Warne. The final three frames went nine by Hagler, strike by Cummings, then a strike and an eight spare from Catoe. The Blue Devils retook the series lead with a 190-181 win.
Game 6: UPIKE 202, Lawrence Tech 196
Rogers and Warne filled the first two frames with nine spares. Hagler made the Blue Devils pay for leaving the third open with a strike, and then Cummings dropped nine in the fourth. The front half ended with an eight spare from Catoe.
The back half opened with a strike from Rogers and another from Warne. Hagler eight spared, Cummings nine spared, and then Catoe struck twice to send the series to a seventh game.
Game 7: UPIKE 211, Lawrence Tech 171
Game seven opened with a scorebook X by Rogers and then another scorebook X by Warne. After a nine spare by Hagler, Cummings eight spared. Catoe closed out the front five with a strike.
Rogers made it two-for-two in game seven strikes with one in the sixth, then Warne made a nine. After the Blue Devils left the seventh open, Hagler dropped ten in the eighth. Cummings nine spared in the ninth, and then Catoe struck three times in the tenth. The Bears won the series 4-3.
With the win, the No. 7 Bears are moving onto round two and will take on No. 2 Mount Mercy (Iowa) Friday.
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