The Saint Francis bowling team went 2-2 in four matches on Saturday, putting them in position to make some noise to close out 2023 on the second day of the second Northeast Conference regular season tournament at the Trindle Bowl in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

THE HIGHS
The Red Flash found success at the beginning and end of the day, picking up wins over Long Island and Niagara. Both matches featured the usual team performances to achieve success, and stretches of filled frames helped put pressure on the teams in the first and fourth matches of the day.

THE LOWS
Saint Francis struggled to gain traction with any lineup combination they used over the four matches, as fourth-year head coach Ashley Bingham experimented with all eight bowlers to try to find the right balance to find success.

In the end, the Frankies fell to No. 17 Sacred Heart, and while Saint Francis and Wagner traded blows in the third match, the Seahawks came out victorious in the end.

FRESHMAN OUTLOOK
While Bingham has yet to play freshman bowlers Hayden Bennett and Jewel Johnson for much of the first half of the season, both first-year bowlers saw time on the lanes on Saturday.

Bennett finished the third match against Wagner and played a role in the victory over Niagara. The West Richland, Wash., native saw eight frames and struck once to try and assist in the comeback efforts against Wagner.

Johnson entered the fourth match for Bennett, immediately making her presence felt in the final match of the day. The Harrisburg, Pa., native bowled seven frames, filling six of them while striking in three of her first four attempts. Her efforts in the fifth game against Niagara helped the Red Flash seal the deal against the Purple Eagles, as she contributed to filling the match's final seven frames.

SATURDAY'S RESULTS
SFU 859, Long Island 830
No. 17 Sacred Heart 895, SFU 843
Wagner 834, SFU 806
SFU 940, Niagara 890

SUNDAY SCHEDULE
vs. No. 24 Merrimack
vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson
vs. No. 11 Duquesne

FOLLOW ALONG
The Saint Francis bowling team finishes the 2023 portion of the season tomorrow on the final day of the second NEC tournament. The tournament will be live-streamed on the team's Facebook page, and the latest updates will be posted on the team's Facebook and X pages.

For more information on the Red Flash, visit sfuathletics.com and follow RedFlashBowling on Facebook, Instagram, and X.