The Saint Francis University bowling squad had quite the start to the 2024 year, finishing the first day of the Northeast Classic with a 3-2 record in baker play on Friday at the Bowlerama Bowling Lanes in New Castle, Del.

OVERVIEW OF THE DAY
The draw gave the Red Flash (29-29, 9-5 NEC) just two unranked opponents in their first nine matches, both coming in the first and second match of baker play Friday morning.

While the Frankies posted 150-pin victories over unranked Adelphi and Howard, the three remaining opponents of the opening day turned out to be No. 23 Central Missouri, No. 4 Louisiana Tech and No. 2 Vanderbilt, the latter of which is the reigning National Champion.

HOW IT WENT DOWN
The Flash found an early rhythm featuring a lineup of seniors Samantha Timm, Marissa Metcalfe and Emma Meade and sophomores Ayanna Carroll and Mackenzie Keane, who found their way to a 2-1 record on Friday.

Head coach Ashley Bingham was able to experiment with different lineups throughout the middle of the day, as Keane moved out of the anchor role to bowl from the leadoff and fourth spots on occasions, while Meade was shifted from the fourth slot to anchor the team for the rest of the day.

Bingham's gambles paid off as the team regathered after losing to No. 23 Central Missouri and No. 4 Louisiana Tech to defeat No. 2 Vanderbilt in the final match of the day. The Commodores, who were undefeated and in second place in the 34-team field at the time, fell to fourth place with the loss combined with a pin total that was below their daily average. Meade, who served as the anchor in the match, struck on more than half of her chances to lead the Flash to victory.

THE FIELD
As far as the rest of the 34 teams in the competition, six teams remain undefeated, including No. 4 Louisiana Tech, who finished the first day in 12th place in total pinfall, and No. 10 Maryville, who is currently second overall heading into a matchup with the Red Flash on Saturday. Saint Francis placed 22nd out of 34 teams, finishing with a 4,569-pin total.

FRIDAY'S RESULTS
Saint Francis 939, Adelphi 787
Saint Francis 949, Howard 785
No. 23 Central Missouri 945, Saint Francis 858
No. 4 Louisiana Tech 978, Saint Francis 859
Saint Francis 761, No. 2 Vanderbilt 722

SATURDAY'S TRADITIONAL SLATE
Match 1: Position Round beginning at 9:25 a.m.
No. 12 Tulane
No. 6 Arkansas State
No. 21 McKendree
No. 10 Maryville

FOLLOW ALONG
The Northeast Classic and most other tournaments will be streamed live on the team's Facebook page, and the latest updates will be posted to the team's X page.

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