The Saint Francis University bowling team rolled their way to a win in one of their three best-of-seven baker matches to conclude the Northeast Classic tournament at the Bowlerama Bowling Alley in New Castle, Del., this weekend.

The Red Flash (31-35, 9-5 NEC) defeated Wilmington University for their fifth win of the tournament, but fell to Molloy in the first and last matches to close out Sunday's three-game slate.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Teams were seeded into the bracket round based on their performance in the first two days of competition, and the 23rd-place Frankies would face the 24th-place Molloy Lions to open the tournament's final day.

The Red Flash climbed out to a 2-1 lead before bowling a tie in game four, finding their way to a second tie in as many days. In hindsight, this proved to be the turning point for the match, as Saint Francis would manage one more win before heading into a tie-breaking game to decide the winner.

The tie-breaking match would be in the same five-frame format used in the loss to Tulane on Saturday. The extra frames would now be used to break the 3.5-point stalemate caused by the game four tie. Molloy's energy trumped anything Saint Francis could give them, which couldn't have been more than what the Lions' bowlers put up - a perfect 150-pin showing over five rounds to pick up the first victory of the day.

While Molloy moved up the bracket, Saint Francis moved in the other direction to face Wilmington. The Wildcats put up a rather even fight over the first four games, but the Red Flash used a barrage of converted spares in the final two games to gain momentum and pick up the win over the team that calls the Bowlerama home.

The final match turned out to be a rematch of the day's first match, as Molloy fell to Delaware State in their second middle match to set up a second meeting with Saint Francis in the 23rd-place match. Despite what seemed to be a more prepared lineup, the Flash fell in six games to the Lions, who returned with the same energy they controlled the first match with.

The tournament saw Saint Francis try many different lineups throughout the three-day event. Freshman Jewel Johnson came out of the weekend in the best shape, emerging early as a solid option in the rotation. Sophomore Ayanna Carroll and seniors Emma Meade and Samantha Timm carved out roles as the competition progressed.

WEEKEND RECAP
Saint Francis was dealt a challenging hand for their schedule on the first two days of the 34-team competition, but the ladies weathered it well despite the circumstances. Their 12,754 total pinfall placed them 24th in the pack, right behind the teams ranked by the National Tenpin Coaches Association. Their baker and traditional numbers were nearly identical, as they toppled 4,569 and 4,594 pins in baker and traditional play, respectively.

As far as their record, they finished with a 5-8 mark on the weekend, posting ranked victories over No. 2 Vanderbilt and No. 21 McKendree.

UPDATE ON COACH BINGHAM
Fourth-year head coach Ashley Bingham was back in her role with the team after leaving the competition early with an undisclosed medical situation on Saturday. Bingham relied on Volunteer Assistant Coach Jamie Yorio on Sunday, which will likely continue until she returns to full health.

UP NEXT
The Saint Francis bowling team will return home for the Red Flash Invitational at the Holiday Bowl in Altoona, Pa., this weekend, Jan. 26-28. In addition to the competition, a basket raffle will take place during the tournament as a fundraiser that supports the Red Flash bowling team.

Eleven teams are slated to journey to Altoona to compete in the annual tournament, including ranked teams in No. 8 Duquesne and No. 19 Valparaiso. Senior bowlers Emma Meade, Marissa Metcalfe and Samantha Timm are set to be recognized Saturday, alongside recently graduated senior Kassidy Landwehr. Sunday will feature the final three matches and the crowning of a new tournament champion in the 13th running of the competition.

The tournament takes place most of the day on Friday through Sunday, and admission is free to all. Schedules and details will be released throughout the week.

FOLLOW ALONG
The Red Flash Invitational 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.