McKendree men fall short of second bowling title
The McKendree University men’s bowling team came up just short in its bid for back-to-back national championships at the Intercollegiate Team Championships, dropping a close best-of-five Baker match to Webber University Saturday night in the 2017 title match at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, La.
The Bearcats led 2-1 after three games in the championship contest, but the Warriors regrouped with a big win in game four, then pulled away down the stretch to end McKendree’s title defense with a 3-2 victory in the fifth and deciding game.
“Our team has accomplished a lot this year,” said McKendree men’s bowling coach Dennis Knepper following the title match. “They have been through the highs and lows of the season, maybe lost a little focus late in the regular season. But they bounced back with a strong performance at sectionals and had a great week here. We just couldn’t make the adjustments we needed late in the finals. But I’m happy we had the chance to compete for another national championship.”
McKendree was looking to become the first ITC repeat national champion since Wichita State won three consecutive titles from 2008-10. The Bearcats were also trying to finish off a McKendree University sweep on Saturday. Earlier in the day, the McKendree women’s program earned its first ITC crown.
With its second-place finish at the Intercollegiate Team Championships, McKendree has now collected three top-two finishes in its last five appearances at the national event. Along with its 2016 national championship and runner-up finish this year, the Bearcats bowled in the 2013 title contest and finished second to Robert Morris University (Ill.).
In the first game, Webber International built a slight lead as McKendree was looking to overcome a pair of open frames in the contest. The Bearcats were still in a position to win game one with a pair of strikes in the 10th frame, but could not covert as the Warriors posted a 209-194 win in the opener.
McKendree quickly rebounded by rolling to an early lead in game two and never looked back on its way to a 246-158 triumph that knotted the match at one win apiece. In game three, the Bearcats stormed out of the gates with four consecutive strikes before an open frame in the fifth. Webber International mounted a comeback by throwing a double in the eighth and ninth frames, while the Bearcats had an open frame in the ninth. However, freshman Charlie Reid stepped up as the last bowler in the 10th frame and registered two strikes to give McKendree a 199-197 win to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
In game four, Webber International followed an open frame in the first with four consecutive strikes and never trailed again on its way to a 215-153 victory over McKendree that tied the match at 2-2. Both teams went shot-for-shot over the first three frames of the fifth game before each opened in the fourth. The Warriors started to pull away by throwing four straight strikes to take the lead for good. Webber International claimed its second ITC national championship with a 222-154 win in game five against the Bearcats.
This story was originally published April 22, 2017 at 9:47 PM with the headline "McKendree men fall short of second bowling title."