EAST MEADOW, N.Y. – The upward trend for the LIU Post women's bowling team continued at the Molloy Invitational/Baker Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 23 and Sunday, Feb. 24 at AMF East Meadow, clinching first place on day one of the event and third place on day two.
 
The Pioneers compiled an 7-3 overall record at the event, posting a 3-2 mark on Saturday and adding another four victories on Sunday. Sophomore Emily Cavanaugh led the Green and Gold with a 187.6 average on Saturday with a 94-percent single-pin spare conversion rate and senior Sarah Busse with a 177.8 average with a perfect single-pin spare conversion rate. Freshman Rhianna Smith added a 183.4 average, with Cavanaugh and Smith earning spots on the all-tournament team Saturday. On Sunday, sophomore Patricia Kelly posted a 178 average with Cavanaugh adding a 175 average. Freshman Francesca Rossi notched a 172 average for the event.
 
The two-day event featured two separate competitions, with scores resetting on day two. The Pioneers tallied 4,474 total pins on the first day, edging out Caldwell University by 18 pins for the top-spot, capturing their second consecutive first-place finish. After opening the event with a 948-859 victory against Medaille College, the Pioneers took down No. 25 Kutztown University by 105 pins (917-812) to improve to 2-0. The Pioneers nearly matched their high game of the day with a 947-pin performance during a trouncing of New Jersey City University (947-711) before suffering their first setback to Felician University (887-821). LIU Post clinched the first-place finish, despite a strong effort from Caldwell in the final match of the day. The Cougars edged out the Pioneers, 884-841 in the head-to-head matchup, but it was not enough to erase the 61-pin deficit heading into the final match.
 
It was a similar start for the Pioneers on Sunday, opening the day with three consecutive victories in the head-to-head matches. After defeating Saint Thomas Aquinas College (858-751), LIU Post rolled its high-game of the day with a 903 against Medaille. A 100-pin victory against NJCU (876-766) marked the final victory of the day for the Pioneers who suffered a setback to Molloy College (915-872), but bounced back to defeat Felician (879-864). Caldwell earned the first-place finish on day two with 4,751 total pins, with LIU Post tallying 4,388 pins.
 
The Pioneers return to action next weekend (March 2-3) at the Hawk Flight Invitational hosted by Monmouth University at King Pin Bowl in Egg Harbor, N.J. in their final tune-up before the East Coast Conference Championships.