The Valpo bowling team concluded hosting of its annual early-season tournament, the Valpo Bowling Classic, on Sunday from Stardust Bowl III in Dyer, finishing the event in sixth place.

How It Happened

• Valpo opened bracket play, contested in the best-of-seven baker format, against Mercyhurst. The teams traded wins in the first two games before the Beacons grabbed games three and four to go up, 3-1. Mercyhurst rolled a 211 in game five, but Valpo reciprocated with a 237 — the team’s best single-game mark of the day — to close out a 4-2 victory.
• The win advanced Valpo to take on #RV Tusculum in the second of Sunday’s three matches. Tusculum jumped out to 2-0 and 3-1 leads in the match, but Valpo won game five to extend the match and then posted a 211 in game six to send it to a decisive seventh game. The Pioneers took game seven, however, to finish out a 4-3 win.
• Valpo’s final match of the tournament came against Drury, and this match would go the distance as well. The Beacons again found themselves down 3-1, but kept hope alive with a three-pin win in game five. A game six tie meant Valpo needed a final-game win to force a roll-off, but Drury posted a 203 in game seven to earn the 4-2-1 victory in the match, ensuring Valpo a sixth-place finish in the tournament.

Inside the Tournament

• Lincoln Memorial earned the tournament championship, defeating Lewis 4-1-1 in the title matchup.
• Mercyhurst’s Haley Youker was named Tournament MVP as she posted a 216.6 average in Saturday’s five traditional team matches.
• Youker was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Lorrie Decker (Lincoln Memorial), Alexa Tieto (Tusculum), Kayla Dench (Lewis) and Alexandria Newell (Central Missouri).

Next Up

Valpo (15-10) takes to the lanes for the second of three straight weekends of competition next weekend, kicking off the three-day Track Kat Klash on Friday, Nov. 5. The tournament takes place in Conroe, Texas and is hosted by Sam Houston State.