Huskers rise up Saints Invite Rankings

The Huskers went 3-2 in traditional matches on day two of the Columbia 300 Saints Invite, moving their tournament record to 5-5. They knocked down 10,228 pins for a 204.6 average, which was good enough for fifth place. 

The first match was against the Western Illinois Leathernecks. Nebraska started Haley Swindle, Brenna Hartzler, Karina Capron, Kayla Starr and Jillian Martin. The Big Red started the day off right with a solid 1032-918 win over the Leathernecks, led by Starr with 257 pins. Capron (211) and Martin (202) would also crest the 200-mark, with Hartzler (186) and Swindle (176) also contributing. Desiree Buchert was checked in to throw Swindle’s last ball. 

The day’s second match pitted the Huskers against the Lewis Flyers. NU would elect to sub in Lani Breedlove for Swindle in the one-hole at the start of this one. The Scarlet and Cream kept their momentum going into this one, posting a dominant 1104-863 victory with Hartzler (255) and Martin (236) leading the pack. Capron (215) and Starr (208) would both break 200 as well, with Breedlove tacking on 190. The back-to-back wins boosted the Huskers’ tournament record back over .500 at 4-3. 

The third opponent of the day was the hosts of the tournament, the tenth-ranked Maryville Saints. The Huskers would have some issues for the first time on the day, finally dropping their first traditional match 1027-984. Hartzler led the way with 227, followed closely by Martin at 215, but no other members of the lineup would cross the 200-threshold. 

Looking to get back in the win column, the Big Red then faced the twelfth-ranked Wright State Raiders. The match was hotly contested, with Hartzler and Martin once again leading the charge with 267 and 257 pins, respectively, but it was the Raiders who came out on top 1097-1078. While Capron (196) and Breedlove (193) were close, no other Husker shot above 200. 

After suffering back-to-back losses, the Scarlet and Cream hoped to end the day on a high note as they would take on the fifth-ranked Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. Four Nebraska bowlers crossed the 200-mark, with Martin (246) on top followed by Capron (224), Hartzler (213) and Breedlove with 203. They would all combine for a 1060-910 Husker win, improving NU’s record to 5-5 and securing a spot in fifth place. 

Both Martin (1,156) and Hartzler (1,148) finished in the top five for individual performances, second and fourth, respectively. 

The Big Red will return to the lanes tomorrow for the first of three best-four-of-seven Baker matches in bracket play. With a chance to finish as high as third, the Huskers will rematch against Wright State at 8:30 a.m. CT. 

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