The Valpo bowling team continued action from the Big Red Invitational in Lincoln, Neb. on Saturday, earning a pair of victories, including a dramatic one-pin win over a top-10 Youngstown State squad.

How It Happened

• Valpo opened the day, contested in the traditional team format, against Texas Southern and earned a 945-895 victory. Junior Mirica Yancey (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) led the way in the opening win with a 211 game.
• Valpo then engaged in a slugfest with #8 YSU in the second match slot, as both teams surpassed the 1000-pin mark. When the dust settled, the Brown and Gold edged out the Penguins by one pin, 1017-1016. Junior Sam Perez (Aurora, Ill./Oswego East) paced Valpo with a 235, while freshman Alexis Roof (Flint, Mich./Kearsley) rolled a 215 and Yancey a 214.
• The one-pin win tied for the third-closest victory in traditional team action in program history and was the closest win since a one-pin triumph over Nebraska in January 2017. The only two matches which were closer were ties that saw Valpo prevail in a modified baker format tiebreaker.
• Valpo broke 1000 again in the third match slot, but ran into a buzzsaw in the form of the hosts, #3 Nebraska, as the Cornhuskers earned an 1141-1002 win. Junior Hannah Forton (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) led Valpo in the defeat with a 217, while Perez posted a 214 and Yancey broke 200 for the third straight match with a 213.
• Valpo dropped its final two matches of the day, falling 926-870 to #5 Arkansas State and 945-866 to Augustana.
• The Brown and Gold ended the day in sixth place in the eight-team field with a total pinfall of 9,343.
• Yancey led Valpo in individual average on Saturday, posting a 201 average over the day’s five matches.

Next Up

Valpo (37-47) closes out the Big Red Invitational on Sunday with a trio of bracket-play matches. Action is slated to begin at 8:55 a.m.