The #21 Valpo bowling team, led by the third-best average in the tournament field from Payton Rowley (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville), earned a trio of wins Saturday as the Beacons continued to host the Windy City Halloween Classic in Des Plaines, Ill. at River Rand Bowl.
 
How It Happened

• The second day of competition, contested in the traditional team format, started with the Beacons facing #13 UW-Whitewater. Valpo dropped a 932-845 decision in the opener, despite a team-best 198 game from Maia Struble (Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond).
• Valpo bounced back with a win in the second match slot, downing Elmhurst 885-778 as Rowley posted a team-high 234.
• Struble led the Beacons with a 217 and Angela Webber (Harvest, Ala./Sparkman) recorded a 212 as well in the next match as Valpo earned a 940-873 win over #RV Lewis.
• Struble struck out in the anchor position in the 10^th frame to help the Beacons rally to force an 823-823 tie with Carroll in the fourth match slot, but Carroll earned the win with a 75-61 edge in the modified baker tiebreaker. Peytin Brake (Kent City, Mich./Kent City) paced Valpo with a 197 game.
• Valpo closed out the day with a 946-742 win over Aurora, led in a big way by Rowley. The junior registered a nine-bagger en route to a career-best 267 game, just one pin shy of the program's top-10 chart for a single game.
• Rowley's final game propelled her day's average to 208.6, best among the Beacons and third-highest in the tournament field.
• Valpo ended the day with a total pinfall of 9,174 pins, good for fourth place among the 14 participating teams.

 
Next Up
Valpo (19-17) has a shot at the tournament title Sunday as the event enters bracket play beginning at 8:25 a.m.