READING, Pa. -- Highlighted by the program's second Baker 300 game in history, Fairleigh Dickinson extended its winning streak to 23 matches with a 6-0 opening day at the 26-team Kutztown Golden Bear Invitational, which featured quad-baker matches on Friday. The fourth-ranked Knights are now 50-11 on the season.
FDU is in third place on the overall leaderboard, which is based on total pinfall. The Knights knocked down 4,877 pins and trail seventh-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater (4,911) and eighth-ranked Vanderbilt (4,909) in the standings. Second-ranked UMES (4,736) and North Carolina A&T (4585) round out the top five.
The seventh Baker 300 game in NCAA history occurred in FDU's opening-match victory against Norfolk State. After bowling scores of 191, 216 and 174, the Knights constructed their 300 game, which gave them a convincing 881-690 victory against the Spartans. FDU's first 300 game occurred last season and only the third team ever to accomplish the feat twice.
The Knights then defeated fifth-place North Carolina A&T in their second match, 879-763, with scores of 203, 183, 279 and 214, before taking care of business against North Carolina Central, 767-658, in their third match. FDU bowled games of 201, 184, 194 and 188.
In their fourth and fifth matches the Knights had to rally to keep their win streak intact. Trailing by as many as 66 pins after its first game with Bethune-Cookman, FDU rallied over the last three games to earn a 14-pin victory, 793-779, with games of 161, 204, 223 and 205. The Knights were then down 34 pins to 14th-ranked Valparaiso after the first game but eventually came away with a 772-750 victory, with games of 169, 192, 197 and 214.
FDU closed out the day with a 785-756 win against fifth-ranked Stephen F. Austin, with scores of 168, 223, 203 and 191.
