Crusaders Close Out Action at Arkansas State

VU-Crusaders-Close-Out-Action-at-Arkansas-State#15 Valparaiso closed out the Mid-Winter Invitational, hosted by Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark., with a 12th-place finish on Sunday.

The Crusaders opened the day’s bracket play, contested in the best-of-seven baker format, against #20 Tulane. Valpo dropped a close four-pin decision in game one and eventually found itself down 3-0. The Crusaders kept the match alive with a 224 effort in game four, but lost by two pins in game five to fall to Tulane, 4-1.

Valpo rebounded in its second match of the day, as facing off against Louisiana Tech, the Crusaders rallied from a 2-1 deficit for three straight wins, including a tight 181-175 win in the decisive game, to earn the 4-2 victory. Faced with a rematch with Tulane in the tournament finale, Valpo dropped a 4-0 decision.

Valparaiso (25-30) has a quick turnaround, returning to the lanes next weekend at the Kutztown Invitational in Reading, Pa. The three-day tournament opens on Friday.