STRATFORD, NJ - Seventeenth-ranked Duquesne opened the 2020-21 season at the Northeast Invite at 30 Strikes Lanes in Stratford, N.J. over the weekend.

The event was shortened to two days due to inclement weather expected to hit the area, causing cancellation of Sunday's bracket round.

The Dukes averaged 191.8 in going 3-2 in Friday's baker matches. DU, which placed third, posted its highest pinfall in its match-opening 1005-849 win over Chestnut Hill. Duquesne was consistent, with all five match scores exceeding 925.

Duquesne went 3-1 in Saturday's tradtional matches with a total pinfall of 4862 to finish second of 11 teams. The Dukes defeated Monmouth (935-843), Bloomfield (954-794) and Caldwell (1034-899) with the lone loss coming to #13 North Carolina A&T (921-1010).

Sophomore Kiearra Saldi was the Saturday MVP with a tournament-high 213.6 average - including a career-best 279 - in five traditional matches. The 279, which came in DU's bye round, was the second-highest total ever posted by a Duquesne bowler - second only to Olivia Farwell's 300 vs. Medaille in 2017-18.

Freshman Shannon Small (201.8) and senior Allison Hresko (196.2) finished eighth and 11th respectively for the Dukes. Senior Sarah Kirkpatrick averaged 204.67 in the three matches she bowled and freshman Brenna Gleim rolled a 193 in her lone match.

Four Northeast Conference schools - Duquesne, LIU, Sacred Heart and Saint Francis U - met in the Northeast Snowball Classic/Duel Matches on Sunday following cancellation of day three of the Northeast Invite. Duquesne defeated LIU (979-831), lost to #21 Sacred Heart (989-1022) and defeated Saint Francis (1027-869) in baker matches prior to returning to Pittsburgh.


NORTHEAST INVITE BAKER (3-2)
Match 1
#17 Duquesne 1005, Chestnut Hill 849 (W)

Match 2
#17 Duquesne 926, Morgan State 790 (W)

Match 3
#13 North Carolina A&T 1002, #17 Duquesne 966 (L)

Match 4
#7 Mount St. Mary's 1026, #17 Duquesne 969 (L)

Match 5
#17 Duquesne 929, Coppin State 815 (W)


NORTHEAST INVITE TRADITIONAL (3-1)
Match 1
#17 Duquesne 935, Monmouth 843 (W)
Allison Hresko paces the Dukes with a 211.

Match 2
Bye - 1018 pinfall
Kiearra Saldi rolls a career-high 279 and Hresko adds a 165.

Match 3
#13 North Carolina A&T 1010, #17 Duquesne 921 (L)
Freshman Shannon Small leads the way with a 210.

Match 4
#17 Duquesne 954, Bloomfield 794 (W)
Small and Sarah Kirkpatrick led DU with a 204 and 202 respectively.

Match 5
#17 Duquesne 1034, Caldwell 899 (W)
Saldi (226), Kirkpatrick (223) and Small (207) all top 200 as DU posts its highest pinfall of the afternoon.


NORTHEAST SNOWBALL CLASSIC/DUEL BAKER MATCHES (2-1)
Match 1
#17 Duquesne 979, LIU 831 (W)

Match 2
#21 Sacred Heart 1022, #17 Duquesne 989 (L)

Match 3
#17 Duquesne 1027, Saint Francis U 869 (W)