GASTONIA, N.C. –- The Tusculum University men's bowling team dropped a 4-2 Baker Best-of-7 Playoff decision to Emmanuel in the opening round of the 2023 Conference Carolinas / Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men's Bowling Championship which is being held at Liberty Lanes.

In Friday's qualifying matches, Tusculum bowled a 2,925 total pinfall total in is three Baker 5-Game outings to earn the No. 3 seed in the five-team event. Host Belmont Abbey earned the top-seed, while Emmanuel is second, Tusculum is third, Kentucky Wesleyan if fourth and Walsh rounds out the field at the No. 5 position.

Tusculum was matched with No. 2 seed Emmanuel as the Lions posted a 4-2 win over the Pioneers. Emmanuel won the first three games, but TU bounced back with a 222-213 win in the fourth game and a 206-199 decision in the fifth. But the Lions clinched the win with a narrow 191-186 decision.

Tusculum will be paired against No. 5 seed Walsh on Saturday in an 8 a.m. elimination match.