DYER, Ind. --- Tusculum's Alexa Tieto posted a five-game total pins to finish third in the individual standings at the 2021 Valpo Bowling Classic. The Pioneers went 3-2 during Saturday's traditional scored games as TU posted a 4,506 pinfall and is third overall in the 15-team tournament with 9,038 pins
Tieto finished with 1,043 pins for a 208.6 average to earn a spot on the Valpo Classic All-Tournament Team. Haley Youker of Mercyhurst was the Tournament MVP with 1083, edging out runner-up Lorrie Decker of Lincoln Memorial. Joining the trip on the team are Kayla Dench of Lewis (1019) and Alexandria Newell (1015) of Central Missouri.
The Pioneers will open Sunday's Championship bracket play against 18th-ranked Lincoln Memorial in a Best-of-7 Baker Game format.
Tusculum got off to a sluggish start dropping its first two games against Kentucky Wesleyan (938-878) and LMU (975-860). The Pioneers bounced back with three straight victories against Dominican (895-599), North Central (965-727) and No. 24 Marian (908-806). The win over Marian was TU's sixth over top-25 nationally-ranked opposition this young season.
Central Missouri, the No. 17 team in the land, is the top-seed heading into Sunday with 9,330 pins, Lewis is second with 9,039, followed by Tusculum (9038), Lincoln Memorial (8966), host Valparaiso (8865), Mercyhurst (8822), Marian (8781), Drury (8676), Kentucky Wesleyan (8626), Upper Iowa (7902), Alabama A&M (7786), Elmhurst (7745), North Central (7446), Spalding (6697) and Dominican (6652).
Tieto opened with a 173 but followed with four straight 200-games including a 234 in the win over North Central and a 222 against Dominican. TU's Allison Robbins finished 15th with 918 pins (183.60) including a 224 against Dominican. Erin Burkart placed 22nd with 885 (177.0), while Hayli Stewart is 28th with 855 (171). Stewart finished strong with a 209 and a 208 in her last two games, respectively.
Samantha England was 68th with a three-game total 464 (154.67), while Abbygale Hunt is 76th with 182 and 159.
The Pioneers improve to 7-2 on the weekend and 16-6 overall.
