ADDISON - The Firebirds traveled to compete in the nineteenth annual Storm Baker Challenge, an all-Baker event featuring eleven women's teams.

Carthage bowled 24 Baker games on Saturday. Strong performances included freshman Emmary Arciniega-Sanchez, who went a perfect 100 percent on single-pin spares while adding 80 percent on multi-pin spares and a 41.1 percent strike rate. Sophomore Emma Winter recorded an 88.8 percent mark on single-pin spares, while junior Maxine Lathrop finished at 88.8 percent on single-pin spares, 83.3 percent on multi-pin spares and 80 percent fill. Senior Isabel Gonzalez posted a 94.7 percent single-pin spare rate, a 38.3 percent strike rate and 81.2 percent fill. Carthage ended day one in third place, holding a slim 21-pin edge over fourth.

Sunday featured 16 additional Baker games to complete qualifying. Lathrop led the way with 75 percent on single-pin spares and a 43.7 percent strike rate. Sophomore Airie Frost contributed 84.6 percent on multi-pin spares, a 41.4 percent strike rate and 81.2 percent fill. Gonzalez added an 80 percent fill rate, while Arciniega-Sanchez again delivered, finishing with 100 percent single-pin spares, 87.5 percent multi-pin spares and 92.8 percent fill. The Firebirds closed qualifying in fourth place, missing third by a single pin.

The top four teams advanced to Baker match play, a best-of-five format. Carthage faced top-seeded Judson University in USBC competition. The Firebirds dropped the first two games, 190-159 and 188-149, before rallying to take game three, 205-198, and game four, 208-178. The deciding fifth game saw Carthage come up short, falling 178-162.

In match play, Arciniega-Sanchez, Lathrop and Frost each finished at 100 percent on single-pin spares. Gonzalez was perfect on multi-pin spares, while junior Alicyn Klok and Frost posted 75 percent on multi-pin conversions. Arciniega-Sanchez and Lathrop each recorded a 40 percent strike rate, and Lathrop, Frost and Gonzalez finished at 80 percent fill. Arciniega-Sanchez was flawless on single-pin spares throughout the weekend, going a perfect fourteen for fourteen.

Overall, the Firebirds battled between third and fourth place throughout the tournament and pushed the top seed to five games in match play.

Carthage returns to action at the Division III All-Region Tournament in Lansing, Mich., on Jan. 23-25.