DEKALB — Carthage clinched a berth in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships with a 4-2 performance at the CCIW No. 2 Tournament, hosted by Aurora at Mardi Gras Lanes. The Firebirds moved to 6-6 in conference play to secure their postseason position.
Carthage entered the weekend tied for fourth in the league standings with Aurora and Elmhurst at 2-4 in conference action. Saturday featured four five-game Baker matches.
The Firebirds opened with a dominant 885-449 victory over Illinois Wesleyan. In the second match, Carthage dropped a 956-851 decision to Carroll after rallying to take the final two games.
A critical matchup with the host Spartans followed. Carthage captured the first three games before Aurora claimed the next two, sending the contest to a decisive 10th frame. With the match — and tournament positioning — on the line, sophomore
Airie Frost delivered in the anchor spot. After leaving a challenging washout, Frost converted the spare by sliding the head pin into the 6-10, then added eight pins on the fill ball to secure a five-pin victory.
The Firebirds closed Saturday against five-time conference champion Marian, a program Carthage had not defeated in two years. The Firebirds edged the first game 183-181 and followed with a 176-165 win. A 235-191 third game created separation before Marian answered in the fourth. Carthage sealed the match with a 195-163 victory to claim a 956-883 triumph and finish the day 3-1.
Sunday consisted of three traditional matches, with Carthage beginning the day tied for third alongside Augustana. The Firebirds fell in a tight opener after a missed spare in the 10th frame resulted in a six-pin loss.
Needing a win to remain in fourth place, Carthage responded against Elmhurst. Behind a 234 from Frost and a 201 from sophomore
Emma Winter, the Firebirds secured a 925-864 victory. The final match came against a blind opponent and did not count toward the standings.
Individually, several Firebirds turned in strong efforts. On Saturday,
Maxine Lathrop converted 85.7 percent of single-pin spares and 81.8 percent of multi-pin attempts. Freshman
Kyleah Baker was perfect on single-pin opportunities, while sophomore
Alicyn Klok converted 100 percent of her multi-pin chances. Winter recorded a 75 percent strike rate, and freshman
Emmary Arciniega-Sanchez added 91.6 percent on single pins. Senior
Isabel Gonzalez and Frost posted strong fill percentages throughout the day.
On Sunday, Arciniega-Sanchez averaged 181.5 with 100 percent single-pin conversions. Winter averaged 180, while Gonzalez rolled a 233 game and averaged 185. Frost paced the lineup with a 234 game and a 199.6 average.
Carthage next travels to Nashville, Tenn., to compete in the Music City Classic hosted by Vanderbilt.
