HAMILTON, N.J. – The second-seeded Sacred Heart University bowling team suffered a 2-1 loss to #3 FDU on Friday afternoon on the first day of the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship at Hamilton Lanes in Hamilton, N.J.

The Pioneers opened the day with a 1,064-968 win in traditional play over the Knights. SHU was led by Molly Chiesa, who bowled an incredible 264 in the match, which featured a nine-strike streak for the junior. 

The Knights evened the match with a nail-biting 1,117-1,107 Baker win. Sacred Heart almost pulled off an impressive comeback, trailing by 101 pins following the first game before trimming the margin to 10 by the end. 

Unfortunately for the Pioneers, FDU rode its momentum from the Baker win into a victory in a best-of-seven Baker series. The Knights won four of five contests to send the Pioneers into an elimination match on Saturday. 

On the other side of the bracket, fourth-seeded Merrimack upset top-seeded Duquesne, 2-1, to force an elimination match between the top two teams in the league. The Warriors took the traditional match before falling in the Baker contest. Trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, Merrimack reeled off four straight wins to advance to the winners' bracket. 

The two best teams in the NEC during the regular season will meet in a win-or-go-home match tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.