UMES SITS IN SIXTH PLACE AFTER DAY ONE OF HAWK CLASSIC UMES posts 3-2 mark in tough field of baker games. MILLSBORO, Del.-It was a tough start on the opening day of the 2010 Hawk Classic for the No. 2 University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Lady Hawks. They finished the five quad- game Baker sets with a 3-2 mark and a pin fall of 3,884 which sits them in sixth place, but just 65 pins out of first place. The pin fall is probably more indicative of the quality of bowling then records however. For example, No.8 New Jersey City University posted a perfect 5-0 mark on the opening day but sits in seventh place behind UMES, trailing the Hawks by 25 pins. No. 10 Sacred Heart, who beat the Hawks earlier this season, is in first place with 3,949 pins and an identical record as UMES at 3- 2. The Pioneers have just a six pin lead on Saint Francis (N.Y.) who went 4-1. Upstarts, Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State are in third and fifth place respectively with 3,925 pins and 3,911 and identical 4-1 marks. No. 5 Central Missouri sits in fourth place just 35 pins out but a losing mark at 2-3. No. 7 Delaware State and No. 11 Valparaiso are eighth and ninth respectively. The Hornets also have a losing mark at 2-3 while Valpo is 4-1. The nation's top ranked team, Fairleigh Dickinson went 4-1, but stands in tenth, 254 pins out of first. Defending tournament champion Vanderbilt is in 11th with a 2-3 record and 273 pins out of first. UMES started well, opening with wins over No. 19 Norfolk State (725-692) and No. 4 Vanderbilt (774-749). They then picked up their fifth loss of the season to Sam Houston State by just four pins (748-752). They rebounded to defeat Howard (904-676) but dropped their final match of the day to Central Missouri State (733-861). The day's total puts UMES at 24-6 on the season. UMES averaged a 776.8 per Baker match and a 155.36 per game. The best average of the day was a 157.96 for Sacred Heart on the very difficult lane conditions. To the Hawks' credit their 904 against Howard was the best game of the day and the only score to reach 900 or above. There were 15 games out of the 100 rolled that were 800 or above, including UMES'. Three each belonged to Sacred Heart and Saint Francis (N.Y.), helping them stand in first and second places respectively. The field will bowl team games tomorrow and UMES will face off against Bowie State, Stephen F. Austin, Texas Southern, Valparaiso and Wisconsin-Whitewater. The total pinfall after day two will determine a seeding round on Sunday that will eventually crown the 2010 UMES Hawk Classic Champion. Action begins at Millsboro Lanes tomorrow with practice at 8:30 a.m.