The Maryland Eastern Shore women will take on Pikeville, while the Robert Morris-Illinois men will battle McKendree for collegiate national titles Saturday at the 2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships.

The four teams emerged through the double-elimination match-play bracket Friday at Sun Valley Lanes to reach the nationally televised finals. CBS Sports Network will air the women's championship match May 17 at 10 p.m. Eastern, while the men's final will be shown May 24 at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Maryland Eastern Shore earned the top seed for best-of-seven match play and ran through the bracket undefeated. The Hawks defeated nine-time national champion Wichita State, 4-2, in the semifinals.

"Our team worked so well together, the communication was great and we never got down on ourselves," Maryland Eastern Shore coach Kristina Frahm said. "We bowled well at the NCAA Championship last week and finished third, so there is definitely some drive to win this national championship this week."

Pikeville also escaped the double-elimination bracket undefeated as they swept Wright State, 4-0, in the semifinal to advance to the championship match.

"We just took it frame by frame and never really paid attention to what any of our opponents were doing," Pikeville senior Brandy Hensley said. "It's going to be an exciting final, and we are ready. We will make them have to beat us."

The Robert Morris-Illinois men, the top ranked team in the country, fell behind 2-0 in its semifinal against defending champion Webber International but rebounded to win the next four games. The Eagles made it through all four rounds of matches unbeaten.

"We came in here expecting to have a lot of success this week and that includes the goal of going undefeated in match play," said Robert Morris-Illinois' Marshall Kent, who was named this season's collegiate MVP on Wednesday. "On the TV show, we are going to use the same game plan we have used all season, which is to execute shots and fill frames."

McKendree advanced to the championship match by defeating Fresno State in consecutive matches. Fresno State entered the semifinals undefeated but lost to McKendree, 4-0, and then again, 4-1.

"Once this team starts to click, we get on a roll and it's tough to beat us," McKendree sophomore AJ Johnson said. "To come back from a loss this morning, make it through the losers bracket and beat Fresno State twice really feels amazing."

A total of four television shows will be taped Saturday, with the men's and women's semifinals and finals of the xbowling Intercollegiate Singles Championships also taking place. The women's singles show will air May 3 at 10 p.m. Eastern, while the men's singles show will air May 10 at 10 p.m. Eastern on CBS Sports Network.

 

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2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships - Men's Match Play Results

Best-of-seven, double-elimination match play

Match Play (Best-of-seven, double-elimination match play)

First Round
(1) Lindenwood def. (16) Mount Mercy, 4-0
(8) McKendree def. (9) Florida State, 4-0
(12) William Paterson def. (5) Notre Dame-Ohio, 4-0
(4) Fresno State def. (13) St. Ambrose, 4-3
(2) Robert Morris def. (15) Marian, 4-1
(10) Webber International def. (7) Morehead State, 4-1
(11) William Penn def. (6) West Texas A&M, 4-2
(3) Calumet def. (14) Midland, 4-1

Second Round
McKendree def. Lindenwood, 4-2
Fresno State def. William Paterson, 4-2
Mount Mercy def. Florida State, 4-3
Notre Dame-Ohio def. St. Ambrose, 4-0
Robert Morris-Illinois def. Webber International, 4-1
William Penn def. Calumet, 4-2
Marian def. Morehead State, 4-2
West Texas A&M def. Midland, 4-2

Third Round
Fresno State def. McKendree, 4-2
Robert Morris def. William Penn, 4-1
Mount Mercy def. William Paterson, 4-1 (William Paterson eliminated)
Notre Dame-Ohio def. Lindenwood, 4-2 (Lindenwood eliminated)
Marian def. Calumet, 4-3 (Calumet eliminated)
Webber International def. West Texas A&M, 4-1 (West Texas A&M eliminated)

Fourth Round
Notre Dame-Ohio def. Mount Mercy, 4-1 (Mount Mercy eliminated)
Webber International def. Marian, 4-3 (Marian eliminated)

Fifth Round
McKendree def. Notre Dame-Ohio, 4-1 (Notre Dame-Ohio eliminated)
Webber International def. William Penn, 4-1 (William Penn eliminated)

Semifinals
Robert Morris-Illinois def. Webber International, 4-2 (Webber International eliminated)
McKendree def. Fresno State, 4-0 (Second semifinal needed)
McKendree def. Fresno State, 4-1 (Fresno State eliminated)

2013 xbowling Intercollegiate Team Championships - Women's Match Play Results

Best-of-seven, double-elimination match play

First Round
(1) Maryland Eastern Shore def. (16) Newman, 4-2
(9) Wisconsin-Whitewater def. (8) Sacred Heart, 4-0
(5) Wichita State def. (12) Norfolk State, 4-1
(13) Kutztown def. (4) Webber International, 4-0
(2) McKendree def. (15) Midland, 4-2
(10) Wright State def. (7) Stephen F. Austin, 4-1
(6) Pikeville def. (11) Robert Morris-Illinois, 4-2
(14) Marian def. (3) Lindenwood, 4-0

Second Round
Maryland Eastern Shore def. Wisconsin-Whitewater, 4-2
Wichita State def. Kutztown, 4-1
Sacred Heart def. Newman, 4-3
Norfolk State def. Webber International, 4-2
Wright State def. McKendree, 4-3
Pikeville def. Marian, 4-3
Stephen F. Austin def. Midland, 4-3
Lindenwood def. Robert Morris-Illinois, 4-1

Third Round
Maryland Eastern Shore def. Wichita State, 4-1
Pikeville def. Wright State, 4-3
Kutztown def. Sacred Heart, 4-3 (Sacred Heart eliminated)
Wiscosin-Whitewater def. Norfolk State, 4-1 (Norfolk State eliminated)
Stephen F. Austin def. Marian, 4-3 (Marian eliminated)
Lindenwood def. McKendree, 4-2 (McKendree eliminated)

Fourth Round
Kutztown def. Wisconsin-Whitewater, 4-0 (Wisconsin-Whitewater eliminated)
Lindenwood def. Stephen F. Austin, 4-1 (Stephen F. Austin eliminated)

Fifth Round
Wichita State def. Kutztown, 4-1 (Kutztown eliminated)
Wright State def. Lindenwood, 4-1 (Lindenwood eliminated)

Semifinals
Pikeville def. Wright State, 4-0 (Wright State eliminated)
Maryland Eastern Shore def. Wichita State, 4-2 (Wichita State eliminated)