NEW CASTLE, Delaware – The Jacksonville State bowling team posted a perfect 5-0 record in Baker matches on the first day of the Northeast Classic at Bowlerama on Friday.
 
The top-ranked Gamecocks improved their record to 47-9 in the program's inaugural season after wins over No. 26 Niagara, No. 15 Mount St. Mary's, Chestnut Hill, New Jersey City and No. 24 Delaware State to open the 34-team event hosted by Sacred Heart.
 
Jax State heads into Saturday's traditional matches in fifth place in the field after knocking over 5,206 pins in Baker play for an average score of 208.2. The Gamecocks totaled over 1,000 pins in all five matches.
 
The day started with a 1,006-939 win over Niagara, the closest match of the first day of play. The win was bookended by a first-game score of 238 and a fifth-game score of 246, tied for the second-best game of the day by the Jax State lineup.
 
The Gamecocks followed that with the 1,004-928 win over Mount St. Mary's, thanks to three games over 200. Their best score match of the day came against Chestnut Hill in match three, when Jax State cruised to a 1,131-776 win. Four scores over 200 were paced by a 279 in the fourth game, the best game of the day by head coach Shannon O'Keefe's team.
 
They wrapped up the day with a 1,032-786 win over New Jersey City and then a 1,033-894 win over Delaware State to cap the perfect record on the lanes.
 
Saturday will see the Gamecocks face Wilmington, North Carolina A&T, Norfolk State and Molloy in traditional matches. NC A&T, the fifth-ranked team in the nation, leads the Northeast Classic after the first day.