Jan. 11, 2013
JONESBORO, AR—Vanderbilt squandered a solid start as defending champion of Arkansas State’s Mid-Winter Classic with a sour finish and finds itself in fifth place after Friday’s Baker games were complete.
The Commodores are over 300 pins behind No. 1 rated Central Missouri and about 100 out of the leading pack heading into Saturday’s traditional team game play. The No. 3 rated `Dores won three game, including one over fourth-ranked Sam Houston State, but got blitzed by a red-hot Stephen F. Austin and then sputtered in the afternoon’s finale and lost by a whisker to Elmhurst.
“We were erratic,” Coach John Williamson understated. “We had some of the same problems we had early in the season at Valparaiso’s tournament. We were all over the place mentally but that is how we practiced this week.”
Williamson said the lanes long pattern kept most of the tournament’s left-handers, including his two, on the sidelines or struggling at best.
“We took Amanda (Fry) out but left Natalie (Goodman) in because of her slower ball speed,” he said, “and we thought Tori Ferris had a decent look.”
Williamson thought his team bowled satisfactorily through the Stephen F. Austin game, where the Lady Jacks hit their day’s best score against the `Dores. But things tapered off quickly.
“We hit a lull and trudged through the Sam Houston game, then we start against Elmhurst with games of 170 and 150 and you just invite an underdog to get excited and beat you when that happens. But in other ways it was a somewhat typical Friday and I believe we will come back and be much better tomorrow.”
The Vanderbilt coach had high praise for senior anchor Jessica Earnest, who struck out in the tenth on numerous occasions and at times seemed to be keeping her team in contention.
Saturday’s team games will be live streamed once again on USTREAM. Vandy faces Texas Southern, Alabama State, Central Missouri, Prairie View and Arkansas State starting at 9:30 a.m.
Team Leaderboard (16 teams)
Central Missouri 5,237
Stephen F. Austin 5,128
Nebraska 5,029
Whitewater 5,000
Vanderbilt 4,921
Vanderbilt Scores (5-Game Baker Matches)
VU 951
Jackson St. 853
VU 1,000
UAB 832
VU 1,086
SFA 1,147
VU 958
Sam Houston 881
VU 926
Elmhurst 930
