Bowlers rally into second place

Nov. 18, 2011

MILLSBORO, Del. – Vanderbilt used a late rally to surge into second place at the 20-team Hawk Classic Friday. The Commodores are 66 pins behind Valparaiso heading into Saturday’s five team games after winning three of its four Baker games.

The second-rated Commodores had beaten Hampton in the opener, then had a bye before dropping a game to Delaware State with its lowest pin count of the afternoon.

The fourth game, against a hot shooting Valparaiso unit, didn’t start much better but a mid-game controversy may have ignited the Black and Gold. Lead-off bowler Brittni Hamilton recorded a strike in the sixth frame but one of the Crusader team members thought there were only nine pins in the rack.

There was no way to verify the observation and while the matter was being hashed out among the officials, Valpo finished its game, posting a strong 230. The ruling went against the Commodores but the team responded by striking out for a 249 score – it’s best of the day – and a following 246 game let Vanderbilt get the win.

“We had a slow start,” observed Assistant Coach Josie Earnest. “The lanes were not playing as we expected and it took some equipment changes and adjustments early. We also lacked focus and missed 18 makeable spares during the day. But by the end of the day the lanes were playing as we anticipated and things picked up.”

Earnest noted that junior Kim Carper, getting into the lineup for the first time this fall, had an impressive performance after being inserted into the lineup during the Delaware State game. The team’s lineup during this big final games was Hamilton, Sarah O’Brien, Carper, Jessica Earnest and Samantha Hesley.

Team Leaders
Valparaiso 3,896
Vanderbilt 3,830
Fairleigh Dickinson 3,828
Central Missouri 3,750
Delaware State 3,718

VU Results

VU 740 Hampton 637
VU 191-158
VU 154-134
VU 202-154
VU 193-191

Bye 747

Delaware State 783-709
DS 213-168
DS 180-167
VU 201-186
DS 209-173

VU 865 Valparaiso 836
Valpo 220-180
VU 190-188
VU 249-230
VU 246-198

VU 769 Central Missouri 734
CM 235-183
VU 176-151
VU 181-154
VU 229-194