Bowlers reach title bracket again

Dec. 3, 2011

HUNTLAND, Texas -Vanderbilt will carry the No. 3 seed into Sunday’s championship bracket at the Track Kat Klash, Sam Houston State’s bowling invitational.

The Commodores were given another reminder that nearly every opponent tries to deliver its best punch against them. While the `Dores won twice, they dropped high scoring games to host Sam Houston, Arkansas State and Stephen F. Austin. However, with pin count the factor in determining Sunday’s bracket Vanderbilt was comfortably among the tournament’s top four teams.

Vanderbilt faces No. 4 seed Nebraska in the opening best four-of-seven Baker game Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Should it win, it would play the loser of the Arkansas State-Sam Houston State game with that winner getting into the title game.

The day’s performance didn’t sit well with Coach John Williamson, who was once again dismayed by what he terms “unforced errors.”

“We were taking spare conversions for granted and when you do that you tend to miss them,” Williamson said. “We lost two close matches with sloppy play and attention. We work too hard on these things during the week to do this in competition.”

The Commodores won a nail-biter with Nebraska, the season’s renewal of a traditional rivalry. The key moment came in the eighth when right-handed Sarah O’Brien was inserted for southpaw Rebeca Reguero and converted a 2-7-8 split. Vandy would go on to win by eight pins.

Williamson used O’Brien in the first game, then noticed “the lanes were very friendly” for left-handers and used freshmen lefties Natalie Goodman and Reguero the rest of the day. Arkansas State, using three southpaws, leads the tourney heading into Sunday’s final.

Championship Bracket
Arkansas State 9,310
Sam Houston 9,263
Vanderbilt 9,169
Nebraska 8,995

VU 1,117 Alabama State 861
Hamilton 269
O’Brien 196
Mosesso 208
Earnest 217
Hesley 227

Sam Houston State 1,134 VU 1,107
Hamilton 242
Goodman 235
Mosesso 182
Earnest 233
Hesley 215

Arkansas State 1,082 VU 960
Hamilton 222
Goodman 182
Reguero 188
Earnest 166
Hesley 202

VU 988 Nebraska 980
Hamilton 187
Goodman 180
Reguero/O’Brien 182
Earnest 267
Hesley 172

Stephen F. Austin 948 VU 917
Hamilton 191
Goodman 203
Reguero 168
Earnest 173
Hesley 182