Commodores finish second, bolster NCAA chances

March 1, 2014

Tournament Results

KANSAS CITY, MO—Vanderbilt took second place at the Greater Ozark Invitational behind the all-tournament performance of Rebeca Reguero and the clutch anchor work of Natalie Goodman Saturday.

Perhaps more significant, the Commodores appear to have improved their chances for an NCAA Championship field berth by winning two key games and going 7-3 over the two days of competition. Sunday’s scheduled bracket play was cancelled due to a major snowstorm that is scheduled to hit the area Saturday night.

During Saturday’s team play, Vanderbilt won a pair of thrilling, 10th frame white-knucklers that came down to the last ball in the final frame.

Goodman and Reguero figured big in the two-pin victory over Wisconsin-Whitewater. Reguero had a team best 247 but it was Goodman who cooly rolled a pair of strikes in the tenth when the chips looked down, then added seven count for the slim edge.

Two games later Vanderbilt trailed No. 5 rated Central Missouri the entire match, on occasion by over 40 pins, before mounting a late rally that still seemed a bit too little and too late. Every Commodore had at least one strike in the memorable tenth and when CMU failed to convert a single pin spare in the fourth spot of the rotation, Goodman spared, then struck for a scant one-pin win.

Nebraska won the abbreviated tournament, which was based on two-day pin fall. McKendree’s Jodi Gawlik was the tournament MVP with a 229 average over five games. The all-tourney berth was the first of Reguero’s career. She was third overall with a 215.2 average. Goodman narrowly missed the honor team.

Vanderbilt will host its home tournament next Friday through Sunday at the Smyrna Bowling Center. With 30 teams entered, it will be the largest NCAA field of the entire year.

Unable to change flights or secure a bus, the Commodores returned to their hotel and hope to be able to return to campus Sunday evening depending upon the impact of the snow fall.

Vanderbilt’s Sunday results
VU 1,062 New Jersey City 640
Mosesso 247
Poss 204
Reguero 221
Goodman 216
Renslow 174
This one wasn’t ever close as four Dores topped 200. Mosesso’s 247 included seven strikes in succession.

VU 1,007 Whitewater 1,005
Mosesso 193
Poss 177
Renslow/Ferris 166
Reguero 247
Goodman 224
Natalie Goodman doubled in the tenth to end on a five-bagger and fellow lefty Rebeca Reguero had a 247 to push Vanderbilt past Wisconsin-Whitewater by two pins in a thrilling match. The teams traded leads throughout the game and the Warhawks had posted their score when Goodman stepped up in the tenth. Huge helps in the frame came from freshman Giselle Poss, who also doubled and strikes from Mosesso and Reguero.

VU 1,053 Elmhurst 804
Mosesso 235
Poss/Fry 177
Ferris 200
Reguero 232
Goodman 209
Mosesso’s 235, highlighted by seven strikes in a row, and Reguero’s 232 powered Vandy past Elmhurst.

VU 922 Central Missouri 921
Mosesso 178
Fry 191
Ferris/Renslow 163
Reguero 196
Goodman 194
It was a sleepy match through eight frames with the Jennies in command all the way. That changed in the ninth when Vandy began a rally and whittled a 35 pin deficit into a manageable task going into the tenth. Every Commodore managed at least one strike in that fateful frame with Amanda Fry doubling. VU got a huge break when CMU’s first-team All-American opened and cracked the door for the upset. Goodman spared, then struck and that one pin looked huge on the scoreboard.

Stephen F. Austin 975 VU 919
Mosesso 184
Fry/Poss 145
Renslow 193
Reguero 180
Goodman 215
The big win in the prior came seemed to take some of the energy out of Vandy as it got behind early and had no miracles this time in its comeback bag. Goodman ended a very good tourney with a 215.