March 14, 2010
SMYRNA, Tenn. — Down three games to one in the championship match, Vanderbilt staged a furious rally to capture its second straight Columbia 300 Music City Classic Sunday afternoon.
It was a remarkable turn-about for the No. 2 rated Commodores, who had already lost two games during the long weekend of bowling to Nebraska and found themselves with their backs to the wall once again.
After losing a painfully close fourth game by just two pins, Vanderbilt’s rally began with back-to-back Baker wins to set up the seventh and climatic game. For Commodore fans, it was to be a memorable one, starting off with three strikes and a spare before All-America anchor Josie Earnest left a nasty split in the fifth frame – the 6-7 to be exact – and the Cornhuskers appeared to have a big break with the impending open frame.
Earnest, bowling in her final regular season collegiate tournament, was not yet finished. Her spare ball perfectly grazed the 6 pin on the right side, slide across the lane and shockingly took out the 7, a most amazing conversion! How amazing?
“You can watch tournament bowling a long time and never see that converted,” said an emotionally drained John Williamson of his star’s shot. “It was just gigantic in the match because when you as an opponent see that split its natural to think you will gain ground. When it’s converted, it’s deflating. It was a big-time shot from a big-time player.”
Earnest, also appearing drained after Senior Day activities had concluded, saw it this way:
“Usually Coach wants us to go for the count and not the conversion, especially after strikes since then one pin equals two. I made a small adjustment and tried to put myself in position that if I executed I would have a chance to convert. I hadn’t made a good shot on my first ball and really wanted to make something happen with this one.”
Mission accomplished. It was not lost on Josie that her collegiate career is coming to a close.
“I didn’t think about that until it crossed my mind in the last few games,” the Vandalia, Ill., Player of the Year reflected. “But things start to look different when you realize you have a finite number of shots left in your college career. We definitely didn’t have the best look this weekend but we grinded it out and did what we had to in order to win.”
Coach Williamson said the come-from-behind win was gratifying but not a surprise to him.
“We practice double-elimination tournaments all the time,” he says, “although there is no way we can create the environment we had out there today. But our kids know that being down 3 to 1 doesn’t mean all is lost. The situation wasn’t new to us.”
Williamson thought his charges came in somewhat flat and “were just sort of there” instead of being focused. That resulted in some errors mixed with a few bad breaks that a very good Nebraska team was able to use to good advantage.
“Nebraska was the class of the tournament for nearly the entire weekend,” Williamson observed. “They are an excellent team and made for some tremendous games for the fans to enjoy.
The Commodores used the same Baker rotation of Jessica Earnest, Kayla Rhoades, Brittany Garcia, Brittni Hamilton and Josie Earnest all Sunday. Their win was the fifth of the season and second in two weeks. It also avenged a disappointing loss two weeks ago in Birmingham when it seemed the Black and Gold had dominated much of the Holiday Classic play, only to place fourth in the final bracket play.
Complete results are found on the attachment that accompanies this article. The all-tournament team consists of the top six finishers from Friday’s team play. Cassie Leuthold of Nebraska was voted the tournament Most Valuable Player for winning the individual play. Vanderbilt’s Jessica Earnest and Brittni Hamilton were also on the honor squad.
VANDERBILT’S SUNDAY EARLY GAME CAPSULES
NEBRASKA (first meeting)
The day started as Saturday left off with the 1 and 2 seeds squaring off. The first game in the best of seven was of the same high quality as characterized Saturday’s play, the Huskers taking a 212-191 match. The second game was sloppy with Vanderbilt winning 155-137 despite four open frames. Josie Earnest’s two late strikes iced it for VU.
Game three was also a struggle that wasn’t decided until Nebraska’s star anchor Cassie Leuthold threw a strike in the tenth to give NU a three-pin win. Two costly opens in the last half of the game doomed Vandy. Game four got back on track for the Black and Gold with strong play at the top of the order opening up a cushion the rest of the way.
Game five was another tussle, although two one-pin opens were costly for the `Dores in a 223-192 loss. It was a bit more of the same in the sixth and deciding game as two opens midway through the match cracked the door enough for the Big Red to slip through for a 192-171 edge. Game and match.
Vanderbilt appeared uptight throughout the game, never getting into a relaxed and poised look from the gallery.
ARKANSAS STATE
There were three teams that had pulled away from the field and Vanderbilt would now faced the third member of that trio in a must-win match. The Commodores responded with a 4-1 win that was matter-of-fact except for the fifth and deciding game. Despite four open frames, Vandy clung to a 149-140 lead with the Red Wolves’ anchor having one ball left to roll in the 10th. A strike would give ASU the game but happily for Vandy, just seven pins fell. The ugly win pushed Vanderbilt forward in the bracket.
Nebraska 4 Vanderbilt 2
NU 212-191
VU 155-137
NU 176-173
VU 219-177
NU 223-192
NU 192-171
Vanderbilt 4 Arkansas State 1
AS 193-182
VU 187-151
VU 210-158
VU 200-183
VU 149-147
Championship Match: Vanderbilt 4, Nebraska 3
NU 222-163
VU 215-158
NU 204-173
NU 187-185
VU 213-183
VU 182-157
VU 205-200
