April 15, 2011
UPDATE – 4:10 p.m.
Vanderbilt suffered a let down earlier in the day, but survived an upset bid by Arkansas State to win 4-3 and advance to the NCAA Bowling Championship Final Four.
The two teams traded victories through the first six games, with each team winning on the left lane. The Commodores broke through on the right side in the seventh and deciding game, boosted in part by substitutes Kim Carper and Amanda Halter.
The Commodores now face Nebraska, who is undefeated in the tournament. For Vanderbilt to advance into Sunday’s championship game, the Commodores need to take two straight from Nebraska. The game is scheduled to begin at approximately 4:20 p.m.
TAYLOR, MI—In what the tournament director publicly declared was “one of the classic games in NCAA Tournament history”, Vanderbilt lost a heart-breaking second round game to top-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson but still advances in this double-elimination format.
The Commodores traded bowling punches with the Knights in a game that ended in a rare tie-breaker with FDU escaping with a two pin victory. The teams had deadlocked 3.5-3.5 average the standard seven Baker games and went to a modified Baker in which each team went through just five frames. The official final score was 3.5-3.5.
It was still tied after four bowlers; the two All-American anchors traded first strikes before FDU’s Danielle McEwan’s nine-count best Samantha Hesley’s seven pins and gave the Knights a 107-105 edge.
The Commodores could thank Hesley for being in the position as the junior struck out in the first game after it appeared FDU might come out on top. With FDU posting a 192 and Vanderbilt sitting at 162 after nine, the Floridian calmly struck out to give the `Dores a gigantic boost.
Vanderbilt won the next two games, FDU took the next three before Vanderbilt won Game 7 to force the tie-breaker.
Vanderbilt had cruised by Central Missouri in the first round, four games to one. It showed it could take a punch in this game, as well. The Jennies opened with 11 straight strikes en route to a nifty 297. However, the Commodores kept their poise and proceeded to rattle off four straight wins.
Vanderbilt faces Arkansas State in an elimination game at 2:40 CT. The winner will be assured of reaching the Final Four.
VU 4, Central Missouri 1
CM 297-194
VU 222-215
VU 198-194
VU 235-199
VU 166-142
FDU 3.5 VU 3.5
Tie 192-192
VU 203-186
VU 236-205
FD 223-194
FD 245-213
FD 212-168
VU 199-184
Tie-breaker: FDU 107-105