Jan. 31, 2016
ARLINGTON, TX—Vanderbilt bowled well but could only manage third place in the hotly contested Prairie View Invitational, which concluded three days of play Sunday afternoon.
The Commodores ended with a 10-2 tourney mark, losing twice to Arkansas State while recording a number of other Top 10 head-to-head wins. They dropped a thrilling semi-final game to the Red Wolves Sunday before polishing off Stephen F. Austin to secure the consolation match win.
Vanderbilt’s Robyn Renslow won the individual scoring with a 236.5 average over ASU’s Jordan Richard, who averaged 227.50 over the six team games. Renslow had a 259 in the last round-robin game Sunday to gain the win. It was Renslow’s third MVP award in her Vandy career.
“For the most part we bowled well enough to win the tournament,” said Coach John Williamson. “but we made a couple of crucial mistakes. We bowled 17 games today and only two were under 200. We have to figure out how to limit our unforced errors because some of the things that happened today also happened earlier in the tournament.”
The semi-final had to be one of the most entertaining, high-end games this year in collegiate bowling. It was a high plains, Texas style shootout where strikes were more common that spares and opens were as rare as a trail hand’s steak.
Vandy had four games over 222 and none under 205, yet lost a 4-2 decision to the torrid Wolves. Key points included the third game where VU had a five-bagger in the middle and looked to be cruising, only to see ASU go off the sheet from the sixth frame to win 245-244.
Renslow, Vandy’s All-American anchor, had countless strikes all tournament including many to win games but could muster just a seven count on her fill ball in the 10th of that game, which opened the door for Richard to strike out for the one-pin win.
The semi-final’s fifth game was also a doozy. Vandy ran off another five-bagger from the seventh to the tenth but ASU closed strong again, getting their own five in a row to win 222-214. And the sixth and deciding game included yet another five in a row by VU but came up shy, 235-226.
In the consolation game, VU jumped out to a quick led, helped by a closing seven straight strikes for a 259 in Game 2 of the best of seven Bakers. Stephen F. Austin lost that one despite its own 254.
Vanderbilt’s Baker rotation was Katie Stark, Amanda Fry, Tori Ferris, Kristin Quah and Renslow. Quah ended the tourney in 15th place and Williamson also mentioned Ferris’s fine play in Sunday’s Bakers.
Nebraska, the fourth seed, gained momentum and came from a 3-1 deficit to beat ASU for the championship.
Vanderbilt has a welcome week off its schedule before heading to New Jersey in two weeks.
