2017 Championship Central
Final Bracket
Day 3 Scores
JONESBORO, Ark. – The third-seeded Commodores put on a dominating performance in Sunday’s Southland championship match to take down the defending league champion Arkansas State, 2-0. Vanderbilt took a convincing 976-856 win in the opening traditional match and held off the Red Wolves 1,019-989 in the five-game baker total pinfall series to win their second tournament title in three years.
Championship Match
No. 1 Arkansas State vs. No. 3 Vanderbilt
The opening traditional remained close in the opening stage, with Vanderbilt holding a narrow 347-324 advantage as they entered the midpoint of the match. After five frames played, Commodore freshman Emily Rigney led the field with 99. The Red Wolves had also left four frames open, leaving Vanderbilt a prime opportunity to edge further out in front. Entering the seventh frame, the Commodores had built the lead to 531-486 and 624-571 entering the eighth. On the heels of three straight strikes from junior Katie Stark, Vanderbilt’s lead swelled to just under 100 as they reached the final frame. Stark continued her run, notching a three-strike 10
th to finish with a 223 and leading the Commodores to a commanding 976-856 traditional match win.
Arkansas State came out firing in the first game of the baker total pinfall series, but despite three straight strikes in frames five to seven, the Commodores narrowly took a 216-212. Again, the Red Wolves started strong in game two, but Vanderbilt would close with five straight strikes to take another victory, 223-195. In game three, the top seed slowly began to look the part, earning their first victory of the day 210-199 in game three. Entering game four, the baker pinfall total score stood at 638-617 in favor of the Commodores.
Arkansas State would close game four with four straight strikes and a closed 10
th frame, but again narrowly fell 211-200. Entering the decisive fifth game, the Red Wolves had a 32-point deficit to make up to have a chance at forcing a best-of-seven baker series. The gap proved too much, as the Commodores held on for a 1,019-989 overall win to seal a 2-0 sweep and their second Southland championship title in three years.
The NCAA field will be announced on Wednesday, March 29. The 2017 NCAA Bowling Championship will take place April 13-15 at the River Center in Baton Rouge, La.
2017 Southland Bowling League Championship All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Bowler: Katie Stark, Vanderbilt, Jr.
| Name |
School |
Class |
| Maria Bulanova |
Vanderbilt |
Fr. |
| Jordan Richard |
Arkansas State |
Jr. |
| Stephanie Schwartz |
Stephen F. Austin |
Jr. |
| Janine Kuwahara |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
| Tiera Gulum |
Tulane |
So. |