The top-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores made it difficult on themselves with a loss to Sacred Heart in the opener of the NCAA Bowling Championship on Thursday, but they rallied to win four straight matches to return to the finals for the second year in a row. The Commodores will meet Southland rival Stephen F. Austin at 5:30 PM CT today for the championship.
Vanderbilt started the losers’ bracket of the double-elimination event by dispatching Arkansas State on Thursday afternoon. Then, in a rematch of last year’s final, the Commodores beat McKendree, winning the best-of-seven Baker tiebreaker 4-0, and won the first of two matches against Nebraska on Friday afternoon.