Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) defeated Fairleigh Dickinson (FDU) 4-2 and will advance to the National Championship match against Vanderbilt.  The Commodores defeated Nebraska 4-1 to earn their second trip to the finals.  FDU only had three losses in the entire tournament, all three were to the Hawks who defeated them yesterday to force today's match and then again today to eliminate them from the event.

The quintet of Paula Vilas, Martha Perez, Anggie Ramirez, Kristina Frahm and Maria Rodriguez, all All-Americans, dominated on right lane, winning games one, three and five before overcoming the left lane to win game six and handing the Knights a 4-2 loss.

In game one UMES rolled six strikes and took advantage of three FDU opens to post a 50 pin spread, 217-167.

Game two saw FDU get going on the right lane.  Rodriguez left an open on an eight-split in the fifth and FDU took advantage throwing six strikes of their own to win 235-198.

Game three again belonged to UMES but it wasn't pretty.  FDU left a pair of opens, UMES one but the two teams combined for just five strikes.  The Hawks were the better of the two, 192-166.

In game four Rodriguez needed a mark in the tenth but left a nasty 7-10 split and FDU's anchor closed with three strikes to take the win 247-224.

Game five went to UMES 221-193.  FDU left the door open, literally, with two open frames surrounding a strike in the fifth.  Frahm and Rodriguez combined to close with three strikes to secure the win.

In the sixth and final game both teams led with spares but UMES got going, throwing three strikes over the third, fourth and fifth frames while the Knights spared twice and opened in the fourth.  That was the break the Hawks needed, putting pressure on with a clean game and getting a double strike in the seventh and eighth frames from Perez and Ramirez while Frahm needed a mark to secure the win.  She spared it and Rodriguez did the same in the tenth to seal the win.

"I am so proud of these girls," said an emotional head coach Sharon Brummell.  "They worked so hard to get here and now we are back in the finals with just one more win to get.  They deserve it, they have given everything to get it."

UMES faces Vanderbilt at 3:40 p.m. on the TV set.  It will air tape delayed on ESPN tomorrow, Sunday at 2:30 p.m. 

For the complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com