The Tenth Board

My Week 33 bowling, frame-by-frame (Link to series on BowlSK)

I didn’t really have a bad night, as when I got strikes, they usually came in bunches, but the fact of the matter was that we would’ve earned a split if I had made all of my single pins.

Result: 213-168-211=592
Average (99 games): 186
Average for last 9 games: 189
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 605

On a night we could’ve used everyone, everyone had at least one bad game, so we only wound up taking the last game and missed taking total by 20+. Same teams, same pair next week, and we need to reverse tonight to get out of the cellar.

“The Flintstones” may have been swept, but “Foxy SRS” and “Double D” split the points in their match, so, as a result, my team remained in 9th place, albeit by only a half-point over “Double D,” who are our opponents next week. Depending on what happens in the match, we may end the second half the way we ended the first half, by bowling against the same team two weeks in a row (the opponents at the end of the first half were “The Dynasty”), as, after next week, only the second-half position round and the roll-off remain. Speaking of “The Dynasty,” they now hold a six point lead over “Warren’s Girls.” Next week could also be a preview of the roll-off, as “The Dynasty” bowl against “Butz-N-Gutz,” the first half winners.

My Week 32 bowling, frame-by-frame (Link to series on BowlSK)

The 10 pin was really my nemesis tonight: I had it 6 times, and missed it 4 of those. However, I did make the two I had in the third game, and, when I made a side rotation adjustment along with moving inside later in the second game, that saved that third game. The side rotation was needed to get the ball to finish playing that deep in, and all it needed was an adjustment on my Robbie’s Revs device.

Result: 160-164-205=529
Average (96 games): 186
Average for last 9 games: 189
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 636

My team had Patrick absent (problems with his house), and with John struggling in his first two games, we got swept, although the last two games were fairly close. Carl was the one member of my team who “showed up,” as he was over his average in all three games.

“The Flintstones” are officially out of the second-half cellar, as we’re now 2.5 points ahead of “Double D,” and are actually now in a tie in points for the 8th position with “Foxy SRS” (the latter team has the edge in pinfall for the purposes of determining position round pairings). “The Dynasty” increased their lead over “Warren’s Girls” to four points at the top of the standings. Next week could also figure into position, as we face “Butz-N-Gutz,” who are only two points ahead of us in 7th.

Individually, Eileen swept all of the honors for the week (high scratch and handicap game and series) in her average division, while I had the high handicap game in mine, missing the high scratch game in the division by only 2 pins (Carl Nordstrom had a 257.).

My Week 31 bowling, frame-by-frame (Link to series on BowlSK)

The notes and comment to the series should be self-explanatory, but I wish I could’ve carried what I found in the middle game into the last game and at least been over 200 again. The comment said it all, though: “Given what happened the rest of the night, I’ll take my 255 middle game and like it.”

Result: 164-255-162=581
Average (93 games): 186
Average for last 9 games: 189
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 604

Eileen had a game where she beat everyone else on the team again, but she did it with a very good 168 in her last game this time. We didn’t win that game, but we won the first two plus series total for three points. Rob told us his team got swept, so we’re unofficially out of the cellar (it becomes official when the standings are updated).

Last week’s sweep of “The Wild Samoans” helped “The Flintstones” pull to within a half-point of “Double D” for ninth place in the second-half standings, and the race is getting tight at the bottom, as we’re also only a point out of the eighth spot, held by “Foxy SRS.” With four weeks left, “The Dynasty” hold a three-point lead over “Warren’s Girls.” “The Mustangs,” who are in the middle of the pack, are my team’s opponents tomorrow.

Individually, John’s 196 was the high scratch game for the week in his average division and his 497 the high scratch series in the division. Carl followed John’s game fairly closely with a 181, good for second in the division this week.

My Week 30 bowling, frame-by-frame (Link to series on BowlSK)

My swing tempo practice the other day paid dividends, as I had my best league night since January tonight (the virtual league make-up doesn’t count). I really wanted the 600, and could’ve gotten there with another break, but I also missed a couple of single pins, so I guess I’ll have to settle for the narrow miss, which was still over my AVG+1. For a change, I was actually better on my non-split multi-pin spares than on my single pins (I only missed one of the former, but two of the latter, and had each type of spare five times.).

Result: 179-224-196=599
Average (90 games): 186
Average for last 9 games: 186
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 624

We took all four points tonight, and everyone contributed something at some point in the night, but I’ll single out John for just missing a 500 of his own tonight.

Last week’s three-point night against “VAKINC” was much-needed, as it allowed “The Flintstones” to climb to within a point of “Foxy SRS” for ninth place in the second half. With six weeks left in the season, there is still plenty of time to get out of last place. At the top of the standings, “The Dynasty” hold a three-point lead on “The Wild Samoans,” with the margin coming as a direct result of a testy match last week. We face the latter team tomorrow night.