The Tenth Board

We went into last week unable to really afford getting swept; we were, and “Trip N Shred” now find ourselves at the bottom of the standings, tied in points with “El Equipo,” the only team we happen to have a net win against so far. “Phase 10 Pins” now hold a four point lead over “J.E.M.S.,” who are our opponents this week.

My Week 5 bowling, frame-by-frame (Link to series on BowlSK)

Really bowled better than my score tonight, and the score was largely ruined by 5 splits in the third game. Remembering to keep my elbow in, I got largely strikes or manageable leaves until the lanes dried out to start the third game (though the light split in the 3rd frame of that game was definitely an over-adjustment). I missed 2 more single pins, but really wanted more single-pin leaves than the lanes were giving me tonight.

Result: 192-191-124=507
Average (15 games): 168
Average for last 9 games: 170
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 516

We got swept tonight, and it was basically a team loss, because Eileen was the only other one with a game over her summer average. Our best chance at points came in the second game, when I needed a double in the 10th frame for the win, but left a washout on the first shot.

With the winning night against “El Equipo,” “Trip N Shred” stayed out of last place and are now tied in points for 13th with the former team and “Zoots.” “Phase 10 Pins,” of which my friends Ralph and Brian are members, are now the league leaders by 2 points over “Guess Who?” Wednesday night’s opponents are “Shake And Bake,” a member of which is Al, my online friend.

My Week 4 bowling, frame-by-frame (Link to series on BowlSK)

The good news: I left 7s four times last night, and didn’t miss one of them, so I’m making progress on my weaker corner pin. More troubling, however, is the fact that I’m still leaving shots outside (and too fast, besides), and it may take a lesson to get that problem sorted out (though “CoachJim” told me in the chat today that he thought it was a problem with late timing).

Result: 181-151-183=515
Average (12 games): 168
Average for last 9 games: 165
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 516

The best news out of the night is that we recovered from losing the first game by 100+ pins to take the last two games and total for our first winning night of the summer. Rob, while not spectacular, was steady all night, and John did well in his first two games; Eileen had an “off” night, but got into the second game act with a 141.

Another adjustment in the results from the previous week (Brian and Ralph’s team was allowed to average in new after all, being a week behind), combined with this past week’s sweep, dropped “Trip N Shred” to near the bottom, tied with “Wyld Stallyns” in points and ahead of them in pinfall. Team 12 has established an early 2 point lead over Team 13 at the top of the league standings. Wednesday night’s opponents will be “El Equipo,” a team also fairly close to the bottom.

My Week 3 bowling, frame-by-frame (Link to series on BowlSK)

This week was at least a little better: I found a line that gave myself a chance at strikes, and, in my worst-scoring game, I was clean through 6. Uncharacteristically, though, I missed more single pins than I made, and 2 of those misses cost me a game over 200.

Result: 162-183-167=512
Average (9 games): 167
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 512

John couldn’t think of bowling without knowing how his Philadelphia Flyers (who played, and lost, an elimination game for them in the Stanley Cup finals…sorry John!) were doing, so he stayed home. We were prepared to take his five-pin drop until we got an offer from Tony Attardo to sub, which my other teammates OK’d. He wasn’t able to help us much, though he gave us a chance to win the last game by posting a 277, which is, I believe, the best game ever bowled by a member of my team, including myself. I blew it, though…a double would’ve put my team in a position to win with any count, and when I left a washout on the second ball in the 10th, I had to convert the spare for the tie, which I narrowly missed.

This update is as late as it gets; apparently, there’s a new league secretary, as the indicator in the Bowler Express standings sheet for where the league secretary is this week is not on the lane Donna’s team is on.

An adjustment in Brian and Ralph’s entering averages (they thought they were averaging in new instead of using last year’s average) meant “Trip N Shred” actually split the points again. As a result, my team stands in 8th, trailing “Shake And Bake” and “Hocus Pocus” in pinfall. Team 12, which appears to be a team in which the highest average is actually the vacant score (150), is the only team that hasn’t lost points yet. My team may be up against it tonight…we face Team 13, which has Harry Thibeault Jr. (as I posted earlier in the month, he had the high average in the house during the winter) as one of its members.