“JaMMeRs” took only two points again, winning just the third game against Team 8. My team now sits in 11th place (out of 14 teams), 12 points off the lead held by “Wrecking Balls,” who lead Team 4 by 2 points and Team 12 by 3 points.

After splitting with “Yes – We Have A Girl,” “Pinfall Wizards” stand in 4th place, 2.5 points behind “Warren’s Girls” (our opponents this week). The latter team holds a half-point lead on “The Mustangs.”

Sorry for the late post, and I’ll explain why after I link up the BowlSK sheet…

My Week 4 bowling, frame-by-frame

As I sort of alluded to on Facebook, I did not get very much sleep the other night, so my performance last night suffered. That said, missing 3 straight easy spares in the second game was inexcusable. I did, however, figure out something that helps me pick up spares on the right side: I need to walk toward the middle arrow instead of my third arrow target, which should put my swing’s line through the target…if I drift right, it usually ends up in the gutter.

Result: 169-137-174=480
Average (12 games): 172
Average for last 9 games: 170
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 527

Just about everyone else on my team had at least 2 games over their average. We might have picked up another two points, but our opponents, particularly their bowlers later in the order, got hot in the third game, and we lost that game by enough to also lose total, so it was a 2-2 split.

As a final note, Lou, my teammate from the past summer, gave me a suggestion on how to play these lanes, so that’s something I’ll try next week, preferably in practice first if I can make it in.

“JaMMeRs” won the first game again last week; however, this time, the margin was not by enough to take series total from Team 12, so the result was 5-2 in favor of the latter team. My team stands in a tie for 8th (out of 14 teams) with Team 13 (whom we trail on scratch pinfall). The deficit to the lead is 7 points, with the lead being held by “Wrecking Balls,” “Trip 6s,” and Team 4 (listed in order of scratch pinfall).

After taking all four points from “Bowling Stones,” “Pinfall Wizards” moved into a tie in points for third place with “The Mustangs” after the third week of the season. “Warren’s Girls” took over the league lead, a point ahead of “Outta Da Guttah” (the tie for third is just a point and a half off of the lead). “Yes – We Have A Girl” provides my team’s opposition this week.

My Week 3 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

The skinny on my night tonight was that I actually found something I liked with the Hy-Road; I just need to get more consistent with that. My spare game continues to be spotty, but I made more than I missed in the first game until I went sheet from the 9th frame.

Result: 189-168-167
Average (9 games): 176
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 536

Berta and Brian overcame their first night jitters to both go over their respective first night averages in all three games. Team took all four points, getting the first game with me knowing I needed at least the first strike in the 10th.

Thanks to a big 289 game from “metguy,” “JaMMeRs” won the first game over “The Angry Birds”, however, we lost the other two. The first game was still enough to win the point for series total, so the split was 4-3 in our opponents’ favor. Largely because we had the second high series of the first week (in which we had high game), we stand on top of the teams with 3 points in 8th place. Team 13, “Wrecking Balls” (different team than last winter, but still with one of the members of last winter’s team), Team 4, and “Trip 6s” all won 5 points in Week 1 to stand at the top of the standings, and they are listed in order of scratch pinfall.

After the Sloanes’ averages were figured in, “Pinfall Wizards” ended up taking three points from “Dee’s Boys II” (renamed that night). This gives us four points after two weeks, tying us for 5th in points with “Mustangs.” “The Incredibowls” swept their match last week and hold a single point lead over “Yes We Have A Girl” (last year’s “5 G’s” minus one of their male members and bringing in a female friend). “Bowling Stones” provide the opposition for my team this week.

I just wanted to note before the first week’s results became known that, unlike the two virtual leagues that ran last season, this fall’s edition is just a four-man league running for 14 weeks (still with more bowlers than either league last season). My teammates for the fall virtual league are “JW123”, “Matrix900”, and “metguy”, and the team name is “JaMMeRs” (combining the first initials of all 4 team members).

Tonight saw two new teammates, with the names Brian and Berta Sloane. Much of the early night was spent helping them navigate the process of filling out their USBC membership forms, but we settled into the night nicely afterward. I don’t know if these were the people Carl said he might bring in, but I’m happy to at least have a full team again.

My Week 2 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

I continued the process of feeling out the new shot tonight, and, while it was a mixed bag, punching out to end the night was encouraging. My 10 pin was a problem tonight, despite making the pin on my first try at it.

Result: 190-166-171=527
Average (6 games): 177
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 538

We weren’t bowling with five tonight despite the new team members because Carl was seeing his folks in the Midwest this week. Berta settled down after a bad first game, so I was hopeful of taking some points tonight.

Eileen decided to join her husband on another team, so my team was just myself, Carl, and Patrick tonight. Carl may get a couple of co-workers to join, but we’ll have to take 2 vacant 140s for now if they don’t. “Borrowing” a name from my buddy “MikeHL” via one of his virtual league teams, my team’s name this year is “Pinfall Wizards.”

My Week 1 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

I had made a “New Bowling Year” resolution to have every ball with me every league night, and I was sure glad I did tonight, because there is a new house shot. It places more oil across the lane, so those with pearlized balls are going to struggle. With my entire arsenal with me, it didn’t take me long to go to my Reign of Fire, which had been a tournament-only ball until tonight. My low game (the third) was a mix of bad shots and missed spares.

Result: 182-199-156=537
Average (3 games): 179
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 543

I won’t have an idea how my team did until I see the first standings sheet. Our opponents happened to be John and Eileen’s new team.

There wasn’t much for the officers to discuss at the league meeting, as there were no rule changes and the house did not go up on lineage. I was given the floor after the officers were finished, during which I mentioned the Brockton Bowling Association’s Facebook page, and also stated my wish that a couple of teams from the league enter this season’s championship tournament, which will be our 50th annual tournament (and why I hoped my league will support the association).

John stated his desire to mix it up a little and bowl with different people, but, later in the evening, I found out it was just John and not also Eileen that wanted to do so, so I’m going to try to stay with the same base team. Carl said one of his co-workers may be interested in joining, and said co-worker may be our fifth bowler.

As for the no-tap tournament, a bad 166 first game pretty much killed my chances of cashing, but I used the other two games to work on some stuff, and I bowled rather decently, with games of 223 and 244 and most of the strikes being of the natural variety. There were also conversions of the 3-6-7-10 and the 2-4-10 thrown in there, which Eileen particularly enjoyed. I wound up using the Tropical Breeze on the left lane and the Fast on the right lane; the difference was that the left lane was hooking a lot more, so I thought the Breeze would tame down the back-end more.

The night belonged to our league president, Jim Blyth, however: he had two no-tap 300 games and was really just one shot away from throwing a perfect no-tap 900 series (an 8-10 split in the second game ruined it). His “partner in crime,” Keith Kaestner, had a no-tap 300 game himself, and I was told Liz DiBennedetto was doing well, also, so, with only four places cashing, it didn’t look good for me.