After failing to win points from “Wyld Stallyns”, “X Factors” slipped down to 17th place (out of 20 teams), 12 points behind a tie at the top between “Wyld Stallyns”, Team 10, and “Who Gives A Split”. Our opponents Wednesday night will be Team 6.

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

I threw some poor shots in the first game, which I eventually traced to a timing issue by the second game. A promising trend so far in this league is that I’ve only missed four single pin spares in nine games.

Result: 159-191-177=527
Average (9 games): 172
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 526

As a team, we couldn’t get much going as far as running strikes, and we lost all eight. Dave had a 200 third game, and he told me he’s been in that territory before.

After winning only two points from “Pinheads”, “X Factors” are in a five-way tie for 11th, ten points behind “Who Gives a Split”, who are the remaining unbeaten team. The leaders are two points ahead of Team 12. “X Factors” bowl against “Wyld Stallyns” tonight.

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

My big problem was not stringing strikes together tonight, but, where I only missed one spare that wasn’t a split or washout, my spare game mostly saved me. Particularly, I left seven 10 pins tonight, and didn’t miss (the easy miss was a single 7).

Result: 179-184-167=530
Average (6 games): 170
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 516

Mike joined us tonight, but two of us couldn’t repeat last week, so we were crushed in two of the games, winning only the second.

A bowler of some note was subbing on the Budgen Electric team in the Coke league tonight: John Gant, who I was told, and confirmed on Wikipedia, won the PBA’s Tournament of Champions in 1997 by defeating Mike Aulby by a 208-187 score (though Ray thought his win was in the 1970s). We will be seeing plenty of John in the future, as he has moved to the area for the long-term (his wife is a doctor, and her career has taken her to one of the area hospitals) and will probably at least bowl the Coke league full-time in the fall.

“X Factors” did indeed split 4-4 (eight point league) with “Rose and Thorns”, so the tie is for 7th place with five other teams. Two teams won all eight points in the first week: “Wyld Stallyns” and Team 18.

I was hoping to post last night, but the place where we were didn’t have wifi, and I’m kind of shy about using the 3G connection on my phone.

About the only thing different this year was that there was a large enough prize fund so that every team got a team prize apart from point money, and my team was awarded 2nd high handicap game, which we shot 1,110 for. My individual prize was men’s “B” high scratch series, which was my 648 of the “Turkey Shoot” night.

No photo of the champion team coming, as they were missing a member at the banquet, but I will recognize them by name here: Courtney Harris, Durell Gomes, Dwayne Gomes, Dana Gomes, and Ed Godino III.

I was disappointed that I didn’t bowl well enough last week to square up my average with last year, but something I learned about last night gave me great consolation. As the bracket results from the last week show (top 2 brackets), I defeated Barton Fink to win one bracket and came in second to Mike DiBenedetto in another, so I got back $7. As I usually put $5 in, I turned a $2 profit on the week, the first time that has happened. 😀

My Week 35 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

The skinny on tonight was the missed single pins, as I would probably have squared my average with last year had I made a couple of those. I did feel I was making most of the right adjustments tonight, however, so I’m making progress with my overall game.

Result: 167-174-190=531
Final average (105 games): 173
Average for last 9 games: 187

The team came back from losing the first game by 90+ by winning the other two by enough to take total by 21 pins. This definitely put us in a tie for 11th, and possibly 10th if “Bowling Stones” lost all four. Shawn told me “The 5 G’s” won the first two and had a 300+ pin lead after those games, so they won the second half, in all probability. As I’ll have my phone with me next week and the mobile app for posting to this blog installed on it, I may be trying a live blog, a first, for the roll-off next week.

Finally, I have now not missed a night my league has met in five full years since returning to league bowling. 😀

After winning one point from “Angry Birds”, “Spare Parts” remained in 12th place and will bowl against “Kickin Ass” in the second half position round in the coming week. “Angry Birds” are 3.5 points behind us, so the furthest we drop in the event we get swept and a sweep by “Angry Birds” is 13th. We are two points behind “Kickin Ass” and “Bowling Stones”, but that tie is a point behind “Deadwood”, so we could conceivably only move into 10th place.

At the top, “The 5 G’s” and “Split Happens” are tied, with “Dee’s Boys III” a point behind and “The Doables” a point and a half behind, so the best chance for “Dee’s Boys III” is a sweep and a 2-2 split at the top, with a three-way tie being created if “Dee’s Boys III” only take three points and the top match splits. “The Doables” would need to sweep to have a chance. “Dee’s Boys III” were the first half winners, so I’d have to check with Shawn about what happens if they win the second half.

My Week 34 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

This wasn’t my best night, but I did piece together enough of a third game to give me a decent chance at squaring my average with last year’s average next week.

Result: 166-181-208=555
Average (102 games): 173
Average for last 9 games: 184
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 549

Team took one point, but three were out there had a bowler on the other team, averaging 137, not thrown his first deuce game of the season in the third game. As it was, I needed the first two strikes in the 10th third game for the point, but left a bucket on the third ball and we ended up losing by eight pins.

Last week, I made it through one bracket, and beat Shawn in that bracket third game for the $5.

After winning four points from “WTF!!!”, “Spare Parts” moved into a tie for 11th with “Bowling Stones”, 5 1/2 points ahead of “Angry Birds” and a point behind “Deadwood” for 10th. “Dee’s Boys III” are now the league leaders in the second half, two points ahead of “Split Happens” and three ahead of “The 5 G’s”, “The Incredibowls”, and “Heavy Metal” (my team is eight behind). My team faces “Angry Birds” Wednesday night in the last night before the second half position round. For the leaders, “Dee’s Boys III” will bowl against “The Doables”, “Split Happens” face “The Incredibowls”, and “The 5 G’s” will be opposed by “The Mustangs”.

Individually, I had the high scratch game in my division last week.

My Week 33 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

I tried keeping in mind the points I learned in the Next Level Bowling clinic tonight, and, indeed, my physical game felt better than it has in some time. I narrowly missed 600 when I needed a mark in the last frame and left a 4-10, but I probably would have had it if I was better on my single pins (one more would have done it). I really only had to move for my carry.

Result: 233-172-192=597
Average (99 games): 173
Average for last 9 games: 181
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 582

Team won all three games comfortably, with four of us (including myself) over average on the night.

Although this post is of a high score nature, I’m not categorizing it under “Honor Scores” because its not actually one. The reason for the post, however, is because the high score is from family, because Dave Randall, my cousin, threw his first 700 series last Friday in the TNBA league with a 724. I’ll comment when I know what the three games are.

Congrats Dave! 😀

After winning three of four points from “Kickin Ass”, “Spare Parts” remained in 12th place, a point and a half ahead of “Angry Birds” and two points behind “Deadwood”. We are eight points behind a tie between “The 5 G’s”, “Dee’s Boys III”, and “The Incredibowls”, with that group a point ahead of “Split Happens” and two ahead of “There’s 3 and 2”. This week’s opponents are “WTF”, and in the matches involving the leaders, “The 5 G’s” bowl “The Girly Man”, “Dee’s Boys III” face “Angry Birds”, and “The Incredibowls” have “Deadwood”.

Individually, Brian had the high game with handicap in his division last week.

My Week 32 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

From a shot quality standpoint, it was one of those nights that I wished every frame was the 10th, as I seemed to make my best shots in that frame every game and not getting my leverage a lot of the time the rest of the game. As a result, I left a lot of junk, having only two single pins to shoot at all night (I made both, one in each corner.).

Result: 164-159-181=504
Average (96 games): 172
Average for last 9 games: 171
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 558

Brian provided the team highlight of the night with his first deuce game, a 210 in the first game. Team also took the lion’s share of the points (three of four).

After splitting two and two with “Heavy Metal”, “Spare Parts” moved up to 12th place, a half point ahead of “Angry Birds” and two behind “Bowling Stones” for 11th. Our deficit to the lead, held by “The Incredibowls” is 11 points. “The Incredibowls” lead by three over “The 5 G’s” and four over six other teams, led by “Dee’s Boys III” and including “Kickin Ass”, our opponents on Wednesday night.