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.

Tim Major informed me today that my team, “Ebony And Ivory,” finished in 5th place in this year’s edition of the Wednesday Summer Mixed League. The league championship was won by “3 Old Farts Plus 1,” so congratulations to the four main members of that team: Sean Richard, Gino Pierdomenico, Kenny Holmgren, and Brian “Hawk” Earle. 😀

My Week 12 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

This might have been my best overall bowling night ever. I pulled the shot on a couple of 4 pins for misses and had one bad split, but, generally, everything felt good. I made the right adjustments at the right times, made most of the easy stuff, and even threw in a couple of split conversions (OK, I caught a few breaks on “mixer” strikes, too. 😀 ). The result was only my second 700 series, and I wasn’t even aware of it until I saw the total on the scorer.

Result: 245-199-256=700
Final average (36 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 188

I may be prouder of this 700 than my first one because it came on a position night, the only one of the summer, so it was a night that really counted. It was the biggest part of a sweep, but I should also mention Eileen was steady tonight, and Rob had an excellent night, as well. 😀

I should also mention that I had inspiration: John Hayes, Jr., a man whom I’ve only come to know in the last year, was the anchor bowler for our opponents tonight. I’ve known him so far as someone who will always support the association, so he has gained my respect. This was the first night he’s really seen me bowl, so I had a little extra motivation. Thank you for being there tonight, John. 😀

“Ebony And Ivory,” despite winning six points this week, slipped into 9th place, four points ahead of “Top Cheddah,” who will be our position round opponents next week. Conceivably, my team can move into a tie for 5th place with a sweep.

At the top, “Rockland Golf Course” must sweep “3 Old Farts Plus 1” to force a roll-off for the league title.

Good luck to all of my summer league mates this coming week. 😀

My Week 11 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

The notes on the BowlSK sheet should be self-explanatory, though it bears mentioning that a move outside suggested by Lou kept me in it third game; I just didn’t make enough spares. It should also be said that there’s a discrepancy between what I have on BowlSK and my scores on the recap (below); I don’t know if the scorer was in error, but I had thought the scorer was correct, so I don’t know which end the error is on (though I’m also sure the frames on BowlSK are correct about what happened).

Result: 220-165-141=526
Average (33 games): 181
Average for last 9 games: 170
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 573

Eileen pre-bowled because she went out of town with some friends from a different part of the country, and her first and third games were the difference makers in the team taking the lion’s share of the points tonight.

After “Ebony And Ivory” took only two points from “2nd To None,” my team finds itself in 8th place, 14 points behind “3 Old Farts Plus 1” with two weeks left. “3 Old Farts Plus 1” lead “2nd To None” by two points and Team 3 by four points. My team has “Special Mix” Wednesday night. For the teams at or near the top, “3 Old Farts Plus 1” bowl “Top Cheddah” this week, “2nd To None” will be opposed by “Wild Samoans,” and Team 3 faces “Hocus Pocus.”

“Ebony And Ivory” did not lose position despite losing six points to “Lounge Lizards,” but we fell to ten points behind Team 3, who lead “2nd To None” and “3 Old Farts Plus 1” by two points with three weeks left. My team will have something to say about the top of the standings this coming week: we are scheduled to bowl against “2nd To None.”

My Week 9 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

I was under average again tonight, but with two games over it, I am hoping I’m turning a corner. Despite problems making my 10 again, it was a better spare night than many I’ve had, and I could blame the low scores on five splits (although I converted one of them).

Result: 157-189-193=539
Average (27 games): 184
Average for last 9 games: 180
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 565

Eileen gave us a chance tonight with all three games over average, but with the lower-average bowlers on the opposing team doing well tonight, we could only manage the two points for the second game.

“Ebony And Ivory” slipped to 7th place after Wednesday night’s net loss to “Rockland Golf Course,” but we stayed within shouting distance, as Team 3 retook the league lead and we stand six points behind them. Team 3 has a two-point lead on a tie for second between “2nd To None” and “3 Old Farts Plus 1.” This coming week has been circled on my schedule as well: “Lounge Lizards,” my cousins’ team, will be our opponents.

My Week 8 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

Usually, it takes me a game to get going, but, more recently, my first games have been good, and then I tanked it at the end. Take tonight…I could’ve lofted it more to start the third game, but I thought just moving along with the ball change was going to be enough. Oh well.

Result: 233-170-140=543
Average (24 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 185
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 576

I felt like I let my team down in the third game, because we had a chance if I bowled anything like my first game. As it was, we only won the first game points.

The Wednesday Summer Mixed League ladder got tighter this week, as Team 3 lost six points, enabling “3 Old Farts Plus 1” to move into the lead by two points over the former team. “Ebony And Ivory” was the only team near the top to win all eight points this week, so we now stand four points out of the lead in 4th place. One of the teams two points behind us, “Rockland Golf Course,” virtually circled on my schedule because my former teammates Brian and Ralph are on that team, will be our opponents next week.

My Week 7 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

All things considered, I had a decent night. Three of my five splits came in the second game, and I could have salvaged something by going to my Tropical Breeze late in the game, but I was hoping to get as much as I could from my Fast, which was being used for the first time since a cleaning last week.

Result: 198-148-195=541
Average (21 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 181
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 561

We might have lost the second game points with my bad game, but Rob picked me up in a big way in that game, with 9 in a row after a first-frame spare for a 278, and the game turned out to be our most comfortably-won of the night; we took all eight points.

“Ebony And Ivory” took 6 points last week, but were unable to close ground on Team 3 in first place, and stand in a tie in points for 5th with “Rockland Golf Course” (with my former teammates, Brian and Ralph) eight points off of the pace. Team 3’s lead is two points to “3 Old Farts Plus 1” and 3 to “Shake & Bake” at the midway point of the season. Team 2 will be my team’s opponents this week.

My Week 6 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

Overall, I had a pretty good bounce-back night. The corner pin misses were troublesome, but I was making my 10 pin at the end when I paid more attention to my spare ball release, anyway.

Result: 201-160-225=586
Average (18 games): 186
Average for last 9 games: 180
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 565

The team bounced back, in big part thanks to Lou’s 714, which he finished out with a nice 269 game. Team would’ve swept if either Eileen or myself bowled average in the second game, but we still took 6 of the 8 points.

The failure by “Ebony And Ivory” to win points against Team 3 meant that my team fell into a tie in points for 6th with “Lizzard Slayers” and “Wyld Stallyns,” eight points behind the aforementioned Team 3 and “3 Old Farts Plus 1,” with “Shake & Bake” five points off of the pace. “The Legend Killers” will be my team’s opposition on Wednesday night.

My Week 5 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

There was one bright side to this night: I was smart enough to make an axis rotation adjustment after some lightish hits to get more in the pocket without having to move. It was just an off night in general, however, with my deuce saving 500.

Result: 137-172-200=509
Average (15 games): 184
Average for last 9 games: 176
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 572

Lou wasn’t with us tonight, and Eileen was the only one who put together two decent games for us. We left some points with our opponents, as we failed to pick up any with two fairly close games (the first two).

As my league had this week off for the national wheelchair tournament, the following will reflect the standings after the bowling on June 15.

“Ebony And Ivory”, despite a split of the points with “Wild Samoans” (Team 7 finally deciding on one of their old names), made it back to a three-way tie in points with Team 3 (our opponents next week) and “3 Old Farts Plus 1,” with my team having the best handicap pinfall of the three. The lead by the teams at the top is two points over “Wyld Stallyns.” With the schedule having been reduced by a week, we are now already one-third of the way through the schedule.

With last week’s net win, “Ebony And Ivory” are just two points out of first place in sole possession of second after three weeks, with Team 3 being the team in the lead. Team 7 provides the opposition this week.

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

First game was good, but it was a struggle after that, with all of the splits. I thought I could adjust with speed and small moves, but was wrong for the most part. It looked like I could make my single pins (despite missing a 4 in the middle of Game 2)…I just wish I had more of them.

Result: 236-158-155=549
Average (9 games): 192
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 582

Lou was the real star tonight, just missing a 700 series. With everyone doing well in Game 1, we had a comfortable lead, but we tried not to sit on it, and that attitude allowed us to take the third game after losing the second, resulting in 6 of the 8 on the night. With us averaging that performance after three weeks, I think my team has a chance if we can keep it up. 😀