The net win by “Babe and Balls” this week meant we crept a bit closer to getting out of 11th place, as we’re now just two points behind “In It To Win It.” “The Incredibowls” now hold a 9 point lead over “Mustangs,” who are my team’s opponents next week.

I neglected to mention in the last standings update that Bobby Geddes of “Vakanczzz” had a personal best 742 series that week, and that stands as the high series in the league as we head down the stretch.

My Week 30 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

Tonight was a night I felt I could build on to finish the season out strong. I knew I was up against a tough team, so my mantra was just to relax and try to make good shots, and I largely succeeded, particularly in the last two games. I felt I was even reading and trying to stay ahead of the transition better, which was something I wanted to improve on. The result was my first 600+ league night in many weeks.

Result: 172-218-244=634
Average (90 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 185
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 567

My teammates Eileen and, particularly, Carl (who was clean through 8 frames in the game) picked my bad first game up, but I needed to be clutch the rest of the way at the end of games, and was, the second game to win the point, and the third game to save the point for total and a net win.

In the virtual league, “Crazy Eights” fared better against “Wrecking Balls” than in the first meeting, but it still wasn’t saying much, as my team only came away with two points. My virtual team now stands five points behind “Pinfall Wizards” in last place, while “Wrecking Balls” hold a two point lead over “High Five” at the top. Entering the last month of the league, the top six teams are only separated by a full week’s worth of points (seven).

Wednesday night’s net loss left “Babe and Balls” four points in back of “In It To Win It” in 11th place. At the top, “The Incredibowls” now hold an 8 point lead over “Bowling Stones.” “The 5 G’s” will be my team’s opponents in the coming week.

My Week 29 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

On a night that was sub-par otherwise, I had a minor breakthrough in the last game: my first clean game in league in some time. The only way I could describe the turnaround was that things just clicked.

Result: 141-161-224=526
Average (87 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 178
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 643

The team seemed to follow my lead tonight, as we all got hot the third game, taking that game’s point. As alluded to, however, that was a salvage point for the night.

“Crazy Eights” once again lost all 7 points, this time to “Four Splits and Giggles,” which helped the latter team into a tie in points for first place in the virtual league with “Wrecking Balls.” My virtual team now sits 7 points behind “Pinfall Wizards” in last place.

After taking a single point this week from “Fire in the Hole,” “Babe and Balls” remains in 11th place in the league’s second half standings, two points behind “In It To Win It.” At the top, “The Incredibowls” stand a full seven points ahead of “The 5 G’s.” “Warren’s Girls” will be my team’s opponents next week.

My Week 28 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK sheet)

After getting the last four to save my deuce in the first game, I thought my night was promising, but then it all fell apart. Particularly, it didn’t seem I could make a single-pin spare all night, as I missed 5 of the 8 I had.

Result: 203-157-149=509
Average (84 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 181
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 611

Eileen was my team’s star tonight, as her first two games were well over her average, and she got through the first 7 frames of the second game clean. John returned tonight to have a couple of decent games after shaking the rust off. However, the team only managed a single point.

“Crazy Eights” had the tables turned from Week 1 by “Magnificent 7,” losing all points to the latter team after sweeping that team to start the season. As a result, my virtual team has hit rock bottom after standing in first after two weeks, being three points behind “2 X 6 Pack.” The race at the top has become tight virtually in an instant, as “Wrecking Balls” are now tied with “Sk8ing On Thin Ice” for the league lead after being ahead by 7 whole points the previous week. “10 in the Pit” stands three points in back of the logjam in third place.

After losing all points to “Vakanczzz,” “Babe and Balls” slipped back to 11th place, three points behind a tie for 9th between “In It To Win It” and “Pairs and Spares.” At the top of the standings, “The Incredibowls” hold a four point lead on the aforementioned “Vakanczzz” and “The 5 G’s.” “Fire in the Hole” provides the opposition for my team next week.

As an aside, Kevin Stiger, who started the season with the old “Dynasty” (the team now known as “The 5 G’s”), returned to bowling this week after recovering from a household mishap, filling one of the vacancies on “The Mustangs.” I’d like to welcome him back to the league and wish him well in his future bowling. 😀

My Week 27 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

This was a rather weird night: the lanes were dry, but, except for a couple of first-ball gutter balls where I was trying to give myself too much room, I started better than I usually do. As a result, my weak game was actually my last game; I just ran out of room at the end of the night.

Result: 196-203-169=568
Average (81 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 184
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 562

John has been having a knee issue, so he wasn’t bowling again. We were hopeful of a good night after winning the first game, but that was the only point we would get on the night.

“Crazy Eights” lost all 7 points to “10 in the Pit” in Week 9, so my virtual team slipped back to 8th place, 2 points ahead of “2 X 6 Pack.” At the top of the standings, “Wrecking Balls” lead “Sk8ing On Thin Ice” by 7 points after the full run through the round robin.

The two points “Babe and Balls” won this week, combined with the failure by “In It To Win It” to win any, meant my team and the latter team are now tied in points for 10th place. At the top of the standings, “The Incredibowls” are now tied with “The 5 G’s,” with “Vakanczzz” three points behind.

My Week 26 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

A couple of bad shots may have contributed to my team losing the first game, and I only did enough in the 10th frame to win the other two games, or my team might have won total, as well. Other than that, I felt I bowled fairly decently tonight.

Result: 168-193-193=554
Average (78 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 178
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 572

With both teams missing bowlers tonight, the night was pretty nondescript, and the result was fitting: two points for each team.

“Crazy Eights” could only take two points (the third game) from “Sk8ing On Thin Ice,” and, as a result, my virtual team now sits in a tie for 6th position with “High Five,” eight points in back of “Wrecking Balls,” who are four points ahead of “Four Splits and Giggles” and “Deadly Curves.”

Getting swept by “The Incredibowls” this week meant that “Babe and Balls” slipped back into the virtual last place, a point behind “Pairs and Spares,” who happen to be next week’s opposition. At the top, “The Incredibowls” now hold a single-point lead over “The 5 G’s.”

My Week 25 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

I just couldn’t line anything up for the most part tonight, other than the four in a row in the second game. I made my 10 two more times than I missed it, but the three I missed, along with a flagged 2, hurt.

Result: 168-200-173=541
Average (75 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 179
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 568

I can only explain a sweep by our opponents tonight as them being hot; Brian Snow, especially, was 140+ over his average on the night.

“Crazy Eights” won two games against “Deadly Curves,” but lost the first game by enough to lose total, so the result for my team was four points on the week. We remain in a tie for fifth in the league, with “Sk8ing On Thin Ice” replacing “10 in the Pit” as the team we’re tied with. “Wrecking Balls” only won three points this week, so we gained a point on the lead and are five points out; “Wrecking Balls” has a single point lead on “Deadly Curves.”

The 3 points “Babe and Balls” won from “In It To Win It” meant that my team now stands two points ahead of them out of the second half basement. There is a tie at the top between “The Incredibowls” (my team’s opposition this week) and “Dee’s Boys,” with “Vakanczz,” “The 5 G’s,” and “The Mustangs” all only a point off the pace.

“Crazy Eights” lost all 7 points to “High Five” in Week 6, and, as a result, have slipped into a tie for 5th in points with “10 in the Pit,” 6 points behind the leaders, “Wrecking Balls.” “Deadly Curves” are the new second place team, just a point behind the lead.