As I usually do for the new calendar year, with the halfway point of most leagues approaching, I devote a post to the high scores at Westgate Lanes for the men and women to this point. These are based on the league standings sheets available at the time of posting, and the youth leagues are included if they make the list. High averages are based on a minimum of 30 games. The leagues that bowl four games per session (Tuesday Scratch Sportsmen and Boston Bowl Invitational Singles) were not included in series consideration, but if the first three of a series in either of those leagues was higher than what I have, please send feedback (the “Contact me” page) to let me know about it.

Men

Average: 233.6; Sean Richard (Brockton Ten Pin)
Series: 790; Mike Trent (Thursday Night Patriots)
Game: 300; Kevin Sheehy, Ryan Evans, Devon McGregor (Coke Classic), Mike Monteiga (Brockton Ten Pin), Alex Aguiar, Ralph Dahlgren, Trey Coy, Rai Doblmeier (Tuesday Scratch Sportsmen), Gerry LaTremouille, Brian White, Ed Alfieri, Rich Walker Jr. (Westgate Mixed), Richard Mines (TNBA)

Women

Average: 209.2; Shirley Major (Thursday Handicap Doubles)
Series: 740; Shirley Major (Thursday Handicap Doubles)
Game: 277; Sandi Litchfield (Westgate Mixed), Jessica Lowe (TNBA)

Wishing everyone the best in the new year. 😀

My Week 17 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

Another quote from my BowlSK comment summed this night up:

I looked lost most of the night: the first two games may have been my worst back-to-back games since I returned to league bowling. I did find something inside the last game to save the 470.

Result: 128-139-203=470
Average (51 games): 185
Average for last 9 games: 186
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 564

Again, it was a case of my team not being able to put good games together, and we lost every point for the second week in a row.

In the last week of the fall virtual league, “5 Blind Squirrels” could only manage two points over “Cell 6,” so my team in that league ended up being “lonely at the bottom of the barrel.” In the championship match, Team 7 held off “Furious Five” by taking 4 of the 7 points; as I noted on the forums, however, the match was close, as the first game could have gone either way. Congrats, Team 7! 😀

It is now a certainty that “Babe and Balls” will be bowling the vacant team in next week’s first-half position round, as we now stand six points behind “Warren’s Girls” (who happen to be our opposition this week). At the top of the standings, “The 5 G’s” and “Vakanczz” are tied for the league lead, with “The Incredibowls” 2.5 points behind in third. This week could have a say in who gets on the top rungs of the position ladder, as “The 5 G’s” and “The Incredibowls” face each other this week (“Vakanczz” will be facing “Bowling Stones”).

Personally, my hopes of getting the overall men’s high series prize took a hit last week, as Bobby Geddes fired a 711 to take the lead (Ed Godino III had been leading for high series, however, as he also has high average, he would get the average prize, which was why I stood to get the series prize until now.). I shouldn’t complain, however: my 288 still stands as the men’s overall high game.

(Late post due to problems on the WordPress site last night)

My Week 16 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

Last night was sort of not fun; it seemed that I knew what adjustments to make, but couldn’t put everything together until the last game (especially late in that game). The result was leaving more than one pin standing a lot and, combined with not being able to pick up the “garbage,” made for a sub-par night.

Result: 158-166-197=521
Average (48 games): 187
Average for last 9 games: 203
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 578

All of us had at least one game over average on the night, but, because we couldn’t put anything together, we failed to take any points.

With my team having two games over 1000 pins scratch for the first time in the virtual league season, I was hopeful that my team could get 4 or 5 points out of Week 15. However, “Cell 6” threw some big scores at us second game, leaving “5 Blind Squirrels” to settle for the first game and total for only 3 points. As it stands, we now have to sweep the former team to force company at the bottom of the standings.

The top position match between Team 7 and “Furious Five” should decide the fall league championship by itself, with the former team going into the match with a two-point edge.

Taking a lone point yet again, “Babe and Balls” fell further back last week, and now stand five points in back of “Warren’s Girls” in last place (other than the vacant team). “The 5 G’s” and “Vakanczz” are now tied for the league lead, with “The Incredibowls” 3.5 points behind in third place. While I don’t have the individual results in each division (this update is taken from the BowlerExpress standings) at press time, I did have the second high scratch game and series of the week, trailing only Keith Kaestner in both categories.

This week, the last before the first-half position round (the second half will be 18 weeks long, with the roll-off between the winners of the halves on Week 36), will have my team facing “Fire in the Hole.”

My Week 15 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

I had one of those nights I could be proud of tonight. I only had two open frames all night, both of the tough spare/split variety, and was really just a couple of bad shots from not only my second 700 set, but a personal best series again. It came on the Christmas bonus night, as well; I was dogging Keith all night for it, but I think he edged me out at the end with a 704 scratch (with a 188 average going into the night).

Result: 250-232-207=689
Average (45 games): 188
Average for last 9 games: 203
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 583

We took the first game point, but then Bobby Geddes showed up for the other team, and, while I beat him scratch in both remaining games, it wasn’t enough and my team lost the last 2 games and total.

“5 Blind Squirrels” had easily our best week of the season last week, using a season-high series to take all 7 points from Team 4. We remain 6 points out of 7th place, but, with the prospect of facing the same team in each of the last two weeks of the season, we’re still hopeful we can climb out of the cellar. At the top of the standings, Team 7 has a four-point lead over “Furious Five.”

“Babe and Balls” again managed only one point this week, and are now three points behind “Bowling Stones” in the last “real” spot in the league standings. At the top, “Vakanczz” are a point ahead of “The 5 G’s” and a point and a half ahead of “The Incredibowls.”

I mentioned Liz DiBenedetto’s 256 game in a previous post, but Keith Kaestner posted a 702 series last week, as well; Keith appears to be rounding back to his old form, as I’m told it was.

“5 Blind Squirrels” did nothing to try to make a move out of last place, as we lost all points to Team 7, who now hold the league lead by two points over “Five Fingers of Death.” Team 7 also had the high scratch team game of the season to date against us.

Well, “Babe and Balls” has virtually hit bottom, as last week’s failure to take points meant we slipped to being the last real team in the standings, ahead of only the vacant and three points behind a tie between “Bowling Stones” and “Warren’s Girls.” At the top of the standings, “Fire in the Hole” hold a two-point lead over “The 5 G’s.”

Our opponents tomorrow night are “Pairs and Spares,” but it’s going to be a quick night of bowling because John and Carl will be absent, and, on the other team, Shawn indicated to me that he and his wife Jo-Ann have pre-bowled.

My Week 13 bowling, frame-by-frame (Linked to BowlSK series sheet)

I’m just going to block-quote from my BowlSK comment:

My spare game still isn’t where it should be, though I made a greater percentage of my 10s tonight (3/4). The other misses, other than splits, were a couple of the easier two-pin clusters and a double-wood.

Result: 187-191-149=527
Average (39 games): 184
Average for last 9 games: 173
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 588

The first two games were close, but we lost all points tonight, with Carl being the only one on the team over average on the night.

“5 Blind Squirrels” seem to be making a habit of late of only taking two points a week, as that was the result last week against “4 + sk8 = #1,” and we continue to sit nine points out of 7th place. At the top, there was some shuffling of the standings last week, as “Five Fingers of Death” regained a tie in points with Team 7, but little changed overall: the top four teams are still separated by only two points.

The fall of “Babe and Balls” in the league standings continued this week, as we’re now tied in points for 9th place with “In It To Win It,” but only one point out of last place. At the top, “Fire in the Hole” now hold a three-point lead on “The 5 G’s.” The week’s opposition is “The Incredibowls,” who had one of their members, Brian Snow, shoot 250 last week while carrying a 130 average.

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

I’m a creature of habit, admittedly. Today wasn’t a normal Wednesday in my real world, as I had a long Thanksgiving Eve day at my sister’s, so my brother got me straight to the lanes from there, and well ahead of time. The change of routine may have been enough to throw me off of my rhythm for the first two games. I’ll be the first to tell you I was fishing for too much in the second game, but I did finally get my good look at the pocket in the third game to save 520 with a 232 game.

Result: 152-137-232=521
Average (36 games): 184
Average for last 9 games: 174
Next week’s AVG+1 score: 560

The team was all over the place tonight, as well, but John was well over his average in his last two games, Eileen was steady, and Patrick had a good first game. We only took one point, however.

“5 Blind Squirrels,” despite one of our better weeks of the virtual league season, only took two points from “Five Fingers of Death,” and we now stand nine points behind 7th place (held by “Cell 6”), which is all I’m really hoping for at this point. With five weeks left in the season, the top half of the league is all within two points of the lead held by “Furious Five,” so it’s still almost anyone’s race.

Wednesday night’s 1-3 loss to “Dee’s Boys” dropped “Babe and Balls” into a tie in points for 9th place with “Warren’s Girls.” At the top, “Fire in the Hole” continues to lead “Vakanczz” by a point, with “The Incredibowls” and “Mustangs” tied for 3rd a half-point behind 2nd. “In It To Win It,” the team we started the season against (and that had their name changed since the first week), provides the opposition next week.