Scoring all rounds
My round of 16 match was against Michael Fagan, a rookie from NY who hooks the ball quite a bit. I started the match playing around 12-13 with the same particle ball I used in my round of 32 match. Unfortunately I didn't have a very good reaction and threw some bad shots, including my first spare attempt when I missed the 6-10 completely to the left. I can't remember the last time I did that.
Mike started the match playing around 22 at the arrows out to about 8-10. Mike started with a double before missing the 2-10. I missed the 3-10 in the 3rd frame to fall 20 pins behind. Mike spared the 1-2 in the 5th while I ripped a 7-10 for an open in the 5th and left the 4 pin on the 4-6-7-9-10 spare attempt in the 6th. Mike doubled in the 6th and 7th to take a 53 pin lead. I finally struck on the right lane but left the 2-4-5 to basically lock up the loss. Michael ended up winning 214 to 136 after I left the 4-6-10 split in the 10th. That is the lowest game I have bowled in quite a few years, maybe 12.
I started the 2nd game with a solid 10 pin for a spare. Mike started with a 3-4-6-7 split for 7, but came back with a strike. I struck in the 2nd frame but left a weak 10 in the 3rd. Mike added 2 more strikes to take the lead. I struck and then left another solid 10 pin for a spare in the 5th. Mike then left a 4 pin and a 10 pin for spares. I went light in the 6th frame but made the 2-4-10 split and struck in the 7th. Mike struck in the 7th and left a 2 pin in the 8th. I left a 10 pin in the 8th frame and then left a 4-6-7 split in the 9th to give Mike a 22 pin lead. Mike struck out to win the game 225-190.In the 10th frame I decided to move inside and play closer to where Mike was playing.
I started the 3rd game playing around 24 at the arrows and left back to back 4 pins after Mike started with a strike. Mike then crossed over in the 2nd for a double and went high in the 3rd for a 3-6-10 which he spared. I left a 10 pin in the 3rd frame before getting a strike in the 4th. Mike doubled in the 4th and 5th. I added 2 more strikes thanks to a nose strike in the 6th. Mike added 2 more strikes in the 6th and 7th. I went high again in the 7th but left the 3-6-10 for a spare. I moved in a board and struck in the 8th. Mike left a solid 9 pin in the 8th and a 10 pin in the 9th. I struck in the 9th frame and the 10th frame on the first 2 shots with a 10 pin on the fill ball. Mike needed all 3 strikes to beat me by one pin, but went high on his first shot in the 10th to loose 244-231.
I started the 4th game with a strike. Mike started with a strike and the 4-6-7-10 which he had 7 out on. We then both struck up until the 8th frame when Mike struck and I went high leaving the 3-4-7 split. This put me in an interesting position. If I go for the spare and miss it completely I loose count to Mike and he can strike out and lock up the win. If I get one pin, then I loose count, but would only be 1 pin down on the count. If I get 2 pins, then I am up 1 pin on the count while a spare would be 3 pins up on the count plus the spare. I probably made the wrong decision, but I decided to go for the spare and just missed hitting the 3 pin which meant I lost 3 pins in count but I was still in the lead of the game. I left a solid 10 pin in the 9th frame for a spare. Mike also left a solid 10 pin in the 9th frame which he spared and then struck out in the 10th. I needed 2 strikes in the 10th frame to win the game. I went light on the first shot for a strike and then flushed the 2nd one before leaving a 10 pin on the fill for a 250-243 win.
In the 5th game Mike started with a 3-6-10 for a spare. I started with a 3-4-6-7 split and then made it. I followed with a strike. Mike left a 10 pin and then struck. I left a 10 pin and then went high for a 4-6 split and an open. Mike left a solid 8 followed by a strike. I struck and then left a solid 10. Mike struck in the 6th for a double and then left a 2 pin. I struck in the 7th and left a 4 pin in the 8th. Mike doubled in the 8th and 9th to take a 28 pin lead. I struck in the 9th and after moving into 28 I made a great shot in the 10th frame only to leave another solid 10 pin which gave Michael the win. He opened in the 10th frame when he had the game won with a 2-8-10 split to win 203-187. Michael bowled a very good match and I was happy to push him to 5 games after the start I had. A couple of breaks for me in the last game and I might have pulled off an difficult come back.
In the round of 16 match I had 29 strikes out of 57 shots.
I had 1 strike when I missed the pocket, a nose shot in the 3rd game. I missed the pocket 13 times.
My strike % on pocket shots was 28 out of 44 or 64%.
I had 8 opens, 7 splits (3-10, rip 7-10, 4-6-7-9-10, 4-6-10, 4-6-7, 3-4-7, 4-6) and a missed 6-10. I made the 2-4-10 and the 3-4-6-7.
In the round of 16 match, Michael Fagan had 36 strikes out of 56 shots.
He had 2 strikes when he missed the pocket, a tripped 4-7-10 in the 1st or 2nd game and a cross over strike in the 3rd game. He missed the pocket 12 times.
His strike % on pocket shots was 34 strikes out of 44 or 77%.
He had 4 opens, all of them splits (2-10, 3-4-6-7, 4-6-7-10, 2-8-10).
I had a lot of trouble in the first game and didn't get many breaks in the 2nd and 5th games. I was fortunate to win the 3rd and 4th games as I made a big move inside and started striking. Oh well, on to next week.
Walter Ray