Well, Megan and I rolled off for bowling league last night since we’re going to be out of town on Thursday. She had been in a little slump the last couple of times out, but she got back into the groove by bowling around her average – which is good considering the pain in her throwing shoulder.

On a personal level, it was a really good week. For the third consecutive week, I was able to set new high marks for myself. I went in worried that I’d roll horribly and walked away with another 3 200-plus games, and a 684 series – which, as of now, is the new high league scratch series. I currently am tied with the league high game (246) and I improved my average another 5 pins (193). That average should improve my odds in the fight for our league high average, and for my spot in the Kingpin competition. As of now, I would be sitting tied for 5th on the list. Again, we’ll see how it plays out this week. Every high mark I set at this point could be erased Thursday around 11:30. Ha ha.

Unfortunately, as a team, we’re giving up 183 pins this week. Since Megan and I only made up 47 pins in game 1, 9 pins in game 2, and 46 in game 3, the outlook is looking grim unless Meadows and Sam bowl out of their minds…and the other team lays an egg. So, for our team’s sake, I hope my high games and scores fall…to Sam and Meadows. That would give us a good chance of winning the match.

Updates…

We went 1-2 this week, which sets us up for a battle for first place next week. We’re rolling against the team tied with us for first place with identical 13-5 records. We’re currently still sitting at the top in team average, so even if we don’t win next week’s match, we should still be able to hold onto our team average…which will get us into the playoffs.

Last night was a solid night from our bowling team. The other team only had two bowlers, so their forfeit guaranteed us all 3 wins, but we still had a lot to bowl for. While the 12-3 record we’re carrying right now is tops in the league and would guarantee us a playoff spot, we’re trying to hold onto the top team average as well – as our backup path into the playoffs. After last night, our team is sitting 18 pins clear of our closest competitor with a 602 team average. The last two weeks have seen us raise our average fast as our last 6 games were 634, 665, 664, 631, 649, and 720. It’s amazing how far we’ve come as a team. Everyone just keeps bowling consistently well.

There are also some personal goals for Sam and I. Sam is currently in a 4-way tie for 10th on the Queenpin list with a 130 average. She’s been bowling really well, so hopefully she can keep climbing. I’m currently sitting in a 3-way tie for 8th. I found out this week that only the top 10 will qualify, so I’m going to have to keep bowling well to hold onto my spot. While Meadows thinks he’s out of the race for the Kingpin competition, I’m still pulling for him to pick up the necessary pins. His last game (221) shows that he’s capable of putting up big games. Plus, I’ve picked up 14 pins in two weeks, so anything can happen.

One amazing this to note is that I rolled a 600-series for the second consecutive week! My 662 should give me the new high scratch series, but the league hasn’t posted the most recent PDF. This week, I actually bowled 3 200+ games – something I’ve never accomplished in league. While most people would say, “but it’s at Arsenal” (I agree), the consistency is what I’m most proud of. For two consecutive weeks I’ve been able to shake the bad game bug. The other crazy thing is that I came into the week 150 pins behind the league leader in average…I came out of the week tied with him in average (188). I gained 7 pins and he dropped by 3.

There are two issues, though, regarding my race for league high average. First, there’s actually two more weeks, so I have to continue to bowl my best to stay atop the league average FOR TWO WEEKS. Ugh. The second…I’m going to be out of town next Thursday, so I have to roll off instead of bowling during league. I’ve traditionally struggled when I had to roll off. I’m not sure if it’s because I fail to pace myself and I burn out, or the lack of competitiveness makes me not focus as much, but I have to find a way to roll well. My only individual goal for this league was high average. Now that I’ve basically pulled even and I control my own fate, I need to prove to myself that I can do it. Fingers crossed.

For the first time this year, I actually enjoyed dodgeball. Therefore, it’s fair to say that there’s a direct correlation between the team’s success and my happiness level. We won our first match of the year 10-1 in just 33 minutes. Granted, it was against a shorthanded team of 4, but they all had gloves…*

Anyway, our team captain sent out strategy emails earlier in the week, and it seems like we did a better job as a team. Even though we were only playing four people, our dominance showed a lot of improvement from our previous weeks. Maybe we needed a week against a shorthanded opponent to help us gain confidence and learn how to play well together. Or maybe we just needed everyone to step up their game.

I definitely had my best night, as I caught a lot of balls, and threw a bunch of people out. My accuracy was better than ever (which is usually awful), and I walked away without my arm feeling like it was going to fall off – both bonuses! Our ability to catch was highlighted by Meadows’ miracle one-handed grab off a deflection…while holding a ball in his other hand. I actually ended one of the games by bobbling a ball before catching it against my leg. With everyone holding onto the other team’s throws and showing improved strategy and accuracy, we looked pretty good. There’s still a few more weeks to improve our 15-29 record and make a push for the playoffs. It would be cool to actually slip in. First, we’ll see how we can do against a full team.

Below is  a photo of Bob launching the second-to-last throw of the night – a ball that bounces early and hit the opponent in the nuts. While the guy was bent over, Bob ran to get the ball sitting behind him and hit the guy for the final win of the night. Bob is obviously a ruthless dodgeball assassin. Ha ha.

*Joe Meadows’ dodgeball observation #2: “Anyone wearing gloves while playing dodge ball instantly gets better.”

Last night was our best night of bowling this season. It was our strongest night as a team – as we took all 3 games, and redefined the high scratch series at 1963. It was also the first night that the four of us each bowled above our average for all 3 games…and it was by far the most exciting night of league so far.

We were only giving our opponents 7 pins per game, so we knew that they were going to give us a run for our money. Game one didn’t really prove to be a struggle as we took the lead early and never looked back, winning 634 – 607, but after that was when it got really fun.

In game two, we entered the 10th frame down 19 pins, and the other team had marks in their ninth frames, so we knew they were going to get some extra pins. With the pressure firmly on us, ALL FOUR of the Nine-Dash Heroes became as clutch as ever. I struck out to finish with 4 in a row, Megan struck on a 9th frame spare, Sam got a spare and 6 in the tenth, and Meadows got a 10th-frame double and a nine. The points swing ended with us winning by 34 pins…meaning we picked up 53 pins between the four of us.

The third game followed a similar pattern to game two. Our whole team was bowling really consistent and strong, but the other team was bowling really well, too. I don’t remember the score heading into the 10th frame, but I know we were further back than 19. Again, our team was as clutch as we could be. I hit a double in the tenth before leaving the 10 pin on my third ball, giving me my first clean game in this league. Megan struck on her first ball, which was huge since it was on a strike in the 9th frame. Sam picked up a spare and a 5, and Meadows picked up 9 on his strike on the 9th. It also helped tremendously as the other team choked, with none of their players getting a mark in the tenth. We ended up winning by a measly 10 pins.

It also ended up being my best league week ever. I finished the night with a 635 series total, which was my first ever 600 series in a league. 635 was enough to give me top handicap series (713), as well. For the first time this season, I didn’t have my characteristic bad game. I now have the second highest scratch game (233), second highest scratch series, and the high handicap game (259). The guy I’m chasing for league high average (191) added to his previous average, so I’m still 10 pins away from catching him despite picking up 7 pins on my average. If he can maintain his average, I would need 1308 more pins over the next two weeks to get my average up to 192…that’s a 218/game average. Ha ha. Fortunately, I only have to finish top 15 in average across all of the leagues to make the kingpin tournament – which is a one-scratch-game roll off for the title – and I’m currently sitting at the number 8 spot. I hope I can hold on for a shot at the top.

With Sam getting her own ball, Megan improving (currently sitting 2nd in handicap series), and Meadows bowling consistently better each week, our team has a really good chance to make the playoffs. We currently have the highest team average (590), and are tied for first place with a 9-3 record. We can make the playoffs with best record, or best average, so we have a chance. There’s only 2 more weeks to find out if we’re as clutch as we were last night.

Nine-Dash Heroes (Week 5):
Will – 191, 211, 233 (181) +7
Megan – 135, 129, 132 (116) +4
Samantha – 135, 129, 133 (128) +1
Meadows – 179, 185, 166 (165) +3

The final score? USA – 2, Mexico – 0, Mother Nature – 1 destroyed tailgating tent.

We (Meadows, Kromer, Rod, and myself) rolled to Columbus last night for the USA/Mexico CONCACAF World Cup Qualification opener, and it was AWESOME. It was the first time that I had ever been to a World Cup qualifier, and the first time that I got to watch the US take on its most bitter rival. Needless to say I was pumped.

The day started out like a nice early spring day, with temperatures in the 60’s, and some clear skies. Unfortunately, we knew the weather was supposed to be bad. It wasn’t until we got about 45 minutes outside of Columbus that the weather hit…and it hit harder than a Gooch slide tackle. Fortunately, we saw this in the distance, and our hopes were lifted:

The weather let up just before kickoff to the excitement of the sold out crowd (25,000+). I’ve been to a handful of Crew games, and this was by far the best atmosphere. It was really cool to see this game in a smaller stadium. The crowd was probably 50/50, but it was a relatively peaceful affair. I thought it was really cool to see a lot of Mexican fans wearing USA and Mexico gear (way more common than you’d think). It was also great to see the US fans come out in good numbers and be so vocal. I’m pretty sure I want to sit in the Sam’s Army section next time. Not only was the energy high, but no one in the stadium sat the entire game – something you hardly ever see at a Crew game.

You also don’t get obstructed by sombreros very often, either.

With the weather clearing up a bit, and the crowd in full swing, the game had to live up to the hype – and it did. The US probably played the best game I’ve watched in a really long time. Oguchi Onyewu was a monster in the back. While he had some potentially costly touches, he teamed up well with Carlos Bocanegra to anchor the back and dominate the Mexican attack. The US passed really well, albeit conservatively, and didn’t waste many chances. Tim Howard was challenged a few times, but met the challenge each time. He even took a careless hit from Rafael Márquez, that saw the Mexican captain immediately dismissed. With the exception of Sasha Kljestan, who was dreadful as he labored around the field, and Demarcus Beasley, who ran around aimlessly, the US played really well. Michael Bradley’s two goals were nice, with one being opportunistic, and the other being a dipping shot that gave Mexico’s keeper a tough time as it got under him. I was actually able to take some photos at the right time…

Shot…

Goal…

Anyway, I’m looking forward to going to another game. The US is clearly the dominant team in our region, and their improvement is really good to see. I think the future is going to be bright. If you get a chance to catch a game live – especially against Mexico – do it. It’s a blast.

Last night was a bowling disaster for our team. We were giving the other team 40 pins per game and lost all three. We only lost the first game by 5 pins, but the other two games were humbling in every sense of the word. One of their girls, who came in with a 120 average, bowled a 185. That pretty much guaranteed a loss for our team. Then the last game saw the league’s current high-average bowler roll a 247…which also guaranteed a loss for our team. In all PSL activities this week, we were a combined 2-12. Take that Detroit Lions! We’re chasing the futility trophy.

I started my night off pretty well and felt like I was throwing a really good ball. My dip in form didn’t come until the last game – when a 158 ruined my unreasonable chase for the current high series (640), and kept my average from making a good run at the league high average. I just couldn’t get the pins to fall for me. I had two strikes, 3 opens, and the rest spares. My second strike was my third ball in the tenth, so it didn’t really matter. On a night where our team – as a whole – didn’t bowl it’s best, and the other team bowled out of their minds, personal goals were all I could reach for. Unfortunately, I fell short in all aspects aside from continuing to improve my average. With only 12 more games to go, I’m running out of room to make a run at kingpin, and I doubt I can roll 3 games that will be consistent enough to get league high series. At this point, I’m just trying to find consistency across three games and figure out how to adjust when the conditions change.

Fortunately, our team is still 6-3, which keeps us in the thick of it for a playoff berth. I’m confident that next week will be better.

Nine-Dash Heroes (Week 4):
Will – 209, 190, 158 (174) +4
Megan – 133, 89, 122 (112) +1
Samantha – 107, 124, 97 (127) -6
Meadows – 140, 123, 186 (162) -5

I think it’s becoming quite clear that dodgeball is NOT AE’s best team sport. We can’t get a consistent group of players each week, with our only mainstays being Meadows, Kim, Lauren, Kourtney, and myself. The rest of the players are a mystery from week-to-week. Half the time, I’m not even sure who’s on our team until we start the game because I don’t recognize the new people each week. Hopefully we start to get a consistent group of players going forward. I’m pretty sure our predictable teams in kickball are the primary reason that we’re a better team.

Anyway, Tuesday was awful. We lost 9-2, which isn’t really a surprise. What was surprising was the circumstances surrounding our loss. First, the other team didn’t have enough people to play, so our options were to take the forfeit, or provide them with players so we could play. Joel – the left fielder on our kickball team and fellow musician – showed up as one of our alternates, but he volunteered to play on the other team. We let another newcomer girl cross sides as well, as we opted to play the match instead of taking the forfeit.

After winning the fourth game to tie the match at 2-2, we lost the remaining 7 games. The other team had 5 players to our 6, and we still lost. It was a pretty pathetic display, and at the end of all of it, my arm felt like crap again. Fortunately, the pain didn’t last very long. I’m talking about the arm, of course. The pain of getting shelled every game is still there.

I’m still glad we didn’t take the forfeit, though. We can’t win 11 games under any circumstances right now, so at least by playing it out, we kept our record an honest 5-28. Ouch.