By Cort Reynolds

OTTAWA–The Bluffton High School boys bowling team went on the road and nipped Ottawa-Glandorf by 21 pins in a tight dual match at Highland Lanes on Saturday, December 13. The Pirate girls team was short-handed and lost to O-G.

BOYS RESULTS

The Pirate boys won the overall match by a score of 2,904-2,883.

“Getting that first head-to-head win of the season is always great, and against a strong opponent in O-G is just a little extra,” said Pirate head coach Ben Nye. “With a very close match and the largest lead of the day being only 75 pins, the bowlers really needed to fight for every mark.

“Standouts for the day were Coby Dailey and Elijah Nye, with both throwing their best-ever two-game series,” Nye continued. “Also, Brady Montgomery came off the bench to throw a 182.”

Bluffton lost the first game of the opening round by 1,007 pins to 997. The Pirates bounced back to capture game two 981-933 and win the first round by 38 pins, 1,978-1,940.

The Titans rallied to narrowly win the final three games of the Baker Series, but came up short overall.

The Pirates rolled a 214-177-222-167-146 Baker set to total 926 pins. O-G bowled a 200-154-22-6-183-180 Baker set to win that series by 17 pins, 943-926.

Coby Dailey bowled a 234-201=435 opening series to pace the Pirates.

Joziah Salazar rolled a 218-199=417 set to come in second for Bluffton. Elijah Nye was right behind him with a consistent 208-206=414 series.

Wes Johnstone rolled a 188-193=381 set.

Emmitt Kidd bowled a 149 in game one, and Brady Montgomery rolled a 182 in game two.

GIRLS RESULTS

The short-handed Bluffton girl bowlers lost to the Titans 1,823-1,478.

O-G won the first game 654-461 and also took the second regular match, 598-528. The Titans captured the opening round 1,252-989 to lead by 263 pins after the first series.

In the Baker Series, the Pirates rolled games of 107-108-78-100-96 to total 489 pins. O-G rolled 106-115-110-128-112=571 to take the Baker set by 82 pins. The Pirates won the opening Baker game one by one pin and lost the last four Baker contests.

“Being down a bowler, the Bluffton girls put in a really strong performance,” said Nye. “The girls took one of the Baker’s, and were competitive in the other four games. When you have to take a zero in two frames a game, that is a big hole to climb out of.

“Standout was Laney Kiene, who bowled her best-ever two-game series (307),” he noted. “Savanna Grossman’s 124 game is also her best single game as a Pirate.”

Kiene bowled a 137-170=307 two-game series. Charlotte Kidd rolled a 126-153=279 set. Grossman contributed a 121-124=245 series. Natalie Richards added a series score of 77-81-158.

Bluffton is scheduled to play at the Kenton Holiday Baker Bash tournament on Tuesday, December 23.