By Cort Reynolds

FINDLAY__The visiting Bluffton bowling teams split a dual match at Findlay on Thursday, January 8 at Sportsman Lanes.

The Pirate boys won their match convincingly by a score of 2,383 pins to 2,031.

“Solid performance by the Pirate boys,” said Bluffton head bowling coach Ben Nye. “After game one, we were struggling a bit, but I felt like they were very close to putting together a good team game.

”All of them made good adjustments or ball changes toward the end of game one, and they put that all together in game two,” he continued. “Emmitt Kidd had his best game of the season and a very strong first Baker game, and the boys put up a great win after the holiday break.”

Emmitt Kidd rolled a 224 in the second game of his opening series to post his high game this season. He tallied a 168-224=392 set to pace the Pirates.

Xavier Navarro rolled a 188-200=388 series. Joziah Salazer bowled a 159-212=371 set. Coby Dailey tallied a consistent 186-181=367 series.

Elijah Nye contributed a 163-158=321 opening series.

Bluffton won game one 864-810, and captured set two 975-784 to win the opening set 1,839-1,594 by 245 pins.

In a three-game Baker Series, the Pirates won each contest by rolling a 200-174-170=544 set. The Trojans rolled a 153-162-122=437 Baker Series.

Kidd also rolled three 10^th frame strikes to finish game one with a turkey flourish. Navarro rolled ninth frame strikes in games two and three of the Baker set. Weston Johnstone bowled three Baker Series strikes.

GIRLS RESULTS
The Findlay girls won by a score of 1,849-1,586 total pins.

The Trojan team won the first game 760-596, then took game two by a close 650-614 count. The hosts won the opening series by exactly 200 pins, 1,410-1,210. The Pirate team score of 614 in game two is their highest match total this season.

Bluffton won the second of three games in the Baker Series as they rolled 122-150-104=376. Findlay bowled a 155-120-164=439 Baker Series to win it by 63 pins.

Laney Kiene bowled a 125-153=278 opening round series. Charlotte Kidd rolled a 123-149=272 set. Kidd also bowled two 10th-frame strikes with one spare in the Baker Series.

Savanna Grossman bowled a 145-100=245 series. The 145 opener marked her high game this season. Grossman also rolled a strike and a spare in the ninth frames of the Baker Series.

Elana Navarro rolled a 109-107=216 series. Natalie Richards added a 94-105=199 set.

The 122 team-per-game average is also their highest mark this season.

“Another great night for this young team that might not be a win, but showed so much improvement,” Nye offered.

“Savanna Grossman had her highest game of the season, the team had their best game of the season in game two, and the 122 per game average was the highest of the season,” noted Nye. 

“The girls have been setting season-high scores every match this year,” Nye observed. “That is a hard pace to keep up, but with the hard work they have put in I know they can keep setting more records.” 

Bluffton hosts North Baltimore at Southgate Lanes on Friday, January 9.

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