ABERDEEN — Facing a tough pair of Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents on Thursday, the Richmond boys’ bowling team split its two matches.
Competing against Pinecrest and Hoke County high schools for the second time this season, the Raiders suffered their second loss to the Patriots and completed the season sweep of the Bucks.
Adding five more points to their conference standings, the Raiders remain in second place behind Pinecrest with 32 points.
“The boys lost to Pinecrest 4-1, but gave them their first loss this year,” head coach Ralph Butler said. “Pinecrest had a four-game series of 765, which we’re capable of doing and have done. We didn’t bowl badly, they just had a great series against us.
“The boys turned things around though against Hoke County and picked up a 4-1 victory, which should keep them in second place in the standings. Sam Thompson, Garret Mabe and William White all had great nights.”
Between the two matches, White led the team with 13 strikes in the anchor spot and closed 18-of-25 frames.
Thompson also impressed with a line of 12-of-16 and seven strikes, while Mabe rolled 80% on 8-of-10 with four strikes and four spares.
Raiders fall to conference-leading Pinecrest
The only team the Raiders haven’t defeated this season, Pinnecrest rolled to a 4-1 victory.
Richmond took the first game 175-156, but fell in the next three by totals of 160-198, 157-201, and 181-210. The Patriots added an extra point with a final score of 765-673.
White had eight of Richmond’s 19 strikes across the four games, adding three spares. Richmond averaged a score of 168.3 pins per game and used five more strikes and two pickups from Thompson.
Mabe closed out five frames with a trio of strikes and two spares, while James Eason bowled the team’s other three strikes and chipped in three spares.
Jullian Cline and Landon Summerlin each had one spare in the loss.
Raiders rebound with win over Bucks
Returning to the win column against the Bucks, the Raiders used scores of 130-134, 151-126, 185-125 and 164-129 to earn a 630-514 victory.
As a team, the Raiders bowled 13 more strikes and knocked down a team season-high 15 spares, averaging 157.5 pins per game. Again it was White who led Richmond, this time bowling five strikes and three spares.
Eason added to the win with three strikes and two spares, Thompson bowled two strikes and three spares and Summerlin closed his night with a pair of spares and a pair of strikes.
Securing the victory were a strike and two spares from Mabe, a pair of spares from Landon Taylor and another spare from Cline.
Richmond (7-2, 32 points) will compete against Union Pines and Lee County next Thursday in Laurinburg, starting at 4 p.m.
