ABERDEEN — An uncharacteristic day on the lanes Thursday resulted in the first two losses of the season for the Richmond Senior High School girls’ bowling team.
Playing a final two-match Sandhills Athletic Conference meet before winter break, the Lady Raiders suffered losses to Scotland and Southern Lee high schools.
Facing Scotland for the first time this season, Richmond lost 3-2 on the final pin count. Unable to complete the season sweep of Southern Lee, the Lady Raiders dropped a 4-1 decision.
Narrow loss for Lady Raiders to Scotland
Facing Scotland for the first time since last year’s postseason, the Lady Raiders split their four games with the Lady Scots. Scores were 123-118, 122-99, 124-149 and 123-143.
The margin of victory in the final two games for Scotland gave it a 509- 422 pin count, adding the extra point.
Richmond rolled an average game score of 105.5 pins and collected four strikes and 13 spares as a team. The Lady Raiders closed 17-of-43 frames (39.5%).
Freshman Sydney Barnes and junior Skyler Collins, both first-year bowlers, each had her best individual performance of the season. Splitting the No. 4 spot in the lineup, Barnes had a strike and two spares and Collins rolled one strike and one spare.
Seniors Hanna Smith and Ava Thompson tied their season-high in spares with three and four, respectively.
Junior Jentry Denson closed three of her eight opportunities with a strike and two spares. Richmond’s other two closed frames were a strike by Thompson and a spare by freshman Kaylon Wynn.
Season-lows collected in defeat by Southern Lee
Unable to correct course in their second match, the Lady Raiders rolled several team-lows in their loss to the Lady Cavaliers. Game scores were 91-97, 88-162, 111-124 and 114-107.
Southern Lee tacked on the extra possible point by taking the total pin count 490-404.
Richmond’s closing percentage (27.5%), pin total (404) and game average (101) were all season-lows.
Wynn led the way by closing six of her eight frames (75%) with a strike and five spares, the latter a single-match season-high. Barnes rolled one of each to close two of her six attempts.
Collins and Smith both added two spares apiece and Thompson had one strike in the loss.
The Lady Raiders (4-2) will return to action Jan. 9 at Laurinburg Lanes to face Pinecrest and Union Pines high schools.
The Richmond Observer will publish an article on the Raider bowling team’s matches Friday.
