Images from an Evergreen 2A Conference girls bowling match between Black Hills and W.F. West at Tumwater Lanes in Tumwater on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
Images from an Evergreen 2A Conference girls bowling match between Black Hills and W.F. West at Tumwater Lanes in Tumwater on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
Images from an Evergreen 2A Conference girls bowling match between Black Hills and W.F. West at Tumwater Lanes in Tumwater on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
Images from an Evergreen 2A Conference girls bowling match between Black Hills and W.F. West at Tumwater Lanes in Tumwater on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
Images from an Evergreen 2A Conference girls bowling match between Black Hills and W.F. West at Tumwater Lanes in Tumwater on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
Images from an Evergreen 2A Conference girls bowling match between Black Hills and W.F. West at Tumwater Lanes in Tumwater on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
TUMWATER — The Bearcats came into Tumwater Lanes with high hopes here on Monday, but couldn’t quite get the ball rolling the direction they wanted to as Black Hills won 17-2 to win the 1A/2A Evergreen League girls bowling title.
Black Hills won the total pin count 1911 to 1696. The Bearcats struggled in the individual portion of the match, failing to win any match.
“I think we’ve had a great season and we still have a shot at the district championship and getting into the state tournament but yeah, this is a pretty disappointing night for us,” W.F. West coach Don Bunker said. “We didn’t even bowl our averages tonight, none of us did, so we’ve got to learn to bowl a little bit more when the pressure is on and clutch up when we need to I guess.”
Ellie Bunker came close with a 177 in the second game, but was edged out by Black Hills’ Mac Theophilus with a 179.
Bunker bowled a 180 in the first game. Leslie Erwin bowled a 158 and a 149, Brianna Powe bowled a 162 and a 116 and Jessica Loflin rolled a 105 and a 130. Kelsey Stritmatter rounded out W.F. West with a 116 and a 136.
W.F. West won the first Baker format game, 159-137, but Black Hills came back to take the second game, 152-108.
Even in the loss, Bunker was happy with his team this season to finish second in the league.
“I’m really proud of them going from where we were last year and being in it until one of the last nights of the season to bowl for the championship. I’m really proud of the girls,” Bunker said. “They’ve come a long way since last season and we have JV girls that are coming up for next year so I think the future is bright. With districts coming up in a couple weeks, we’re going to get them ready. Hopefully this is a good learning experience for us and we’ve done it before.”
The Bearcats have one more match in the regular season but are already looking ahead to the district tournament next Friday at Triangle Lanes in Longview.
“We’ve been trying to simulate some competition other than just going out and practicing. For us, if we can pick up our spares, then we’re going to score,” Bunker said. “That’s kind of our key at the beginning of every practice is to pick up spares and when we get into some competitions with the JV team, we mix it up a little bit and try to improve our scores.”
The Bearcats will be bowling in a league jamboree this Friday at Triangle Lanes in Longview in order to get some practice on those lanes before participating in the district tournament.
W.F. West (10-2, 7-1) hosts Tumwater at Fairway Lanes on Wednesday in the regular season finale.
