J D Nance of Rio Rancho captured his fifteenth win in the long-running Scratch Match-Play Series at Tenpins & More on Monday

BOWLING UPDATE
From Tenpins & More

* J D Nance of Rio Rancho captured his fifteenth win in the long-running Scratch Match-Play Series at Tenpins & More on Monday.

Bowling on the same testing New Mexico Open lane pattern of two weeks ago, Nance carried on where he left off then, after averaging that tournament’s high 223.66 over 15 games, to not only be top qualifier but go through unbeaten in five matches.

Nance shot 1,329/6 to lead Albuquerque’s Brian Skidmore 1,309 and Santa Fe’s Marcus Medina 1,286 as the sixteen bowled bracket finals. (It took only 1,073 to advance on the touchy shot).

Left-handed Nance dominated proceedings demoting Haskell Lee, Gary Hadley, Jacob Gill and Skidmore on games of 212, 194, 215 and 268 then firing nine strikes from outside the first arrow for a decisive win over Pete Sheridan , whose errorless 219 would have won almost any other of the thirty matches bowled on the day.

Sheridan, who is himself a two-time winner in the Series, likewise lined up outside with old urethane, winning matches against Tony Lopez, Medina, David Williamson, Gill, Kyle Pearce and Skidmore with games of 202, 170, 170, 210, 177 and 223; his only blemish a second round loss to Skidmore 202-206 that moved him to the loser’s bracket.

Nance, runner-up in the New Mexico Open in successive years to Cortez Schenck in 2022, then Francois Lavoie in 2023, finished ninth last month in spite of his high average, admitting that he tried too hard to break through for a win.

He overcame that Monday with “controlled aggression” at delivery to card 228.6 in his five matches, as the whole field struggled to a 182.11 mark over sixty games.

* In other news, seven Australians arrive here next week to play against seven local bowlers in an International Challenge over the weekend of September 14-15.

The matches will include teams of four and trios as well as male and female singles and Masters events.

Rio Rancho bowlers are Isaiah Salinas, Annie Alvarado, Robin Prioleau, Tyler Grier, and three family members, Alberto, Mia and Sebastian Medina. Team mascot is Jayden Zamarron.

Visitors from Brisbane in the state of Queensland include brothers Troy and Luke Howell, Renee Kyte, Izzy Leonard, Austin Saunders, Cruz Craven and Taleah Linton. Team manager is Joshua Kemp, who played for Australia here in 2012.