Even though Summit fell to Cranford 7-0 Monday at Jersey Lanes in Linden, Summit continues to improve under coach John Kratch, beating their average, with the team moving in a positive direction.
Senior Jim Ruso led the way with a 493 total and a high of 179 in the first game. Zach Lite contributed with a 470 total, with a high of 162 in the leadoff spot in game one.
"The first game we bowled above average, the second game a little bit below, we're having a pretty successful season, we have some guys coming along" said Kratch. We have two solid bowlers in Jim Ruso and Zach Lite. They're steadily improving, building their average, and moving up".
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Kratch feels his team has the ability to make some noise as the season continues thanks to a more competitive schedule.
"We came from a league last year where we were really overmatched" continued Kratch. "We came into this league this year and seem to be doing okay. I probably anticipate us finishing somewhere in the middle of the league. There are some very strong teams, but also teams we're very competitive with".
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Meanwhile, Cranford bowler Michael Milwicz had plenty of pressure on his left arm early in the match against Summit. After all, his team was trailing Summit through much of the first game and he needed a strong finish to bring his team back from the brink. And with his new ball in hand, the junior rolled a strike in the ninth frame before rolling three strikes in the 10th to lead his team to a thrilling seven-point victory in the first game. He then rolled a pair of 200-plus games.
"The new ball is helping me out a lot" said Milwicz". "I got it re-drilled, a bigger size, because when I go back, I don't turn my hand as much because I'm putting my hand under the ball instead of over. Now that I've got a better ball with a lot of curve on it, I bowled two 200 games".
Milwicz rolled a 213 and a 206 in the final two games. His average for the day was an impressive 196.
"During break, we went to practice to improve a little bit" added Milwicz. "We won all the games today, so that was good for us. We're bringing our confidence up a lot. It feels good".
Teammate Chris Juliano rolled a 219 in the final game, while Tim Coda earned a 177 in his first game to help lead the charge. Milwicz was just 15 pins shy of a 600, while Juliano finished with a 565 for his three games. Jason Fried bowled highs of 151 and Scott Belmont a 188 respectively, as the Cougars won by over 400 pins.
"The guys did a great job today, we bowled about forty pins above our average" said coach Richard Goldstein. "Michael Milwicz bowled very well. This was a good win for us. I really like the direction we're going in".
Both teams will be in action this Wednesday. The Cougars will face St. Patrick's of Elizabeth, while Summit rolls against Linden at 4:00 p.m.
