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Fairfield girls clinch share of GMC bowling crown

Undefeated Indians can earn outright title with win over Lakota East.

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12:24 AM Tuesday, February 7, 2012

By Mark Schmetzer

Contributing Writer

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield High School’s girls bowlers often tell themselves and each other to “go big or go home.”

Big was Heather Scott’s choice Monday afternoon against Middletown, with two perfect records and the Greater Miami Conference championship on the line at Fairfield Lanes.

The senior rolled a 198-223—421 series to help the Indians take a 181-pin lead into the Baker round. The Middies made a run before Fairfield, a tri-champ last year and co-champion in the 2008-2009 season, closed with a rush to clinch a 2,399-2,242 win and at least a share of the conference title.

“We were just pumped,” Scott said of the Indians’ demeanor going into the match. “We were very pumped.”

Fairfield (15-0, 8-0) can clinch its first outright GMC championship with a win Monday over Lakota East at Fairfield Lanes. The Indians have nonconference matches Wednesday against Harrison and Thursday on the road against Mount Notre Dame.

“We have a good chance, if we bowl like we did today,” Fairfield coach Nick Glomb said.

Senior Brittany Blankenship bowled a 180-171—351 to lead the Middies (14-1, 8-1), who still could earn their second GMC co-championship if East upsets Fairfield. They might’ve been expected to become East’s biggest fans, but Middletown coach Kathryn Cox said that’s not the case.

“Fairfield’s a good team that gives great effort,” Cox said. “If they win the conference, it’s good. They’ve got a lot of talent.”

In the boys match, Fairfield (10-5, 5-3) overcame a 138-pin deficit going into the Baker series to edge Middletown (11-4, 6-3) 2,725-2,672.

Tribe sophomore Zach Doran led both teams with a 257-182—439 series. Doran edged Middies senior Elijah Wilhelm by one pin for high series.

Cox pinned her girls’ loss on their inability to pick up spares.

“If you don’t make spares, you lose,” she said.

Glomb started seeing signs of his girls’ potential when they finished second at Hamilton’s Big Blue Challenge in early December.

“You could see the girls starting to get that confidence,” he said.

They still weren’t able to catch a similarly hot Middletown team until Monday.

“All week long, people were talking about the Middletown match,” Scott said. “We had to keep our emotions in check.”

The Middletown girls are scheduled to meet Mother of Mercy while the Middie boys take on St. Xavier on Thursday at Eastern Lanes. Both teams have completed their conference schedules.

Fairfield’s boys also face Harrison on Wednesday.

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