Lee Bowlers Capture County Crown
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Anchored by Devyn Olds and J.T. Sorrentino, the Lee High bowling team on Friday night won its second straight Berkshire County Championship.
The Wildcats defeated Drury, 4-2, in the title match at Cove Lanes.
But first, top-seeded Lee needed to rally from a 3-2 deficit to beat Taconic in their best-of-seven semi-final.
After winning the first and third games of the semifinal, Lee fell behind with two straight losses. Both times, Taconic used a late four-bagger to earn the win.
“I think it was probably one of the best things that could have happened to us,” Sorrentino said of having to play from behind. “It really opened our eyes. We got out there, and we started making shots, and then it just carried over.”
Lee had a bye in the first round of the six-team playoffs, as did second-seeded McCann Tech. Taconic earned its way into the semi-finals by beating Pittsfield on Friday afternoon. Drury advanced past Mount Greylock.
In the other semi-final, Drury overcame a 3-2 deficit to upset McCann. Lee, which lost just one match in the regular season, was in serious danger of being upset as well before the Wildcats turned things around.
“I told Coach [Matt] Fillio, ‘It’s go time,’ and from that point on, I really just thought about a couple of things, and it turned things around personally,” Sorrentino said. “And when things start going good for me, it trickles down to the team.”
Sorrentino bowls the fifth and 10th frames for the Wildcats in the Baker System matches, where five bowlers take turns.
Eight times in the championship match, Olds set up Sorrentino with a strike — including five times going into the ninth frame.
Each time, Sorrentino followed with a strike or a spare, including a turkey in the first game, a 204-178 Lee win.
Drury came back to win the second game, 213-186, and back and forth it went until Game 6, when Lee, up 3-2, found itself behind going into the eighth frame.
But Zach Reynolds rolled a strike, and Olds followed with another, setting things up for Sorrentino, who went strike-strike to give Lee an insurmountable lead. He let teammate Morgan Powers throw the last ball, and Lee finished the match with a 208-186 win.
“When I got up there in the 10th frame, I told myself to finish it,” Sorrentino said. “The last couple of tournaments I had around the Northeast, I’ve just been short by a couple of pins, and I really wanted to go up there and finish tat 10th frame. And that’s what I did.
“That’s why I was really emotional. It was good to see it.”