Grueling week tests Marlington bowling, basketball teams

Thanks to a makeup date, the Marlington bowling squads endured a demanding stretch with three consecutive matches last week, all against Eastern Buckeye Conference and Stark County High School Bowling Conference American Division rivals.

And if that was not taxing enough, a razor-thin two-pin loss to close the week provided a painful sendoff for the boys team.

The week opened Jan. 21 at Minerva Bowl. On the boys side, Minerva jumped to a 73-pin lead after the first set of games. Marlington trimmed the deficit to 33 pins after the individual series, trailing 1,756-1,723.

In the Baker games, the Dukes could not overcome the margin, winning the first game by four pins but dropping the next two by a combined 10 pins for a 2,333-2,294 loss. Colton Lane led Marlington with games of 210 and 182 for a 392 series, while Owen Wright rolled a 370 (213-157).

For the girls, Minerva placed three bowlers over 200 to build a 454-pin lead entering the Baker games and cruised to a 2,088-1,527 victory. In the loss, Lizzie Blasiman was outstanding with a 379 series, including games of 201 and 178.

The next night, Marlington traveled to Carrollton to make up a match originally scheduled for Jan. 6. The Warriors, leaders in both the EBC and American Division, earned comfortable wins as the girls prevailed 1,967-1,345 and the boys won 2,595-2,024.

For the Lady Dukes, Blasiman again led the way with a team-high game of 167 and a 282 series. For the boys, Lane posted the top series at 359 (182-177). Connor Cole rolled a 340 (174-166), and Wright added a 337 that included a team-best 210.

Marlington closed the week with a trip to Salem, where the boys suffered another narrow defeat, 1,870-1,868. The Dukes trailed by 31 pins after the first game but cut the margin to four entering the Baker games.

Marlington won the first Baker game, 166-160, taking a two-pin lead, but Salem edged the Dukes 150-146 in the second for the win. Cole led Marlington with a 356 series (185-171), while Wright added a 332. The Dukes moved to 6-8 overall and 2-5 in the American Division.

For the girls, Salem pulled away for a 1,699-1,432 victory. Blasiman and Laney Cross rolled series of 248 and 247, respectively, while Mia Vigliotti and Brianna Westberry each posted 247. The Lady Dukes fell to 2-12 overall and 1-6 in the American Division.

Girls basketball

The Lady Dukes enjoyed a strong week, picking up two EBC wins to climb back above .500.

Marlington opened Jan. 21 by hosting Minerva. The Lions challenged early with sharp 3-point shooting and took a 6-2 lead, but when Shelby Odey’s shot in the lane fell, Marlington grabbed an 11-9 edge it would not relinquish in a 45-27 win.

The Lady Dukes outscored Minerva 14-4 in the second quarter to take control. Odey led Marlington with 10 points, while Bailee Pietz scored eight of the team’s first 14. Ireland Kirkpatrick scored seven points for Minerva (2-14, 1-7), and Ayvah Morckel added six.

Three days later, Marlington traveled to Salem for another conference matchup with both teams entering at 4-4 in the EBC. After building a 27-15 lead, the Lady Dukes weathered a Salem rally and held on for a 43-40 victory.

Pietz scored 11 points for Marlington (7-8, 5-4), which moved into sole possession of third place. Salem dropped to 10-8, 4-5.

Boys basketball

The boys basketball team endured a tough week, dropping both contests.

Marlington first hosted Louisville in a nonconference game, where the Leopards rolled to a 67-29 win. Cameron Evanich led the Dukes with eight points and four rebounds, while Carter Frank added six points and five rebounds. Colton Dougherty scored 11 for Louisville, which has won four straight against Marlington and 11 of the last 12 overall.

On Jan. 23, Marlington hosted EBC leader West Branch and came up short in a 45-33 loss despite a strong defensive effort. Evanich scored 12 points for the Dukes (3-11, 1-5), and Brady Denham added 11. Gavin Gregory posted 16 points and 13 rebounds for West Branch (8-5, 7-0).