Knocking down pins, competition

While many towns in Nassau County have struggled with snow removal this winter, members of Baldwin’s boys’ bowling team are clearing pins with relative ease.

The Bruins (9-2) lead the county in average with an 806 — for four bowlers — and need to win one game in their final match against second-place Hewlett on Thursday at Baldwin Lanes to capture the Conference 5 title. 

“Winning the conference is important,” first-year coach Ron Landini said. “When you get to the county tournament, it’s wide open and all it takes is one great day to win it. To win something over a 12-week span is tougher to accomplish.”

Led by All-County performers Mike Bukovsky, Andrew Keiser and Jeffrey Williams, Baldwin will be one of the favorites to take home the county title on Feb. 5 at Garden City Bowl. The lineup increases from four bowlers to five for the six-game event, but Landini has depth.

“I was lucky to inherit such a talented team,” he said. “They’re all good kids. They like to listen and practice hard. Everyone is having fun.”

Bukovsky, a senior, appears headed for a third straight All-State campaign. After 30 games the Bruins’ anchor was averaging a county-best 218.7. He’s rolled three series of at least 700, and had a high game of 269 in a win over Lawrence on Dec. 9. “The best things about Mike are his consistency and ability to come through under pressure,” Landini said. “When he struggles, he’s still around 200. We don’t have to worry about him shooting 50 pins under his average.”

With an average of 204.6 through 30 games, Keiser, a senior, is pushing to finish in Nassau’s Top 10. Like Bukovsky, he has a high game of 269. Keiser’s high series is 704. “We’ve got the best 1-2 punch in the county,” Landini said. “Andrew is extremely accurate. He’s a smart kid and adjusts well to any lane condition. He’s also an excellent spare shooter.”

Williams, who provides a spark from the leadoff spot, is the team’s most improved bowler according to Landini. The junior averaged 202.8 through 30 games. “Knowing what Jeff is going to give us every game at leadoff makes everyone comfortable,” Landini said. “He’s always around the pocket.”

Capable of rolling a big game at any time, junior Nick Carrino has started six matches and carries an average of 180. Junior Mike O’Connor averaged 185 over nine games and came through with a 251 to help beat Freeport on Jan. 6, and junior Brennan Butler has also contributed.

Baldwin’s 

season-high pinfall of 2,568 came in a Dec. 13 victory over Oceanside.

“All these teams we’ve bowled against pick up as many strikes as we do,” Landini said. “I think the difference has been our ability to fill in non-strike frames with spares. We don’t have too many opens.”