Girls Bowling: Hinsdale South to stay home for sectional action

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Updated: April 2, 2012 1:55AM

Hinsdale South will take any advantage it can get, and that includes competing at home.

The Hornets hosted the regular season-ending Head Pin Tournament Monday night, and will stay home again for the Hinsdale South Sectional, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday at Willowbrook Lanes.

The team to beat at the sectional likely will be West Suburban Conference champion Downers Grove South, but Mustangs coach Bob Topor has decided not to practice at Willowbrook Lanes beforehand.

“We’re going to treat Saturday like another tournament,” Topor said. “During the regular season, we do not practice where we’re about to play in a meet.”

But DGS did just fine at the Head Pin tournament, coming from behind after Game 5 to beat Leyden 964-815 in Game 6. Hinsdale South, which was second after three games, dropped to third after losing pace in the second series. The Hornets rolled a 2,706 in the second series, compared to a 2,765 in the first three games.

A showdown between Hornets teammates Katelyn Kiser and Ayushi Kukreja through five games never materialized for the final game. Entering the sixth game, Kiser led 937-933 in total pins over Kukreja to claim eighth place.

Both of the Hornets’ top bowlers struggled in the final game. Kiser rolled a 187 in Game 6 to finish in 15th place. Kukreja had a 166, and placed 19th.

“I kept hitting the pocket, but I was only getting nines,” Kukreja said.

Kukreja switched to a new Hammer Arson ball a few weeks ago, but felt comfortable for the first time with it at the Head Pin tournament.

“I was getting the hang of it,” Kukreja said.

The big finisher Monday night for the Hornets was Lauren Wolski, who jumped from 13th after five games to finish sixth with a 1,163 total. Wolski’s 246 in Game 6 was a tournament high, an amazing feat for a Game 6 — considering the drier conditions of the lanes at the end of the meet.

Wolski owned the No. 1 and No. 3 highest individual game scores in the tournament. She had a 236 in Game 3, trailing only Leyden’s Erika Pimental (237), who finished fourth overall.

Kiser was the only Hinsdale South bowler named to both the West Suburban Conference all-conference and all-academic teams.

“Lately, we’ve been on and off for the sectional,” Kiser said. “I think it will be an advantage (hosting it). If there are oily lanes (at Willowbrook Lanes), it’s easy for us to adjust.”