Boys bowling beat: Skalacki haunted by a pin

Despite all the bowling pins that went down, it was the one left standing that Middle Country's Matt Skalacki will remember.

"The pin has been in my head ever since I missed it," Skalacki said.

In Game 2 of Tuesday's 3-0 win over Northport, Skalacki needed a 12th strike on his final roll to complete his first perfect game in high school play. He rolled a perfect ball, right in the pocket, knocking down all but the corner 7 pin, leaving Skalacki one away from perfection with a 299.

"I wasn't too disappointed but I was kind of aggravated because I worked all the way up to that," Skalacki said.

Skalacki - who has thrown three sanctioned 300 games and others in practice - also carried a perfect game into the ninth frame of Game 1 before finishing with a 279. The senior rolled a 248 in Game 3 for an 826 series, the highest in Suffolk this year, to improve his average to 233.

"It's my senior year, so I'd love to get a 300, but I can't push my luck," he said. "I'm thankful for it. It's just one pin."