Sayville’s Noah Horak wasn’t supposed to be in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s Suffolk II boys bowling match against Connetquot. When one starter showed up late, coach Peter Gugliotta moved him into it. The decision proved perfect.

Horak bowled a perfect 300 in the second contest of a 701 series. The senior’s feat is just the seventh 300 game this season in Suffolk. However it was a the silver lining in a losing effort as the Thunderbirds won their fourth straight match, 2-1, and by 21.5 to 11.5 on points, at Bolwero in Sayville.

“I’d never even seen a perfect game,” Horak said. “It was surreal while it was happening, but I just kept doing the same thing and getting the same result. Strike-after-strike, I’ve never had anything like that happen to me.”

Horak took up bowling last summer to get away from video games and spend more time with friends on the team and is a first-year player. He’d gotten into three matches before Tuesday, but this was his first start. His average was 140 before the match against Connetquot.

Horak opened his third game with four straight strikes as well and finished it with a 213.

The senior said he uses the two-handed throwing motion – popularized by Australian Jason Belmonte – because “it looked unique and I wanted to throw the ball hard and look unique.”

Of his final throw he said “I was shaking, but it was like I was on auto pilot.”

Anna Polcini won three games and had a 266 in a 672 series and Kyle Zere won three games for Connetquot (9-3), which has won four straight. Emma Clark won two of three games for Sayville (1-12).

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