Decatur girls bowling knocked out the Todd Beamer Titans on Thursday, Jan. 12 at Secoma Lanes.

The Gators won the contest 1,801-1,536 in total pins, over the two standard games and the two baker bowl games.

Decatur was led by junior Mack Hatten who had a combined score of 381 (226,155), and sophomore Lexi Hill who had a 293 (137,156) score during the two standard games.

“Our season has been really good as a team, we have been bonding since our first match. We have gotten better every single match. I am so proud of all the girls,” Hatten said.

The match-up was going to be a tough one for the Titans to come back from as the Gators got out to a hot start. Leading by over a hundred pins in the first six frames of the first game.

Even more difficult, the Gators ended that game with 12 strikes in the last four frames. Hatten at one point had four straight strikes and finished with strikes in five of six frames. The game was a career-best for Hatten.

“I had a rough start to the season. But since the new year, I have gotten much better and it started with me having self-confidence,” Hatten said.

After game one, Decatur had a commanding lead of 802-641, Beamer would cut the lead to less than 100 in the afternoon. However, Decatur opened the window for Beamer in the second game with senior Sun Hong and Hollins having off games.

But that doesn’t phase these Gators; Decatur has distinct cheers they do when bowling a strike or picking up a spare. “When we are louder we do better,” said junior Chloe Bettelon. “It just empowers us more.”

In the baker bowls, Decatur put up extremely good scores taking the first game 159-105 and 142-129.

In two weeks on Jan. 28, the Gators travel to Paradise Bowl in Tacoma for the district tournament, Bettelon and Hatten are excited to get another crack at the district tournament.

“I’m pretty excited … I know we have a great team this year so I think we are going to do great,” Hatten said.

“Last year, [it] was where I got my previous personal best of 184. I am feeling pretty confident going into the tournament,” Bettelon said.