The pressure was on, at least in his mind. Matt Xiques stepped onto the approach of Lane 9 at Ocean Lanes, knowing he had to throw not just one strike, but two if he wanted to have a shot at qualifying for the Shore Conference Tournament.
“I was shaking,” said the Barnegat High School senior after playing in the final regular-season match of his career on Feb. 26. “As a senior, I wanted to be able to say I made the Shore Conference Tournament and went out with a bang.”
Following a strike in the ninth, Xiques was staring at a possible 236 going to the 10th as he sought to secure the…
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