SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - In baseball, three strikes means you're out. In bowling, three strikes means you're pretty good.
St. James freshman, Andrew Diley, has grown up with a bowling ball instead of a pigskin or baseball mitt, and is now knocking down the competition one pin at a time.
"I got a couple wins in some local tournaments around here, and I'm actually going to Vegas this summer for the national youth tournament," said Diley.
Andrew learned the sport from his dad when he was just six years old.
"I would come up here with my dad when I was six years old," continued Diley, "I saw what he was doing and I wanted to do exactly what he was doing. I just enjoyed it."
Andrew and his dad will spend two hours a day, three days a week at the bowling alley. Not something your average 15 year old does in their free time, and something Andrew's friends can sometimes have a hard time understanding.
"Most of them go with it, but some of them go wow that's different. They think you just go up there and bowl for fun and I actually do it for a sport," said Diley.
Like most high school athletes, Andrew is hoping his skills translate to the next level, "I'm hoping to go to one of the top bowling schools in America, there's many of them out here and see what happens. Hopefully go up to the pro level."
For now he enjoys playing a sport he loves and the success that comes with it.
In two weeks Andrew will be participating in the state bowling championships being held in Surfside Beach.
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