Moriarty adept at picking partners

James Yodice

Thursday, May 8, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

Bowling with a partner isn't quite as easy as it might sound.

Despite the overwhelming individual nature of the sport, even in doubles the task of finding a suitable partner can be a tiring process.

But this is not necessarily true for everyone, and it most definitely hasn't proven to be true of Laura Moriarty. The Daytona Beach, Fla., resident is making a habit of choosing the right partner -- especially in Las Vegas -- and is earning some big paydays because of it.

"Actually, I've been lucky and good," said Moriarty. "I think when I'm with somebody, I don't get as mad and I'm on more of an even keel."

Moriarty, who won the Sam's Town doubles title in 1996 with Tammy Turner, had to find a different partner for the 1997 event. Turner had back surgery earlier this year and is recovering, which meant Moriarty needed a cohort.

Enter Carol Norman, who found out that Moriarty needed a partner a few weeks ago. Going into this afternoon's finals of the $80,000 Storm Doubles, Norman and Moriarty -- after leading the entire week -- qualified in second position.

At stake was a first-place prize of $14,500, to be shared by the winners. The leaders after match play were Henderson's Wendy Macpherson-Papanos and Fresno's Darris Street. They overtook Norman and Moriarty in the 18th and final match-play game Wednesday night, and earned the top seed by a scant three pins.

"Carol has won five titles from the No. 2 spot, so I'm not worried about it," said Moriarty. "Carol said we're all ready to go."

Moriarty, 32, said chemistry is important when finding a doubles partner.

"It's almost like you have to connect with your partner. You just know from the start (if they're right or wrong)," she said. "I'm pretty intense. I like somebody that's pretty intense like me. Tammy is very intense, and Carol is, too. That's what I like."

Seeded third for the finals today were Stacy Rider of LaHabra, Calif., and Anne Marie Duggan of Edmond, Okla. The fourth seeds were rookie Julie Gardner of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Detroit's Cheryl Daniels. The fifth seed went to Krissy Stewart of Cape Coral, Fla., and Jan Schmidt of Rochelle, Ill.

Macpherson, the 1996 player of the year on the Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour, is seeking her 11th career title and third in Las Vegas.