By Jim Margueratt, Special to the News
Scott Grunau, for the seventh time started with 11 strikes, and for the seventh time failed to throw number 12.
A 6 – 7 – 10 split left him with his third career 297 game. The other pair of 297s were in Dec. 2007 and Sept. 2008. He also has a pair of 299s in Jan. 2002 and Jan. 2009, along with a 295 in Dec. 2009. Rounding out the close calls was a 298 in Oct. 2011.
Don Deveau and John Grant knows how Grunau feels as they both strung 11 strikes in a row, but missed perfection before notching number 12. The most unusual was Deveau with 295, 296, 297, 298 and 299 before scoring his 300 while Grant had a quartet of 299s before stroking his 300.
William Russell and Jeff Easton did record strike number 12 for their 300 games as Russell mixed a 989 (192,257,300,240) set in Jonarc play at Skyway and Easton whipped his second 300 of the season at Star for a 795 (258,237,300) triple. Then Kevin Lenko threw 12 in a row at Skyway for his 300 in Sterling Hexad Alliance action. That makes 10 perfect games this season compared with only five last season at this time.
Also in Jonarc action, super singles are Amanda Lupton and Matt Lewis 290, Ray Beitz 279, Steve Smith and Matt Lewis 278, Travis Cauley 270 and 900 series were Scott Gruinau 954 with a pair of 247s, Doug Schatz 950 (266) and Reg Howe 910 (258,209,245,198) with a 185 average. In P & G action, Mark Ward 267, Patty Leitch 238 and Monica Pratt 237 and in Westinghouse play, Jeff Laing 278, Fred Bird 244 and a 620 triple, and their team rolled a 1024 scratch game with Sheila Moser adding a 183, Bill Ryce 163 and Val Noble 156.
At Splitsville Centre, Lynda Hirschmann beat her 130 average by 106 pins with a 496 triple to win the Hamilton Association Pins Over Average Tournament with Micki Ferguson and Mike Merkir next. For the Splitsville juniors, Jerren Pottruff, 152 average, tripped a 541 with a 203 single, Troy Marshall, 118 average, 460 with a 170 and Eric Smith, 88 average, 328 with a 123 game. Bill Hicks reports that he threw a 257.
At Star Lanes one week before Easton threw his second 300 of the season, he blasted a 784 (248,267,269), Len Garinger Jr. 720 (267), Rob Heaton 695 (258) and Bill Hicks 682 (266).
For Chris Petrow’s Little Rebels at Skyway, Robert & Aiden Griffin were hot as Robert, five years old with an 89 average, rolled a 331 (101,90,140) and Aiden, 11 years old and a 98 average, fired a 354 (110,128,116). Robert entered with a 57 average and has raised it to 89. Their cousin Carter Bailey, 14 with a 156 average, smoked a 516 with a 243 game.
Bowlerama Stoney Creek saw Val Ciach-Link impress big brother Joe with triples of 725 (267,213,245) and 704 (213,268,223).Nicole Raymer dealt a 592 (234), Sandra Guthrie 201 and a 523 triple while Mike Alexander was three pins over his 196 average with a 199 triplicate. Gordon Howarth spared the “Big Four” split & Rick Squires was plus 73 with a 208. Mackenzie Leitch, Dave Custeau’s niece, with an 86 average, grooved a 344 with a pair of 133s.
For the Thirsty Thursday bunch at Burlington Bowl, Jim Fenbow, 141 average, impressed Mary Lou with a 220 game and 507 triple. Peter Morin grapped a 658 with a 251 single, Tom McFadden 215 and Pam Miller 187.
John Conti reports that these three teams have qualified at the Youth Challenge Zone at Bol-O-Drome to represent Hamilton at the Provincial Five-Pin Championships in Oshawa. The ladies top scorer was Melanie Moser followed by Shawna Upson, Jordan Terry, Richelle Eberhardt and Lia Conti with Geoff Dunn the coach. The men’s team will be led by Dan Anderson with Dan Tsaikas, Marshall Hanigan, Rick Giles & Shawn Barrow with coach Ian Wilson. Dave Mitchell will coach the mixed team of Ross Varlow, David Helwig, Andrew Witley, Erica Shenton & Nicole vaNuland. Good luck in Oshawa.
On a sad note, Joyce Campbell, one of only 14 Hamilton women with a perfect 300 game, has passed away at age 74. On November 26, 1989, Joyce fired games of 173, 194, 159 and then the magic 300 for an 826 set at Hamilton Mountain Bowl, one day before her birthday. At that time she was only the second perfect Hamilton woman after Linda Higenell. In 1983 Joyce was the fourth inductee into the Hamilton Women’s Tenpin Hall of Fame. She won the women’s high average a record 11 times with a high of 193. Sympathy to husband Bill , daughter Kim , and brother Allan.
HAMILTON TENPIN HISTORY: Thirty years ago the high averages were Ed Maurer 214 and Joyce Campbell 193. High triples were Bruce Wilson 827 and Joyce Campbell 692. Perfect games went to Gord Urkevich, Bruce Wilson, Bill McKnight, Garry Bailey and Rick Russell. Association Presidents were Mike Sydor and Dorothy Green and secretaries Andy Toth and Shirley Gordey. The junior association was led by Norm Robinson. The first recipients of the Bill Bailey Scholarship award were Rick Thorpe and Michelle Picott.
