Anthony Gable
Combine inspiration and timing and the results can be perfect. And for one area bowler, two pins were all that separated him from pure perfection.
Anthony Gable's boost came from his 3-year-old son, Cole, who wished him good luck before embarking to Bath Legion. The young Gable's sentiments set dad into a strike-fest resulting in not only a house record but also an all-time Bethlehem record.
"I was locked in,'' said the 31-year-old Nazareth resident following his record setting 279-300-299--878 in the Bath Commercial League. "I was subbing that night and it's really great to get it with all of the friends I bowled with when I was in the league.''
His unlikely odyssey began with an unassuming three bagger followed by a 10-pin. Gable converted what turned out to be the only spare he faced the rest of the night.
"It went by so fast and I just wanted to keep the routine," he said. "I had a good look at the pocket the whole night.''
When the string reached 20, Gable had racked up his 18th career perfect game and put him in lofty territory.
"I've never had 579 after two games,'' he said. "I just figured if I got the first seven or eight, anything could happen. I got my break in the eighth when I tripped a 9-pin.''
Gable said he wanted to get the first two in the 10th, figuring out that target would eclipse the Legion's house record of 867 set by friend Brent Connolly exactly five years to the day. With 31 in a row already in the books, Gable sent his final ball a pinch high leaving a 4-pin.
"I'm not disappointed at all leaving the 4-pin," Gable said. "I mean the raw emotion of shooting something that big is something you can't fathom.''
Gable's 878 is the ninth 800 of his career and tops his previous high of 836. It's also two sticks higher than the association record set a 12 years ago by Dave Arner at the National Sokols.
Gable's lone regular league is at Blue Valley where he's averaging 237.
Sammie Pearson said she competes with a lot of good bowlers in the Wednesday Scratch Trio League at Oakwood and looks to be able to mix it up with them. Not only did Pearson make the rest of the league take notice, she also became the first woman over 800 on the season thanks to a 278-280-248--806 effort.
"It was a normal night,'' the 21-year-old from Oxford said, "except I was throwing a lot of strikes. I had the first nine the first game and left a single pin. The next game I started with a strike and I think I left a 10-pin.''
Pearson cranked up the strike ball after converting the 10-pin, striking the last 10 tries. With a 558 total etched in her mind, Pearson looked for something decent.
"I was hoping for a high 700, but I started the last game with an open and a few spares," Pearson said. "I figured at that time I didn't have a chance at 800.''
She reconnected with the rhythm that worked well the first two games and breezed her way to the 10th. There, Pearson really didn't have a clue she needed the first two strikes for 800. She got them all.
"I'm not sure if I had known what I needed I would have gotten it," Pearson said. "I kind of figured it after the second one because everyone was clapping. When I got the last one my brother Mickey hugged me and told me I had 806,'' she said.
Pearson's 806 crushes her career high of 720 and joins a 300 game on her rAA(c)sumAA(c) from a season ago.
Jeff Bosak is arguably the best bowler ever at the Bethlehem Panthers and he further cemented that claim by rolling 823 on games of 300, 257 and 266.
Young Ryan Hauck continues to feast on the conditions at both Nazareth clubs. This summer he shot two perfect games at the Jacksonian and this past Sunday in the Lehigh Valley Clubmen's his mates traveled to Holy Family and he came away with an 811 on games of 268, 278 and 265.
Brent Tishuk turned in the week's final 800 with a solid 268-279-264--811 at Blue Valley.
Jan Henderson climbed the scoring ladder at Oakwood with 226-244-267--737 and Jacqui Reese recorded a 718 at the same center.