It was a day for redemption as Bowlway Lanes got to work early by
winning every match against Elgin Lanes during the first weekend of the
fifth-annual Elgin Cross-Town Classic. Bowlway jumped out in front 7-0 in
points on its home lanes and posted a modest 126-pin lead in what many people
said were some of the most exciting matches they had ever seen during the tournament.
Bowlway was trying to get back on the winning track after losing the title last
year to Elgin Lanes.
Both
teams started out a bit slow in the first game with the lanes playing a bit
tight before Bowlway took the victory by posting a 980 team score, led by Chris
Geimer’s 235 and Don Betts’ 207. Elgin came back with a 922 effort, led by Keith
Davis’ 216.
While the first game may have looked like a warm-up, during the second game both teams were fired up and firing strikes. As the lanes began to open up, the match became a shootout to see which team could carry more strikes. Bowlway is notorious for a being a tough place to carry corner pins. But in game two that wasn’t an issue as Bowlway took the win with a run of strikes by Mike Grocke, who led all scorers with a 248 game. Grocke returned to the team after a four-year hiatus and still felt the nervousness from the first year he bowled, but once he loosened up and found a line to the pocket, he was on target. “I've been bowling for a long time, but I have to say that the second game was one of the most intense games I've ever been a part of,” he said. “It helps to be bowling with a great group of guys too when you’re trying to make good shots.” Helping him close out the deal was Dan
Martin’s 219, Sean Hargadon’s 213, Chris Geimer’s 208 and anchorman Don Betts (211), who sealed the victory with some clutch strikes in the 10th frame. Elgin Lanes was led by Dan Svehla’s 248, Keith Davis’ 223 and Drew Perly’s 212 game, but it was not enough as Bowlway prevailed 1099-1066.
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| The 2017 X-Town Classic continues on March 18th at Elgin Lanes. starting at 12 noon. |
While the first game may have looked like a warm-up, during the second game both teams were fired up and firing strikes. As the lanes began to open up, the match became a shootout to see which team could carry more strikes. Bowlway is notorious for a being a tough place to carry corner pins. But in game two that wasn’t an issue as Bowlway took the win with a run of strikes by Mike Grocke, who led all scorers with a 248 game. Grocke returned to the team after a four-year hiatus and still felt the nervousness from the first year he bowled, but once he loosened up and found a line to the pocket, he was on target. “I've been bowling for a long time, but I have to say that the second game was one of the most intense games I've ever been a part of,” he said. “It helps to be bowling with a great group of guys too when you’re trying to make good shots.” Helping him close out the deal was Dan
Martin’s 219, Sean Hargadon’s 213, Chris Geimer’s 208 and anchorman Don Betts (211), who sealed the victory with some clutch strikes in the 10th frame. Elgin Lanes was led by Dan Svehla’s 248, Keith Davis’ 223 and Drew Perly’s 212 game, but it was not enough as Bowlway prevailed 1099-1066.
By the
third game, the lanes began to transition again and scoring became more
difficult. Some open frames at the end of the game cost Elgin Lanes along with
some timely strikes by Bowlway which gave them the victory 960-925. Like all
the matches, the game was decided in the final frames, which kept the audience
and bowlers on the edge of their seats. “I would say that no matter how many of
these that I have bowled in, it still feels like my first time,” said Drew
Perly from Elgin Lanes. “The excitement, the pressure, the nervous feelings…they
never fade away.”
Going
into Elgin Lanes this Saturday, the home team will have to play catch-up and
quickly, since there is no room for error. One loss by Elgin Lanes and this year’s
title will go back to Bowlway. If they win all the remaining games against
Bowlway, they will need more total pins to win this year’s Mayor’s Cup. No
matter how you analyze it, this week’s matches are sure to provide some more
fireworks from both teams, and that should be a good thing for the people that
come out to see them, according to Grocke. “We may have
swept the guys from Elgin Lanes that first weekend, but we're not taking anything
for granted,” he said. “We know they're going to come out and give us
everything they have in front of their home crowd – it should be exciting.”
That
excitement and chance to play for your home team is what has helped make Perly the
leading scorer since the tournament began in 2013. “It's an honor to be able to
bowl in this tournament year after year and to be able to represent Elgin
Lanes,” he said. “Last week was definitely one of the more exciting crosstown
classics as every match came down to the wire - every spare and every strike
was more crucial and mistakes were magnified. It was a thrilling series of
games and I'm hoping for a better outcome this Saturday.”
BOX SCORE
Team Elgin 922 1066 925 = 2,913
Team Bowlway 980 1099 960 = 3,039
Team Elgin: led by Keith Davis with a
605 series, Drew Perly (585), Dan Svehla (583), Kurt Strebel (573) and Ken
Buhlman (567). The team finished with 2,913 total pins for a team average of
194.2.
Team Bowlway: led by Don Betts with a 623 series, Chris Geimber (620), Dan
Martin (600), Mike Grocke (599), and Sean Hargadon (597). The team finished
with 3,039 total pins for a team average of 202.6.
RECAP
Game one: Team Bowlway leads Team Elgin 2-0 in points.
Game two: Team Bowlway leads Team Elgin 4-0.
Game three: Team Bowlway leads Team Elgin 6-0.
Series totals: Team Bowlway leads Team Elgin 7-0.
Game one: Team Bowlway leads Team Elgin 2-0 in points.
Game two: Team Bowlway leads Team Elgin 4-0.
Game three: Team Bowlway leads Team Elgin 6-0.
Series totals: Team Bowlway leads Team Elgin 7-0.
Team Bowlway leads in total pins by 126.
The Elgin Cross-Town Classic V
continues this week at Elgin Lanes, 401 Shepard Drive, on Saturday, March 25, starting at 12 noon. The team that wins the
most match-game points over the two week’s competition will be declared Elgin’s
Match Game Champions and will personally receive the Mayor’s Cup from Elgin
Mayor Dave Kaptain. The event is free and open to the public. It’s sponsored by
Bowlway Lanes, Elgin Lanes, Elgin Today, madwill creative, and is certified by
the United States Bowling Congress.
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