Kim Zerbey hadn’t planned to bowl that Friday night. She was settling in to watch a movie with her 6-year-old son, Jackson.
But Mary Kolm called about subbing in the Walt Swogger Mixed league at Eastbury Bowling Center. After some coaxing, Zerbey changed her mind.
The rest was history.
The 49-year-old Canton right-hander started the night with her third career 300 game and then followed with 255 and 268 for an 823 series, tied for the second-highest series by a woman in Stark County history, according to Stark County USBC records, and the highest ever at Eastbury.
In fact, it is the only 800 women’s series the USBC has on record at Eastbury.
Massillon’s J.D. Jones had established Eastbury’s all-time men’s mark of 875 earlier this season.
“The best part of the whole thing was looking on the other side (at the men’s league) and knowing that I had beaten every one of those guys,” said Zerbey, a GetGo employee. “That is just a stocked league over there. It’s pretty amazing.”
Zerbey admitted she had at least two high flush shots carry during her 300 game. She had thrown her last 300 during the Stark County USBC women’s tournament at Park Centre last season.
In Game 2, she started with two strikes before leaving a 10-pin and missing the spare. Undaunted, she then struck into the 10th frame to set herself up for an 800 run in Game 3. Her previous high series was 786, shot several years ago at the former Embassy Lanes (now Strike Zone).
“The beginning of the third game, I knew I had a chance. When the pins kept falling I was all kinds of antsy,” said Zerbey, who bowls in three Eastbury leagues. “I think I spent more time on the other (men’s) side walking around than on my side.
“My niece’s brother, David Becker, was bowling on that side and I bet him a drink on our series, and he started out well. So I went over and talked to them … anything to stop from looking at my score.”
In her final game, she had the first four strikes, before leaving a 6-pin. She then struck to the second ball in the 10th to wrap up the 800.
“I had one Brooklyn, and I knew I had done it because I pointed the ball,” Zerbey said. “I hung up in another shot, but put some Easy Slide on my thump ad dropped it a little bit. But that was it.
“I really never moved all night, playing five (board). Since I started playing that line it has gone well. But it would work for two games, and then it would leave fast. Just the previous Saturday I started with 278 and then went 193 and 146.”
Zerbey used the 900 Global Continuum, a ball she was given by Jason Gribble in November 2020.
“He didn’t like the ball anymore. I don’t get new equipment, just used ones I get from other people,” said Zerbey, whose previous high also came with a ball she had been given by David Nesselrode. “It’s the only ball I use.”
Zerbey had some indication of future success the previous Tuesday when both her and her daughter, Allison, had started with the first eight strikes in league play. Both strings stopped in the ninth.
Has anything changed in her game? Just age, according to Zerbey.
“My husband also wondered what has been happening. I’ve always been more of a spare-shooter type, around the 190s,” Zerbey said. “But it’s a different ball and I’m a little older so I thought maybe I had slowed down because I always threw a ton of speed. But I was still hitting around 16 mph.”
With two individual goals out of the way, Zerbey’s next goal is getting her kids to those levels.
“My 6-year-old is just starting out, and Allison is still looking for that first 300,” Zerbey said. “That’s the next goal.”
NOTEBOOK
The highest recorded Stark County women’s series, according to the Stark County USBC, over the past 20 years belongs to Bonny Reed-Bell, who shot 837 at Park Centre in April 2006. Reed-Bell had four of the now 12 reported 800 women’s series.
Others recording 800s include Lori Wise Boggs 814, Megan McKenzie 823, Breanna Mowls 804, Jennifer Higgins 815, Carol Pittson 805, Jessica Vandegrift 801 and Carie Scarborough 813.