JACKSON TWP. — Josh Truman and Keith Muskiewicz are in the same league at Rebman Recreation and have bowled in Cleveland city tournaments together before.
So when Truman was looking for a senior partner for Saturday’s College Bowl Tournaments under 50-over 50 doubles event at Park Centre Lanes, he knew who to call.
“He just whacks them wherever he goes,” Truman said of Muskiewicz, a 64-year-old Elyria right-hander. “So I thought, why not?”
Did he ever whack ’em during the championship round.
Muskiewicz started with seven strikes during the semifinal match and then added seven in a row to start the championship battle as the pair claimed first place and the $1,000 top check.
In the title match against Tony Godden and Jim Williams, Truman, a 38-year-old LaGrange right-hander, and Muskiewicz shot 537 to roll to a 101-pin victory. For the games of the championship round, Muskiewicz finished with a 536 series.
The 537 was the highest doubles game of the day in the 27-team field, the biggest field in the tournament series’ history.
“I was matched up pretty well all day. I think I moved maybe two boards to the right after the first two games,” Muskiewicz said. “I was just playing outside and I throw it pretty hard. It just lined up with this real well.”
Truman, who won the previous College Bowl Tournaments regular doubles in December with John Price at Eastbury, admitted the team struggled early, but got on a roll after Game 2 of the four-game qualifier.
“We just kept improving. I think he shot 260 the last two games himself,” Truman said. “During the semifinals, I just didn’t keep my speed up. All day I just had to move a little left, ball down and keep my speed up. I don’t think the lanes broke down a ton.”
In the title match, Truman struck on nine of his final 10 shots for 259 with Muskiewicz shooting 278.
“We just stayed consistent without making any major moves all day,” Truman added. “And the carry was good for us.”
The same could not be said for Godden and Williams on the championship pair, a pair the duo had not bowled on during qualifying. While Williams had seven strikes in the title match, leaving a pair of 7-pins, Godden had just four strikes as the two combined for 436. Godden split the 10th frame for 199; Williams shot 237.
“Lane 26 was just tighter compared to every other pair. If I moved right, it went through the nose. And when I moved left, it was just hanging and not coming up,” said Godden, a 44-year-old Akron right-hander.
For his part, Williams, a 61-year-old Canton Township left-hander, made a ball change early along with Godden. It just came down to carry.
“I threw the ball well, but the carry just wasn’t there when I needed it,” said Williams, who rarely bowls in tournaments but cashed with Godden in a College Bowl Tournaments doubles two years ago.
Godden and Williams started slowly, shooting just 412 in Game 1 to stand 23rd. But a 505 in Game 2 vaulted the pair into sixth place. They eventually finished as the No. 4 seed for the championship round.
“We talked and I knew we needed some big games,” Godden said. “We couldn’t just sit there. We had to go at it, and we did.”
Godden and Williams stopped No. 1 seed Bob Eckenrode and J.D. Jones 451-412 in their opening match, with the latter shooting 248, including five strikes in a row into the 10th frame.
Truman and Muskiewicz, the No. 3 seed, advanced by stopping the father-son team of 55-year-old left-hander Jeff Mowls and 29-year-old righty Steven Mowls, the No. 2 seed, 461-441. Muskiewicz finished with 258 that game.
“Again, I just didn’t keep the speed up,” said Truman, who shot 203 in the game but covered a 4-10 split in the eighth frame to preserve the win.
This was the first time outside of city tourneys Truman and Muskiewicz had teamed up. Will it be the last?
“We’ve done nothing like this before,” Truman said. “He’s got a lifetime contract now.”
NOTEBOOK: The previous high field for a College Bowl Tournaments event was 48 players. … It took 1,853 total pinfall to reach the top four for the championship round. Williams and Godden finished just three pins ahead of John Randolph and Brian Walker for the spot. … Eckenrode and Jones led the field after Games 3 and 4, and were the top qualifiers with 1,912 total pinfall, 30 pins ahead of the Mowls duo. … It took a mark of 1,836 to earn one of the eight cash spots. The teams of John Shreve Sr. and Kevin Muskiewicz, Keith’s nephew, and Eric Long and Michael Enerick tied for the final spot. … Price bowled with John Shreve Jr. and finished tied for 10th, 29 pins out of the final cash spot. … High doubles game was in the championship match, while the high individual game of 279 was shared by five players, including Stephen Mowls in the final qualifying game to push his team into the championship round. … One all female team — Mandi Testa and Kim Mann — finished 22nd at 1,692. … The next College Bowl Tournaments event will be singles at 10 a.m. March 12 at Eastbury Bowling Center.
COLLEGE BOWL TOURNAMENTS UNDER50-OVER50 DOUBLES
(At Park Centre)
Championship round
Semifinals
Josh Truman-Keith Muskiewicz d. Steven Mewls-Jeff Mowls 461-441; Tony Godden-Jim Williams d. Bob Eckenrode-J.D. Jones 451-412. Losing teams each win $260
Championship
Truman-Muskiewicz d. Sodden-Williams 537-436. Winning team wins $1,000; losing team wins $550.
Other cashers
(All teams win $130)
5, Oakes-Drehs, !,824; 6, Ligotti-Johnson 1,841; 7, (tie) Shreve Sr.-Ke. Muskiewicz and Emerick-Long 1,836.