CANTON — Marcus Marcelli found himself in a different position in the Liberty Vending league recently at Eastbury Bowling Center
“I usually just kind of hang around in the background. I bowl with guys that can light it up,” the 41-year-old Canton Township right-hander said. “That night, none of them could put strikes together and I’m just chugging along, playing this goofy line with old balls and carrying.
“Usually, it’s the other way around. This way is more enjoyable.”
Marcelli put together games of 258, 258 and 298 for an 814 series, his career high to go along with 10 300 games.
“I jut had a terrible line and I really don’t know how I got the first 11 (in Game 3),” Marcelli said. “No one else was scoring. I kind of carried the team to victory for once.”
Marcelli left a 9-pin and a 10-pin in Game 1 and a 10-pin and 4-pin in Game 2 before closing with an 8-10 split on his final ball in Game 3.
And he did it using different balls on each lane for the first two games.
“The right lane was kind of goofy so I went to a weaker ball and played straighter and harder,” said Marcelli, a bid and margins manager for Avalon Food Service. “I stayed with the hook ball on the left lane all the way to Game 3. Then I switched to the other ball and struck with a different line on that lane.”
The balls of choice were a Columbia Top Speed and an older Columbia Spoiler Alert.
Marcelli has remained consistent in his two leagues, averaging between 225 and 227 while bowling at Eastbury and AMF Hall of Fame Lanes.
He also has been part of two high-scoring groups the past two seasons.
At Eastbury, he joined with Brett and Alex McCoury and Brian Ball to shoot 3,113 scratch in the Liberty Vending league with Brett McCourry and Ball shooting 800 last season.
Then, earlier this season at Hall of Fame, he was with Brett McCourry, Adam Kutz, Mike Thewes and Chris Miller for a 3,814 scratch series, with Kutz shooting 800.
“I’m just fortunate my teams can put it together on some nights for epic games,” said Marcelli, who bowls with the two McCourrys and Ryan Trowbridge this season at Eastbury.
He admits his season has had “peaks and valleys.”
“I’ve been putting strikes together, but it seems I can’t get things together at Hall of Fame,” Marcelli said. “It’s seems like I’m good for a clean 190 game every time there.”
But he was the man for at least one night at Eastbury.