CANTON — It was a milestone night for 16-year-old Lake High School junior Zachary Abbott.
But the real winner — if you ask the five stepladder finalists — was Lanes 39 and 40 at AMF Hall of Fame Lanes.
The final regular event of the six Hall of Fame Summer Series events turned out to be the most difficult Thursday as Abbott claimed both his first adult title and No. 1 seed in such an event en route to defeating David McLaughlin 150-144 in the title match.
There was just one 200 shot during the stepladder finals on the title pair. That was by McLaughlin during his 231-176 win over four-time overall Series champion J.D. Jones. That came as the result of six straight strikes starting in the sixth frame for McLaughlin — four of them on crossover shots.
“It was just really rough,” said McLaughlin, a 32-year-old Massillon right-hander. “I was honestly just trying to leave makable spares. The second half of the game against J.D., I was just trying to get the ball around the head pin.”
During the four matches, Jones had the only other game over 180. In fact, five games were under 160 — with a low of 116.
While waiting for his lone match, Abbott had the chance to watch the night on the pair unfold.
“I was really surprised. I really didn’t know if they were just bowling bad or that pair was just that hard,” said Abbott, who also finished third during the fourth Series event. “They were just that hard.”
If you take away the eight strikes thrown by McLaughlin during his 231-176 win over Jones during the semifinals, only 20 other strikes were thrown during the four championship-round games — along with 13 splits overall and eight washouts.
“I was throwing my (Brunswick) Zenith Hybrid on 39 and my (Radical) Incognito on 40 because I thought it had a little more back end,” McLaughlin said. “But that wasn’t there. I just couldn’t get it to the pocket on that lane.”
Abbott, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound two-handed righty, thought the pair was hooking more for him than the other finalists.
“It seemed like my (Storm) Phaze II was hooking too early. I went to my (Roto Grip Rubicon) UC-3 for the first four or five frames, but I couldn’t get the ball to roll,” Abbott said. “So I went to the (Track) Paragon Hybrid which rolls a little smoother and has more overall hook.
“It looked really good on the right lane, but I just struggled to find the pocket on the left lane so I just had to make my spares.”
STRUGGLING EARLY
Jones earned the final stepladder spot with a 189 during his final qualifying game, just one pin ahead of Massillon’s Frank Testa.
Despite leaving a 1-2-8-10 in the third frame and a 6-7-10 in the sixth, the 29-year-old Massillon right-hander rolled past No. 4 seed Brandon Troy 181-116 in the opening match.
After sparing during the first three frames, including coverting a 2-4-9-10 split in the second, Troy didn’t have another mark until a crossover strike on his first ball in the 10th frame.
The 38-year-old Garfield Heights right-hander had three other splits and failed to convert 10- and 5-pin spares along with rolling a gutter ball on his first ball in the sixth.
That sent Jones up against 48-year-old Canal Fulton right-hander Matt Frock, the No. 3 seed, as the lanes continued to be difficult. Jones had three open frames and a split in the 10th frame, but gained a 159-133 win.
Both bowlers opened during three of their first four frames, but Jones was able to double in the sixth and seventh to stay ahead while Frock opened in both the sixth (2-4) and eighth (1-2-10).
SEMIFINAL ROLL
But Jones, who went from the fifth position to win the fifth event for his first win of the 2023 Series after three during the inaugural season, couldn’t duplicate his earlier run against McLaughlin.
McLaughlin failed to convert a 1-2-4-6-10 washout in the first and a 3-6-10 spare in the fourth to fall behind early as Jones had a double and stayed clean through five.
But the latter then left a 3-4-6-7-10 split in the sixth and a 2-4-8-10 in the eighth while McLaughlin went on his six-strike run.
“This is only the sixth time I’ve bowled this year,” said McLaughlin, who bowled five leagues per week until taking last season off due to “legal problems.”
“My right bicep is really hurting … I’m just not used to bowling this many games yet. But this pair just didn’t transition like the other pairs. Lane 39 did, but not 40.”
TITLE MATCH
In the final match, Abbott left a 1-2-4-6-10 washout in the second frame and a 7-10 split in the third against McLaughlin. But the latter also left a 3-4-6-7 split in the third and failed to convert a 3-6-10 spare in the fourth.
After Abbott failed to convert a 3-6-10 spare in the fifth (a spare missed by all of the competitors at some point in the stepladder), he was able to double to pull within one pin in the seventh despite McLaughlin converting a 1-2-10 washout.
But McLaughlin missed a 10-pin spare in the ninth and followed with a 2-4-8-10 split in the 10th. Abbott struck in the ninth and overcame a 1-2-4-10 washout in the 10th to seal his first adult win.
“My game is nowhere near where it should be or needs to be at this point,” said McLaughlin, who rolled an 80 during his first game back in the first Series event in May. “This is really the first time I’ve put together any type of set.
“But when you go in with the idea of leaving makable spares, you have to make them.”
This is the start of a busy month for Abbott, who also participated in the USBC Junior Gold Championships in Indianapolis recently. Next up is a trip to Michigan this weekend for the Great Lakes Junior Gold Showcase in Allen Park, followed by a pair of Junior Tournament Bowlers Association events and the Akron Open, another adult event, at the end of the month at Station 300 Akron (the former Stonehedge).
And, of course, a spot in the Summer Series finale next week at AMF Hall of Fame.
“The last time I was in the finals, I think I was a little too nervous, a little too excited and had a little too much going on inside my head,” Abbott said. “This time, I just let it all go and just bowled.”
He also has some goals for his third high school season with the Blue Streaks.
“I want to get past sectionals … we’ve had a hard time doing that the last two years. Just get to districts,” said Abbott, who says his right knee is “about 90 percent after dislocating a patella tendon while playing basketball in late spring as he just recently completed physical therapy.
“I averaged 210 last year and I want to get to 220 this year.”
And an adult win does nothing but boost his confidence.
“These are a lot tougher patterns than in high school,” Abbott said. “I figure if I can average 200 on this, I should be able to do it on high school house shots.”
NOTEBOOK: Considering Hall of Fame Week in Stark County, the tourney drew a 27-player field for the final event, which was bowled on the 2021 USBC Junior Gold Qualifying 36-foot oil pattern. … First place was worth $275, with Abbott’s winnings going to his USBC SMART fund account. … Abbott topped the field with 796, seven pins ahead of McLaughlin, as 17 200 games were thrown — seven in Game 4. … Jones was the cut with 759 as Testa fell short despite shooting 216 the final game. … High game was Frock’s 246 in Game 2. … The Series final is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 10 and is open only to bowlers who have won during the 2023 events, finished in the top 20 on the points list or earned a spot during 50-50 drawings held during the Series. Entry fee will be $45, but first place will be worth over $950. The pattern will be the most difficult scoring pattern used during the 2023 Series. We will publish the list of competitors once tournament director TJ Owens compiles the totals, and he also will post it on the Series’ Facebook page.
HALL OF FAME SUMMER SERIES NO. 6
(At AMF Hall of Fame Lanes, Canton)
Match 1: J.D. Jones d. Brandon Troy 181-116; Troy wins $60
Match 2: Jones d. Matt Frock 159-133; Frock wins $80
Match 3: David McLaughlin d. Jones 231-176; Jones wins $120
Championship: Zachary Abbott d. McLaughlin 150-144; Abbott wins $275, McLaughlin wins $240.
