By BILL SNIER
NORTH CANTON — Mark Lamp has tried to get his wife, Karla, to accept a certain philosophy on the bowling lanes.
“Just attack the lane and don’t complain,” the 55-year-old Plain Township right-hander said.
But the Kempthorn Motors employee also has found it difficult to follow that philosophy at Park Centre Lanes where he had admittedly been struggling this season.
“It was getting into my head a little,” Lamp said. “I’m down about 20 pins in average on Friday nights there while I’m still around 220s in my other league (on Tuesdays at Park). I’m still at 231 at Eastbury (on Monday).
On a recent Friday in the Foxfire Lounge Friday Night Mixed league at Park Centre, Lamp decided to make an equipment change.
“It was given to me about five months ago, but I never really threw it,” said Lamp of the Storm Electrify Solid he got from Tuesday teammate Brandon Clifford. “I tried it a couple of times, but I was throwing other equipment and it was working pretty well so I kind of stayed away from it.
“But I was struggling at Park Centre so something just told me to try it.”
Adding a little polish to the surface, Lamp had back-to-back weeks with the front nine strikes in a game. Then, he went one step further.
Using the same ball, Lamp had games of 278, 255 and 268 for an 801 series, his eighth career 800 series with a high of 815. His last 800 came two years ago.
“That ball just seems to shape a lot better for me and is not so snappy,” Lamp said. “The way I’ve been struggling, I was willing to try anything. Being a solid, it worked like I thought it would.”
Lamp again had the front nine strikes in Game 1 before leaving a 10-pin to end the run and a 7-pin on his final ball. In Game 2, he left his lone multi-pin spare of the night, covering a 2-4-5-8 bucket.
“I really didn’t have a big run of strikes that game. The one bucket I just got the ball inside and it didn’t finish,” Lamp said.
The last game, he started with the front four strikes before leaving a 10-pin spare in the fifth.
“That’s when I was really thinking about it. I didn’t run around as much that night because of the floors being wet,” said Lamp, who runs the side action for the league. “I pretty much stayed in my circle. I just felt really good and comfortable.”
He needed the first strike in the 10th at least to reach his goal.
“Going into the 10th frame I was taking deep breaths and really concentrating. My teammates thought I was trying to win the game and didn’t realize what was going on, but I knew we had that pretty much won,” Lamp said. “When I threw the first shot and struck I got pretty excited.
“They were like the game was already won, but that’s when they realized I was going for 800.”
He left a 7-pin on his 11th ball to clinch it.
“It just feels great. I’ve always loved the sport, but I’ve been getting a little discouraged with the way I’m bowling,” Lamp said. “It made me want to come to the bowling alley again.
“You’re always going to feel the pressure. I’m getting older now and I really wanted to get another 800.”
But it came at the place he didn’t expect.
“Maybe at Eastbury, but at Park Centre? With the way I’ve been struggling?” Lamp said. “No way.”