By BILL SNIER
CANTON — Dell Ray Jr. had planned to bowl the Hit Dem Pockets event in Wickliffe this weekend.
“I was going to do that at first, but I made up my mind Friday to come here,” the 24-year-old Cleveland left-hander said. “I guess it’s looking pretty good so far.”
Ray shot 813 over his final three games to take the qualifying lead during the seventh annual BowlerX Ohio Masters on Saturday at Eastbury Bowling Center.
The tax analyst finished with 1,305 total pinfall for the five qualifying games (a 261 average) on the 2024 BowlerX Ohio Masters 41-foot oil pattern to hold a 46-pin lead heading into the evening session.
The top 46 players in the 92-player field advanced to the 5:30 p.m. evening round, with pinfalls carrying over. After five more games, the field will be cut to the final 24 for Sunday’s 10 a.m. match-play rounds.
“I had a lot of room with the (Hammer) Purple … that was the ball of choice,” Ray said. “If I moved, it was left the majority of the time, but not too much. I think I moved five to seven boards total all day.”
Left-hander James Nolen is sitting second with 1,249, followed by right-hander Ty McKinney (1,202), who shot 836 over his final three games to vault from 73rd to third overall.
The remainder of the top five are two-handed righty Zander Crouch (1,192), who led after Game 3, and Eric Selzer (1,187).
Ray admitted his attention was divided during the first big day of the college football season.
“I don’t know what I was expecting coming in here,” said Ray, who was making his first appearance both in the tournament and at Eastbury. “My main focus was on college football today. But, since I’m here, I put half of my focus toward bowling.”
Only 58 of the 92 players in the field averaged 200 or better on the pattern.
The battle was for the final cut spot, with 14 players within 24 pins going into Game 5 of qualifying.
Paul Brown shot 202 the final game to tie Scott Vandegrift for the spot at 1,026 despite the latter shooting just 156 in Game 5. Jackson Stiles was the odd man out, shooting 187 his final game and missing the cut by just one pin along with RJ Pollard. Brown entered the final game tied for the final spot.
What does Ray expect from the evening shift, which will be on fresh oil?
“I’m probably going to get the same reaction,” Ray said. “I’m going to hit the Purple with a little bit of surface and go from there.”
NOTEBOOK: The four previous champions in the field — Zeke Bayt, Charles Easton, Jeff Fehr and Dean Vargo — made the cut, with Fehr being in highest in the standings at seventh (1,164). … Only one woman, Wooster’s Karlie Way (37th, 1,037), made the cut. … Crouch had the day’s lone 300 in Game 3. Ray also had 289 in Game 4. … Game 1 leader Cooper Smith, who shot 254 to top the field, made the cut in 29th place. Nolen had the lead in Game 2 after 279. … A site for the 2025 tournament will be determined at a later date.
