By BILL SNIER
NORTH CANTON — Justin Barth was able to reach a personal milestone recently.
Jason Corrin was able to double up on one of his this season.
Both topped the 800 plateau at Park Centre Lanes and Eastbury Bowling Center, respectively, as honor scores continue to roll in early during the 2024-25 season with 18 reported to snieronbowling.com to this point.
BARTH PERFECT WITH 800
A year ago following the Stark County High School Bowling Conference’s Alumni Tournament at Park Centre, Barth put together a pair of 279 games en route to an 815 series.
It marked his fourth 800 overall. But it still bothered the 32-year-old Plain Township right-hander that he did not have a 300 during one of his milestone series.
That all changed recently in the Saturday Night Fever Mixed league when the manager of the Verizon Solon location had games of 268, 300 and 257 for 825.
“I missed only five times all night. Every game, every shot was in the pocket,” said Barth, who had a run of 19 strikes in a row at one point — one off his all-time high of 20. A 4-pin ruined his run.
That came despite leaving a 5-7 split during Game 3. But not really.
“The 5-pin slid over to around the 2-pin spot. It looked good down the lane and everyone was like, ‘Whoa,, what happened?’ ” said Barth, who covered three 4-pins and a solid 9-pin for his other spares.
Barth is bowling in three leagues this season, with only the Hannon Electric league on Tuesdays at Park Centre being weekly. His other two leagues at Park Centre and Clutch Lanes and Sports Center in Cuyahoga Falls are every other week. He is averaging 224 on Tuesday at Park Centre, but just around 190 on Saturday.
“I’m sure some of the Saturday people who don’t know me were surprised,” Barth said. “I got some new equipment and I’m still trying to find out what it can do. Also, my dog (Athena) died (in late September) and I was kind of in the doldrums for a moment, but I’m getting back.”
He rolled his career-high series with the Roto Grip Attention Star, one of his two new acquisitions along with the Storm Ion Pro.
“I just had that ball for about three weeks and it finally got some lane shine on it,” Barth said. “Then it was a question of figuring out what it could do.”
Barth also has been bothered by some pain in his left thigh and upper leg.
“I’ve been working on it, trying to stretch it out. It’s been giving me some issues. But I drink a beer and it helps,” Barth said, laughing.
After his opening 268, Barth admitted his shots in the 10th for the 300 were a bit nerve-wracking.
“The way I was throwing the ball, I knew this could be the night when I could get that 300-800,” Barth said. “I knew I was lined up. I had a couple of high shots that carried and couple of 7-pins that carried on light mixers. But everything else was packed.”
TWO FOR CORRIN
Corrin, a 44-year-old left-hander, has thrown three 800 series in a season earlier in his career.
But he has never had a start like this.
The Walmart Vision Center manager had games of 300, 279 and 257 for 836 after shooting 818 with a 295 earlier in the season during the Saturday Nite Mixed league at Eastbury.
“They really aren’t playing that much different than last winter. It’s just happenstance that it’s playing this way for me,” said Corrin, who now owns 13 800 series to go along with 18 300 games.
“During that stretch I never had two this close together. Usually, nothing really starts for me until December.”
Corrin used the same Roto Grip Hyped Solid that has produced his last two 800 series at Eastbury.
He missed five times all night, starting the night with the front 18 strikes before leaving a solid 8-pin in the seventh frame of Game 2 to deny him a shot at consecutive 300s.
“It’s been fun so far and definitely not normal for me,” Corrin said after his 818.
It just got better recently at Eastbury.