By BILL SNIER
NORTH CANTON — The emotions almost overcame Zachary McCutchan when he recorded his first 800 series.
“I almost started to cry, but I knew the guys would give give me some crap,” the 19-year-old two-handed righty said after his first call following an 804 series was to his parents. “Getting one at such a young age …”
That came Tuesday in the Hannon Electric league at Park Centre Lanes. Two days later, he was bowling with his parents and two sisters in the SharpShooters mixed league also at Park Centre.
And it happened again — this time with his family there to watch.
On his initial 800, the Canton McKinley High School graduate, wholly is in his second season in adult leagues, had games of 262, 266 and 276 for 804 using a Motiv Pride Liberty — a ball he had done a video review on in August for Ten Back Pro Shop.
He also started with that ball Thursday, but made the switch to the Motiv Black Venom during the third frame of Game 3, completing games of 279, 279 and 246 for his second 804 in three days.
“The previous Thursday, I started slow, but came back with 289 and 279 the last two games to get to 760,” McCutchan said. “But on Monday, I had just drilled up a new ball and I wanted to see what it would do and I struggled a little bit (he finished in the 640s).
“I threw it the first two games to try to figure it out and make it work. I was decent, but not what I’d been doing this season. I wanted to keep my angle straighter because that’s where I’m most comfortable.”
But the next night, he felt something special was coming.
“I told (teammate) Mike Leggett during practice that night that it was going to be a good one,” said McCutchan, who also owns eight 300 games, including three sanctioned. “I was throwing the ball well, and I could feel it was coming.”
He started Game 1 with four strikes, but left a split in the fifth frame.
“That took me out of the strike pot, but I finished with the back seven for the 262,” said McCutchan, who then had the first seven strikes in Game 2 — before leaving a 10-pin and missing it for his only hole of the night.
“I knew I had 520 going in and I got the first five in Game 3. I just kept telling myself to just keep it up, keep throwing the ball well and whatever happens, happens.”
He ran off the first eight strikes before leaving a 10-pin.
“I knew I could still shoot 279 and get there,” McCutchan said. “So while everyone else was bowling the 10th, I went and got a water, calmed down and tried to relax and get my mind off of it.”
He was successful to an extent.
“Every time I have the front nine or 10, there’s a part of me that’s shaking inside,” McCutchan said. “But once I’m on the approach, I can still keep that shiver inside and make good shots. I needed a double in the 10th and a four- or five-count to get there.”
His first shot sent a messenger pin off the side wall that took out the 10-pin. His second one was flush.
“That third one I just got up there and threw it,” McCutchan added. “I knew I had it.”
He maintained a philosophy through all three games, playing the two lanes differently from one another.
“The left lane I was carrying with light mixers and I didn’t want to move. The lanes were transitioning and I thought I would get a better ball reaction,” McCutchan said. “But the right lane was carrying high flush, and I was moving one board on every ball.
“I was nervous that the ball would jump and leave a Big Four (4-6-7-10 split) or a Greek church (4-6-7-9-10). I just upped the ball speed a little more. It was working fine the third game until I wrapped the 10-pin in the ninth frame.”
But it all turned out for 800 No. 1.
800 NO. 2
No. 2 again started solid as McCutchan delivered the front six during the first two games with the Pride Liberty before 10-pins ended his run both times.
Undaunted, he finished both games on strike runs to stand at 558 heading into Game 3.
But things changed on the pair.
“I started the third game with 10-pin, 10-pin, switched balls (to the Black Venom) and left another 10-pin,” McCutchan said. “I felt like I was going to be the biggest choker in the world. But I made a little jump left and figured it out from there.”
Again, on a double heading into the 10th, he needed a double that final frame to clinch his second milestone of the week after another 9-pin spare.
“Yes and no,” said McCutchan when asked if No. 2 was easier. “I wasn’t as nervous because I had just done it, but I think this second one means more to me.
“With one, people may think like ‘woo-hoo, he had 800.’ But the second one lets people know I can do it and not just once. I think my family was more surprised than I was when I did it again.”
McCutchan admits he was nervous when he first started adult leagues after high school.
“I was little nervous, especially in the mixed league, because my parents had bowled in that league forever,” McCutchan said. “I’ve been watching guys in that league since I was young. It just hit me that I was bowling with and against them, and I wanted to keep up with them.
“I struggled early last year because I was trying too hard to keep up with them. Doing something like this is like a relief. I finally calmed down and did what needed to be done.”
McCutchan is averaging 230, 235 and 225 in his three Park Centre leagues, but admits he takes great pride in bowling well in the men’s leagues.
“I’ve been throwing the ball well all season, with some occasional ups and downs, but it’s only for one night,” McCutchan added. “Bowling with these guys and watching them strike around me I know I have to strike to keep up and that has a lot to do with how I’m bowling now.”