By BILL SNIER
CANTON — The summer of the McCourry brothers continued the past two weeks during the Eastbury Summer Trio league at Eastbury Bowling Center.
After Alex and Brett McCourry combined with Marcus Marcelli to put up an 868 game and a 2,318 series — both among the top five in the nation — and Brett finished with 814 individually, it was Alex’s turn to reach another series milestone.
The 30-year-old Canton left-hander went back-to-back 800s in the league, shooting 837 on July 22 and then following it with 811 on July 29 in the trio league.
“I don’t think my game can get any better than it has been,” said McCourry, who made a switch to Motiv equipment about nine weeks into the 2024-25 fall-winter season and then took off from there.
“I really don’t know how to explain it. Everything just seemed really easy the past four months. I was making good adjustments, was very smart on ball changes and just staying at it, making good shots. My execution has been around a 9.5 the past four months.”
But it doesn’t stop McCourry from constantly “tinkering” with his game. In fact, just before shooting the back-to-back 800s, he made a change in his approach.
“I just felt like I was too far back,” said McCourry, an Ace Mitchell Bowlers Mart employee. “So I moved up about six to eight inches where I’m just about even with the second set of dots. I’m still using a five-step delivery.”
The first 800 went smoothly enough for McCourry who used his Motiv Raptor Rush all three games — even though he considered a change.
After opening with 268, with single-pin spares in the fourth and 11th frames, he started Game 2 with what he called “a lazy” 7-pin spare.
“I was talking to my brother about if I should switch balls or not,” said McCourry, who closed the season averaging 248 in the league. “I decided to just make better shots and then we would see.”
Well, McCourry finished with the back 11 strikes for 290 and then added the front seven in Game 3 — 18 in a row overall — before the run ended with a “lucky” 6-pin spare.
“That’s what happens when you get slow and rip the cover off the ball,” McCourry said. “You leave something funky on a high hit. I was fortunate to leave just a 6-pin.”
He was able to finish with another run from there for 267 and his 22nd career 800. No. 23 was just a week away.
Then came Week 2 — and McCourry started with the same ball, but did some more “tinkering.”
He left a 7-pin in the third frame of Game 1 and a “flat corner” on his second ball in the 10th for 268 again.
But in Game 2, after leaving a 7-pin to start, he made a small adjustment — and left the 4-6-7-10 split, taking out the 7-pin. But McCourry then ran strikes the rest of the way — before switching to his Motiv Primal Rage Evolution for the final shot en route to 276.
“The last game, I went back to the Raptor, thinking maybe I didn’t need to make the change yet,” McCourry said. “But then I left the 6-7-10 (split) in the first and made it off the back wall.
“After that, I went back to the Primal Rage Evolution the rest of the way.”
His opponents definitely noticed his change.
“They were saying, ‘he’s at 540 and changing balls. What is he doing?’ ” McCourry said.
He left a smash 8-pin in the fourth frame and then struck the rest of the way for 267 and his second 800 in two weeks.
Week 1 was the first honor score he has shot with the Raptor Rush — outside of a 300 during the College Bowl Tournaments Series.
“I’ve had a few high games and series, but not an honor score, outside of that one,” said McCourry, who added the ball “is probably the oldest I carry right now.”
The funny part is that McCourry is not a bowler who throws the ball during the summer months.
“I like to play golf and do other things, but Brett needed a player so I agreed to bowl,” said Alex, who was hitting balls at a Cuyahoga Falls driving range with friends when we talked for this story.
But he says his change to Motiv equipment has been key.
“My average and confidence has just skyrocketed. I’ve gone up about 10 pins. That’s just something you don’t see during a season as late as I switched,” McCourry said.
McCourry plans on bowling leagues at Spins Bowl-Akron and Eastbury in the fall. Where can he go from here?
“Just keep riding the wave,” the lefty said, “ and hope the equipment continues to click.”