Sarah Cassidy’s 300 game makes history

Contributed Photo – Sarah Cassidy rolls a 300 game making history at Oak Orchard Lanes.

By Mike Pettinella

Sarah Cassidy said her legs were shaking during the 10th frame of her first game earlier this week in the Tuesday Ladies Merchants League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

With nine straight strikes showing on the overhead scoring monitor, Cassidy stepped onto the approach on lane 9, needing three more strikes to record the first 300 game by a woman in the 65-year history of her hometown bowling center.

The 44-year-old right-hander overcame her jitters by placing the final three balls in the 1-3 pocket and carrying all 10 pins each time for the perfect game.

Cassidy bowls for the Pretty Sweet Bakery team along with Judy Ward, Pam Jenks and her daughter, Emily Cassidy – who, along with other league members, greeted her with hugs and high-fives as she returned to the settee area.

“It is pretty exciting,” said Cassidy, who admitted that nervousness began to set in after she posted her seventh consecutive strike. “People started noticing. Thankfully, Sue Boring was bowling next to us and she was able to calm me down.”

The 300 game eclipsed Cassidy’s previous high game of 284 and raised her average to 177. Her other games were 182 and 147 for a 629 series.

Last season, Cassidy, who is employed as a billing specialist for a law firm, had a 189 average.

“Things have been coming together lately,” she said. “I just missed a 700 series (recently).”