Brooklyn Strikes bowler Curtis Smeltzer rolled a 300 Wednesday night in league play at Wawasee Bowl in Syracuse. The accomplishment was the first of Smeltzer’s career. (Photo by Scott Slusser)

SYRACUSE – In 27 years of bowling, Syracuse resident Curtis Smeltzer had never rolled a 300. Check one thing off the bucket list as Smeltzer hit the magic number Wednesday night during league bowling at Wawasee Bowl.

“When I was in the eighth frame, there was another guy who made the first eight and missed the ninth,” Smeltzer said. “I wasn’t all that nervous on the eighth, but once I got it, the nerves started coming pretty strong. The ninth frame was the worst one, I was struggling to keep the weight of the situation off my mind. I was able to clear my mind, threw a good shot, got a strike.”

Smeltzer, who is on the Brooklyn Strikes bowling team in the Land O’ Lakes league, realized it was getting serious when the bowling alley started getting really quiet and an audience grew around his lane. Talk about pressure.

“The tenth (frame) wasn’t too bad,” Smeltzer said. “The first ball, my body felt numb. I walked up, approached and threw a perfect ball. In between shots, I picked up my towel and took some deep breaths. I just tried to stay in the same routine, except in the first nine frames, you have a break. Now I had to throw three in a row.

“All three balls in the tenth were just right, perfect. It was extremely quiet in the bowling alley.”

As Smeltzer’s final roll came true, knocking all 10 pins down without any question, the place erupted into celebration.

“I got the 12th strike and the whole room erupted and I high-fived about 40 people. It was a good time.”

Curtis Smeltzer’s 300 board.

Smeltzer’s accomplishment came after he rolled a 193 in his first game of the three-game series. He only recorded three strikes in the first game, but made an adjustment in approaching the lead pin, and got on a roll, literally, in game two.

Smeltzer’s run didn’t last long in the third game, knocking down eight pins on his first ball, but picked up the spare and had nine strikes in his final 11 rolls, finishing with four straight to score a 243. He ended his landmark night with a 790 series factoring his 18 handicap.

“I have the exact pre-shot routine everytime,” Smeltzer said of starting the third game after the momentous round. “The first ball, oh man, I couldn’t get my fingers in the ball, I was shaking so bad. I didn’t throw a terrible shot, though. But my hands were shaking for about the first three frames.”

Previously, Smeltzer’s best game was a 298 that he threw in a practice game, hitting his first 11 only to roll an eight on his final ball. His top league score was a 279, rolling 11 strikes with a spare in the middle.