Darrell Johnson rolls perfect game at Lynn’s Pins
Darrell L. Johnson, Vine Grove, bowled the second 300 game of his career Nov. 22 at Lynn’s Pins in Brandenburg. His 12 strikes came during the first game of league play on the Wednesday Night Men’s League. He finished the night with scores of 212 and 179 for a 691 series. Johnson used a Columbia 300 Jinx ball that wasn’t as much of a jinx on this night as its name might imply His pre vious 300 game was bowled in 2004 at Dixie Bowl in Louisville on the Sunday Night Kings League. His game was part of an 806 actual series he rolled that night. Johnson, 36, currently bowls on leagues in Louisville and Brandenburg with his dad Butch, Mark Smith and Buz Baril. He is currently averaging 209 on this league. “Buz is the guy who coached and helped me when I first started bowling,” Johnson said of his teammate. “I got lucky! It’s only a game and you can’t be sad when you bowl bad,” he said with a laugh when asked about his perfect game. He wasn’t too sad at the end of the first game as bowlers greeted him with congratulations as he exited the lane. Johnson will receive a ring from the United States Bowling Congress in recognition of his achievement. Nancye and Gerry Lynn, owners of Lynn’s Pins, will present him with an award of $100 and will place a plaque on the wall at the center in honor of his game. Gerry Lynn noted that this was the 13th 300 game bowled since he purchased the center. He continued by saying he hoped the lane conditions they were providing had a little something to do with it. “We strive very hard to provide a consistent shot week after week. We use the same oil pattern each night on all the leagues,” said Lynn. “Bill (Drury) prepares the lanes prior to league bowling, and being a bowler himself, he knows what conditions his leagues expect night after night.” With several other bowlers stringing strikes into the ninth and 10th frames in the last several weeks, just missing their 300 games, the run of perfect games may be far from over this bowling season.
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By Larry R. Curts