Bowling: Josue Mendoza Rocks Mesquite Bowling Lanes With First-Ever 600 Series

Josue Mendoza’s game has really taken flight in the last two months of his freshman season at the Virgin River Bowling Center in Mesquite, Nevada.

He’s been averaging a 200-plus game every week since the middle of

January. However, last week he took his game to new heights after beginning his first game of the night with a turkey en route to a 190 game in Gamblers 4 Aces League play.

Next, after also beginning his second game with a turkey, he finished with an even better 194. And he put an exclamation point on a memorable outing by beginning his 3rd game with a 5-bagger, followed by missing a 10 pin for an open frame, but rebounded with a turkey and spare in the 10th for a season-high 243 game paving the way for his first-ever 600 series, a 627 with 19 total strikes.

He uses a one-handed delivery with no thumb in the ball leading to more revs as it barrels its way down the lane leading to more strikes.

Mendoza is an alumnus of Beaver Dam High School where along with some friends received administrative approval to begin a Strategy Club playing board and card games which engage the mind in plotting winning strategies.

Away from bowling, he enjoys swimming, playing pool, and loves playing strategy games, with Rome: Total War one of his favorites.

Born on Halloween, Mendoza’s future goals and bucket list includes getting a commercial drivers license, owning a home, go on a cruise, and visit historical sites in Europe, and especially the ancient battle sites in Greece which took place in wars between city states like Athens, Sparta, and Corinth.

Mendoza’s improving bowling game, friendly personality and ability to wear well with people make him a great addition to the local bowling scene.

In other pin action, John Hollaway finished atop the scoring food chain with a superb 754 outing on games of 258, 249 and 247 with 27 strikes, and Jim Lytle delivered another top-notch effort with a 725 set on clean games of 247 and 233, and his one open on a 6-7 split in a 245, while Mike Saldivar (701-269) delivered the week’s only other 700.

Mike Yoder ended his 2022-23 season with a pair of terrific outings (693-237) & (657-247) and is scheduled for knee surgery in the coming days. He’s compiled a staggering list of jaw-dropping 800s and 300s over his career which can be seen on bowl.com.

Meanwhile, Kelly Williams opened league play with a 178, followed with a 6-bagger in his 2nd game, opened in the 7th frame, followed by a 5-bagger for 11 strikes in a 265 gem. And after tacking on a 205, he tossed a 650 series with 20 total strikes, and Milan Carr (659-236) captures ink for another strong performance, while Jerry Holloway (654-226, 216, 212) who couldn’t buy a 600 earlier this season, is getting one or more weekly these days.

Meanwhile, Dennis Craft (647 & 641) averaged an impressive 214 in his two league outings, Dave Newman (645-234) put together another good week in a bid to top a season-high 659 set, and Mike Rogers (640-216, 214, 210) had another one of his patented consistent outings, Robin Drury (640-237) continued a string of 600s, and Bill Rife definitely merits ink for a season-high 629 on games of 234, 209 and 202 which raised his 161 average to 163.

Dave Johnson is a darn good bowler who finished the last night of T.G.I.F. League play with a 627 set, and Ricky Trujillo will always have bragging rights to being the first bowler in Mesquite who adopted a 2-handed delivery and his scoring production last week was a nice 607 series on games of 214, 200 and 193.

Al Legan merits major kudo’s for his first 600 of the season, a 601 on games of 212, 195, 194, and also had marks on an impressive 18-of-19 non-split spare attempts. He’s a Chicago Bears fan, has a daughter who’s an a humongous fan of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team, and he had a great career as an electrical engineer.

In single game action, Orlyn Meyer (634) delivered another big game with a 269, Mike Gentry (638) had an eye-popping 10 strikes in a 268, and Scott Mattingly (667) popped a 256.

Dale Davidson booked a season-high 243 and has a pair of 300s on his resume, enjoys golf, and was an outstanding basketball and baseball player in high school. In fact, his baseball team played for the Los Angeles City Championship in a game featured on TV, and Logan Hendrick (610) fired a 7-bagger in a 240.

Alan “AJ” Jacobson (622) chucked a 228, Larry Willis fired seven strikes in a  233, Bob Marget (588) pocketed a 226, and Jimmy Webb (585) smacked a clean 225, and it is great seeing Roger Durant back bowling and throwing a 214 game.

Ernie Kala (595) chucked a 212, Johnny Harper hammered out a 211 during a season-high 560 series, and earlier this season he shot a season-high 222, Larry McCubbin racked up a 209 in T.G.I.F League action, and Bob Sedgley posted a 205.

George Huston bagged a 204, Ron Hendrickson worked the lanes for a 202, Wally Posey delivered a 200, and so did Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez (585) who recently came so tantalizingly close to his first 700 before finishing with a monster 698 set.

In women’s action, sparked by a clean 227 with seven strikes, Sandy Sheppard took high-series honors with a 605, and Bev Cormani’s (577-324) bowling mechanics has never looked better.

Mary Posey’s 538 included a 212 with a 5-bagger and only one open frame. And it’s sure looking like Posey is finishing the season with some darn good scoring production, and that’s the way she began the season with a season-high 553.

Reiko Schultz (534-191) also delivered some competitive scores, and by the way, her career-highs include a 268 game and 632 series, and it is great seeing Georgia Godfrey (533-202) end a protracted scoring funk, while Charlene Heiden the secretary of the Gamblers 4 Aces League posted a 506 with a 204 game.

In single game action, LoriJo Turner (587) tossed a 222, and Sherry Serrano’s 202 in the Ladies Trio League included six strikes, while Jan Quinn (498) finished a mark short of a deuce with a 192.

Rick Craine rolled a season-high 178 with four strikes including a turkey and picking up the 5-6 split. Mighty impressive I’d say for a guy bowling on a prosthetic leg … In a highlight-reel worthy effort, Cher Erhart picked up the nasty 6-7-10 split … . Jill Stanley smacked a season-high 189 game and given a 129 average, that’s impressive … Mark Brackelsberg converted the tricky 6-7 split and before moving to Mesquite he was a contractor who built houses in Grand Junction, Colorado … Terri O blew away a 120 average with a super 183 game in Ladies Trio League play.

Darren Simonds 666-248; Al Gans 664-233; Gil Niimi 640-233; Dean Sheppard 639-233; Doug Love 621-236; Bruce Hooley 621-236; Dave Pershing 608-226; Dan Aslin 608-220; Austin Finster604-221; Wayne Donnafield 601-257; Darrell Moffett Jr. 601-257; John Gerger 237; Frank Addamo 225; Sal Diaz 224; Garth Turner 222; Jeff Powell 221; Darren Talmadge 220; Mark Brackelsberg 215; Mike Donovan 214; Britt Kesl 214; Jim Rappe 213; Maury Hardman 211; Jedd Fisher 210; Jeff Branche 210; Brian Collins 205; Bob Robbins 204; George Huston 204; Bill Funk 203; Rob Cormani 202; Randy Kezior 203; Ed Hoepfner 202; Cheryl Rogers 504.