Strikes

Adam Bosch: Mary Taylor starts her Friday night routine by arriving at the bowling alley one hour early, dropping her bag near one of the lanes and heading outside for a smoke.

She walks down the dim corridor toward the double-door exit and passes the cluttered trophy case where her name is pegged twice in little white letters for high scores. She goes past the plaques that celebrate her as a league champion and past the oiled lanes where she has rattled pins since 1955.

Outside Pat Tarsio Lanes, she smokes a cigarette with friends and fellow bowlers as dusk settles over Newburgh. When a longtime friend hands Mary an invitation to the annual Hall of Fame Tournament, she grabs the envelope and heads toward her car.

At the same time, a silver Honda coupe pulls into the bowling alley lot and parks along Route 52. The driver glances at her rearview mirror and sees a closer spot along the bowling-alley facade. She shifts the car into reverse.