SLIPPERY ROCK — With the will of a wobble, Candi Rodgers made history.

Bowling in the Thursday Night Men's League at Slippery Rock Lanes March 12, Rodgers became the first woman in the facility's history to roll a perfect game.

Rodgers, 33, of Grove City nearly settled for a 299.

"On the last ball, the two-pin looked like it was ready to fall when another pin rolled into it,"she said. "For an instant, I thought it was going to stay up.

"The wobble was enough to take it down."

Since Slippery Rock Lanes opened in 1963, perfect games haven't been rolled there often. Eric Hagen of the Monday night Paul Simon League has the only other 300 game at the house this year.

Only five perfect games were bowled there in 2008.

"We use wooden lanes, which makes a consistent shot much more difficult," said Mike Marano, who owns Slippery Rock Lanes with his wife Donna.

They also are Rodgers' parents.

"She's been bowling in leagues since she was a kid,"Marano said.

Rodgers spent most of her bowling career at Grove City Bowlodrome before coming to Slippery Rock Lanes three years ago.

"A lady I work with needed someone to join her team, so I switched houses," Rodgers said.

Before March 12, her highest game at Slippery Rock Lanes was 235. Her career high, which she recorded about nine years ago, was 279.

Rodgers began her 279 game with eight strikes in a row before leaving a solid seven-pin in the ninth frame.

Her perfect game occurred in the third game after games of 194 and 212.

"Thank goodness it was the third game," she said. "I don't know if I could have rolled another game after that.

"My first 11 strikes in that game were solid. The ball was going exactly where I wanted."

The 12th strike was a different story.

"I didn't know about that one,"Rodgers admitted. "I was standing up there (on the approach) shaking. I mean, I was pretty wobbly. Everybody else in the place was done bowling and I knew they were behind me, watching.

"When I let the ball go, I was shaking so bad that I wasn't sure if I released it properly. My heart was pounding. I was so nervous."

But her ball found the pocket — and the two-pin found its way to the ground.

Rodgers bowled a career-high 706 series that night as well, becoming only the third female to bowl a 700 series at Slippery Rock Lanes.

She began the night with a 158 average. Her average stood at 172 after the first three weeks of the season.

"Honestly, I haven't been bowling very well this year,"Rodgers said. "That night — that game — it kind of came out of nowhere."