ROCHELLE — There’s no mistaking the clattering sounds of a bowling alley, the distinctive din of pins getting clobbered when a ball punches through them — all 10 if the player is in his pocket.

Josh Grove has done that well.

The sound of pins dropping is like music to his ears, and it’s a song he hears a lot, 12 times during a game if he’s good — and he is.

How good? Well, he’s managed to catch that elusive “perfect game” that bowlers aim for — nine frames, nine strikes, and then three more strikes in the final frame — and not just once.

Grove’s done it more than 70 times.

The Oregon bowler has made a name for himself in the local league bowling scene, getting a score of 300 an impressive 74 times (as of April 1) and rolling a series of 800 more than 40 times — and he’s only getting better.

His bowling feats are rare among people who, like Grove, simply bowl for fun and not professionally. The 43-year-old has made Monday night stops at the bowling alleys a routine for around 25 years, currently at T-Byrd Lanes in Rochelle. He’s also a substitute on Friday night leagues at Blackhawk Lanes in Sterling.

While the numbers are impressive, they don’t come without a mindset built on repetition, preparation and a steady approach under pressure. Even with dozens of perfect games to his name, the fundamentals never change for Grove, especially when the stakes rise late in a game and he’s three rolls in the 10th frame from perfection.

“I visualize my pre-shot routine, following through, seeing where the ball goes, and I try to execute that to the best of my ability,” Grove said. “Some shots, you know when you let it go, it’s going to be good. I still get nervous. It doesn’t change.”

The balance between confidence and nerves is part of what has allowed Grove to sustain his success over the decades. It’s also what keeps him grounded in something deeper than the scoreboard. His faith is something he carries with him onto the lanes — and he wears it with pride. Among the shirts he sometimes dons while competing is one bearing the phrase “Faith over fear,” which is a reminder of the importance of perspective and purpose each time he steps up to bowl.

“I enjoy being blessed with having this gift,” Grove said. “It means everything. I wouldn’t be here doing what I would like if it wasn’t for [God].”

Long before the accolades, Grove’s connection to the sport began in childhood, influenced by family and a house full of bowling. The sport was a constant presence growing up, with his parents and grandparents involved in local leagues. His father Dennis still bowls at Town and Country Lanes in Mount Morris, while his mother Debbie stepped away from competition two years ago after rolling for years in both Mount Morris and Rochelle.

He’s been bowling “pretty much since I could walk,” he said, with one of his favorite childhood toys being a plastic bowling set.

One memory from those early years still sticks with him — not because of what he did, but because of what he missed. He would always tag along with his dad each week during leagues at Town and Country, except one particular week.

“I was like, ‘No, I want to go to my girlfriend’s house,’ and then he shoots a 300,” Grove said. “That figures.”

As a student at Oregon High School he competed on a cooperative bowling team with Winnebago High School and would later go on to carve out his own milestones. His first perfect game came in 2006 at Plum Hollow in Dixon. It was a breakthrough that remains unmatched in emotion.

“It was like a weight lifted off of my shoulders,” Grove recalled. “I’ve been with people bowling who have shot them before me, and I was like, ‘Man, when’s that going to happen for me?’ I was getting closer and closer, and it finally broke through. It was a relief. The next two games were not good after that.”

Since then, the accomplishments have only piled up. Grove recorded his 74th 300 game at Blackhawk Lanes in March. He’s also notched 47 career 800 series during that time, and his highest mark is 848 — accomplished twice during the first three months of this year.

Grove finds a deeper appreciation in the sustained excellence required for high series scores. “It involves more consistency, and you’re shooting higher games,” Grove said.

That consistency has been built not only through repetition, but through a deeper understanding of the game itself. Grove spends time studying ball layouts and lane conditions, learning the pro shop side of bowling to better interpret how each roll reacts.

“It means a lot,” Grove said. “It’s showing me that my hard work is paying off because I practice a ton. I’ve also been learning the pro shop side of the business with layouts, and that’s changed everything. The more you know, the better you can deduce things like reading the lanes and the ball reactions, and that all plays into it.”

He’s also continued to evolve with age, and that’s something he admits still surprises him. Part of that growth comes from a willingness to learn from others.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better the older I’ve gotten, which is insane,” Grove said. “I always want to get better, and they all see something different, so it helps.”

Grove’s game is also shaped by preference and feel. A left-handed bowler, he often faces fewer lane breakdown challenges on the left side, but still values adaptability, especially when bowling on wood lanes. T-Byrd’s lanes are wood, while nearly all of the other bowling alleys in northwest Illinois feature synthetic surfaces. Wood lanes have shots that tend to break down sooner with absorption, and on those surfaces, bowlers have to make more adjustments to get the ball rolling the way they need to.

Grove enjoys the challenge that wood lanes present.

“I like the old school wood lanes,” he said. “It’s just a nostalgia thing for me. Everyone’s going synthetic, and you don’t see many wood houses anymore. I love bowling in them. I grew up bowling on wood lanes during junior leagues.”

His appreciation for tradition extends to some of the favorite places he likes to bowl. Among them is Potter’s Alley in Morton, which is a classic wood-lane facility, and he fondly remembers competing among the 50 lanes at Landmark Lanes in Peoria before its closure. Those trips have not only expanded his competitive circle, but also introduced him to high-caliber bowlers and close friends alike.

Beyond tournaments and league nights, Grove keeps track of his journey in different ways. Official records on the United States Bowling Congress website (bowl.com) only go back about a decade and are limited to its members, but Grove’s moments are often captured by those around him — especially his best friend and teammate, Jim Lyles, who records the 10th frame on video when a perfect game is within reach. Facebook posts on both the T-Byrd Lanes and Rochelle USBC chapter pages also keep the community up-to-date whenever Grove rolls a perfect game, noting the current number of 300s and/or 800s on each post.

Grove shares many of those moments online, not for recognition, but as a personal reflection, he said. For him, at its core, bowling has always been about more than numbers or milestones.

“It’s luck,” Grove said. “As soon as you let it go, you have no control over it. All you’re hoping for is that you’re doing everything behind the foul line right, and you’re hoping everything goes your way afterward. It’s not like hitting a baseball or anything like that.”

Who knows, perhaps the extremely rare 900 series is still within reach for Grove, which is three straight 300s.

While the scores and achievements continue to grow, it’s the people, friends both past and present, who remain at the center of it all to support him as he adds more 300 games and 800s in the future.

“The people I’ve met, that’s been the best thing,” Grove said. “I’ve met a lot of great people and continue to bowl all over with them. The bowling community is pretty tight. They’ll band together if anyone needs anything. I’ve met a lot of great people through it. The relationships I’ve formed are going to never be ending.”