Jimmy Clark of Topsham spent much of his weekend cheering on the PBA Tour’s best bowlers during the made-for-television Elias Cup team tournament.

On Tuesday morning, he returned to Bayside Bowl and beat one of the touring pros in the opening round of the PBA Xtra Frame Shootout.

“It’s a childhood dream,” said Clark, 37, who toppled John Szczerbinski of North Tonawanda, New York.

Clark then lost in three games to another pro, Wes Malott, in the Round of 32 of Tuesday night. The score of the final game was 235 to 223.

The Shootout is the second component of the 2-year-old PBA Maine Event – a third year was announced Sunday night by tour commissioner Tom Clark after the Elias Cup finals – and has a much different feel than the bold and brassy Elias Cup, with its bright lights, ESPN cameras, rowdy fans lined up on either side of adjacent lanes and a DJ that plays continuous music, not bothering to pause during a player’s approach.

“We couldn’t have it at any better place,” said E.J. Tackett, a member of the Motown Muscle. “The fans are unbelievable. I can’t put it into words how great this place is.”

The Shootout atmosphere is more subdued, with eight lanes in use and players bowling head-to-head in a best-of-three games format. Clark was one of the nine Maine bowlers who put up a $500 entry fee to join the bracket-style field of 64.

Three of those nine forced a decisive third game against a touring pro, but only Clark emerged victorious – 229 to 203 – and earned $1,000 in prize money. Tony Fernandez of Gorham and Joe Colcord of Portland also won the second game of their matches.

Whoever emerges as champion Wednesday night wins $10,000. The 16 who advanced to Wednesday’s quarterfinal round are guaranteed $1,500 each.

“I would do it again in a heartbeat,” said James Goulding, 38, of Lewiston, swept by 38-time PBA Tour winner Norm Duke. “When you have a chance to compete against the best in the world for a $10,000 prize, I’d do it any day.”

At the draw party Monday night to determine matchups, Clark showed photos of his chocolate lab to the veteran bowler who also happens to be the namesake for the dog, Duke.

“He’s one of my favorite players of all time,” Goulding said. “He’s a legend, one of the probably three of four greatest players ever to throw a bowling ball.”

Duke was one of the three dozen pros who hung around to watch Bowl Portland League in action Monday night. Another was Tackett, a native of Indiana who rolled a perfect 300 in last year’s inaugural Maine Shootout and thus earned a permanent notation on a red brick in the lounge area behind the 12 lanes.

Of course, because all league bowlers at Bayside go by nicknames, the brick lists only the date of Tackett’s feat and his nickname, Squirrel. Knowledge of that nickname prompted one local on Tackett’s pro-am team to wear an adult-size squirrel suit during Motown matches.

“That kind of stuff only happens here,” Tackett said. “The environment they have here is unlike any other I’ve ever seen, in any place I’ve ever been. As far as league bowling goes, there’s nothing in the country that I know of that has this environment.”

Every league at Bayside is coed. There are no cash prizes.

“They bowl for pride,” Tackett said. “That’s the way it should be. It’s just a bunch of people having fun, trying to win, just being social. That brings the true sport out. It’s all about being a team and winning.”

For local bowlers, Tuesday was mostly about losing, albeit with plenty of support and among pros that have become friends.

“The team thing over the weekend really gets you pumped up for this,” said Sarah Pelletier, 26, of Lewiston. “You get to interact with the pros when they’re off the lanes. You get to know them before you’re actually competing with them, which kind of takes the edge off.”

Pelletier rolled 190 and 209 on Tuesday but it wasn’t enough to avoid a sweep against PBA Tour pro Jon Van Hees of Rhode Island.

“It’s kind of humbling being around such amazing, talented bowlers,” said Brian Owoc, 35, of Portland after two lopsided losses to Bill O’Neill of Pennsylvania, a seven-time Tour winner. “Being able to bowl with people I’ve watched on TV my entire life, it’s pretty cool.”

Clark, who lost in the first round a year ago despite rolling a 258 and 223, opened with a 230 on Tuesday morning but fell six pins short of Szczerbinski. Clark rallied to win Game 2 257-249 before pulling away in the 10th frame of Game 3.

“For the bowling community, it’s been incredible,” Clark said. “Social media’s been blowing up with people I know wishing they were here, talking about how much they’re guaranteeing they’re going to be here next year.”

Charlie Mitchell, the owner-operator at Bayside, said construction should begin later this month on an expansion that includes eight more lanes, a roof deck and a mezzanine.

“We can double our ticket sales and really get people in there,” Mitchell said. “We’re trying to breathe new life into team bowling. We don’t know where it’s going but going into last year, they didn’t even know if PBA League would survive. And then it was such a success, it was one of the most talked-about events (on Tour).”

Quarterfinal matches are set for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday with semifinals at 6 p.m. and the final at 7:30.

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