2001/03/28

　Proving the grind is worth it, Steve Wilson won his third career PBA title Sunday afternoon in the PBA Tour's Battle At Little Creek at the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek.

　Wilson, of Lake Worth, Fla., beat Jason Couch, of Clermont, Fla., in the title match, 246-228, to claim the $20,000 top-prize and the title.

　"This is what you're out here for," said the 16-year-pro Wilson. "When you can step up and throw strikes to knock off the No. 1 ranked player in the world, that's what it's all about."

　Couch earned the top spot in the PBA World Power Rankings last week after his ninth career victory in The Villages, Fla. The 1992 PBA Rookie of the Year, Couch, wrapped up the PBA Winter Tour as the hottest player on tour.

　But, it's Wilson who got the last punch in. The 32-year-old, whose best year was back in 1996 when he claimed his only other career titles (Grand Prairie, Texas; Tokyo), seemed determined to end his title drought in the PBA Tour's first-ever single-elimination bracket tournament. The invitational was comprised of the 32 best bowlers on tour.

　In the title match versus Couch, Wilson pointed toward frame No. 6 as the crucial moment. Leading by only 11 pins heading into the frame, Wilson entered the pocket a bit high and barely tripped a wobbly 4-pin.

　"I was fortunate that pin fell," said Wilson. "That kept the momentum in my favor and allowed me to extend my string to four straight strike."

　Wilson really put the pressure on Couch when he extended the four-bagger to six consecutive strikes after the eighth frame.

　Couch, who earned $10,000 in second, answered with a strike in the eighth frame, but fell behind by a whopping 52 pins when he could only muster a single-pin spare conversion in the ninth.

　Following a spare in the ninth, Wilson claimed the title with a strike on his first shot in the 10th, shutting Couch out.

　"I hit the pocket on every shot," Couch commented about his ball reaction. "If you hit the pocket that many times, the law of averages says you're going to get wrapped a couple of times."

　It was four times to be exact. Couch struck in every frame except the second, third and seventh, in which he was forced to settle with 7-pin spare conversions. A stubborn 6-pin in the ninth frame was his only other error.

　Wilson, who struck eight times in the match, was forced to convert only two spares in the game.

　In order to join Couch in the title match, Wilson had to defeat Tony Reyes, of San Jose, Calif., in the semifinals, 245-150. Reyes, who earned $5,000 with his semifinal loss, never recovered after a foul on a successful first shot in the third frame.

　Couch slid by Brian Himmler, of Cincinnati, in the semifinal round, 240-227. Himmler, who also earned $5,000, forced Couch to throw a double in the 10th frame in order to advance.

　The PBA Tour will be on hiatus until the fall of 2001.

2001/03/03

　　【PBA】　Battle at Little Creek　【the quarterfinal (third) round】

The Final Four Set To Battle In Virginia Beach

Jason Couch

　For the second time in a week, Chris Barnes crumbled in front of Jason Couch, losing a best-of-three games match in the quarterfinal (third) round of competition in the PBA Tour at Little Creek.

　Barnes, of Wichita, Kan., led most of the third and decisive game until disaster struck in the ninth frame. Leading by a slim two-pin margin entering the ninth frame, Barnes left a pocket 7-10 split.

　"I tried to readjust the way I was playing the lane after a couple of 4-pin leaves and just got caught in the transition," said Barnes.

　Still with a ray of hope, the 1998 PBA Rookie of the Year bounced the 10-pin out of the pit, across the deck and clipped the front side of the 7-pin. The 7-pin wobbled, but refused to fall. Barnes' once comfortable lead was cut to a 21-pin deficit in the blink of an eye.

　Couch, like he has done so routinely in recent times, stepped up and threw a crucial strike in the 10th frame to lock up the game (215-203) and the match (2-1).

　"I'm the guy everyone is gunning for right now since I'm the hottest bowler on tour," said Couch, who earned the No. 1 PBA World Power Ranking position after his victory over Barnes last Sunday (The Villages, Fla.). "I like the format this week for the fans, but I think I've gotten an ulcer this week. My matches have all been that close."

　A nine-time PBA titlist, Couch, of Clermont, Fla., will shoot for his second straight victory in tomorrow's four-man championship round.

　This will mark Couch's fourth consecutive championship round appearance and fifth of the season, which leads the PBA. In the past three weeks, he finished first (The Villages, Fla.), second (Burlington, N.C.) and third (Latham, N.Y.).

　In the other match, Brian Himmler, of Cincinnati, overpowered Mika Koivuniemi, of Finland, 2-0. Himmler, who owns one career PBA title (Albuquerque, N.M., 1999), proved to be too much for Koivuniemi to handle in game two, winning 277-184.

　However, Koivuniemi ran neck-and-neck with Himmler in the first game. A missed single-pin spare in the sixth frame proved to be costly for Koivuniemi as he lost the game by only 10 pins, 245-235.

　Couch and Himmler will face each other in the semifinal round tomorrow.

　In the last two showdowns of the night, Steve Wilson and Tony Reyes earned a spot in the finals.

　Wilson, of Lake Worth, Fla., defeated Steve Jaros, of Bolingbrook, Ill., 2-0. Wilson, who is looking for his first win since 1996, when he won his two PBA titles, rolled strong games of 257 and 259 to make his first championship round appearance of the year.

　"It's a lift of my back just to make the show," said Wilson. "I've been struggling some the last couple years and I just want to start making the shows more often."

　Reyes, of San Jose, Calif., also put out his competition, Jason Hurd, of Titusville, Fla., in two games. Reyes, who is making his second career telecast and aiming toward his first PBA title, beat Hurd in game No. 1 with a 245 game. The second game would be closer as Reyes gained only seven pins over Hurd in the final score, 206-199.

　"I'm happy just to have made the show," said Reyes. "I'm already so pumped up I can't wait for tomorrow. Hopefully I can get the crowd behind me, I'm the underdog and a lot of times people will root for you because of that."

　Wilson and Reyes will face each other in the semifinals.

　　【PBA】　Battle at Little Creek　【second round】

And Then There Were Eight...

Steve Wilson

　Steve Wilson and Steve Jaros became the final two of eight to advance to the third round of competition in the PBA Tour's Battle at Little Creek.

　Wilson, of Lake Worth, Fla., breezed through a quick, two-game match to defeat Bryon Smith, of Winchester, Ore., in the second round of competition. Wilson, who is looking for win No. 3, won the first game by 36 pins (226-190).

　In the second game, Smith allowed Wilson to stay ahead by leaving two consecutive open frames.

　Wilson, who has a high finish of eighth this year (National Bowling Stadium National/Senior Doubles, Reno, Nev.), struck through the first four frames in the game to build up a solid lead.

　Despite a failed attempt to convert the 7-10 split in the ninth frame, Wilson still stayed 47 pins ahead of Smith heading into the final frame and secured the win (234-203).

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　Also winning in a 2-0 match, Jaros, of Bolingbrook, Ill., sent home 1999 Virginia Beach champion Mark Mosayebi, of Charlotte, N.C.

　Although both struggled through the first game, Jaros emerged as the winner, 190-160. In game No. 2, Mosayebi struck on his first ball in the 10th frame and needed a strike and two pins to go past Jaros. He was unable to strike, leaving the 3-6 combination and ending his chance to win his second career title.

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　Jason Hurd won't complain about his win over Danny Wiseman in the second round.

　Like a dagger to the heart, Wiseman, who led by 26 pins after the sixth frame of the deciding game, proceeded to leave back-to-back 7-10 splits.

　Before he could catch his breath, Wiseman was facing a 27-pin deficit after the eighth frame. A deficit that nobody expected to see after Wiseman opened the match with the tournament's third 300 game.

　Hurd claimed the third and deciding game, 209-193, and won the match, 2-1.

　Wiseman actually had a chance to put Hurd away at the end of the second game but left the 2-10 split in the 10th frame, one too many splits to overcome in the best-of-three match. Hurd won the second game 189-175.

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　Third-year pro Tony Reyes, of San Jose, Calif., beat Tim Criss in two straight games (213-188 and 224-189). Reyes, who has a career high second place finish, is searching for his second championship round appearance.

　Reyes will face Hurd at 9 p.m. tonight for one of four spots on tomorrow's televised championship round.

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　Jason Couch and Chris Barnes will go head-to-head to fight for a spot in the finals after they both won earlier today.

　Just as so many others have had to do this week, Couch, of Clermont, Fla., had to wait until the last frame of the third game to celebrate his win. The former PBA Rookie of the Year (1992), who won his ninth PBA title last week in The Villages, Fla., defeated PBA Hall of Famer Brian Voss in the first game, 247-220.

　Voss, of Atlanta, came back strong in the second game and took the win.

　In the deciding game, Couch made a ball change after converting a single-pin spare followed by a three-pin spare. After the switch, Couch started to strike. Voss, who owns 20 PBA titles, mixed strikes with single-pin spares to keep the game close. Finishing the match first, Couch doubled in the 10th frame to shut out Voss.

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　Barnes, of Wichita, Kan., was able to sweep the match against Tommy Delutz Jr., 2-0, to stay alive.

　n game No. 1, Barnes, once again sporting the red, white and blue, had to double in the 10th frame to slide by Delutz. In yet another determinate 10th frame, Delutz needed to strike out in the frame to tie Barnes in the second game for a chance to bowl an additional game.

　The one-time titlist left a 10-pin on his first ball to hand the win to Barnes.

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　In the first match of the day, Brian Himmler and Pete Weber went toe-to-toe. And in keeping with the theme of the week, the fate wasn't sealed until the 10th frame of the last game.

　With the match tied at one game apiece, Weber stepped up last in the final frame of the third game needing a double for the match. But, The PBA Hall of Famer came up high and left the 6-10 combination and gave Himmler a 2-1 victory in the match with a 235-233 win in game three.

　However, Himmler forced Weber to double in the 10th after he threw four strikes in a row to end the game first.

　Himmler, a one-time PBA champion (Albuquerque, N.M., 1999), needed to scramble from behind in that last game after failing to convert the 7-10 split in the third frame.

　After Himmler's open third frame, Weber protected a 44-pin lead up through the ninth frame. But, in the ninth, Weber left the 2-10 and failed to convert the spare. His lead was cut to 10 pins. And after his failed strike attempt in the 10th, Himmler held fate in his own hands. Himmler won game one 244-213. Weber took the second game 190-167.

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　The remaining eight finalists will return Saturday evening for the third round of competition, which will be the best of three. The final four professionals will return Sunday to vie for the title and the first-place prize of $20,000.

2001/03/02

　　【PBA】　Battle at Little Creek　【first-single elimination round】

Smith Comes Back With Perfect Game To Put Away Bohn

Bryon Smith

　Bryon Smith joined Steve Wilson in the winner's circle after the seventh flight completed the first single-elimination round in the PBA Tour's Battle at Little Creek.

　Wilson, of Lake Worth, Fla., defeated 10-time PBA titlist Steve Hoskins, 3-1. After winning the first game, 257-236, Wilson, who owns two PBA titles, lost the second game by four pins. In game three, the two kept the match tight as Hoskins was down only one pin heading into the 10th frame. Wilson, who is looking for his first win since 1996, managed to grab the win to make the match 2-1 and then posted another strong game of 246 to close the match.

　'The first game I was really nervous," said Wilson. "Not only is Steve (Hoskins)one of the top 10 bowlers in the world but he is a close friend as well so I really had to keep my focus."

　"All of our games were close so I didn't have room for mistakes," Wilson said. "I know what Hoskins is capable of and I think that really brought out the best in me."

　In a slightly longer match, Smith, of Winchester, Ore., used a perfect game to come from behind and beat PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III. Bohn, of Jackson, N.J., dominated the first game while Smith threw bad shot after bad shot (279-169). Bohn would again best Smith in the second game and nearly shut him out in game No. 3. However, in the 10th frame Bohn left a six count, allowing Smith the chance to stay alive with one win.

　Smith, who is looking for his first PBA title, took full advantage of the opportunity by rolling a 300 game to pick up his second win. In the deciding game, Bohn gave Smith an early lead by leaving a six count in the second frame and then guttering on his spare ball. Heading into the seventh frame, Smith was ahead of the former PBA Player of the Year (1999), but then missed a 10-pin to open and cut the lead down to only eight pins.

　Smith, who finished the match first, struck on his first ball in the 10th frame and needed only a strike and three pins to win. He struck on the next two balls to advance.

　"I knew I could come back if I could win just one match," said Smith. "The first game I had several bad shots but in the second game the lanes started coming to me and I knew I could make the shots I needed."

　Flight eight will take to the lanes Friday evening to complete the first round of competition. Saturday, the 16 remaining professionals will face each other for a second round of single-elimination, which will be the best of three games. The enduring eight will return Saturday for another round, the best of three, which will leave only four professionals to vie for the title and the first-place prize of $20,000.

　　【PBA】　Battle at Little Creek　【first-single elimination round】

Reyes Gets All Three In The 10th To Upset Duke

Tony Reyes

　Tim Criss, Jason Hurd, Tony Reyes and Danny Wiseman emerged as winners after flights five and six completed the first single-elimination round in the PBA Tour's Battle at Little Creek.

　Reyes, of San Jose, Calif., threw the three biggest strikes of his young career in the 10th frame of the fifth and final game versus 2000 PBA Player of the Year Norm Duke. Reyes, a third-year pro, needed all three hits in that frame to get by Duke, 247-246, and win the best of five match, 3-2. Had Reyes only knocked down nine pins on his last shot, for a 246 tie, Duke (who finished the match first) would have advanced with a higher five-game pinfall total.

　"That was fun," yelled an exhilarated Reyes as he walked into the media room. "I can't believe the pressure I felt needing those pins versus the player of the year, especially with all he's accomplished. I was sweating like crazy out there. I just wanted to throw three good shots."

　Duke, the No. 4 seed, claimed games one and four, 231-190 and 246-213. However, the 29th seeded Reyes won the second and third games, 231-226 and 278-235, before needing the fifth game for the upset.

　Tim Criss, of Bel Air, Md., also needed five games to defeat Bob Learn Jr., of Erie, Pa., 3-2. Learn, like Reyes, could have won the match with three strikes in the 10th frame of the last game. But, Learn could muster only nine pins on his first shot, leaving the 2-pin on the heels of a five-bagger.

　In hindsight, Learn may have lost the match with a crucial mistake on his final shot of the first game. Entering the 10th frame, Learn was leading by 32 pins and had the match easily at hand. Shockingly, he left the 4-6-7-10 "big-four"split, failed to convert and lost the game 180-178.

　"That was a gift," said Criss. "I was fully expecting to go down one game to none."

　Criss and Reyes will face each other in a best-of-three, second round match tomorrow at 2 p.m.

　Wiseman, of Baltimore, shut out Rudy "Revs" Kasimakis in a quick, 3-0 match up. Wiseman, who won his eighth PBA title last year in Austin, Texas, bowled a steady three games, averaging 227. Kasimakis, who was in search of his first PBA title, was unable to get close to Wiseman in any game. In game No. 2, which would be the closest game, Kasimakis started with two strikes and threw a gutter ball in the third frame to ruin his string and ended up with a 201 game against Wiseman's 231.

　"I was a little skeptical of how I would perform today," said Wiseman. "During our practice session before the match I saw a few different shots and wasn't sure exactly which strategy I would use."

　"I was able to stay clean most of the time and that kept me alive," Wiseman said. "Everyone knows that Revs can be intimidating but I feel at times I can bring some intimidation to the table as well."

　Hurd, of Titusville, Fla., was also able to put away his opponent, Doug Kent, of Newark, N.Y., in a mere three games. Hurd, who has a high finish of sixth this year (Daly City, Calif.), is aiming toward his second PBA title. Kent, who owns four PBA titles and an American Bowling Congress Masters (1991), was unable to post a game above 200. Despite Kent's struggle, Hurd came close to letting Kent grab a win in game No. 2. Hurd started with a string of five strikes but then opened in the next two frames, which in the end would not be enough damage to lose but was enough to bring his game below 200 as well.

　"I was just happy to get those first two wins under my belt," said Hurd. "When you're down a game, it is so much harder to come back and win several in a row."

　Wiseman will face Hurd in a best-of-three, second round match tomorrow at 2 p.m.

　Flights seven and eight will take to the lanes Friday evening to complete the first round of competition. Saturday, the 16 remaining professionals will face each other for a second round of single-elimination, which will be the best of three games. The enduring eight will return Saturday for another round, the best of three, which will leave only four professionals to vie for the title and the first-place prize of $20,000.

2001/03/01

　　【PBA】　Battle at Little Creek　【first-single elimination round】

Barnes Gets His Country Behind Him In Battle At Little Creek

Chris Barnes

　Brian Voss, Jason Couch, Chris Barnes and Tommy Delutz Jr. dismissed four more professionals after flights three and four completed half of the first-single elimination round in the PBA Tour's Battl at Little Creek.

　Voss, of Atlanta, walked away victorious with a 3-2 best of five-game record. The PBA Hall of Famer, who owns 20 titles, won the first game versus Mike Miller, 238-186. Miller, of Albuquerque, N.M., then found a line and snapped off the next two games, 220-182 and 206-146. In that third game, Voss left five splits and seemed to be backed into a corner.

　In the very next match, Voss had the first nine strikes and needed the first hit in the 10th to stay alive versus Miller, who had just completed a 267 score. After quietly concentrating on the shot for what seemed like an eternity, he calmly sent 10 pins into the pit and electrified the crowd.

　"That was a big shot," said Voss. "In the last year, I've been faced with those kinds of situations more than anyone on tour. I just wanted to take my time and make sure it was a good shot."

　Voss then put the icing on the cake with two more strikes, firing his 41st career PBA 300 game.

　In the fifth game, riding the crest of his momentum, Voss seemed determined not to lose the match as he opened with two more strikes. After the 14 straight strikes he left the dreaded 7-10 split. Once again in the seventh frame he failed to convert the 7-10 combination and allowed Miller to hang too close for comfort. Entering the ninth frame, Miller trailed Voss by a mere five pins. However, he sealed his own fate, throwing a 2-10 split and was unable to recover. Voss claimed the decisive game, 213-181, and won the match.

　The flight's other match didn't last quite as long. Couch, of Clermont, Fla., made quick work of Robert Smith, of Simi Valley, Calif., winning the match 3-0. Smith couldn't seem to catch a break in the match despite having a good ball reaction. But, Couch, who just earned the No. 1 PBA World Power Ranking after his ninth career victory Sunday, powered past Smith (232-205, 264-237 and 213-152).

　"I'm feeling very confident right now," commented Couch. "Our match (Voss and Couch) Saturday should be very interesting."

　"The fans got behind Voss after his 300 game," Couch said. "I hope to take his fans out of it early and get the crowd behind me."

　Couch and Voss will face each other Saturday at noon.

　Barnes, of Wichita, Kan., donned in red, white and blue, won over the patriotic crowd's affection early in the evening and was able to beat Venezuela's Amleto Monacelli in the first two games, including a 279-200 win. Barnes, who finished second last week to Couch in The Villages, Fla., fell slightly off pace in the third game, with two open frames, to lose to PBA Hall of Famer Monacelli. Barnes was able to secure the win in game No. 4 to assure his return for the second round of competition.

　"Winning the first two games was huge for me," said Barnes. "When you're competing against someone as talented as Monacelli, you have to try and put them away as soon as possible.ﾓ"

　"I had some bad shots throughout the match up," commented Barnes. "But that seems to be happening to everyone here so far, I just had to watch for the breakdown and try and stay ahead of it."

　In another 3-2 match, Delutz, of Flushing, N.Y., outscored Steelsmith, of Wichita, Kan. Delutz, who owns one PBA title, lost the first match of the night but came back strong to win the next three. Steelsmith, who is a former PBA Rookie of the Year (1988), nearly caught up with Delutz in the fourth game, losing by only two pins (205-203).

　Barnes and Delutz will meet on the lanes Saturday at noon. Friday, the second half of the field will take to the lanes for their first round of competition. Saturday, the 16 remaining professionals will face each other for a second round of single-elimination, which will be the best of three games. The enduring eight will return Saturday for another round, the best of three, which will leave only four professionals.

　　【PBA】　Battle at Little Creek　【first-single elimination round】

The Battle Has Begun In Virginia Beach

Pete Weber

　Pete Weber and three of his fellow professionals said goodbye to their opponents after the first two flights completed the first-single elimination round in the PBA Tour's Battl at Little Creek.

　Weber, of St. Ann, Mo., needed only three games to eliminate Ryan Shafer, of Elmira, N.Y. The PBA Hall of Famer, who owns 25 PBA titles, averaged 232 through the three games. Shafer, who owns three PBA titles, including a win this year in Las Vegas, waited until the third game to put pressure on Weber. After converting the "big-four" (4-6-7-10 split), Shafer bowled a clean game and had a chance to shut out Weber in the 10th frame. However, he left the 8-10 split and failed to pick up any pins, allowing Weber to advance.

　"I didn't think that Shafer was going to give me a chance in the third game,"said Weber. "I had a plan though, I was going to switch balls for the next game but luckily I didn't have to worry about it."

　Brian Himmler, of Cincinnati, needed five games to abolish Justin Hromek, of Andover, Kan. Himmler, who owns one PBA title, went 3-2 in the round. Hromek fell just shy of a perfect score in the third game as he bowled a tournament-high, 289 game to stay alive. The three-time PBA champion went on to win game No. 4 but then lost the last game after leaving three consecutive open frames.

　Weber and Himmler will face each other Friday morning for the best of three games.

　"I like this format," Himmler said. "It's got a ton of excitement and strategy becomes key to winning."

　Bryan Goebel, of Shawnee, Kan., made easy work of PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr., posting a 3-0 record in the best of five game match. In the third and decisive game, Williams started with five straight strikes and appeared to be gearing for a comeback after losing the first two games, 237-225 and 217-173. But, in the sixth frame Williams left the difficult 4-6-7-10 "big-four" split, which he failed to convert. Goebel, on the other hand, reeled off nine consecutive strikes (frames 4-10) and eliminated Williams, 3-0, with a 270-239 victory in the third game.

　Mika Koivuniemi had to fight a tougher battle against Patrick Healey Jr. Koivunimei, of Finland, and Patrick Healey Jr., of Mexico City, needed all five games to decide who advanced. Healey, who won games two and four (231-210 and 235-218), left two crucial splits in the fifth and final game. In the second frame he failed to convert the dreaded 7-10 split followed by the 2-8-10 combination in the fourth frame, which he also left open. Koivuniemi struck in frames two through seven, which proved to be enough of a string to beat Healey in the fifth game 264-236. Koivuniemi won the match 3-2. However, the first game may have been the decisive point in the match. Healey threw the "big-four" split in the 10th frame. Needing only two pins to tie Koivuniemi at 203, Healey chopped only the 10-pin off the right side of the combination and lost the game 203-202.

　Goebel and Koivuniemi will go head-to-head Friday morning. Half of the field will compete in the first single-elimination match Thursday, which will be the best of five games. Friday, the second half of the field will take to the lanes for their first round of competition. Saturday, the 16 remaining professionals will face each other for a second round of single-elimination, which will be the best of three games. The enduring eight will return Saturday for another round, the best of three, which will leave only four professionals.

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