【PBA】　PBA Cambridge Credit Classic　【Round 3】

Barnes Continues March

Chris Barnes

If Chris Barnes is proving to be the king of match play this season on the PBA Tour, he lived up to the moniker Friday night.

Barnes, Dallas, defeated Brian Himmler, four-games-to-two, Friday night in the Round of 32 in the Cambridge Credit Classic at Syosset Lanes.

As the only bowler to make every match play cut this season, the three-time champion advanced to his seventh Round of 16 in 10 tournaments.

"I've been on the 'just enough' plan through qualifying," Barnes, 32, said about consistently sneaking into the top 32. "But, I've bowled better once I get to match play."

He qualified by only seven pins this week in the 31st position and drew Himmler, who qualified second.

"Himmler won the first two games with a good ball reactionﾉ just like he's had all week. Then the left lane started hooking early. He was hooking the ball more while I was playing comparatively much straighter. So, he struggled more with the changing lane conditions."

Barnes got stronger as the match wore on, averaging 223 to Himmler's 204.5.

"I made at least five adjustments - between balls, speed control and hand positions. I finally caught a rhythm for the first time this week."

Himmler had a chance to send the match to a game No. 7, but left a stone 9-pin on his second shot in the 10th. Barnes won the decisive game, 211-210, and advanced to face five-time champion Eric Forkel Saturday.

Last week's champion, Randy Pedersen (Pepsi Open, Springfield, Pa.), shot a perfect score for the third consecutive week and defeated Tony Reyes (4-1). Pedersen will bowl PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber who defeated Vince Wood (4-2). Other match ups include: David Traber vs. Bryon Smith; Jason Hurd vs. Mike DeVaney; Brad Angelo vs. Hugh Miller; Doug Kent vs. Rudy Kasimakis; James Wallace vs. Norm Duke; and Roger Bowker vs. Amleto Monacelli.

　　【PBA】　PBA Cambridge Credit Classic　【Round 2】

Kretzer Earns Top Match Play Spot

Brian Kretzer

　　【PBA】　PBA Cambridge Credit Classic　【Round 1】

Kasimakis Tops on The Island

Rudy Kasimakis

Rudy Kasimakis put on a "home turf" show Thursday and led the first round of qualifying in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Cambridge Credit Classic at Syosset Lanes.

Kasimakis, who grew up in Hicksville, N.Y., and was born at a hospital less than a mile from the bowling center, finished with his best game of the day (265) and moved into first place. He averaged 227 and knocked down 2,043 pins.

"It's always nice to perform well in your hometown," Kasimakis, 38, said. "There's a little pressure here just because the home crowd always expects you to perform well but the pressure doesn't get to me. I was just mad after the way I performed last week and wanted to do better."

Last week in the PBA Pepsi Open, Kasimakis, now of Gouldsboro, Pa., finished in 62nd place and practiced over the weekend to get ready for this week.

"I just had to work some bugs out. I wanted to get my hand as soft as possible," Kasimakis said. "And I needed to stay slow, keep my bottom swing really long and not grab the ball."

He started the day with a 237 and followed with a 193, 236, 202, 217, 257, 219, 217, before finishing with the 265.

"It's always nice to get here and be at the top after qualifying," the right-hander said. "But it doesn't mean anything after we start tomorrow. It gives me a little comfort room, but I still have to do well tomorrow. I've been around and I know how fast things can change."

Another hometown participant finished in second place. James Wallace, North Babylon, N.Y., finished second after averaging 223.89. In third is Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, who toppled 2,006 pins. Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., and Paul Fleming, Bedford, Texas, finished tied in fourth place after averaging 221.

　　【PBA】　PBA Pepsi Open　【Final】

Perfect Millionaire

Randy Pedersen

Randy Pedersen won his first Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) title since 1999 in the PBA Pepsi Open Sunday at Sproul Lanes.

Pedersen, Hollywood, Fla., defeated Chris Barnes, Dallas, in the championship match, 216-210, and earned his 13th career PBA Tour title along with the $40,000 top prize. He needed a strike on his first ball in the 10th for the win.

"I never thought I'd win again," he said. "Last week was nice (6th place in PBA Banquet Classic, Grand Rapids, Mich.) but I thought it was just going to be something to build on. So today when I just had to strike in the 10th to win, I got focused. I told myself, 'youﾕve done it all week long when you had to - just relax.' I threw a good shot."

The 40-year-old became the first player to finish match play undefeated (12-0) since single-elimination began last season. He also became the 24th millionaire in PBA history, pushing his career winnings to $1,036,576.

Barnes finished second for the third time this season. The 1998 PBA Rookie of the Year has 10 runner-up finishes and three titles in his still-young, five-year career.

"It took four or five years for guys like Mark Roth and Walter Ray Williams Jr. to put all the pieces together," said Barnes, who earned $20,000. "Then they started winning consistently. Eventually, you just start making the right adjustments when you need to. I tried a few different things today. Some worked and, unfortunately, some didn't."

Today marked Barnes' 26th career finals appearance. For Pedersen, a 19-year tour veteran, it was only his 29th. But, Pedersen has won 45 percent of the time in the finals (13/29).

"Physically, Randy never breaks," Barnes commented. "Confidence-wise, he can get down on himself. But, when he's got confidence, he can get on a roll. He's a great athlete. He might be just as good now as when he started. He's was a premium model for what today's players have become."

Pedersen moved to the top of the exemption list for the Tournament of Champions in three weeks at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., squeezing out Norm Duke.

In the semifinals, Pedersen knocked off second-year pro Blaise Bedolla with his first 10th frame clutch strike of the day (207-206). Barnes beat Frank Guccione (228-181), another second-year player who was making his first finals appearance. Bedolla, Roseburg, Ore., and Guccione, Highlandsranch, Colo., earned $10,000 each in third. In the opening match, Bedolla defeated three-time champion Steve Jaros (267-218). Jaros, Bolingbrook, Ill., finished fifth with $9,0000.

　　【PBA】　PBA Pepsi Open　【Round 5】

Barnes in Finals with "Good Feeling"

Chris Barnes

Chris Barnes has no reason to base his winning intuition on other than "karma" and a good feeling he had at the beginning of the week in the Professional Bowling Association (PBA) Pepsi Open at Springfield Lanes.

Barnes, Dallas, eliminated Tom Baker, Buffalo, N.Y., three-games-to-two, in a best-of-five series in the Round of 8 and advances to the ESPN finals today at 1 p.m. Barnes, seeking his fourth title, will be competing in his third finals of the season.

"I just had a real good feeling coming into the week," the 32-year-old said. "The pieces are falling into place but there is just one piece left and I like my chances."

In the closest game of the match, Barnes and Baker tied at 226 to force a one-ball roll-off. On the first ball, each threw a strike and forced another roll-off. On the second ball, Baker went first and knocked down eight pins. Barnes answered with a strike and won the game to take a 2-1 lead.

Baker wouldn't back down and answered with the front five strikes in the fourth game and hung on to win 246-237. With the match tied, Barnes and Baker faced a fifth and decisive game.

They flip-flopped the lead in the fifth game, until Barnes secured the win with three consecutive strikes to win 209-192.

"It's very rare that a hall-of-famer gives you that much opportunity to win so I had to take advantage of the situation," Barnes said.

Randy Pedersen, Hollywood, Fla., moved through match play undefeated and has the opportunity to become the first person in the new format to win a title with no losses.

Pedersen, a 12-time PBA champion, is also the ESPN color analyst. PBA Hall-of-Famer and 22-time titlist Brian Voss will fill in for Pedersen, along with play-by-play commentator Dave Ryan.

In the wildcard match, Blaise Bedolla, Roseburg, Ore., will face Steve Jaros, Bolingbrook, Ill. In the first semi-final match and making his first championship round appearance, Frank Guccione, Highlandsrach, Colo., will face Barnes. Pedersen will face the winner of the Bedolla/Jaros match in the second semi-final match.

　　【PBA】　PBA Pepsi Open　【Round 3】

Pedersen Tops $1 Mil

Randy Pedersen

Randy Pedersen became the 24th millionaire in Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) history after the Round of 32 in the PBA Pepsi Open Friday night at Sproul Lanes.

Pedersen, Hollywood, Fla., just needed $3,424 to reach the $1 million mark. The 12-time champion won his match against Jason Hurd (four-games-to-none) and advanced to the Round of 16 where he is guaranteed a paycheck of at least $3,500.

"It feels great to finally crack the mark," said Pedersen, who also serves as ESPN color analyst. "I haven't been bowling too great the last few weeks, with the exception of last week. With the way I was bowling, the production crew and I actually figured out that I wouldn't reach a million until February 2004. That changed real fast."

Last week (Banquet Classic, Wyoming, Mich.) Pedersen broke out of his slump. He nearly earned his first finals berth since 2000, but lost to eventual champion Eugene McCune in the Round of 8. He also rolled his first 300 game since 1999.

This week, Pedersen chalked up a perfect score (second qualifier round) for the second consecutive week and picked up back-to-back match play appearances. Out of nowhere, the 22-year veteran is on a roll.

"I have to give a lot of credit to Storm (Bowling Products)," he said about his tour sponsor and bowling ball provider. "I'm very proud to be wearing their colors. They've been good to me. Plus, I've had two 300 games with the new ball (X-Factor). That has really helped."

Pedersen will face Brian Kretzer in Saturday's Round of 8. Kretzer defeated Pete Weber in seven games.

Chris Barnes, the only bowler to make match play in every tournament this season (9/9), knocked off Brian Voss (4-3). Barnes had the first nine strikes in the decisive game. On the 10th ball, the three-time champion threw a safety shot down the center of the lane to guarantee victory with a good pin count. Barnes will be challenged by Rick Steelsmith, who is aiming for his first finals appearance this season.

Other Round of 8 matches include: Roger Bowker vs. Danny Wiseman; Blaise Bedolla vs. Jeff Lizzi; Steve Jaros vs. Steve Wilson; Dave D'Entremont vs. Frank Guccione; Tommy Jones vs. Brian Himmler; and Tom Baker vs. Norm Duke.

　　【PBA】　PBA Pepsi Open　【Round 2】