Koivuniemi Back to the Finals

Mika Koivuniemi, Ann Arbor, Mich., defeated Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., four-games-to-three in the round of 8 Saturday evening in the PBA Cambridge Credit Classic at Bradley Bowl.

Couch struck in frames 5-12 to win the first game, 260-246. Koivuniemi evened the match at 1-1 with a 267-259 win before tossing his second 300 game of the tournament in the third game.

In the seventh game, the two-time Tour title winner started the game with nine strikes to take the match from Couch with a 274-247 win.

"I tried to make some good shots out there," said Koivuniemi, who averaged 279.50 in his four wins against Couch. "I knew the match was going to be high scoring. I'm just going to do the same thing tomorrow and make 12 good shots."

Couch, the top qualifier among the four bowlers who lost in the round of 8 will be the wildcard in Sunday's final round. He will again take on Koivuniemi, this time in the wildcard match.

In other matches, Eric Forkel, Las Vegas, came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Tommy Jones, Greenville, S.C., 4-3. Forkel, a five-time Tour winner, shot games of 285 and 258 to close out the victory.

Patrick Allen, Tarrytown, N.Y., defeated Chris Hayden, Orlando, 4-2. Allen was down 2-1 before he won the next three games with scores of 269, 259 and 237 to advance to his third finals of the season.

Peter Hernandez, Miami, will make his first career finals appearance after a 4-1 win over Tony Reyes, San Jose, Calif. Reyes failed to strike to begin the 10th frame of the first game, and lost 227-226. Hernandez, a two-year Tour veteran, then won three of the next four games, including a 257-238 victory in game five, to advance.

Allen will face Forkel in the first semifinal, while Hernandez will face the winner of the wildcard match in the second semifinal.

　　【PBA】　PBA Cambridge Credit Classic　【Round 4】

Jones Defeats PBA Hall of Famer

Four-year PBA Tour member Tommy Jones, Greenville, S.C., defeated Hall of Famer Johnny Petraglia, Manalapan, N.J., four-games-to-one in the PBA Cambridge Credit Classic Friday evening at Bradley Bowl.

Jones took game one, 219-203, before Petraglia, who won his first PBA Tour title in the 1966 PBA Ft. Smith Open, took game two, 258-255. After that, Jones took the next three games, posting scores of 268, 234 and 275.

"(Johnny's) been one of the older guys that has been very kind and polite to me," said Jones. "I have the utmost respect for Johnny, and he's a real class act...it was an honor to bowl against him."

Five matches went the distance, including Patrick Allen, Tarrytown, N.Y., beating amateur Chris Rebstock, Middletown, Conn., 4-3. Allen, the No. 1 seed in match play, struck in frames 6-11 of the final game to win the contest, 254-214.

Tony Reyes, San Jose, Calif., defeated 2000 PBA Tour Rookie of the Year Joe Ciccone, 4-3. Ciccone had evened the match at 3-3 with a 226-214 win before Reyes won the final game, 235-226.

Hall of Famer Mike Aulby, Indianapolis, defeated Chris Sand, Chesterfield, Mich., 4-3. Aulby will face Mika Koivuniemi, Ann Arbor, Mich., who defeated Anders Ohman, Sweden, 4-2, in the round of 16.

In other matches, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., fell to Michael Cimba, Monroeville, Pa., 4-3. Cimba was making his first career PBA Tour match play appearance.

Notes: Doug Kent and Mika Koivuniemi both tossed 300 games in the round of 32, bringing the tournament total to 17...the 17 perfect games is the most in one tournament since the 2002 PBA Flagship Open had 19 perfect games.

　　【PBA】　PBA Cambridge Credit Classic　【Round 2】

Miller Makes His Move

Hugh Miller, Seattle, led the second of two qualifying squads with a 2,249 nine-game pinfall in the first round of the PBA Cambridge Credit Classic Thursday evening at Bradley Bowl.

Miller, a lefty with seven career PBA Tour titles, entered this week 98th in the PBA World Point Rankings with 16,190 points, but had a strong start with games of 235, 257, 269 and 277 to begin the round.

"The lanes are high scoring here," said Miller, who sits 3rd overall after the first round. "The past history of this house shows that lefties score well here. I haven't been here since 1991, but it used to be one of my favorite stops."

A season-high 10 bowlers tossed 300 games on the day. The record for most 300's in one tournament is 24, done in the 1995 PBA Peoria Open.

Patrick Allen, Tarrytown, N.Y., leads all bowlers with 2,326. Allen, who won the PBA Greater Philadelphia Open earlier this season, was 31 pins shy of tying the PBA record for the best nine-game pinfall. Dave D'Entremont shot 2,357 in the 2002 PBA Flagship Open.

Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., sits tied for 6th with 2,214 while fellow left-hander Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla. is 19th with 2,163. Local amateur, Chris Rebstock, Middletown, Conn., is 10th with 2,202.

Tom Smallwood, Flushing, Mich., was 64th with 2,073 and was the last qualifier to make it into the next round. Last week's title winner in the PBA Geico Open, Patrick Healey Jr., finished 109th with 1,980.

Notes: The 10, 300-games are the most in one PBA event since 13 were tossed in the 2001 PBA Silicon Valley Open...Mike Aulby, Indianapolis, and Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., both threw two 300-games that week...Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., skipped this week's event...Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., who withdrew from last week's PBA Geico Open with loose cartlidge in his right knee, finished tied for 100th Thursday with 1,997.

　　【PBA】　PBA Cambridge Credit Classic　【Round 1 - A Squad】