Emotional Win for Ballard

It's been a long, emotional road, but Del Ballard Jr. is finally back.

The 12-time Denny's PBA Tour titlist advanced to his first championship round since 1997, defeating Dino Castillo, four-games-to-three, Friday in the round of eight in the 2006 Motel 6 Phoenix Classic at AMF Christown Lanes.

Ballard has endured two difficult years, from missing out on a Tour exemption the last two seasons, to losing his father last August. He will be looking for his first title since the 1993 U.S. Open, which would give him a PBA record for the longest span between Tour titles.

"That was the hardest game I have ever bowled," said Ballard, of his seventh game against Castillo. "I've won 12 titles and a bunch of Majors but it doesn't matter. It's right then and there that matters. Right now I'm just thinking about how I can walk out there without crying again."

The 24-year Tour veteran had to knock off the rookie Castillo (Carrollton, Texas), who was looking for his first career television appearance. The 42-year-old Ballard (North Richland Hills, Texas) has coached the 35-year-old Castillo in recent years.

Ballard, who mostly used the Brunswick Vapor Zone, will face Mike DeVaney (Temecula, Calif.), who defeated Michael Fagan (Greenlawn, N.Y.), 4-1, to advance to his first championship round this season.

The other semifinal features Ritchie Allen (Columbia, S.C.) taking on Brian Kretzer (Dayton, Ohio). Kretzer defeated Robert Smith (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), 4-3, in an exciting seven-game match. Kretzer needed a mark in the 10th frame of game seven to win, but left a 4-7-10 split.

Kretzer picked up the difficult spare, then struck with his final shot to clinch a 205-202 win and his first television appearance since 2004.

Allen, making his second television appearance in the last three weeks, defeated Ryan Shafer (Elmira, N.Y.), 4-1.

Machuga Motors Into Lead

Mike Machuga

Looking for his second Denny's PBA Tour title of the season, Mike Machuga led the round of 64 in the 2006 Motel 6 Phoenix Classic with a 3,196 14-game pinfall Thursday at AMF Christown Lanes.

The 29-year-old from Erie, Pa., was 4th after the first seven-game qualifying set of the day, averaging 229.43. He made his move in the second session, tallying scores of 266, 239 and 265 in games four through six.

"I don't understand how I led [qualifying]. I didn't feel that I bowled well physically, but I guess it's all about matching up," said Machuga, who used a Brunswick Vapor Zone and Absolute Inferno. "It's the simple things. I read the lane the right way and I used the right ball. I made my spares and here I am."

Machuga, who entered the week with a career-best 223.60 season average, will face Nathan Bohr (Wichita, Kan.) in the best-of-seven-games match play round of 32 which begins Friday at 9 a.m. MST.

Bohr fired a 255 in his final game and finished 32nd with 2,978. He beat out Tommy Delutz Jr. (Flushing, N.Y.) for the final match play spot by three pins.

Ryan Shafer, a four-time title winner from Elmira, N.Y., was 2nd with 3,183 and will face 2005 PBA Player of the Year Patrick Allen (Tarrytown, N.Y.), who was 31st with 2,979.

PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber (St. Ann, Mo.) was 3rd with 3,167 and will take on Wes Malott (Austin, Texas) in the round of 32.

　

Couch Wins Weber Open

Jason Couch

With his back against the wall, Jason Couch was clutch all day long.

Couch defeated 30-time Denny's PBA Tour title winner and fellow left-hander Parker Bohn III in the title match of the 2006 Dick Weber Open stepladder finals, 241-214, Sunday at Fountain Bowl.

The 13-time title winner from Clermont, Fla., almost never made it to the title match.

Couch needed a one ball, sudden death roll-off in the semifinal to defeat 22-time title winner Norm Duke (Clermont, Fla.) after the two tied at 213-213. Duke left a 10-pin in his second shot in the 10th and Couch responded by striking out to force the tie.

Couch, who used an Ebonite The One strike ball, opened the roll-off with a strike which Duke couldn't match, leaving the 10-pin on his shot.

"I said to [Duke], 'just give me a chance to strike out and tie you,' and he did," said Couch, who earned $30,000 for the win. "I got a lucky break on the first one [in the 10th] and once I got through the second one, I knew I was going to strike on the third one."

In the title match, Bohn (Jackson, N.J.) opened in the 2nd frame, failing to convert a 1-3-6-9 spare. Couch took advantage of the miscue by converting the 2-4-7-10 split in the 3rd then striking in frames 4-8.

In the quarterfinal, Duke beat Mike Machuga (Erie, Pa.), 212-168, striking seven times while Machuga, searching for his second win of the season, opened three times.

Machuga defeated Chris Loschetter (Olmstead Falls, Ohio), looking for his first career title, 236-154, in the opening match.

Final Five Set

Parker Bohn III

Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III defeated Jason Couch, 226-182, in the final game of round robin match play Friday to earn the top seed for Sunday's championship round in the 2006 Dick Weber Open at Fountain Bowl.

Bohn, who owns 30 Denny's PBA Tour titles, finished with a 9,774 39-game pinfall, which included 15 games of qualifying and 24 games of match play. Bowlers earned 30 bonus pins for each win.

The Jackson, N.J. native averaged 237.54 during the week. He took the overall lead Thursday evening and never looked back, earning an automatic berth into the title match.

"Tonight I just listened to my ball rep," said Bohn, who used two different Brunswick Strike Zone balls in match play. "His game plan looked better than mine so around the fifth or sixth game when things were going a little sour it was time to change to the other ball. Lo and behold I'm the lone star standing at the top."

Bohn's last title came nearly one year ago to the day, when he won the 2005 El Paso Classic on January 16.

Couch (Clermont, Fla.) finished with 9,672 to earn the No. 2 seed for the stepladder finals.

Norm Duke (Clermont, Fla.), a 22-time Tour titlist, fired a 264 in his final game to move from 5th to 3rd place and avoided bowling in the first match Sunday.

Mike Machuga (Erie, Pa.) finished 4th with 9,500 and will face Chris Loschetter (Olmsted Falls, Ohio) in the first match. Loschetter finished 5th with 9,415, 33 pins ahead of Robert Smith (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), who shot 300 in his final game of the night.

　

Bohn Takes the Lead

Parker Bohn III

Thursday night, Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III ignored the saying, and it paid off.

Despite finishing 2nd overall after 15 games of qualifying, Bohn switched to a ball he hadn't used all week and went 6-2 in round robin match play to take the lead in the 2006 Dick Weber Open at Fountain Bowl.

Bohn finished the first of three round robin match play rounds with a 5,625 23-game pinfall. Total pins from the 15 games of qualifying carry over into match play, where bowlers earn 30 bonus pins for each win.

"I felt like the lanes were tighter down lane," said Bohn, who owns 30 career Denny's PBA Tour titles. "At the last minute I went against my ball rep's decision on what ball to use, and said 'this is what I want to try.' We agreed that if one ball has worked all week why throw it in the bag, but as it turned out it worked pretty well."

Bohn (Jackson, N.J.), who used the Brunswick Strike Zone, finished just ahead of Mike Machuga, who fired a 300 in game eight to jump to 2nd. Machuga also fired a 300 in game two and has the only two perfect games of the week. Machuga (Erie, Pa.), who also went 6-2, finished with 5,594.

Chris Loschetter (Olmsted Falls, Ohio), who led qualifying, is 3rd with 5,585. Norm Duke (Clermont, Fla.), a 22-time titlist, is 4th with 5,566. Jason Couch (Clermont, Fla.) is 5th with 5,538, while 40-time titlist Walter Ray Williams Jr (Ocala, Fla.) is 6th with 5,408.The remaining 24 bowlers will return Friday for another two rounds of match play beginning at 11 a.m. PST.
The five bowlers with the highest total pinfall following match play advance to the championship round.
The special five-bowler stepladder finals will be televised live on ESPN Sunday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. PST. The winner receives the $30,000 top prize and an exemption for the 2006-07 season.

Notes:
Machuga's special evening - which featured two 300 games and a 280 - marked a first for the five-season Tour veteran.

"This was the first time I've had two [300 games] in one day, other than in practice," said Machuga, whose 300 in the eighth and final game of round robin match play Thursday evening lifted him from 5th to 2nd overall.

Despite the performance, Machuga walked away impressed with how his opponents performed against him.

"I can't believe my opponents averaged around 240. They kept striking," Machuga mentioned. "My opponents were 300 over in eight games and their low game was 225."

All told Machuga struck in 74 of 95 frames on the evening, good for an eye-popping 77.9 percent strike percentage.

　

Loschetter the Pace Setter

Chris Loschetter

Chris Loschetter's first season as an exempt bowler on the Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour hasn't been easy, but a little advice from his wife is going a long way.

Loschetter fired a 2,347 10-game pinfall Wednesday to take the lead after the second of three qualifying blocks in the 2006 Dick Weber Open at Fountain Bowl.

The 25-year-old from Olmsted Falls, Ohio, took a different approach to the event, thanks to his wife, Erin, who bowled at Central Missouri State.

"I've had a little change in my mental game this week. I'm trying to think about what's going right instead of what's going wrong," said Loschetter, who is currently 35th in the 2005-06 PBA World Point Rankings. "I was trying too hard to make the ball hook since a lot of guys who have been successful this season do that. I need to just throw the ball the way I throw it instead of trying to play everyone else's game."

Loschetter, who earned his exemption by finishing 1st in the 2005 Denny's PBA Tour Trials, overtook PBA Hall of Famer Parker Bohn III late in the second five-game block. Bohn (Jackson, N.J.), who led the first block after averaging 260.20, finished the night 2nd with 2,336. Twenty-two time titlist Norm Duke (Clermont, Fla.) is 3rd with 2,304.

PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber (St. Ann, Mo.), son of the legendary Dick Weber who passed away last February, is 33rd with 2,165.

Himmler Holds On

Brian Himmler

Brian Himmler came through in the clutch, picking up a 3-6-10 spare in the 10th frame to defeat Mika Koivuniemi in the title match of the 2006 Earl Anthony Medford Classic, 214-204, Sunday at Lava Lanes.

The victory, which gave Himmler the $40,000 top prize and his fourth career Denny's PBA Tour title, almost slipped through his hands.

The 13-season veteran opened in the 6th frame, failing to convert a 2-10 split, but Koivuniemi failed to strike in the 7th and 8th frames. After recovering with strikes in the 8th and 9th, Himmler needed to mark in the 10th to win his third title in his last four championship round appearances.

"Fortunately [the 3-6-10 spare] is makeable, but I almost blew it," said Himmler. "I was lucky to make that spare. As they say, 'all breaks are well earned' and I'm a believer in that now."

The Cincinnati native advanced to the title match after he defeated Tim Criss, who was looking to snap a 132-event winless streak, 259-242, in the semifinals. Himmler opened the match with six straight strikes and capitalized on a Criss open in the 11th frame by striking out in the 10th.

Koivuniemi defeated Ritchie Allen in their semifinal, 237-215. The 2004 PBA Player of the Year struck out in the 10th to shut out Allen, who was making his second career televised finals appearance.

Koivuniemi (Hartland, Mich.) earned $20,000 for his 2nd place finish while Allen (Columbia, S.C.) and Criss (Bel Air, Md.) earned $10,000 apiece for their respective 3rd and 4th place finishes.

Notes: By striking on his first six shots against Criss in the semifinals, Himmler became the third bowler this season to pick-up a $600 bonus from Motel 6. At the end of the season, the bowler who accomplishes the feat most often on TV will receive $6,000, courtesy of Motel 6.

Himmler is the third bowler this season to strike on his first six shots in a televised finals match, joining Tommy Jones and Wes Malott.

"Turtle" Power

Tim Criss

Tim Criss has struggled under the Denny's PBA Tour's new match play format, but some recent adjustments are paying dividends for the veteran.

Criss will be looking for his first title since 1999 as he defeated Tom Daugherty (Tampa, Fla.), four-games-to-two, Friday in the round of 8 in the 2006 Earl Anthony Medford Classic at Lava Lanes.

The 13-year Tour veteran with five career titles finished 35th in the 2004-05 PBA World Point Rankings, barely earning an exemption for the 2005-06 season. He's been struggling so far this season as well, as he is currently 41st in the 2005-06 PBA World Point Rankings.

"I've struggled in the new format, but hopefully I'm starting to figure things out," said Criss, who used a Columbia Wicked on Friday. "For whatever reason, (the format) just hasn't really matched up with my game. I've been trying to work on throwing the ball straighter and so far it's working for me."

Criss (Bel Air, Md.), who hasn't won a title in his last 132 events, will face Brian Himmler (Cincinnati) in the semifinals. Himmler defeated Mike Wolfe (New Albany, Ind.), who won the last Tour event of the season's first half in December, 4-1.

The other semifinal will feature 2004 PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi, who defeated PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. (Ocala, Fla.), 4-3. Williams was looking to tie Earl Anthony's all-time Tour record of 41 titles.

Koivuniemi (Hartland, Mich.) will face Ritchie Allen (Columbia, S.C.) in the second semifinal. Allen, whose lone Tour title came in 2002, defeated 2005 PBA Player of the Year Patrick Allen (Tarrytown, N.Y.), 4-1.

Barnes is Back

Chris Barnes

Chris Barnes' back isn't 100-percent, but it's healthy enough for him to hit the lanes again.

Barnes, who hasn't bowled a full event since November 2005 due to a lower back strain, returned to Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour competition, finishing 6th in the 2006 Earl Anthony Medford Classic round of 64 Thursday with a 3,116 14-game pinfall at Lava Lanes.

Barnes withdrew during two events in Nov. 2005 before skipping three events in December. In his first action since Nov. 24, Barnes finished 105 pins behind Wes Malott, who led the field with 3,221.

A six-time Denny's PBA Tour title winner, Barnes shot 222 in his first official game back. He used a Columbia Action strike ball throughout the day.

"[My back] is at 85 or 90 percent. It's still sore and it gets knots as I bowl," said Barnes, who was 5th entering the day's final game. "The difference now is that it doesn't really stop me from doing anything I want to do in my physical game. I just have to fight through it."

The 35-year-old from Flower Mound, Texas, averaged 220.71 in his first seven-game qualifying block before he averaged 224.43 in his second seven-game set.

Barnes will face Blaise Bedolla (Roseburg, Ore.) in the best-of-seven-games match play round of 32. Bedolla finished tied for 27th with 2,940.

Malott, who tossed the day's lone 300 game, enters match play as the top seed and will face PBA Hall of Famer Tom Baker (King, N.C.), who tied for 31st with 2,920.

The 2004 PBA Player of the Year Mika Koivuniemi (Hartland, Mich.) was 2nd with 3,174 and will face David Traber (Hebron, Ill.) in the round of 32.

Notes: Barnes has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three Tour events held in Medford. Last season, he finished 9th in the 2004 Earl Anthony Medford Classic after finishing 7th in the 2004 Medford Open during the 2003-04 season. Barnes' run started with a 9th place finish in the 2003 Medford Open during the 2002-03 season.