Victory in PBA Scorpion Championship Revives DeVaney's Career, Pluhowsky Wins Back-to-Back

San Diego's Mike DeVaney salvaged his bowling career when he defeated Australia's Jason Belmonte, 189-170, to win the Professional Bowlers Association's Scorpion Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes.

In the Women's Scorpion Championship that also aired Sunday on ESPN, Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix defeated Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., 192-177, for back-to-back Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM victories.

DeVaney, a 36-year-old journeyman, won his second career PBA Tour title in a contest that saved him and his family from possible financial ruin. Strikes in the eighth and ninth frames, followed by a spare and strike in the 10th, rallied DeVaney to victory over Australia's two-handed bowling sensation.

Along with a $25,000 first prize, DeVaney also locked up an exemption to bowl on the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour for the 2010-11 season and he earned a spot in the end-of-season PBA Experience Showdown presented by BOWL.COM.

"I came in (to the PBA World Series of Bowling) with all the pressure in the world," DeVaney confessed after his win. "I'm looking at going back home and living on the streets if I don't make any money here."

"Bowling for a living is a difficult thing to do. To be honest, I lived in my car for two weeks before the World Series started to save enough money to be able to afford to get here," he added. "My wife and two-year-old son stayed with her parents in a retirement community where only one guest is allowed, so I lived in my truck so we could afford to get here.

"I never had much money as a kid, and what money I have made, I've spent stupidly. Sometimes you have to make a lot of mistakes in your life before you wake up. This is a real blessing for me. I'm extremely fortunate to win this tournament and get back on my feet."

DeVaney's revelation was surprising based upon his composure under intense pressure during a difficult, low-scoring 182-162 victory over Sean Rash of Wichita, Kan., in the semifinal round before an equally demanding title match. But the difficult scoring conditions, he said, actually played into his plans.

"Younger bowlers like Sean and Jason aren't used to bowling at a 190 pace," DeVaney said. "They're always looking for 230s. They're not used to bowling low games. I was happy shooting a 190, and if they beat me, they beat me. I knew from the first ball I threw that my scores weren't going to be very good, so I just wanted to throw 10 good shots and leave it out there.

"I'm not bowling the other guys. I'm bowling the lanes and the pins for a score. If I get caught up in dancing around and all that stuff, then what I'm trying to do isn't going to work. The mental ability to not allow your opponents to affect what you're doing is monumental at this level.

"I knew I was going to have to grind it out. I think I can play that game pretty well. Today the result was awesome," DeVaney said. "To have things go my way today was a surprise."

DeVaney trailed Rash by 35 pins after six frames, but Rash opened his final four frames while DeVaney threw four strikes and converted a pair of seven-count spares to complete his comeback victory. The title match was similar. Belmonte had a 16-pin lead after six frames, but opened in the eighth and 10th frames while DeVaney filled his final four frames.

Belmonte won his berth in the title match with a 222-175 win over newcomer Thomas Smallwood of Saginaw, Mich., in the semifinal round. Belmonte opened in the first frame, but then threw six strikes in a row to ruin Smallwood's television debut.

In the Women's Scorpion Championship, Pluhowsky built a 39-pin lead after seven frames and survived open frames of her own in the ninth and 10th frames to become the first PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM competitor to win three career titles. She also joined Michelle Feldman of Auburn, N.Y., as the second to win back-to-back titles, a feat Feldman accomplished during the 2008-09 season.

"I'm glad there weren't many more frames. I'm not sure what would have happened," Pluhowsky said. "It was a bad ending for the great time I had at the World Series. I was fortunate to win."

"I figured Liz would find a way to win because that's what great players do. Fortunately, she didn't."

Johnson, with a strike in the ninth frame, could have won with a double in the 10th frame, but she left the 3-6 on her first attempt in the final frame.

Because Pluhowsky, Johnson and Kelly Kulick had previously won titles to qualify for the end-of-season PBA Women's Series Showdown presented by BOWL.COM, Feldman earned the Women's Scorpion Championship berth based upon her fourth-place finish.

O'Neill Wins First Career Title in Chameleon, Pluhowsky Takes Women's Series

After four years and 81 tournaments, Bill O'Neill of Southampton, Pa., shed his "can't miss" label and defeated Ronnie Russell of Indianapolis, 205-192, to win his first Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title in the PBA Chameleon Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes.

As part of the Chameleon Championships telecast Sunday on ESPN, Shannon Pluhowsky of Phoenix won the Women's Chameleon title, racing past Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas, 268-204.

O'Neill, the PBA's 2005-06 Rookie of the Year following four years as a Collegiate All-American at Saginaw Valley State University, finally had a little luck on his side after a series of heart-breaking losses on television.

"I'm just really happy to get my name off the list of people who have never won," O'Neill beamed.

It was a low-scoring title match with neither player able to put together a string of strikes until Russell had three in a row in his ninth and 10th frames, which O'Neill answered with a turkey of his own in his 10th frame to clinch the victory. The difference was that Russell failed to convert the 4-7 in the fifth frame and then missed a 10 pin in the eighth frame.

"I didn't think there were any easy spares today," O'Neill said. "Nothing was easy. The lanes were so dry, the way you shoot spares had to change a little bit. I'm fortunate Ronnie missed the two spares he did. If he hadn't, he beats me.

"I'm not sure how many people could have beaten a 205 on those conditions," he continued. "I only missed the pocket twice. The way I played the lanes, 220 was probably the best I could have hoped for because I knew my carry was going to suffer. But I knew I had to avoid getting six counts. It worked out.

"Sometimes you need a little luck. A lot of guys who have won their first titles did so sitting on the bench. I'm glad to be part of that group."

Despite getting some help from Russell, the match wasn't secured until O'Neill threw a decisive strike on his first shot in the final frame.

"When I got up in 10th frame, a kind of calm came over me," he said. "I knew I was going to throw it good and when the ball came off my hand, it was one of the best shots I've ever thrown. It was a great shot and it came at a perfect time. I really wanted Ronnie to strike out. You don't win your first title easily. I wanted to have to make a shot to win."

In addition to his title, O'Neill earned $25,000, his first trip to the PBA Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas in January, and a spot in the end-of-season PBA Experience Showdown presented by BOWL.COM at the United States Bowling Congress' International Training Center in Arlington, Texas.

With a berth in the upcoming PBA World Championship finals also secured, O'Neill said he will be more than ready for the live ESPN telecast on Sunday, Dec. 13, at Northrock Lanes in Wichita, Kan.

"I'm definitely going after Player of the Year," he said.

O'Neill earned his berth in the Chameleon Championship match by defeating PBA Hall of Famer Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela, 170-142, in a split-filled semifinal round contest complicated by an elbow injury Monacelli had suffered earlier in the World Series of Bowling. In the other semifinal match, Russell survived four unconverted splits against Sean Rash of Wichita, Kan., putting together a string of four strikes to eke out a 172-170 victory.

Pluhowsky, who suffered a title-match loss to Kelly Kulick of Union, N.J., in the PBA Women's World Championship earlier in the PBA World Series of Bowling, showed Dorin-Ballard no mercy in collecting her second career PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM title. Pluhowsky struck on nine of her first 10 shots, with only a 7 pin in the fifth frame spoiling a bid for a 300 game heading into the final frame.

Dorin-Ballard, a United States Bowling Congress Hall of Famer who was trying for her third PBA Women's Series title, never got lined up.

"It was a great rebound from the Women's World Championship," Pluhowsky said. "In that one, I couldn't strike. Today I did."

"It's definitely nice to have a win," she added. "It's stressful when you're bowling in the U.S. Women's Open on all of those (five) different lane conditioning patterns, and you're trying to win but you're also trying to qualify for the exempt tour. You can't focus more on one than the other, so you hope to bowl good so you're a lock for both. Even then, it's tough. So getting a title and not having to worry about an exemption for next year is nice."

Along with her victory, Pluhowsky earned $10,000 and a berth in the PBA Women's Series Showdown presented by BOWL.COM scheduled for April 6-8 at the USBC International Training Center in Texas.

Page Out-Strikes Ciminelli to Capture PBA Viper Championship

Sporting a shaved head in support of a friend undergoing cancer treatment, and playing a style of game outside his normal comfort zone, Rhino Page of Wesley Chapel, Fla., out-struck Ryan Ciminelli of Buffalo, N.Y., to win the Professional Bowlers Association's Viper Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes.

As part of the PBA World Series of Bowling finals that aired Sunday on ESPN, Liz Johnson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., won her first PBA Women's Series presented by BOWL.COM singles title, defeating Lynda Barnes of Double Oak, Texas, 211-196, for the women's Viper Championship.

Page, the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour’s 2007-08 Rookie of the Year, defeated Ciminelli, 268-246, for his third career title, a $25,000 prize and a berth in the end-of-season PBA Experience Showdown presented by BOWL.COM.

"It feels great to be able to get off to a great start in the World Series, and to make a show in my third event," Page said. "To get my third title this early in the season feels amazing."

Page said he turned the corner in the Viper Championship early in the event when he was struggling with his equipment and decided to switch from "reactive" bowling balls to more stable urethane equipment. Ciminelli, a non-exempt player who advanced out of the Tour Qualifying Round to earn a spot in the 72-man tournament field, was bowling next to Page - and made the same equipment move with similar results. Ironically, the two left-handers eventually met for the title.

"I threw the ball much differently than the way I usually bowl," Page said. "I was literally trying to loft the ball over the dots and as I was doing so, I was hitting it as hard as I could with as many revolutions as I could to try to get that urethane ball to do the right thing. In a sense, I was trying to make it behave like a reactive (ball), but a controlled reactive. For Ciminelli, that’s his A game. His rotation and revs match up perfectly. For me, lacking the revolutions, I had to do something."

Page's technique worked. Ciminelli struck on seven of his first eight shots before leaving three consecutive 7 pins that ultimately made the difference because Page struck on nine of his first 10 attempts.

While Page's modified bowling style wasn't readily apparent to most bowling fans, his hair style certainly was.

"One of my best friends is going through cancer treatment and he's lost all of his hair," Page said in reference to his shaved head. "I told him when he started treatment that I'd do this for him. I wanted to show him my support, even though I'm not there with him."

With an early title in hand, Page said he is "stoked" for the rest of the 2009-10 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season.

"My ultimate goal is Player of the Year," he said. "I've got a title under my belt. I had a really good World Series, and I qualified for the TV final coming up in the PBA World Championship (on Dec. 13 in Wichita, Kan.). I'm really happy. I think I'm in the position I want to be in."

Page advanced to the Viper title match with a 221-180 victory over Steve Jaros of Yorkville, Ill., in the semifinal round while Ciminelli threw two strikes in the 10th frame to nip Michael Haugen Jr. of Carefree, Ariz., 238-236, in the other semifinal contest.

In the women's title match, Johnson followed an open frame with three strikes and added a late double to hold off Barnes, who was plagued by single-pin leaves. Barnes left three 10 pins, two 7 pins and a pair of 4 pins in bowling an otherwise error-free game without a double.

"It's been an amazing year," said Johnson, who won the United States Bowling Congress Queens title earlier in the year after earning a PBA Women's Series exemption for 2009-10 by teaming with Norm Duke to win the Don and Paula Carter Mixed Doubles title in January.

Regardless of her success in 2009, which included top-four finishes in all PBA World Series of Bowling events for women, Johnson has maintained an almost shy demeanor. Her humility, in part, is due to the fact that her dream of a full-time career as a professional woman bowler almost ended in 2003 when the Professional Women's Bowling Association ceased operation. The creation of the PBA Women's Series, in cooperation with the USBC, has given women bowlers renewed hope.

"It makes no sense to get a big ego after winning a title," she explained. "You do the best you can. You're thankful for your life, your family, your parents. You're thankful for having the Women's Series after the women's tour folded (in 2003). You kinda feel like you took things for granted, having the opportunity to bowl 10-20 events a year, and then the tour's gone. I would never do that again. I'm very thankful for the opportunities I still have to bowl."

Johnson has had significant success bowling against the PBA's male stars as well, and plans to continue to bowl in selected PBA Tour events. "I'm going to bowl in the (Pepsi) Red, White and Blue Open (presented by the USBC) in Wichita (Dec. 7-13) and in the Dick Weber Open in Fountain Valley (Calif., Jan. 26-31). And hopefully in the U.S. Open (Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis)," Johnson said. "I plan to bowl as much as I can."

In addition to her $10,000 first prize, Johnson earned a berth in the PBA Women's Showdown presented by BOWL.COM which will take place in April at the new International Training Center in Arlington, Texas.

Duke Wins PBA Cheetah Championship for 33rd Career Title

Norm Duke added another milestone to his Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame career by capturing the PBA Cheetah Championship at Thunderbowl Lanes for his 33rd career title.

Duke, who now ranks fifth on the list of PBA all-time title winners behind Walter Ray Williams Jr. (46), Earl Anthony (43) and Mark Roth and Pete Weber (34 each), ended an incredible run by challenger Ryan Ciminelli of Buffalo, N.Y., to win their best-of-seven-game championship match, 4-1.

The finals of the PBA World Series of Bowling event, presented in a unique documentary-style format narrated by ESPN's Kenny Mayne, gave viewers an inside look at a PBA match play event. The third event in the PBA World Series of Bowling aired Sunday on ESPN.

The 23-year-old Ciminelli, a non-exempt player who is seeking his first Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour title, led the Cheetah Championship Tour Qualifying Round to get into the 72-man tournament field. He then led both rounds of qualifying and won best-of-seven-game matches against Hall of Famer Brian Voss, four-time Tour champion Ryan Shafer and PBA Tour rookie Derek Sapp to advance to the title match.

Against the 45-year-old Duke, Ciminelli won the first game, 226-212, but the Clermont, Fla., veteran then took control, winning the next four matches, 236-228, 257-213, 236-193, and 258-205.

"If Ryan would have gotten a 2-0 edge on me, I don't know if I could have come back," Duke said. "The lanes were changing and you really had to keep up with it. Being down by 42 (pins) at one point in that second game, I didn't know if I could have turned it around if I had lost."

After a first-round bye on his side of the single-elimination match play bracket, Duke defeated Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Chris Barnes to earn his berth in the championship match.

"For me it's like tennis. You have to attack every opponent differently," Duke said. "With Ryan being left-handed I had a fresh condition on the right side of the lane which was an advantage for me."

Ciminelli, who had little trouble carrying corner pins on pocket hits throughout the tournament, ran into a pair where he had trouble kicking out the 7 pin.

"I had trouble carrying on this pair of lanes in a side tournament before this tournament started," Ciminelli said "but I thought it might have been just a unique situation."

"I was pretty calm going into the championship match and started out making good shots, but after a while I couldn't carry," he added. "I tried everything I could to get rid of the 7 pin, but nothing worked."

Duke earned $25,000 for his victory. As the first so-called "animal pattern" winner of the season, Duke also earned a berth in the end-of-season PBA Experience Showdown presented by BOWL.COM which will be held at the new USBC International Training and Research Center in Arlington, Texas, in April. Ciminelli earned $13,100 and his best Tour finish since finishing seventh in last season's CLR Carmen Salvino Scorpion Championship in Vernon Hills, Ill.