Professional Bowlers Association

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, trying for his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title after nine years, held off PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke by two pins to earn the top stepladder berth for the June 1 Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open finals at AMF West Friday night.

Loschetter, who has finished second four times in his career, led the tournament from the second game, fighting off challenges all day Friday and clinging to the No. 1 position when Duke left a solid 8 pin in the 10th frame of his final game.

Loschetter celebrated his 33rd birthday by finishing the Wolf Open, the second of four tournaments in the GEICO PBA Winter Swing presented by Lucas Oil with a 26-game total of 6,617 pins, including match play bonus pins, and a feeling that maybe it’s time to win his first PBA Tour title.

“I’m definitely due,” he said. “I feel like I deserve a title more than anybody out here. I’ve worked hard. I deserve it. I hope this time it happens. I’ve had some horrible breaks on TV, but I think the time has come.”

Loschetter will meet the winner of a stepladder field including Duke in second place; 20-year-old rookie E.J. Tackett of Huntington, Ind., in third place with 6,554 pins; PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., in fourth place with a 6,477 total, and Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., in fifth with 6,436 pins.

As relieved as Loschetter was to hold onto the lead, Duke was stunned over his bad break.

“That ball could have struck,” he said of the 8 pin that stood on a solid pocket hit. “Unbelievable. That was the third solid 8 pin I left in the last three games. They cost me 70 pins.

“Mentally I’m exhausted,” he continued. “Physically I’m fine except my right thumb wants to fall off. I’m a little frustrated, but I’ll tell you, a lot of other guys are frustrated, too.”

Missing the top position for the Wolf Open stepladder finals means there can’t be a showdown match for the title between Duke and Weber, each of whom owns 37 PBA Tour titles, tied for third best in PBA history behind Walter Ray Williams Jr. (47) and Earl Anthony (43). But the two hall of famers could meet in the semifinal match.

“We haven’t bowled each other on TV in a long time,” Duke said, “but Pete and I have had some barn burners over the years. Pete’s one of the best that ever lived. We’re dear friends. We’re both aware of where we are in our careers, and to be mentioned in the same breath with him is really special.”

Tackett, a two-time member of Junior Team USA, will be making his first television appearance in the Wolf Open finals on Saturday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT. O’Neill is trying for his fifth PBA Tour title.

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing now moves to AMF Bowlero in nearby Wauwatosa for the Lucas Oil Bear Open. Following a day off on Saturday, players will bowl practice and pro-am events Sunday followed by two five-game qualifying rounds on Monday. The top 24 will then advance to two eight-game match play rounds on Tuesday.

The Bear Open is the final qualifying leg leading into the Lucas Oil Milwaukee Open which will be held Wednesday and Thursday, also at AMF Bowlero. The Milwaukee Open will feature the top 28 qualifiers based on total pinfall after 30 qualifying games from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events. O’Neill leads the Milwaukee Open qualifying field after 20 games.

Stepladder finals for all four PBA Tour events, plus the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

The GEICO Summer King of the Swing will include the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader who hasn’t won a title. Those five will compete in a $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize, concluding the summer series on June 2.

LUCAS OIL PBA WOLF OPEN

AMF West, Milwaukee, Wis., May 24

FINAL MATCH PLAY STANDINGS (after 26 games, including match play bonus pins; top five advance to Wolf Open stepladder finals on Saturday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT at AMF Bowlero)

1, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 8-7-1, 6,617.
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 12-4, 6,615.
3, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 11-5, 6,554.
4, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 11-5, 6,477.
5, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 8-8, 6,436.
6, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 9-7, 6,391, $1,800.
7, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 11-5, 6,345, $1,700.
8, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 11-4-1, 6,319, $1,600.
9, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 9-7, 6,314, $1,550.
10, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 8-7-1, 6,301, $1,500.
11, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 8-8, 6,264, $1,450.
12, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 5-10-1, 6,216, $1,400.
13, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 10-6, 6,175, $1,350.
14, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 6-9-1, 6,170, $1,300.
15, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 8-8, 6,145, $1,250.
16, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 7-8-1, 6,112, $1,200.
17, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 7-9, 6,068, $1,150.
18, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 7-9, 6,013, $1,100.
19, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 5-11, 6,001, $1,050.
20, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 7-9, 5,988, $1,000.
21, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 8-8, 5,940, $950.
22, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 7-9-0, 5,761, $900.
23, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 4-12, 5,736, $850.
24, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 2-14, 5,384, $800.

300 Games: Mike Wolfe.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, trying for his first Professional Bowlers Association Tour title after nine years, continued to bowl at a torrid pace and retained the lead in the Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open at AMF West heading into Friday night’s final eight games of match play.

Loschetter, who is celebrating his 33rd birthday on Friday, won five of his eight matches Friday afternoon and tied another, averaging 247.33 to finish with an 18-game total of 4,617 pins and an 83-pin lead over PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Fla. Duke won seven of eight matches to advance from 16th place to second with a 4,534 total.

Rounding out the top five heading into Friday night’s final match play round were Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa., with 4,517 pins followed by 20-year-old rookie E.J. Tackett of Huntington, Ind., at 4,506 and PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., with a 4,426 total. Duke and Weber are tied for third on the list of PBA Tour all-time title winners with 37 each.

Following Friday night’s final Wolf Open match play round, the GEICO PBA Summer Swing moves to AMF Bowlero in nearby Wauwatosa for the Lucas Oil Bear Open. Following Sunday’s practice and pro-am events, players will bowl two five-game qualifying rounds on Monday and the top 24 will advance to two eight-game match play rounds on Tuesday.

The Bear Open is the final qualifying leg leading into the Lucas Oil Milwaukee Open which will be held Wednesday and Thursday, also at AMF Bowlero. The Milwaukee Open will feature the top 28 qualifiers based on total pinfall after 30 qualifying games from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events.

Stepladder finals for all four PBA Tour events, plus the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

The GEICO Summer King of the Swing will include the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader who hasn’t won a title. Those five will compete in a $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize, concluding the summer series on June 2.

LUCAS OIL PBA WOLF OPEN
AMF West, Milwaukee, Wis., May 24

MATCH PLAY ROUND ONE (after 18 games, including match play bonus pins; top five after Friday night’s final round advance to Wolf Open stepladder finals on Saturday, June 1, at 2:30 p.m. CT at AMF Bowlero)

1, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 5-2-1, 4,617.
2, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 7-1, 4,534.
3, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 5-3, 4,517.
4, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 5-3, 4,506.
5, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 6-2, 4,426.
6, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 4-4, 4,359.
7, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 5-3, 4,344.
8, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 5-3, 4,313.
9, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 3-5, 4,306.
10 (tie), Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 4-4, and Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2-5-1, 4,301.
12, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 6-2, 4,287.
13, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 4-4, 4,258.
14, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2-6, 4,249, $100.
15, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2-6, 4,225.
16, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 4-4, 4,221.
17, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 4-4, 4,211.
18, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 5-3, 4,201.
19, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 3-5, 4,193.
20, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 3-5, 4,165.
21, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2-6, 4,141.
22, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 4-4, 4,062.
23, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 2-6, 3,957.
24, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 3-5, 3,950.

300 Games: Mike Wolfe.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Nine-year Professional Bowlers Association veteran Chris Loschetter of Avon, Ohio, averaged 250 over 10 games of qualifying Thursday at AMF West to lead the field of 24 players who advanced to Friday’s match play finals in the Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open.

The Wolf Open, bowled on a 32-foot oiling pattern – the shortest ever in the PBA’s collection of “animal” lane conditioning patterns – is the second of four events that compose the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil.

In his nine-season career on Tour, Loschetter has yet to win a title, but he has finished second four times and had his best title shot of the 2012-13 season on another short oiling pattern in the Alka Seltzer Cheetah Championship where he finished fourth during the World Series of Bowling in November.

On Thursday, Loschetter jumped into the lead in the five-game morning round and added games of 248, 268, 214, 259 and 238 in the evening session for a 10-game total of 2,508 pins, finishing 41 pins ahead of PBA Tour rookie E.J. Tackett of Huntington, Ind. Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pa., qualified third with 2,454 pins followed by a pair of left-handers, Patrick Allen of Wesley Chapel, Fla., at 2,445, and Ryan Ciminelli of Cheektowaga, N.Y., with a 2,392 total.

After struggling on the longest oiling pattern in PBA history, the 52-foot Lucas Oil Badger Open pattern, earlier in the week at AMF Waukesha, Loschetter was looking forward to attacking the Wolf.

“I really felt positive coming into this tournament,” Loschetter said. “I generally get a much better ball reaction on the shorter patterns and struggle a little bit on the longer ones.

“Coming into this tournament I admit I was a little rusty, but this is a good confidence-builder. I’m getting sharper with every game so hopefully I’m going in the right direction for the rest of the tournament.”

Tackett, 20, is a two-time Junior Team USA member who joined under the pro tour under the organization’s PBA24 low-cost membership program for aspiring young players. The former Indiana Purdue-Ft. Wayne student converted to full-time membership prior to the Detroit Winter Swing. His best finish in professional competition was 20th place in the 2011 U.S. Open in North Brunswick, N.J.

“I’m not surprised I’ve done so well this week,” Tackett said. “I’ve always bowled well on the shorter patterns in Junior Gold tournaments and such. I was a little worried about this pattern only being 32 feet long, but after practice, I thought I’d be all right.”

The short Wolf pattern proved to be a significant challenge for some of the PBA Tour’s most prominent power players, however. Missing the cut to match play finalists were Player of the Year contenders Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., who finished qualifying in 54th place and Australia’s Jason Belmonte, who finished 69th in the 90-player field.

Following Thursday’s Wolf Open match play rounds, the GEICO PBA Summer Swing moves to AMF Bowlero in nearby Wauwatosa for the Lucas Oil Bear Open, the final qualifying leg leading into the Lucas Oil Milwaukee Open May 29-30, also at AMF Bowlero. The Milwaukee Open will feature the top 28 qualifiers based on total pinfall after 30 qualifying games from the Badger, Wolf and Bear “animal pattern” events.

After 20 of the 30 animal pattern qualifying games, O'Neill led the Milwaukee Open qualifiers with a 4,821 total, 111 pins ahead of Anthony LaCaze of Melrose Park, Ill.

Stepladder finals for all four tournaments, plus the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11.

The GEICO Summer King of the Swing will include the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader who hasn’t won a title. Those five will compete in a $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize, concluding the summer series on June 2.

LUCAS OIL PBA WOLF OPEN
AMF West, Milwaukee, Wis., May 23

FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS (after 10 games, top 24 advance to round robin match play Friday at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.)

1, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 2,508.
2, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 2,467.
3, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 2,454.
4, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,445.
5, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 2,392.
6, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 2,371.
6, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 2,371.
8, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 2,367.
9, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 2,353.
10, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 2,347.
11 (tie), Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., and Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 2,340.
13, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 2,339.
14, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 2,327.
15, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 2,308.
16, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 2,304.
17, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2,299.
18, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2,273.
19, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 2,266.
20, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 2,262.
21, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 2,254.
22, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,251.
23, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 2,249.
24, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 2,244.

Failed to advance:
25, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 2,238, $600.
26, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 2,233.
26, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 2,233.
28, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 2,231.
29, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 2,228.
30, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 2,219.
31, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 2,209.
32, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 2,204.
33, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 2,197.
34, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 2,194.
35, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 2,186.
36, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 2,179.
37, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 2,164.
38 (tie), Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., and Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 2,148.
40, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 2,146.
41, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 2,145.
42, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 2,139.
43, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 2,119.
44, Patrick Girard, Canada, 2,113.
45, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 2,110.
46, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 2,099.
47, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 2,089.
48, Brian Traber, Waterford, Wis., 2,088.
49, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 2,073.
50, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 2,072.
51, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 2,060.
52, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 2,055.
53, James Knoblauch, Waukesa, Wis., 2,054.
54, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 2,047.
55, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 2,043.
56 (tie), Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., and David Labinski, Milwaukee, 2,037.
58, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,035.
59 (tie), Dom Barrett, England, and Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 2,016.
61, Greg Thomas, Oak Creek, Wis., 2,015.
62, Paul Moor, England, 2,005.
63, Brian Gunn, Chicago, 2,004.
64, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 1,998.
65 (tie), Dale Renken, St. Jacob, Ill., and Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 1,990.
67, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 1,972.
68, Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 1,965.
69, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 1,959.
70, Matt Beyer, Manawa, Wis., 1,950.
71, T.P. Peterson, Evergreen Park, Ill., 1,939.
72, Gary Exner Jr., Racine, Wis., 1,926.
73, Scott Radtke, Milwaukee, 1,894.
74, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 1,892.
75, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 1,885.
76, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 1,867.
77, Andrew DeCaluwe, Mt. Prospect, Ill., 1,860.
78, Rob Lange, Waukesha, Wis., 1,847.
79, Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., 1,836.
80, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 1,835.
81, Christopher Glaz, Elmwood Park, Ill, 1,810.
82, Kenneth Bland Jr., Lorton, Va., 1,785.
83, Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn., 1,780.
84, Ralleigh Grandberry III, Maryland Hts., Mo., 1,708.
85, Van McNeil, West Allis, Wis., 1,706.
86, Jonathan Russell, Rockwood, Tenn., 1,651.
87, Lindell Woolard, Tallahassee, Fla., 1,629.
88, Brandon Gronwoldt, LeRoy, Minn., 1,624.
89, Mike Larson, Menomonee Falls, Wis., 800.
90, Mo Collins, Oxford, Mich., 760.

300 Games: E.J. Tackett, Chris Barnes.

LUCAS OIL PBA MILWAUKEE OPEN STANDINGS

ROUND FOUR (after 20 games; top 28 after 30 qualifying games in Badger, Wolf and Bear Open tournaments advance to cashers round on Wednesday, May 28, at AMF Bowlero)

1, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 4,821.
2, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 4,710.
3, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 4,645.
4, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 4,634.
5, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 4,625.
6, Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 4,606.
7, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 4,605.
8, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 4,604.
9, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 4,597.
10, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 4,591.
11, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 4,588.
12, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 4,580.
13, E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 4,574.
14, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 4,546.
15, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 4,543.
16, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 4,506.
17, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 4,493.
18, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 4,489.
19, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 4,481.
20, Dan MacLelland, Canada, 4,478.
21, Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., 4,469.
22, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 4,457.
23, Brett Cunningham, Clay, N.Y., 4,442.
24, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 4,439.
25, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 4,429.
26, Patrick Girard, Canada, 4,427.
27, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 4,419.
28, Osku Palermaa, Finland, 4,411.
29, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 4,390.
30, Randy Weiss, Columbia, S.C., 4,388.
31, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 4,384.
32, Brian Valenta, Lockport, Ill., 4,367.
33, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4,362.
34, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 4,356.
35, Andrew Graff, Las Vegas, 4,353.
36, Scott Norton, Mission Viejo, Calif., 4,339.
37, Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C., 4,338.
37, Tom Daugherty, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 4,338.
39, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 4,320.
40, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 4,315.
41, Scott Newell, Deland, Fla., 4,312.
42, Missy Parkin, Laguna Hills, Calif., 4,310.
43, Brad Miller, St. Charles, Mo., 4,308.
44, William Guszczo, Orland Park, Ill., 4,291.
45, John Szczerbinski, North Tonawanda, N.Y., 4,280.
46, Jesse Buss, Belvidere, Ill., 4,214.
47, Paul Moor, England, 4,208.
48, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 4,201.
49, Lee Vanderhoef, Greenville, S.C., 4,195.
50, Dom Barrett, England, 4,185.
51, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 4,184.
52, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 4,175.
53, Craig Nidiffer, Trenton, Mich., 4,140.
54, Brian Robinson, Morgantown, W.Va., 4,137.
54, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 4,137.
56, Julio Cesar Blancas, Mexico, 4,128.
57, Greg Thomas, Oak Creek, Wis., 4,126.
58, T.P. Peterson, Evergreen Park, Ill., 4,119.
59, Kenneth Kempf, Appleton, Wis., 4,108.
60, Brian Gunn, Chicago, 4,107.
61, Quinton Bohlen, Decorah, Iowa, 4,097.
62, Dave Wodka, Henderson, Nev., 4,092.
63, Erik Gulbrandson, Superior, Wis., 4,022.
64, Johnathan Bower, Middletown, Pa., 4,019.
65, Christopher Glaz, Elmwood Park, Ill, 3,958.
66, Gary Exner Jr., Racine, Wis., 3,945.
67, Humberto Vazquez, Mexico, 3,922.
68, Aaron Ramsden, Pleasant Valley, Mo., 3,909.
69, Brett Spangler, Niles, Ohio, 3,899.
70, Dale Renken, St. Jacob, Ill., 3,880.
71, Andrew DeCaluwe, Mt. Prospect, Ill., 3,879.
72, Chris Cundiff, Lake Station, Ind., 3,873.
73, Kenneth Bland Jr., Lorton, Va., 3,866.
74, Darren Andretta, New Hyde Park, N.Y., 3,826.
75, Armando Santacruz, Ecuador, 3,798.
76, Justin Bychkowski, Fairfield, Conn., 3,779.
77, Stephen Pavlinko Jr., Sewell, N.J., 3,778.
78, Mike Larson, Menomonee Falls, Wis., 2,712.
79, Matt Beyer, Manawa, Wis., 3,588.
80, Jonathan Russell, Rockwood, Tenn., 3,523.
81, Ralleigh Grandberry III, Maryland, Hts., Mo., 3,471.
82, Van McNeil, West Allis, Wis., 3,456.
83, Lindell Woolard, Tallahassee, Fla., 3,448.
84, Brandon Gronwoldt, LeRoy, Minn., 3,251.

Ever-evolving technology continues to provide new-and-improved ways for bowling fans to follow the Professional Bowlers Association, live in real time.

One of the special features that more and more fans are discovering is the live frame-by-frame coverage of PBA Tour events on pba.com, the PBA’s official website. A function of the live scoring includes mapping of pin leaves, which provides fans with a way to follow the action as it happens in a way never before available. It’s more comprehensive than even television or radio could possibly provide.

To experience the depth of detail, visit pba.com during the next live round of coverage (especially during match play rounds), click on the “live scoring” link and then open the “live links” to specific players or matches. When you’re in the live frame-by-frame scoring, hover your cursor over a spare leave and you’ll see the pins that were left standing.

Live scoring on pba.com is free, and provides a great supplement to the live online video coverage and commentary provided by the PBA’s subscription-based bowling channel, Xtra Frame.

The next rounds of PBA Tour competition on pba.com will include the GEICO PBA Summer Swing’s Lucas Oil Wolf Open qualifying rounds Thursday at noon and 6 p.m. ET followed by round-robin match play rounds Friday at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET.

NEW MULTI-PLAYER VERSION OF PBA BOWLING CHALLENGE NOW AVAILABLE

Concrete Software, developers of PBA Bowling Challenge, one of the most popular electronic games for mobile device users, has launched a new multi-player version on Google Play that allows users to play against each other.

The new multi-player version was announced at Google’s annual developers’ conference, Google I/O.

Following an outstanding initial release in 2012, leading to over 2.8 million downloads and a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on the Google Play store, the long-awaited multi-player update to PBA Bowling Challenge has arrived.
"Multi-player was the obvious next step for the title," said Keith Pichelman, CEO of Concrete Software. "It was by far the most user-requested feature and something we had intended to include from the beginning, but finding a multi-player service that would meet our needs proved to be difficult. We were very fortunate that the release of Google Play game services happened to coincide with our plans for the game. We were able to integrate quickly and easily with their services to give our users the ability to bowl in one-on-one, real-time matches against their friends."
In addition to multiplayer functionality, the integration of Google Play game services will provide Concrete Software with other features, such as cloud saving, that will be incorporated into future updates to PBA Bowling Challenge, Pichelman said.

The new version is available at Google Play.

BARNES, WEBER TO PARTICIPATE IN CHRIS PAUL CELEBRITY EVENTS

PBA stars Chris Barnes and Pete Weber have been invited to participate in Chris Paul's Celebrity Poker Tournament at Club Nokia/LA on July 7 and the Chris Paul Celebrity Golf Classic benefitting CP3 Foundation at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif., on July 8. Both events are fundraisers for the NBA all-star point guard’s charitable foundation, which he founded in 2005 in memory of his late grandfather.

Paul, the owner of the L.A. X team in the new PBA League and host of the annual Chris Paul Celebrity All-Stars bowling event, is a two-time winner of the National Basketball Association’s Community Assist Award for his numerous charitable programs. For more information on his community efforts, as well as the upcoming golf and poker events, visit cp3foundation.org.

NO 900 FOR BILL O’NEILL

Bill O’Neill admitted visions of duplicating Joe Scarborough’s 900 series danced into his head, but not until after the fact.

The four-time PBA Tour titlist from Langhorne, Pa., kicked off the PBA Lucas Oil Badger Open, the first event in the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil, with 21 consecutive strikes before leaving a solid 8 pin on the new, untested 52-foot Badger lane conditioning pattern on natural wood lanes at AMF Waukesha in suburban Milwaukee. Scarborough, of course, recorded the first 900 series in PBA history with three perfect games kicking off his opening qualifying round in the PBA50 Tour’s Sun Bowl in The Villages on April 21.

“Yeah, I thought about 900 after the round was over, not while I was bowling,” O’Neill said, and then smiled. “And then I remembered Scarborough didn’t make the cut, so I didn’t feel too bad about losing my chance.”

BRUNSWICK YOUTH CHALLENGE ADDED TO MILWAUKEE SUMMER SWING PROGRAM

The PBA and Brunswick are teaming up to produce a Brunswick Youth Challenge Super Classic which will be held in conjunction with the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil on Sunday, May 26, at AMF Bowlero in Wauwatosa, Wis. The Super Classic is open to boys and girls ages 21 and younger, in a total of six scratch and handicap divisions.

All bowlers will bowl five games across 10 lanes on the new PBA Wolf lane condition. The top four in each division will then bowl a three-game match play round, with the winner of each division advancing to a television stepladder where the youth bowlers will be randomly paired with Brunswick Pro Staff members Walter Ray Williams Jr., Tom Hess, Tom Smallwood or Sean Rash.

The entry fee is $44 for handicap divisions, and $64 for 17-under or 18-21 years old scratch divisions. The entry fee also includes a paid entry into the PBA Bear Open pro-am which will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.

For complete rules and details on how to enter, visit http://docs.com/SHQD.

PBA’S FIRST TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR MORRIS CRAMER DIES

Morris Cramer, an Albany area resident who served as tournament director for the first three PBA tournaments held in upstate New York, died Wednesday of complications from cancer. He was 87.

Cramer, an outstanding bowler in his own right, was a former proprietor in the Albany area. He ran the 1958 Empire State Open, catching the eye of the founders of the newly-formed PBA, and when the PBA awarded its first ever tournament to Schades Academy in Albany over Memorial Day weekend in 1959, Cramer served as its director.

PBA REGIONAL ROUNDUP: TACKETT, MOHR WIN BALDO CAMPANA TITLES

● E.J. Tackett of Huntington, Ind., defeated Joshua Conner of Columbus, Ohio by 96 pins to win his first PBA Regional title in the PBA Baldo Campana Central Open benefiting the Lorain County Kids Fund at Rebman Recreation in Lorain, Ohio, Saturday.

On Sunday, Ron Mohr of Eagle River, Alaska, used a perfect 8-0 match play performance to defeat Kenny Parks of Hammond, Ind., by 381 pins to win the PBA50 Baldo Campana Central Open companion event.

Tackett finished with a 6-2 match play record and a total of 3,617 pins for 16 games, including match play bonus pins. He also earned $2,000 in the one-day, reduced entry fee event.

Mohr finished with 4,178 pins for 16 games, including bonus pins, for his 10th overall PBA Regional title. He also earned $1,500.

● Mike Bailey of Allen, Texas, defeated Bill Alexander of San Angelo, Texas, 247-199, to win his second PBA Southwest Region title Sunday in the fourth annual PBA Fort Sill (Okla.) Southwest Open at Twin Oaks Bowling Center.

Bailey started his road to victory by upsetting PBA Tour champion Mike Edwards of Tulsa, Okla.., in his best-of-five-game Round of 16 match, 3-1. After eliminating Brian Burkett of Amarillo, Texas, in the best-of-three Round of 8, 2-1, Bailey defeated Tyler Jensen of Fort Worth, Texas, 279-216, in the semifinal round.

● Chris Warren of Grants Pass, Ore., posted a 7-1 match play record and 3,818 pins Sunday to win his 39th career regional title in the PBA US Foods Northwest Open presented by Boger Construction at Daffodil Bowl in Puyallup, Wash.

Warren, who earned $2,000, defeated Dean Richards of Tacoma, Wash., by 51 pins for the title. Richards had a 4-4 match play record and 3,767 pins for 16 games including match play bonus pins.

In the companion PBA50 Daffodil Bowl Northwest Open presented by Sunset Chevrolet, Barry Tate of Wenatchee, Wash., went 3-3 and knocked down 3,068 total pins to top Bob Davidson of Seattle, Wash., for his first PBA50 Northwest Region title. Davidson had a 3-3 match play record and 2,970 pins for 14 games including match play bonus pins.

● The Memorial Day weekend regional schedule includes two one-day “reduced entry fee” joint PBA50 regionals for Midwest and Central Region players, sponsored by Allstate Insurance, at Poplar Creek Bowl in Hoffman Estates, Ill., on Saturday and Sunday, May 25-26.

Closing out the month will be a pair of mid-week PBA50 West Regional events: the fourth annual PBA50 Long King Saguaro West Open at Johnson Lanes in Sun City West, Ariz., May 27-29, followed by the PBA50 Miller High Life West Open at Starlite Lanes in Flagstaff, Ariz., May 29-31.

For complete PBA regional schedule and entry information, visit pba.com and click on “Regional Tours” under the Schedules tab.

QUICK NOTES:

● The PBA Tour’s most intensive rivalry, between young power stars Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., and Jason Belmonte of Australia, was captured in an in-depth front page feature story in Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by award-winning writer Gary D’Amato (http://www.jsonline.com/sports/etc/tournament-here-features-testy-clash-of-the-keglers-7c9vp0e-208031751.html). You can follow D’Amato’s coverage of the GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil by visiting jsonline.com/sports.

● Catch a quick promotional preview of CBS Sports Network’s coverage of the GEICO PBA Summer Swing on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_V4lSILQ7o.

● Final reminder: Applications are due June 15 for the PBA’s Billy Welu Scholarship, awarded annually to a male or female college student who competes in the sport of bowling and exhibits exemplary qualities as a student and citizen. The winner receives a $1,000 scholarship award. To access the Welu Scholarship application form, use this link: http://pba.com/Corporate/Scholarships/

WAUKESHA, Wis. – Former Wichita State University teammates Josh Blanchard of Gilbert, Ariz., and Jake Peters of Decatur, Ill., claimed the top two positions for the Professional Bowlers Association’s Lucas Oil Badger Open stepladder finals Tuesday night at AMF Waukesha.

Blanchard, the 2011-12 PBA Rookie of the Year, won seven of his eight matches Tuesday night to post a 26-game total of 6,426 pins, clinching the top berth in the June 1 Badger Open stepladder finals by 10 pins over Peters. Peters, who started the day in first place, plunged to 18th after the morning match play round, but surged back into contention by also winning seven of his final eight matches for a 6,416 total.

Blanchard and Peters, who won a pair of Intercollegiate Men’s Team Championships with Wichita State in 2009 and 2010, are both trying for their first PBA Tour titles.

Saginaw (Mich.) Valley State collegiate bowler Aaron Lorincz of Belleville, Mich., the 2013 Intercollegiate Singles Champion, qualified third with 6,327 pins. Rounding out the stepladder finals in the first of four GEICO PBA Summer Swing tournaments will be Michael Haugen Jr. of Phoenix and Kurt Pilon of Warren, Mich.

“I told my wife last week I thought I could be really strong on this pattern,” Blanchard said of the 52-foot Badger lane condition, the longest oil pattern the PBA Tour has ever used. “I really felt like I could win on it. I haven’t won yet, but… The longer we went tonight, the stronger I got. I could have gone another eight games.”

Blanchard said the most valuable lesson he has learned in his first full year as a PBA Tour player has been “creating loft in my game. It worked tonight. I was able to keep my ball straighter and carry better, and that was the difference.”

Peters, also a second-year PBA Tour player, had never finished higher than 19th place, but despite his roller coaster performance, he was elated.

His plunge in the standings “was really exhausting,” he said, “but it might have really helped because after the way I bowled in the morning, I had nothing to lose and I made some really aggressive moves I probably wouldn’t have made had I not bowled so bad.

“As bad as I bowled in the morning, I was only 160 pins out of the TV show, and my fiancé and ball reps told me to just hang in there and see what happens. So I never gave up.”

Lorincz. 23, was surprised to make the TV finals, but said, “You practice and practice to get to this moment and to get here is awesome. I’ve been running out shots with these guys since I was 10 years old.”

Making the CBS Sports Network finals on June 1, however, will disrupt his plans.

“I’m scheduled to bowl (the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in Reno, Nev.) on June 1,” he said. “I think I’m going to have nine unhappy teammates.”

The GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil now moves to AMF West in Milwaukee for the Lucas Oil Wolf Open with practice and pro-ams scheduled for Wednesday, two five-game qualifying rounds Thursday and two eight-game match play rounds Friday. The Lucas Oil Bear Open follows Sunday through Tuesday at AMF Bowlero, followed by the Lucas Oil Milwaukee Open May 29-30, also at AMF Bowlero. The Milwaukee Open will feature the top 28 qualifiers based on total pinfall after 30 qualifying games from the three animal pattern events.

Stepladder finals for all four tournaments, plus the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, will be taped over two days by the CBS Sports Network June 1-2 at Bowlero for airing on five consecutive Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET beginning June 11. The Badger Open stepladder finals will be conducted on June 1 at 11 a.m., the Wolf Open at 2:30 p.m. and the Bear Open at 6 p.m. on June 1.

The GEICO Summer King of the Swing will include the four Summer Swing event champions plus the next highest points leader who hasn’t won a title. Those five will compete in a $25,000 stepladder final for a $10,000 first prize, concluding the summer series on June 2.

PBA BADGER OPEN
AMF Waukesha, Waukesha, Wis., Tuesday

Final Match Play Standings (after 26 games, including match play bonus pins; top five advance to stepladder finals on June 1 at 11 a.m. Central at AMF Bowlero)

1, Josh Blanchard, Gilbert, Ariz., 12-4, 6,426.
2, Jake Peters, Decatur, Ill., 10-6, 6,416.
3, Aaron Lorincz, Belleville, Mich., 10-6, 6,327.
4, Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 10-6, 6,319.
5, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 8-8, 6,294.
6, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 8-8, 6,262, $1,800.
7, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 11-5, 6,250, $1,700.
8, Andres Gomez, Colombia, 8-8, 6,237, $1,600.
9, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 10-6, 6,230, $1,550.
10, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 8-7-1, 6,214, $1,500.
11, Ronnie Russell, Marion, Ind., 8-7-1, 6,201, $1,450.
12, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 9-7, 6,137, $1,400.
13, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 7-9, 6,131, $1,450.
14, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 8-8, 6,114, $1,300.
15, Mike Fagan, Dallas, 6-10, 6,092, $1,250.
16, Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 8-8, 6,088, $1,200.
17, Anthony LaCaze, Melrose Park, Ill., 7-9, 6,078, $1,150.
18, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 5-11, 6,072, $1,100.
19, Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., 9-7, 6,040, $1,050.
20, Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 8-8, 6,025, $1,000.
21, Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 6-10, 5,957, $950.
22, Patrick Girard, Canada, 4-12, 5,945, $900.
23, Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 6-10, 5,924, $850.
24, Mike Dole, Loves Park, Ill., 5-11, 5,744, $800.

300 Games: Michael Haugen Jr., Bill O’Neill, Mika Koivuniemi.