CUYAHOGA FALLS — Dean Billings and Paul Ashby have faced off many times in key situations during tournament play over the years.
“It seems like we always seem to bowl against each other for titles and a lot of pins,” Ashby said. “But that’s what happens when you have to make shots and the lanes aren’t easy.”
They certainly weren’t easy during Sunday’s RKS Over-Under 50 Doubles tournament at Clutch Lanes. Tournament director Tony Varn put out the 39-foot PBA50 Don Carter pattern for the 42 teams, with just nine finishing on the plus side in the standings.
The title match came down to Billings finding an answer late, and partner Frank Testa continuing his strong play of the past eight months.
Billings and Testa, the No. 6 seed entering the eight-team match-play rounds, stopped the fourth-seeded father-son team of Paul and Ryan Ashby 444-441 to claim the title.
“He carried me during the day. I just tried not to train-wreck him,” said Billings, a 57-year-old Rootstown right-hander. “On the last ball of qualifying, I moved way in with this ball (Brunswick Zenith Hybrid) and had a pretty good look. It was nice to carry him for a change.”
As for Testa, the 39-year-old right-hander “went from end to another” during the course of the event.
“I used a Purple Hammer up the gutter to start, then in the middle went to the Black Widow Ghost and attempted to slow roll it,” Testa said. “Going up the lane was not good enough for me and trying to play the middle wasn’t very good early.
“But I realized if I got slow enough, I could create some mistake area.”
Finding new success, Billings and Testa stopped Dan Guererri and James Cheff 484-462 in the quarterfinals, and defeated No. 7 seed Jim Bryant and Brian Robinson 412-338 in the semifinals. Billings shot 470 for the two games; Testa had 426.
Testa then made a decision prior to the title match against the Ashbys.
“I went to the Black and Blue Knockout in the title match. The Ghost seemed to read a little too soon if I got it out, and if I tried to go straight up, it didn’t want to read the lane.”
As for the Ashbys, Paul, a 56-year-old Mentor right-hander, admitted he has curtailed his bowling in recent years as he continues to coach at Notre Dame College.
“He carried me me all day,” Paul said of Ryan, a 27-year-old Madison right-hander. “But in match play, I threw it much better. For myself, it has been a while since I’ve been in this situation.”
Both Ashbys made a conscious effort to play the extreme outside. “No one really touched them out there,” Ryan added.
“We were pretty consistent most of the day, just made our spares,” Paul added. “We’ve probably bowled together maybe two or three times as adults.”
The Ashbys stopped Dale Csuhta and Tyler Meredith 415-363 in the quarterfinals, and top-seeded Norm Loescher and Andrew Smith 460-422 in the semifinals.
During the title match, both Billings and Ryan Ashby had open frames in the third, with Billings leaving a 4-6-7-9 split and Ryan chopping a 2-6-10 spare. But that’s when Testa got hot.
Testa ran off six strikes in a row before leaving a 4-10 split in the ninth frame.
Paul Ashby struck on five of his first six shots, leaving a 2-7 split and converting in the fourth frame. Billings also left a second split on the right lane in the fifth frame, a 4-6-7.
“I struck on that lane in practice and thought I was OK. Then I struck on the first ball,” Billings said. “Then, that lane broke down six boards. I split, and I moved. Then I split again, and I moved, and then left a 4-pin. I thought I just had to get it to where I could get it to move the right way.
“But that’s the way it is in today’s game, and I haven’t got the hang of it yet. You have to move arrows, not boards.”
While Paul Ashby stayed clean in the match, Ryan left a 2-10 split in the 10th frame after a double. It proved costly.
“I thought I threw it OK, but I thought it would hook more to get to where I wanted it to,” Ryan said. “And it just didn’t recover. But that’s bowling. I would probably throw it there again nine out of 10 times.”
Billings was able to hit the right lane in the ninth and struck four strikes in a row to help seal the win. Billings finished with 209, Testa 235. Paul Ashby matched Testas, and Ryan came in at 206.
Testa’s split in the ninth was a result of miscommunication. “Dean moved on that lane, and didn’t tell me,” Testa said.
But the win continues a solid season for Testa, who also won a doubles sweeper recently with wife, Mandi.
“I can’t thank Ron Bell enough for helping me. He’s brought my game to levels that I didn’t think I could get to,” Testa said. “All my success is due to his coaching.”
Billings also endorsed Bell’s assistance.
“I bowl with him on Mondays and just absorb what he says,” Billings said. “The way he thinks, the way he goes about his business … he’s such a pro.”
But, Paul Ashby said, we also haven’t seen the last of him in tournament play.
“I’ve got to get out and do this more because it’s what I love to do,” Paul Ashby said.
And as the elder Ashby stated, “the cream rises to the top” in tournament play.
NOTEBOOK: With the poor weather conditions, there were six no-shows for the full field of 48. … RKS Biohazard Division was the title sponsor for the event, with Ace Mitchell being among other sponsors. One player was under age 50 and the other over age 50. … First place paid $3,000, with $1,500 going to second place. … Loescher and Smith led qualifying with 2,280 total pins, an average of 456 per game and 59 pins ahead of second-place Don Hogue and Joe Bailey. Hogue and Bailey, who led after each of the first four games and was the only team to shoot 500 (504) as a team, was beaten by Bryant and Robinson 452-410 in their opening match. … The cut was 2,045 for match play, an average of 409 per game. Tommy Graham and Ryan Liederbach earned the last spot by 20 pins over PBA players Brad Angelo and Martin Larsen. … High game was 280 by Brandon Manhard. … Three left-handers made the final eight, including the team of Graham and Liederbach.
FINAL RESULTS
Quarterfinal round
(Losers each receive $450)
Ashby-Ashby d. Csuhta-Meredith 415-363; Loescher-Smith d. Liederbach-Graham 428-370; Billings-Testa d. Guerrieri-Cheff 484-462; Bryant-Robinson d. Hogue-Bailey 452-410.
Semifinals
(Losers each receive $800)
Ashby-Ashbu d. Loescher-Smith 460-422; Testa-Billings d. Bryant-Robinson 412-338.
Championship
(Winner receives $3,000; loser receives $1,500)
Billings-Testa d. Ashby-Ashby 444-441.