WOOSTER — Charles (Butch) Ferrell just couldn’t stay away from the 10-pin.
Lack of carry hurt the 52-year-old Painesville right-hander during the 12-game match-play round of Sunday’s PBA50 J.D. Producing Inc.-Triway Lanes Central Open at Triway Lanes.
“I felt like I left about 50 of those things all day,” said Ferrell, a truck driver and non-PBA member who was bowling in only his second PBA50 event.
But in the final position-round match against Akron’s Don Hogue, who had encouraged Ferrell to give PBA50 regional events a try, Ferrell pulled out a 244-194 win to jump from sixth to fourth in the standings and earn a spot in his first pro stepladder finals against No. 3 seed Michael Haggitt.
Ferrell, who was the qualifying leader with 1,849 total pinfall after averaging 231.13 on Saturday, left a 2-6-10 spare in the second frame and a 2-8-10 split in the fourth to fall behind by 30 pins as Haggitt ran off four straight strikes after opening with a 6-8 split.
“He obviously had a good look and he bowled really well,” said Ferrell, who finished 54th in his first PBA50 outing in March at Strike Zone after a lane breakdown caused him to “lose concentration.”
But after the split, Ferrell’s 10-pin problem continued, leaving spares in the sixth and ninth frames with strikes in the fifth, seventh and eighth.
“The other three guys had good looks all day. I don’t know if I had the totally correct ball, but I used four all day and left a 10-pin with every one of them,” said Ferrell, who eventually lost the opening match to Haggitt 235-193 after the latter struck on seven of eight shots at one point.
“I’ve usually drilled my own stuff in the past, but now I lay them out with a guy and he punches them. I’m going to have a discussion with him and try to figure out how to get that pesky 10 out.”
Did sleeping on the lead bother Ferrell, who opened with 251 in his opening match for a win over eventual champion Jeff Johnson, but lost six matches in a row at one point?
“It wasn’t that I was nervous on the lead. I was more antsy about making sure I was on time,” said Ferrell, who has enjoyed success on the local level in doubles and trio events. “I just hate being late to anything. I’m usually 45 minutes early everywhere. Part of it is, it’s nice to get a closer parking spot.”
And the stepladder brought no added pressure.
“I can’t control what they do, only what I do,” Ferrell said. “I just have to throw the best shots I can possibly do and whatever happens, happens from there.”
It won’t be the last time we see Ferrell in a PBA50 event.
“I tried my butt off and I will be back. It’s more fun doing this than some of these little $40 local tournaments,” said Ferrell, who earned $800. “This is more prestigious. It would be nice to have a banner and a trophy at home.
“But I have plenty of time. This is only my second event. It’s always been a dream of mine, so it’s all good.”
HAGGITT LOSES TO FRIEND
Haggitt, a 52-year-old Springfield left-hander, made the journey to Wooster in his mobile home, which he purchased a year ago to use on the PBA50 Tour.
After qualifying fifth for match play, Haggitt, who works in defense contract management at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Fairborn, put on a late surge with games of 228, 226, 232 and 257 to earn the third seed with wins over tourney No. 1 seed Dean Mueller, Ferrell and Gary Schluchter before stopping Dave Davison in the position round and knocking the latter out of a stepladder berth.
But in the semifinal match against good friend Johnson after his win over Ferrell, disaster struck Haggitt after running off five strikes in a row. He left a pocket 7-10 split in the seventh frame.
After leaving a 2-pin spare in the ninth and needing to strike out in 10th frame to shut out Johnson, he struck on his first shot but left a 10-pin spare on his second shot.
“I just got a little fast there and came in light,” said Haggitt, who had a messenger take out the 7-pin late in the 10th. “It was like the other one. My focus was better in the later matches during the day.
“I’ve been friends with Jeff for a long time. But once a match starts, it doesn’t matter who you’re bowling. You just have to bowl the best game you can.”
Johnson advanced after throwing four strikes in a row, leaving his own 7-10 split in the eight frame, and then striking on his final four shots for a 231-226 win. The second strike was key when he kicked out the 9-pin with a messenger off the wall.
“Fortunately, I struck when I needed to,” the 55-year-old right-hander said.
As for Haggitt, his season continues as he leads the PBA50 Central Region’s points list after cashing in 10 of 14 events on the regular PBA50 Tour this summer.
“It’s been a good season,” Haggitt said.
NOTEBOOK
HOGUE’S DAY: Hogue got to as high as fourth after a 278 in Game 13. But he finished with a 5-7 match-play record and sixth place overall with 4,488 total pinfall, 57 pins behind Ferrell, who beat him in the position round. Hogue was just 13 pins out of the cut heading into that final match after a 279 in Game 19, the high game of the day. Next week, Hogue heads for the Dominican Republic to compete for Team Canada in the Pan American Games bowling qualifier.
NEXT SENIOR EVENT: Several of the players, including Johnson and Haggitt, will be participating in the PBA50-60 Doubles-Park Centre Lanes Central Open on Sept. 24 and 25 at Park Centre Lanes in North Canton. A pro-am is set for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 23.
NOTEBOOK: The tournament was contested on the PBA Petraglia 46 oil pattern. … Schluchter, who placed in the top 24 at last week’s Ohio Masters at Lex Lanes, converted the 7-10 split during the fourth match-play game. … Haggitt and Jerry Hicks were the lone left-handers to make the top 12. Hicks finished eighth overall.