FAIRLAWN — Top-seeded Joe Hostetler felt he had a good chance entering the title match of Saturday’s Hit Dem Pockets’ third annual Scratch Open.
That is until he left a stone 8-pin in the fifth frame against Mentor’s Kevin Oravecz.
“I didn’t feel too good about that. Then I threw it terrible on the next shot because I was thinking about the stone-8,” said the 32-year-old Cuyahoga Falls right-hander, who came in high and left a 2-pin.
But the Cleveland Family Practice clinical pharmacist was able to regroup after those two shots, striking on five of his last six shots to earn a 246-195 victory over Oravecz at AMF Riviera Lanes.
“I really like this place because they play tough and I felt like I had a chance. If I made good shots, I would be OK because I have a pretty good history in this building,” said Hostetler, who also won his last singles outing in the College Bowl Tournaments singles event at Park Centre Lanes in North Canton.
Hostetler, who was the third seed following the five-game qualifying round, stopped No. 16 seed Vinny Bellar in his opening two-game match 452-413 before earning a 450-419 win over Pittsburgh’s Sam DeWitt in the Round of Eight match-play round.
“The first pair was a little tight, but against DeWitt, it was hook, hook, hook,” said Hostetler, who used his Storm Infinite Physix during qualifying and switched to the Storm IQ Tour Emerald except for a brief change to the 900 Global Afterburner against DeWitt on one lane.
“I started lofting it a little against DeWitt, but I got a little crazy and made the switch on the right lane because I couldn’t walk around the ball return so I was able to save that match. On the title pair, there was a lot more oil so I didn’t feel like I had to chuck it down there.”
No. 2-seeded Oravecz, a 28-year-old right-hander, stopped Professional Bowlers Association pro Brandon Novak of Chillicothe 247-246 in the semifinal by striking on eight of his final nine shots, including the final seven in a row. His one mistake was leaving a 2-6-7 split in the fifth frame.
Novak left 7-pin and 10-pin spares in the sixth and seventh frames before his final run.
“I felt like I threw it better, but just didn’t get the carry,” said Novak, a 34-year-old right-hander.
But in the title match, Oravecz left a pair of 4-7 spares and a solid 8-pin during his first four frames to fall behind by 10 pins.
“After the trip-4 (pin) against Novak (third frame), I made a two (board)-and-one move, but the ball just jumped on me on the right lane,” said Oravecz, a kitchen manager and food delivery driver. “I did a little trick. I have a huge swing step, so I tried to get as close to the ball return as I could without hitting it.
“Instead, I just decided to walk as straight as I could and then walk around the ball return. Some of the returns are shifted left and some are shifted right. Luckily on that pair, it was shifted the right way so I could get around it without bumping it.”
After his second 4-7 pair against Hostetler, Oravecz ran off five strikes in a row until the 10th frame while Hostetler had his two spares in the fifth and sixth frames.
But disaster struck in the 10th frame when he left a 1-2-4-10 washout to end his chances.
“I just missed it at the bottom of the swing,” said Oravez, who finished third in this event a year ago at Stonehedge Family Fun Center and used the 900 Global Zen. “I just didn’t get round the side of it. I did the same thing against Novak when I left the split.
“I came in wanting to just have a relaxing day with no side action. Just pay the entry fee and bowl. I just wanted to have some fun and see my best friend (Ben Sobel) from college (Ohio State).”
Oravecz, the No. 2 seed following qualifying, stopped Andrew Baker (415-362) and Daniel Gizzi (442-418) during match play to earn the second seed.
Hostetler admitted surprise at the outcome.
“After those two shots in the middle, I got myself back into making shots and tried to at least post it. If it strikes, it strikes … I can only do what I can do,” Hostetler said. “If I rolled it the way I wanted to, I would give it a chance. Hopefully, it works out.”
Novak, the No. 4 seed, won the opening stepladder match 276-212 over Ohio Masters champion Dean Vargo, a 24-year-old Willowick right-hander. It was the highest game of the day.
He called his performance on the day “consistent … I had nothing really high but nothing really low either.”
“It came down to just managing the pairs and making the proper ball changes,” he added. “I never felt like I had a 260 or 270 ball reaction. It would be there, but then I would just ping a couple of corners.
“But this really feels good.”
NOTEBOOK: The event drew 44 players, who bowled on the 42-foot PBA Scorpion oil pattern. … Casey Cohagan was the qualifying leader with 1,151 total pinfall, an average of 230.2. He earned a $100 bonus and finished 16 pins ahead of Oravecz. … Gizzi was the No. 16 seed and the cut to match play with 979 (195.8 average). Gizzi stopped Cohagan 521-416 in the opening round of match play, his total being he highest two-game score of that round. … Only a pair of two-handed lefties made the final 16 to go along with 14 right-handers, including a pair of two-handers. … Cohagan and Ryan Ashby posted the high games during qualifying with 269. … The event paid eight spots in the field. … HDP also has an eliminator singles event set for 4:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at AMF Riviera Lanes. Entry fee is $60.
HDP SCRATCH SINGLES
(At AMF Riviera Lanes, Fairlawn)
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
Match 1: Brandon Novak (Chillicothe) d. Dean Vargo (Willowick) 276-212. Vargo wins $400.
Match 2: Kevin Oravecz (Mentor) d. Novak 247-246. Novak wins $500.
Championship: Joe Hostetler (Cuyahoga Falls) d. Oravecz 246-195. Hostetler wins $1,500; Oravecz wins $750.
ROUND OF EIGHT
(Two-game match play; all losers earn $200)
Novak d. Eric James 386-361; Hostetler d. Sam DeWitt 4350-419; Oravecz d. Daniel Gizzi 44-418; Dean Vargo d. Ryan Liederbach 430-365.
ROUND OF 16
(Two-game match play)
Gizzi d. Casey Cohagan 521-416; Oravecz d. Andrew Baker 415-362; Hostetler d. Vinny Bellar 452-413; James d. Kyle Brooks 464-358; Liederbach d. Ethan McDonald 420-393; Novak d. Bryce Oliver 432-430; Vargo d. Ben Sobel 509-445; DeWitt d. Ryan Ashby 451-362.
