MACEDONIA — Amanda Morrow failed to strike on only two of her 12 shots during the title match.
It was two misses too many.
Trisha Reid ran of the first 10 strikes in a row to open the match before leaving a 4-6-7-8-10 split on her 11th ball en route to a 281-259 victory during Sunday’s Hit Dem Pockets (HDP) Queens scratch event at North Woods Lanes.
“I really can’t remember the last time I won anything with a big field like this. That’s why I was so emotional,” said Reid, who captured the 2018 Ohio Queens title. “I fight so hard at our state Queens and it’s always disappointing to get to the top five and not win.
“This just meant a whole lot to me.”
Reid, a 38-year-old Columbus left-hander, was the No. 1 seed following the 16-bowler Cashers’ Round with 3,034 total pinfall, an average of 252.83 over 12 games and just 31 pins ahead of Morrow, who averaged 250.25.
In the Round of Eight, Reid earned the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals with a 535 two-game series in a victory over No. 8 seed Desaree Grey.
“I felt really confident in match play and the whole weekend. I knew I had the right ball in my hand,” said Reid, who works in inventory management at Vesco Medical in Columbus. “I just wanted to stay aggressive and it helped me with my carry.”
Reid admitted her read on Saturday’s second shift of qualifying helped with Sunday’s play. Bowlers rolled four games in the morning session before the lanes were re-oiled for another four-game afternoon session.
“The first set yesterday I was able to move in a little and kind of swing it. The ball would recover and carry,” Reid said. “The second set after the re-oil, they got a little tighter. So I had to move five (boards) left. I went to swinging it the first four to going straighter the back four.
“After that, today I kind of knew what to expect and played them like yesterday’s second set.”
She also took notes on the different pairs during play to refresh her memory on lane changes.
“I noticed that all the pairs today were playing slightly different,” Reid added. “So I knew that one of the lanes was tighter on the title pair and it worked to my advantage.”
MORROW’S RUN
Morrow, who was the qualifying leader Saturday after averaging 258.75 for the first eight games, admitted she had to change her game plan Sunday.
“Yesterday, I was able to throw my Zen and get through the lane and get it to react the way I wanted,” said Morrow, a 35-year-old Amherst right-hander. “But this morning, I think the oil sat a little longer and lasted a little longer so I had to switch to my Rubicon to get it through the parts I couldn’t quite get through.
“I just needed to throw something different. They played a little tighter for me and I had to switch it up. I used pretty much the same line, but a different ball with a little more ball speed. I rolled it a little slower (Saturday), but if I let up on it at all today it was going through the nose.”
Morrow earned the No. 3 seed for the stepladder finals with a 482-451 win over No. 7 seed Courtney Burris 482-451.
That match did give her one advantage: Game 2 of that match was bowled on Lanes 11-12 — the stepladder finals pair.
“There was a slightly unfair advantage there I think,” Morrow said. “But Trisha made it work for her.”
In the opening stepladder match, Morrow stopped No. 3 seed Lexi Cloud, a 27-year-old Cleveland right-hander, 257-228. The former struck on eight of her first nine shots after shooting 247 in her final match-play game against Burris.
Cloud left four-single pin spares in that matchup.
Then in the semifinals against No. 2 seed Megan Ashley, a 21-year-old Parma right-hander, Morrow struck on five of her first six shots en route to a 222-184 win. Ashley left a 4-6-7-9 split in the first frame and had only four strikes in the match.
TITLE MATCH
Then came the title match against Reid, with both players starting with five strikes before Morrow left a 4-pin spare in the sixth frame.
Reid, who had tripped a 6-pin on her strike in the fifth frame, got another late break with a trip 6-pin on the same lane in the seventh frame (Lane 12) just before the rack came down. Morrow then left another 4-pin spare in the eighth while Reid struck in the eighth.
Reid admitted her strike in the ninth frame was the pivotal moment in the match.
‘I was so nervous. I knew if I threw the one in the ninth on the right lane, no matter what I did in the 10th, she couldn’t beat me,” Reid said. “After those two trip sixes, I didn’t know if I wanted to throw it harder or make a move.
“So I went with my A game. I didn’t want to throw it harder because I didn’t want to overthrow it. So I just made a move, tried to be confident and flushed it. I knew that was all I needed.”
Although Morrow struck on her final four shots, it wasn’t enough on this day.
“It happens. If I’m going to lose that’s the way I want to do it,” Morrow said. “It was a great match and there’s nothing you can do about that. She’s just a great competitor.
“I came out with new shoes and new balls and wanted to make a good showing so I really can’t complain about finishing second to a 280.”
Reid admits she was having some problems with her game during the winter.
“My bowling was up and down and I was having issues with my fit,” Reid said. “I was trying to work that part out. I just went back to basics and it’s been going well ever since
“It just been a great year so far with bowling and having the new job.”
And the $2,500 first-place check just adds to it all.
NOTEBOOK: The event drew a 34-player field an was bowled on the 42-foot Kegel Stone Street oil pattern both days. … Morrow led qualifying with 2,070, 42 pins ahead of Reid (2,028). … The cut to the top 16 was at 1,721, with Carly Graham and Jennifer Thompson tying for the final spot, 12 pins ahead of Katlyn Ferrell. … Ashley led after the first four games Saturday with 1,032, two pins ahead of Morrow. … Grey gained the final spot in the eight-player match-play round with 2,686, 12 pins ahead of former Canton resident Jen Higgins (2,674). … Reid shot 300 in Game 4 of Saturday’s morning session and Cloud had 298 the same game. Reid’s 281 was the high Sunday game. … Tournament sponsors included HDP, Brunswick and Jack Daniels. … The next HDP event is the Christmas in July tournament, set for July 8-9 and 15-16 also at North Woods. There are divisions for singles and doubles in scratch and handicap, senior singles division and a mixed doubles division. Entry is $100 per team and $50 for singles. Go to www.hitdempockets.com for information. .. In addition to the Queens, a women’s doubles handicap event was held Friday at Northwoods. Ashley and Mandi Testa shared honors with Reid and Higgins, both finishing with 1,550 scratch pinfall.
HDP QUEENS TOURNAMENT
(Sunday, at North Woods Lanes, Macedonia)
Stepladder finals
Match 1: Amanda Morrow d. Lexi Cloud 257-228; Cloud receives $350
Match 2: Morrow d. Megan Ashley 222-184; Ashley receives $500
Championship: Trisha Reid d. Morrow 281-259; Reid receives $2,500, Morrow receives $1,250
Round of 8
(Two-game matches based on pinfall; losers each receive $200)
Reid d. Desaree Grey 535-424; Morrow d. Courtney Burris 482-451; Cloud d. Charita Crews 403-375; Ashley d. Melissa Voytko 523-472.
Other cashers
(Based on total pinfalls; all receive $125)
9, Jen Higgins 2,674; 10, Constance McMillan 2,672; 11, Delores Leventry 2,651; 12, Tabitha Schlupe 2,644; 13, Joy Moore 2,618; 14, Katelyn Hull 2,609; 15, Jennifer Thompson 2,529; 16, Carly Graham 2,517
