By BILL SNIER
MACEDONIA — If you would have asked Karlie Way about her chances for success as she walked in the doors for Saturday’s bowling tournament, it would have been a short discussion.
“No way … I would have told you you were crazy,” the 27-year-old Wooster right-hander said about her outlook against a field of 33 men and just two women.
What a difference eight hours can make.
Way earned her first title in a male-dominated event by stopping Michael King 214-173 in the title match of the second annual Hit Dem Pockets Scratch Masters tournament at North Woods Lanes..
This comes during a year where the Triway High School bowling coach also won the Akron 600 Club tournament at North Woods in January and had her first two career 800 series — less than a month apart — at Ballerz Sports Club in Wooster.
“I absolutely did not see this coming … it’s just been a phenomenal year so far,” said Way, who earned $1,600 for the title. “Winning the Akron 600 Club in January really propelled me forward.
“I’ve never done this before (against a male field) and I’m just ecstatic. I was just coming here with the idea of getting in some extra practice on a sport shot before Wednesday.”
On Wednesday, Way will join a field of 96 pros and amateurs for the opening qualifying round of the PWBA Cleveland Open, part of the three-tourney PWBA Summer Series at Yorktown Lanes in Parma Heights. It will be just her second pro event after finishing 18th and cashing during a PWBA regional event in Detroit in February.
“I feel like I have my timing and everything down and I’m throwing the ball really well, so I’m excited for Wednesday,” said Way, who will be bowling in just the opening event.
Way was the No. 12 seed following the eight-game qualifier Saturday, averaging 218.12. After getting to as high as fourth in Game 2, she ran into some problems later in the round with games of 166, 177 and 183 to drop to a tie for 15th — the cut line for match play — heading into Game 8.
But she recovered to shoot 247 her final qualifying game to secure her match-play spot.
“In the fourth or fifth game, I was really struggling … I was just in between the oil. It was dry inside and dry outside,” said Way, who played mostly a direct line to the pocket all day with high flush shots in the 1-3 pocket providing big rewards.
“Mike (Burns) was on me to move either inside or outside. So I went outside and it just worked. As the lanes broke down, I just started moving a little left. That shot worked for me pretty much all day. I had a little miss room inside and outside and just could’t miss.”
After disposing of No. 6 seed Dan Gizzi 247-225 in her opening match, her outlook changed.
“I was a a bit nervous being in there with all those guys and I was just up and down. I was like, hopefully, I can get something where my mind is there and I can just throw it in the pocket,” Way said. “But after that 247 in the first game, I was thinking, ‘you know, I may have a chance here.’
“So I just kept making shots and making my spares.”
Her game plan continued in the quarterfinals against No 13 seed Ulysses Rand with a 215-186 win.
In the semifinals against No. 8 seed Reggie Petty, she stayed clean throughout with a pair of doubles.
Petty left a 2-6-7-10 split in the first frame, but rallied for four strikes in a row through the eighth. But needing a strike in the ninth to keep the pressure on Way, he left a 1-2 spare and then a 4-6-10 split in the 10th frame as Way advanced with a 218-203 win.
KING’S DAY
King, a 46-year-old Cleveland veteran right-hander, knew what he was up against heading toward the finals.
“She had the best look in the center, and I knew it,” said King, who was the No. 6 seed after averaging 228.6 during qualifying.
But, King admitted, the day had been one of “survival” as he earned match-play wins over Derrick Norman Jr. (215-190) and No. 3 seed Dylan Mishak (250-221).
“I missed a lot of spares. My spare game was terrible … I just bowled really bad today,” King said. “My timing was bad all day. I didn’t throw it the greatest and I was lucky to get (to the title match). They just bowled worse than I did.”
In the semifinals against Northfield two-handed lefty Ryan Liederbach, he had three doubles, starting with one the first two frames. Liederbach, after leaving a 4-10 split in the second, struck on just one of his final five shots of the game as King advanced with a 222-195 win.
TITLE MATCH
Carry was a definite issue for King, who was playing an inside line in the title match.
He struck in the first and fourth frames, but had just one strike the rest of the way. He left five 10-pins overall, failing to convert one in the third frame and one in the 10th when the match was already decided.
At one point, King said, “That’s just f___ing crazy … hit flush like that and not carry.”
Way, admittedly a bit nervous at the start, left a 2-5 spare in the first frame. But she then ran off three straight strikes to take the lead. She missed only her second spare in match play — a 2-6-10 in the eighth. But she struck out in the 10th to seal the win.
“I just didn’t execute like I wanted to,” King said. “It was just me. The shot was fair and it was there. You could play either way you wanted to play them (inside or outside).
“I was lucky that I was able to throw strikes when I needed to. This time, it just didn’t work out.”
Way, using her Hammer Effect Tour all day, said the continuous chatter from King didn’t bother her.
“I really didn’t bother me … I thought it was funny,” Way said. “It really takes a lot to break up my mental game.”
Burns had predicted before the start of match play that Way was going to win the event. Now, it’s on to a new challenge at Yorktown.
“My goal is just to make good shots,” Way said. “I don’t know what the pattern will be but it’s a new environment for me.
“I’m just going to go out there and grind … make good shots, make my spares and see what happens.”
NOTEBOOK: The event drew a field of 35 players, two more than a year ago. … The bowlers competed on the Kegel Element Challenge Titanium 44-foot oil pattern. The lanes were not re-oiled for match play. … The format was an eight-game qualifier followed by single-game elimination match play, a change from a year ago. … After receiving practice time before the start of match play, no practice balls were permitted for other matches as players moved pairs of lanes, including in the finals. … Willowick right-hander Dean Vargo was the qualifying leader with 1,958 (244.75 average), finishing 70 pins ahead of Liederbach. But Vargo fell in the opening round of match play 235-218 to No. 16 seed Josh Truman, runner-up during the 2024 event at Rollhouse Parma. Truman was the cut to match play with 1,699 (212.37 average), despite shooting just 189 his final game. He finished 11 pins ahead of Bob Haynie. … Only players advancing to the second round of match play earned cash spots. Vargo was given a $100 bonus as qualifying leader. … Defending champion Andrew Snitch finished 26th and didn’t make the cut. … The match-play field of 16 included 14 right-handers and just two lefties. … The next HDP major event will be the second annual HDP Scratch Queens, set for 10 a.m. June 21 also at North Woods Lanes. Trisha Reid is the defending champion. Entry fee is $125. For information, go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/1038541515041952/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[]%7D … Our thanks to Demetrius and Kelly Johnson for their help with this report. … HDP also will resume their doubles sweepers at 5 p.m. June 8 also at North Woods with a $120 per team team entry fee.
HDP SCRATCH MASTERS
(Saturday, at North Woods Lanes, Macedonia)
Round of 16
(Single-game elimination with seed listed)
16 Josh Truman d. 1 Dean Vargo 235-218
8 Reggie Petty d. 9 Tim Lynch 247-182
13 Ulysses Rand d. 4 Steven Pennington 241-191
12 Karlie Way d. 5 Dan Gizzi 247-225
2 Ryan Liederbach d. 15 James Nolan 211-198
7 Nicholas Kightlinger d. 10 Matt Ballard 237-177
3 Dylan Mishak d. 14 Steve Hllbase 221-173
6 Michael King d. 11 Derrick Norman 215-190
Round of 8
(Single-game elimination, losers each receive $240)
Petty d. Truman 234-190; Way d. Rand 215-186; Liederbach d. Kightlinger 185-183; King d. Mishak 250-221
Semifinals
(Single-game elimination, losers each receive $340)
King d. Liederbach 222-195; Way d. Petty 218-203
Championship
(Single-game elimination; winner receives $1,600, loser receives $800)
Way d. King 214-173