By BILL SNIER
PARMA HEIGHTS — After struggling in the second block of qualifying during the opening tournament of the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Summer Series — Cleveland, Jordan (Richard) Snodgrass felt she needed to be prepared.
“In the second round, I felt my ball reaction wasn’t great and I kind of checked myself out. It’s not meant to be that way,” Snodgrass said about failing to make the cut during the PWBA Cleveland Open after being the qualifying leader following the first six games.
“I was frustrated and I really didn’t have a plan B when I should have. But you learn from it.”
Again, on Sunday, Snodgrass was leading the field following the opening qualifying round of the PWBA Rock ’n’ Roll Open at Yorktown Lanes.
This time, the 29-year-old Adrian, Mich., right-hander had a backup plan in mind.
She never needed to use it.
Using the same 900 Global Zen Soul she used in averaging 254 over the opening six-game qualifying block, the five-time PWBA champion added 1,494 more pins during the night shift to set the PWBA 12-game scoring record and lead the 16 remaining bowlers into Monday’s bracket match play rounds.
In all, Snodrass finished with 3,018, an average of 251.50, in shattering the former mark of 2,985 set by Singapore left-hander Cherie Tan during the 2023 Stockton (Calif.) Open.
But this is a different format for the third and final event of the Summer Series.
Instead of head-to-head match play over two blocks, all pins drop and players will bowl best three-of-five elimination matches for the first two rounds, followed by single-elimination for the final four.
“I like the format, but it sucks that I broke the record and my pins drop. But, it’s OK,” said Snodgrass, who won the 2023 Bowlers Journal Cleveland Open in a traditional stepladder final 247-219 over Stefanie Johnson.
“I have to go in with the same mindset that I have to bowl three or five good games. I’m still bowling against the pins not your opponent. It’s just that your scores have to be higher than hers.”
Ukraine’s Dasha Kovalova, a 30-year-old right-hander now living in Muskegon, Mich., who finished third during the Cleveland Open, was second during qualifying with 2,897 (241.42 average). Ironically, Kovalova’s total ranks ninth on the PWBA’s all-time 12-game scoring list.
Tallmadge right-hander Kirsten Moore, bowling her first year on the PWBA Tour after graduating from Youngstown State University, finished third to earn her first match-play spot with 2,757 (229.75 average).
“It’s just so cool. I tried my hardest that second block and I’m glad it worked out,” the 22-year-old Moore said. “I just wanted to try to keep that momentum going from the first block and tried not to think about what I had already done. I didn’t want to put any expectations on myself.”
Moore, who finished 36th in the Cleveland Open to miss cashing by seven pins for her best Tour finish, says the experience “will be fun.”
“I’m going to go in with the same mentality. I can’t control what the pins do only what I do,” said Moore, who will face Ashly Galante in her opening match. “I just have to make good shots and see what happens.”
Also reaching match play is 20-year-old Stow right-hander Jillian Martin, the 2024 USBC Queens champion, who was 12th after qualifying with 2,688 (224 average).
Snodgrass shot 217 in Game 1 of qualifying in the morning session and 205 in Game 6 that denied her a shot at the six-game record She finished with 1,524, which ties Tan for sixth on that list — 71 pins behind Breanna Clemmer’s mark of 1,595.
What is it about Yorktown Lanes for Snodgrass?
“I was asked that earlier and I really don’t have an answer. It’s been two years since I won in this building,” said Snodgrass, the 2023 PWBA Player of the Year when she won three times, but went winless in 2024.
“Obviously, my ball roll matches up really well here so we had a really good day. I’m hoping the same thing happens again tomorrow.”
Snodgrass came back from that opening 217 to shoot one of the event’s two 300 games in Game 2 and rolled on from there. Her low game in the night session was 229.
She also said having her husband and PBA pro, Frank Snodgrass, on site was an asset during the three events.
“It’s fortunate he gets to come with me every week. He’s a great asset and I’m lucky to have him,” Snodgrass said. “When I have somebody who stands behind me on every shot that can help me every shot I can really use it to my advantage.”
It also came the day after a critical split in the 10th frame of the opening stepladder match during the PWBA BowlTV Open cost her a win against Dayton lefty Shannon Pluhowsky.
“Unfortunately, I had a bad shot at the end. But you have to separate these as individual tournaments and move on,” Snodgrass said. “I’ve done a good job of doing that this week.”
Snodgrass will face No. 16 seed and 39-year-old right-hander Lindsay Boomershine in her opening match. Boomershine reached match play by shooting 721 over her final three qualifying games, including 258 in Game 12 overall.
The action begins at 9 a.m. Monday, with the round of eight winners resuming at 2 p.m.
NOTEBOOK: Boomershine was the cut number at 2,269, edging Lauren Russo by just three pins and Brittany Smith, who rolled two 300 games during the BowlTV Open, by eight. … There was quite a bit of shuffling during the final qualifying game as Malaysia’s Li Jane Sin jumped into the cut while others changed positions with big games. … BowlTV Open winner Hui Fen New of Malaysia tied for fourth with Daria Pajak in qualifying to advance. Pajak had the other 300 of the day in the opening session. … New is the lone Singapore bowler to make the cut after four made it during the previous event. However, three Malaysians — Gillian Lim, Sin and Alisha Abdullah — remain alive. … The cut line for a cash spot was at 2,602, with Kayla Bandy earning that position, three pins ahead of Singapore’s Bernice Lim and four ahead of Clemmer. … Kelly Kulick, the 48-year-old Union, N.J., right-hander, fell short in her bid to make the cut for the third straight Summer Series event. After reaching the stepladder finals in the previous two, she finished 59th Sunday. … Also failing to advance to match play for the first time this week was Colombia right-hander Rocio Restrepo, now living in Kent, who finished 52nd overall.