By BILL SNIER
CANTON — The “replacement” had to make a decision in the title match after just one strike in five frames and coming off of a missed 10-pin conversion.
So 61-year-old Rootstown right-hander Dean Billings decided a ball change was in order.
It proved to be the right choice at the right time.
Billings and partner Eric Randazzo ran off strings of six and seven strikes, respectively, in the title match to defeat the father-son duo of Roger Webb and Adam Webb 481-421 during the College Bowl Tournaments Series under 50-over 50 doubles event Saturday at AMF Hall of Fame Lanes.
Randazzo, a 34-year-old Parma Heights right-hander who throws without his thumb in the ball, usually teams with TJ Charles in regular doubles events, but has bowled in past 50-50 events with Perry Township’s Jim Fellows. But Fellows already was committed to partner Brandon Clifford.
So Randazzo turned to Ace Mitchell Bowlers Mart co-worker Dean Billings, who made just his second appearance in a CBT event.
“I’ve been able to get Saturdays off this year so I’ve been able to bowl these events,” Randazzo said. “I don’t know a bunch of 50 year olds and I usually ask Jim. But Dean was a good replacement.”
“That’s what I’ve been relegated to … a replacement,” Billings said, laughing. “But that’s probably the right thing.”
The pair finished second during the four-game qualifying round and completed play just six pins apart, with Billings at 1,002, including a high of 268, and Randazzo at 996 also with a 268.
They shot their third 500 game of the day in ironically taking out Fellows and Clifford in the match-play semifinals 500-435.
While Randazzo stayed with his Track Stealth Mode solid all day, choosing to make moves rather than change, Billings had success with his Storm Ion Pro into the semifinals.
“But he didn’t like his look in the title match on Lanes 11-12.
“It seemed to be skating a bit here and I should have seen it early. But in the fifth frame, after whiffing a 10-pin, I figured what do I have to lose? I might as well try it,” said Billings, who went to a Roto Grip Transformer. “It was a little more ball and I needed more because that pair seemed to be little tighter.”
It made the difference in a tight match with the Webbs, who were the only team to break 2,000 during qualfying with both father and son shooting over 1,000 for four games.
WEBBS’ RUN
This marked the first time father and son had bowled a doubles event as adults.
“We bowled junior-adult events,” said Roger, a 59-year-old Perry Township right-hander, “but that was a long time ago.”
Adam had a rare Saturday off from his job at Laria Chevrolet-Buick in Rittman and decided to team up with his father. Both are members of the Stark County High School Bowling Hall of Fame, with dad being the former Perry High School coach during his son’s tenure.
“I will bowl with my dad anywhere, anytime,” said Adam, a 32-year-old Orrville right-hander who just returned to bowling regularly a year ago. “My work schedule kept getting in the way. But I started bowling at Eastbury on Fridays last season, replaced everything in my bag and began falling in love with it again.
“I want to try to bowl as many tournaments as I can. I’ve had a half decent run the past couple of years”
Adam finished with 1,040 in qualifying, with a high of 267, while Roger came in a 1,016 with a high of 279.
They then defeated Scott Vandegrift and Bob Eckenrode 453-450 in the semifinals, with Adam getting a key strike on his first ball in the 10th frame to complete a three-strike run and clinch the win.
“We both made quality shots all day,” said Roger, who had carpal tunnel surgery on his right wrist in October and is having it again on his left wrist Monday. The first surgery sidelined him for a month.
“He was consistent on his target. We both had a good time.”
“It’s all about matching up the ball with the condition,” Adam said. “We had the right stuff today.”
And that proved key also in the title match.
CHAMPIONSHIP
While Billings struggled early before the ball change, Randazzo began what became a seven-strike run in the fourth frame.
Roger Webb was able to run off strikes in five of his first six frames before leaving a 1-2-8-10 split in the seventh on the right lane. He then failed to convert a 2-8 spare in the ninth on the same lane.
“I really don’t know what happened,” Roger Webb said. “I just missed right. I don’t know if it was a lack of concentration or what.”
After a double early, Adam Webb failed to convert a 2-4-5 spare in the fifth before running off four strikes in a row.
But with Billings finding his line following the ball change — and running off six strikes in a row — the outcome was determined.
Billings finished with 235 after his slow start and Randazzo had 246 — including a foul on his second ball in the 10th when he made a ball change. Roger Webb had 209 after a double in the 10th and Adam Webb finished with 212, missing a 10-pin spare in the 10th when the outcome was determined.
“We bowled very well today,” said Billings, who still makes occasional appearances on the PBA50 Central Region Tour. “I’ve been very blessed physically to be able to do it and I love doing it. So I will keep doing it until I can’t”
Even if it is in a “replacement” role.
NOTEBOOK: The event drew 23 teams, with all but four finishing plus or better. … The cut to the top four was 1,941, an average of 486 per game for doubles, Eckenrode and Vandegrift finished just six pins ahead of Ray Cook and Cooper Smith for the final match-play spot. The former outscored the latter 484-467 in Game 4 to advance. … The final cash spot was at 1,866, with lefties Jason Gribble and Del Ray Jr. earning that spot by 95 pins. … Alan Hoover had the lone 300 of the day in Game 1. … Vandegrift had 801 his first three games and finished with a tourney-high 1,059. Among senior players, Fellows was high with 1,055. … Michael Clark Jr. and Jason Johnson posted the high game of 547 in Game 4 to earn a cash spot. … The next CBT series event is a singles, slated for 10 a.m. March 7 at Park Centre Lanes in North Canton with a $65 entry fee. Players must have participated in at least four events this season to be eligible for the May year-end singles at AMF Hall of Fame.. … Our thanks to Jeff DiMarzio and Dawn Altimore-Eckenrode for their assistance.
COLLEGE BOWL TOURNAMENTS 50-50 DOUBLES
(Saturday, at AMF Hall of Fame Lanes, Canton)
Semifinals
(Losing teams each receive $240)
Roger Webb (206)-Adam Webb (247) d. Bob Eckenrode (224)-Scott Vandegrift (226) 453-450
Dean Billings (246)-Eric Randazzo (254) d. Brandon Clifford (219)-Jim Fellows (216) 500-435
Championship
(Winning team receives $840; losers receive $500)
Billings (235)-Randazzo (246) d. Roger Webb (209)-Adm Webb (212) 481-421.
Other cashers
(With four game pinfall totals)
5, Ray Cook-Cooper Smith 1,935, $130; 6, Michael Clark Jr.-Jason Johnson 1,901, $130; 7, Jason Gribble-Del Ray Jr. 1,966, $130
