By BILL SNIER
FAIRLAWN — It still is a win — No. 14 on the PBA50 Tour to tie him for second-best all-time — and his second victory in two weeks.
But, as PBA Hall of Famer Tom Hess, also said following Tuesday’s PBA50 Akron Classic at AMF Riviera Lanes, “No one wants to win this way.”
The 56-year-old Granger, Iowa, right-hander parlayed back-to-back crossover strikes along with a fortunate trip out of a possible 4-9 split in the 10th to complete a run of five strikes and earn his third PBA50 title of the season with a 235-216 win over Michael Clark Jr.
“It’s not the first time someone has thrown a Brooklyn or two to win a game,” said Hess, who needed some time following the emotional victory to compose himself.
“It never feels good, especially when bowling against someone you respect. What a great tournament for Michael. He stepped up and made a bunch of really good shots when he needed it.”
The win, coming on the heels of a PBA Central Region win last week in Bowling Green, ties him with Pete Weber and John Handegard for second on the PBA50 Tour wins list, just two behind all-time leader Walter Ray Williams (16).
It also, as the season’s points leader, puts Hess at the top of the race for a second PBA50 Player of the Year award.
“Even though that last game doesn’t feel that good, I’m still happy,” Hess said. “I still got the trophy, still got No. 14 and have won three events this season.
“But We still have two majors to go so nothing is settled yet. I just have to move forward and stay focused.”
Clark, a 54-year-old North Olmsted right-hander with two PBA Central region titles, was making his first appearance at a national PBA50 Tour stop.
As the No. 3 seed entering Tuesday’s Advancers Round, Clark was able to win his two matches — the final in a one-ball rolloff against Hall of Famer Mika Koivuniemi — to earn the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals.
“It would have meant the world to me … my mom and dad, my wife and son, (doubles partner) Jason (Johnson) and all the people who came out to support me,” Clark said. “You don’t get too many opportunities, especially against a talented field like this.
“I was just really shocked to get the top seed. You don’t expect JJ (John Janawicz) and Amleto (Monacelli) to lose. You see it come to fruition and you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s really there.’ The nerves ramped up a little because you realize you have just one more game for a possible win.”
RUN TO THE STEPLADDER
Hess was not happy after missing the opportunity to earn a first-round bye in match play after finishing ninth during the morning four-game Advancers’ Round. He finished 17 pins behind his roommate for the week, Bill Watson, with games of 191 and 194.
That changed in match play, as he had games of 248 and 243 en route to a 2-1 over John Burkett and followed that with a 2-1 win over Watson to set up a Round of 8 matchup with qualifying leader and No. 1 seed Janawicz.
After Janawicz opened the match with a 290, Hess came back with 257 and 259 to earn his third straight 2-1 win and gain the No. 2 seed for the stepladder finals.
“I threw a bunch of really good shots to get into that match. Burkett had me buried in the third game, but I made the move, trusted it and threw a six-bagger,” Hess said. “I had a knockdown with my roommate for the week (Watson) and was able to take advantage.
“JJ opened with 290 against me. But I was able to stay calm, and I felt I was in control of the lane. I just made the moves and the shots.”
Clark scored sweeps in both of his matches, shooting 266 in Game 2 to outscore Brad Angelo (257) in his opener. He then shot 278 in Game 1 and had to endure a one-ball rolloff to stop Koivuniemi 10-7 as the hall of famer left a 6-9-10 on his rolloff shot.
“I said it was six hall of famers and one schlup in that round. I felt really fortunate to even be there,” said Clark, who tripped a couple of 4-pins in Game 2 to set up the 248-248 tie. “I didn’t throw great shots in the 11th and 12th. I had a conversation with Tom (Hess) in Reno during the RPI about switching lanes in that situation. I thought I should probably stay on the same lane and just throw a quality shot. I was happy with it.”
STEPLADDER MATCHES
Janowicz, who was returning to the PBA50 Tour after being off since May due to a finger injury, earned the final spot in the stepladder finals as the highest seeded loser in the Round of 8. He matched up against Tom Daugherty, who shot 300 in that round en route to sweeping past No. 2 seed Monacelli.
Daugherty, who lost to Hess during the Bowling Green regional title match a week ago, continued striking in the opening stepladder match. He ran off the front nine strikes before leaving a 10-pin en route to a 267-182 win as Janowicz had three splits and just five strikes.
Match 2 had Daugherty taking on 37-time PBA champion and Hall of Famer Weber, who was coming off a win during the PBA60 World Series of Bowling in Columbus. After opening with a 10-pin spare, Daugherty ran off four strikes in a row to build a lead.
Weber struck on his opening shot, but then left back-to-back 10-pin spares and a solid 8-pin. After a strike in the sixth, he failed to convert another 10-pin spare in the sixth as Daugherty advanced with a 203-185 win. Weber had six nine-counts in the match and just four strikes.
That set up the rematch of one-time doubles partners Hess and Daugherty, who won a pair of under 50-over 50 doubles titles together in Cuyahoga Falls.
“My plan the whole time was to try to be high flush on the pair,” said Hess of iconic Lanes 27 and 28 at AMF Riviera. “Tom was throwing urethane and I knew he would be pushing the oil down the lane. I knew if I hit light pocket I would never get the 10 out. I knew I had to use a lot of the head pin and hit very flush. It tripped a couple of 4-pins which turned out in my favor.”
Hess started with three strikes, left a 10-pin spare, and then ran off four more strikes in a row — which included a pair of trip 4-pins. On the second one, Daugherty just turned his head and walked away from the pair.
After three strikes early, Daugherty left three straight 10-pins and didn’t strike again until his final ball as Hess advanced with as 247-203 win.
TITLE MATCH
Clark elected to allow Hess to start the title match, as the latter began with a pair of strikes before leaving a 3-6 spare in the third frame.
Clark carried a light hit for an opening strike, covered a 10-pin spare and then ran off three strikes in a row through the fifth.
“I was nervous, but that first shot really helped me to settle in,” Clark said. “From there, everything was pretty good. I went back and was talking to people … trying to do the same routine I did throughout qualifying. Just relax, talk to people, get away from everyone and try to stay in my own head. It worked out well.”
After his 3-6 spare in the third, Hess then left a 2-8 in the fifth on Lane 27. He failed to convert the spare.
“It was all about the guy who picked the ball up off the rack. I just bowled bad,” Hess said. “The first two shots were really good. But every now and then, I get too far forward. My swing gets a little quick, which got my shoulders a little forward, which got my elbow a little out, and that shot in the third wasn’t very good.
“After a good shot in the fourth, I went back to that lane and told myself, ‘don’t yank it.’ So I threw it right and it didn’t hook. But it moved the 2-pin a little and I tried to hit the spare heavy. I thought I made a good shot, but it didn’t hook.”
After that miss, Hess again struck in the sixth. Then came the back-to-back crossover strikes in the seventh and eighth before a solid strike in the ninth.
“I had just missed that spare on that lane and I was trailing in the match and my mind just wandered,” Hess said. “I got over the top of it, got forward and threw it bad enough that it struck.
“So I go to the other lane thinking about that Brooklyn and I did it again. After that, I just told (tournament director) Tony (Lanning) I needed some time and he gave me a rerack. I gathered myself, made a move a couple left and rolled it and made a good shot.”
Clark had a high hit in the eighth to leave a 3-pin spare. But disaster came in the ninth when another high hit produced a 7-8 split. He got just one pin.
“I just missed it a little on the bottom. I really tried to get all of it and make it shape,” Clark said of the split. “I was a little firm and missed it right. It was an errant shot.
“The one in the eighth, it was just me trying to be too perfect instead of just letting it go.”
After the split, Clark was able to run off three strikes in a row to finish.
“I wanted Tom to finish and put the pressure on him. I struck out in the 10th and did the things I needed to do. I just wish I would have thrown a little better shot in the ninth,” said Clark, who earned the best check of his bowling career.
Hess then came up needing a mark to put the match away.
“My head was down and I didn’t even see what Mike did in the ninth,” Hess said. “I made the same move in the 10th that I did in the ninth and thought I threw it pretty well. My heart stopped when I saw the 4-9. Then the nine fell, and the four fell late … and it was over.”
Clark had said during qualifying that he was 95 percent sure he would be backing off his bowling schedule after the conclusion of the regional season. Does this performance change his mind?
“Not at all. I’m going to be quite content coaching soccer, refereeing basketball and helping out with baseball,” said Clark, who will be in the field for Wednesday’s Central Region event in Lorain. “Probably if they come back here and I feel the need to come back maybe I’ll do it and if there are regionals close to home I might try those. But it will be a lot less.”
As for Hess, he has two stops in Virginia along with the PBA50 Tournament of Champions in Morgantown, W.Va., still to go in his hunt for another Player of the Year award.
“Nothing is decided yet. Daugherty is bowling fantastic, (Chris) Barnes and Mika have been bowling great and it looks like Pete Weber is back,” Hess said. “I’ve still had three wins so I can’t be so sour.”
But there are wins — and then there are wins. Hess will take this one, and then move on.
NOTEBOOK: The side parking lot at AMF Riviera Lanes took on the appearance of a trailer park this week as nine different recreational vehicles were parked in the lot as housing for PBA50 pros this week. … Tom Murphy earned the final cash spot in 37th place. … Tom Carter, William Fabian, Rudy Kasimakis, Rob Rice, former Canton resident Tony Johnson, Warren Eales and Bret Cromwell earned super senior $1,000 checks. Super duper senior checks (ages 70 and older) went to John Dudak and Charlie Tapp. … Daugherty’s 300 was only the second of the week with Aaron McCormick. Koivuniemi and Angelo also had 299 and Monacelli a 297. … Troy Lynn was the lone lefty to make the cut and finished 36th. … Clark was the lone Northeast Ohio player to make the cut to match play from the Advancers Round. The cut to move on was 3,931. Burkett and Pete McCormic tied for the final spot and had a one-game rolloff to determine who would move on, with Burkett throwing five straight strikes to earn the win. Among those missing the cut was Hudson right-hander John Brockway, who threw a 4-6-7-10 split on his second ball in the 10th frame after a double to finish five pins short. “I would like to have the second game back … it’s the same pair that got me yesterday,” said Brockway, who shot 189 on the pair including missing a 2-4-8 spare. “I had a couple of shots that just leaked right.” In his final game, he left 7-, 9- and 10-pin spares on solid hits. Of the split, Brockway added, “I just threw a bad shot … I’m good for one of those a game. But I’m happy with the performance.” This marked Brockway’s first PBA50 Tour regular stop — and it won’t be his last. “I may make the trip to Norfolk (Va.) if I want to make the drive,” he added. Also eliminated during this round were Akron’s Don Hogue, who shot 177 in Game 2 and fell 17 pins short of the cut, and super duper senior Dale Csuhta of Wadsworth, who shot just 728 during the round and finished 35th overall.
PBA50 Akron Classic Final Standings:
- Tom Hess $7,500
- Michael Clark Jr. $4,000
- Tom Daugherty $3,200
- Pete Weber $2,500
- John Janawicz $2,000
MATCH SCORES:
Match 1: Daugherty def. Janawicz 267-182
Match 2: Daugherty def. Weber 234-185
Match 3: Hess def. Daugherty 247-203
Championship match: Hess def. Clark Jr. 235-216
See complete Akron Classic scores here: https://www.leaguepals.com/league-info?id=69a8e18d81e5081f75421083
