By BILL SNIER
AKRON — With another event Friday, the late hour and eight more games on their agendas for Saturday, the final two teams left in a 35-team field decided to take the money and run.
The final two teams — Tony Carson, Chris Steele and Michael Thewes and Ty McKinney, Ryan Ashby and Zeke Bayt — decided to split the prize money for the top two places during the $3,000 Akron Open Thursday Night Trio Eliminator at Station 300.
The event, which was the kickoff to Akron Open weekend at the center, was running toward the midnight hour when the two final teams had completed the first two rounds of elimination play.
Instead of bowling for the title, the teams decided to split, leaving each player with $800 each in the final prize fund.
McKinney, Ashby and Bayt, who had entered the elimination rounds as the No. 1 seed, had received a first-round bye. They combined to shoot 663 in the second elimination round — high among the four remaining teams.
Carson, Steele and Thewes, who were the No. 7 seed and made the final elimination round by just six pins after shooting 645 the final game, had 658 the final game to earn the No. 2 spot with Steele leading the way with 255.
The format was four qualifying games on the Station 300 house oil pattern before the field was cut to the top seven for single-game elimination rounds with the No. 1 seed receiving a bye. Each team during the two elimination rounds bowled on its own pair of lanes — the high side being used for the opening round and the low side for Round 2.
MAKING A RUN
Carson, Steele and Thewes were sitting in 12th place after Game 1 with 635 out of the gate. Their big surge came after Game 3, when they combined for 733 and then hung on during the final game with Thewes — the late addition to the team — finishing with 257 after a 256 in Game 3.
Co-tournament director Jody Boyd had a hand in adding Thewes to the team.
“We had a couple of different bowlers, but it just didn’t work out. He told me that Mike was looking for someone to bowl with and I’ve known Mike for awhile,” said Carson, a 43-year-old Wooster right-hander. “You have to bowl something like this with people who are willing to help each other.”
Carson and Steele began pairing up a couple of years ago in doubles events.
“We won like three tournaments in a row,” said Steele, a 24-year-old Wadsworth two-handed righty and a Grizzlies high school bowling coach. “We just decided to stick with it and it has worked out for us.”
Thewes, a 36-year-old Canton left-hander, was planning on bowling only the singles event this week until receiving the call.
“Jody reached out and said they were looking for someone,” Thewes said. “It worked out pretty well for us. It never hurts to have a lefty on the team in these events.
Thewes led the team in qualifying with 911, followed by Steele (883) and Carson (849).
The team finished second in the opening six-team elimination match with 678 as Carson and Steele both shot 233.
ROLLING TO THE TOP
McKinney, Ashby and Bayt sat second after the opening qualifying game with 742, but never trailed again. They had games of 742, 647, 695 and a closing 746 for 2,830 total pinfall — topping the field by 89 pins.
“Bowling with these guys is fun. When you are able to escape reality and have fun, things are going to happen,” said McKinney a 46-year-old Ashland right-hander who led individuals in the tournament with 1,017 (254.55 average) — the only player to break 1,000.
“Every time we bowl together we have a blast and it works out well.”
Bayt doesn’t bowl with the others a lot due to his PBA Tour commitments, but the 34-year-old former Ohioan and current Princeton, Ill., resident was able to recover after shooting just 858 in qualifying following a 258 opener.
When asked what the key was for the team, Bayt and Ashby both pointed at McKinney.
“These are two of my closest friends and we’ve bowled together for years. What Ty shot was just crazy. I want to say thanks to these guys for getting me there,” Bayt said. “Then, I could step up when I needed to.”
Bayt made a ball change prior to match play which proved to be key as he shot 255 during the final four elimination round.
“I realized I needed bigger core balls. The ones I was throwing were a little weak for what I was trying to do,” said Bayt, who went to his car and grabbed a Motiv Jackal Ghost V2. “I didn’t realize it until it was too late, but, I guess, it was just in time. It was awesome I as able to get a feel for it.”
Ashby stuck with his same game plan from last year, throwing pearlized symmetrical equipment.
“It works for me and keeps me in play. I missed my couple of spares, but I was able to strike enough to make up for it,” said Ashby, a 31-year-old Painesville right-hander who shot 955 during qualifying.
Next up at 7 p.m. Friday is the second satellite event of the weekend — the Akron Open Doubles Sweeper — at Station 300 before the main event begins at 9 a.m. Saturday for the first of two shifts. A full field is expected for both events.
Steele and Carson will be teaming up for that, along with McKinney and Ashby. Bayt will be bowling with left-hander Michael Mossbarger. Thewes will take a break until the main event.
NOTEBOOK: High game of the night was 298 by Meeco Walker in Game 3, with McKinney shooting 290. … Four of the seven teams making the cut had at least one left-hander. … Carson, Steele and Thewes earned the final elimination spot by just six pins over Clinton Lyons, Dell Ray Jr. and Reggie Petty, who shot 723 the final game to jump from 14th to eighth. … Simon Mote, who captured last week’s Ohio Masters title in Columbus, joined with Casey Cohagan and Tony Throckmorton, who led a team to a win in the Bob Cooke Memorial Baker Five-Man Tournament at Lex Lanes earlier this month, to finish third in the final elimination rolloff. Taking the other top four spot was the team of Anthony Neuer, Phil Drumm and Hayden Stippich. … Only 16 players shot 900 or better during qualifying, with Mote finishing second to McKinney with 979. … Our thanks to Boyd and co-tournament director James Hiles for their assistance with this report. … Boyd plans to continue the trio in the future, but will limit it to just four games — which is the format used for Friday’s doubles sweeper. … Andre Gonzales and AJ Rice, a pair of lefties, are the defending champs in the doubles event. McKinney and Ashby finished 10th a year ago to cash.
AKRON OPEN THURSDAY NIGHT TRIO ELIMINATOR
(Thursday, at Station 300, Akron)
ELIMINATOR ROUND NO. 1
(No. 1 seed has bye; top three teams advance; eliminated teams each receive $600)
1, Anthony Neuer-Hayden Stippich-Phil Drumm 679; 2, Tony Carson-Chris Steele-Michael Thewes 678; 3, Simon Mote-Casey Cohagan-Tony Throckmorton 676; 4, Charlie Brown II-Tuna Boncu-Brian NcMahon 665; 5, LJ Holmes, Tommy McClane-Bobby Ishmael 630; 6, AJ McCoy-Michael Williams II-Tim Voytko 563
ELIMINATOR ROUND NO. 2
(Top two teams advance to finals; eliminated teams each receive $1,200)
1, McKinney-Ashby-Bayt 663; 2, Thewes-Carson-Steele 658; 3, Mote-Cohagan-Throckmorton 643; 4, Neuer-Drumm-Stippich 621.
ELIMINATOR ROUND NO. 3
(Top two teams decided to split remaining prize fund of $4,800, $800 each)
1, (tie) McKinney-Ashby-Bayt and Carson-Steele-Thewes
