Saturday, July 4, 2009

GEICO PBA Team Shootout

Team Bayer, featuring Lumber Liquidators Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour stars
Rhino Page, Michael Fagan, Bill
O’Neill, Sean Rash, two-hander Jason Belmonte and Tommy Jones,
took a 1-0 lead
after the first day of GEICO PBA Team Shootout competition.

The GEICO PBA Team Shootout Hosted by Six Flags was conducted outdoors on specially
constructed lanes at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., June
11-13. Round-robin team
matches air Sundays on ESPN through July 12.


Team Bayer won its first round-robin Baker format match by defeating Team GEICO (Brad Angelo,
Mike Wolfe, Chris Barnes, Mika Koivuniemi, Wes Malott and Patrick
Allen), 231-210.

The Baker scoring format requires five members of the team to roll two frames in one game to
combine for one score, but the GEICO competition also includes a
unique “Endless 10th Frame.” If the
team that is behind in the match strikes on
its final ball in the 10th frame, it can continue throwing
shots as long as each
is a strike. Each bonus strike is worth 10 points. If the opposing team loses its
lead, it can then try to rally in its own “Endless 10th Frame” only if its
anchor bowler also has struck
on his final ball.


In the opening match, Team Bayer held the lead going into the final frame, but Team GEICO’s
Malott struck on his fill ball for a 210 and the right to continue.
But Angelo, the team’s leadoff bowler,
failed to strike on his first “Endless
10th Frame” attempt.

In its second match, Team GEICO evened its record at 1-1 by defeating Team Lumber Liquidators
(Norm Duke, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Steve Jaros, Mike
Scroggins, Parker Bohn III and Pete Weber),
208-198, when Team GEICO rallied in
the bonus round. The regulation game ended with Lumber
Liquidators leading,
198-188, thanks to Duke’s three strikes in the 10th frame.

Because Malott converted a 10 pin and struck on his second shot in the 10th frame, Team GEICO
still had a chance. Barnes, bowling in the leadoff position,
and Allen, bowling second in the lineup,
threw bonus strikes to erase Lumber
Liquidators’ 10-pin advantage and put their team into the
lead. Scroggins,
Lumber Liquidators’ leadoff bowler, then had a chance to get his team back into
contention, but he failed to strike.


During the GEICO PBA Shootout, all three teams will bowl 12 round-robin matches on a variety of
lane conditioning patterns leading up to a championship round.
The top two teams based on match
play record will advance to a championship
contest which include singles, doubles and Baker-style
team matches. The
championship round will air on ESPN on Sunday, July 12.

GEICO PBA Team Shootout standings (as of June 21)
Team Bayer 1-0
Team GEICO 1-1
Team Lumber Liquidators 1-1

ESPN GEICO PBA Team Shootout Schedule (all times Eastern)

July 5 (five shows)
1-1:30 p.m. – Show 7
1:30-2 p.m. – Show 8
2-2:30 p.m. – Show 9
2:30-3 p.m. – Show 10
3-3:30 p.m. – Show 11

July 12 (four shows)
1-1:30 p.m. – Show 12
1:30-2 p.m. – Show 13
2–2:30 p.m. – Show 14
2:30-3 p.m. – Show 15

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