Belmonte Leads PBA Plastic Ball Championships

Powered by two 300 games and averaging 240.4, Australian two-hander Jason Belmonte led after two qualifying rounds Thursday in the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) GEICO Mark Roth Plastic Ball Championships.

Belmonte, the 2008-09 PBA Rookie of the Year, had a 3,366
14-game pinfall total to hold a 27-pin lead over the Lumber
Liquidators PBA Tour’s all-time career titlist Walter Ray Williams Jr.,
in second with 3,339.

The field of 64 was cut to the top
32 players who will advance to match play beginning Friday morning. For this tournament all players
are required to use two specially- made Mark Roth plastic bowling balls incorporating 1970s-era
technology.

Belmonte became the first two-handed bowler to win a Tour event when he won
The Bowling Foundation Long Island Classic at AMF Babylon Lanes last season.

Belmonte’s 300 games were the first he’s bowled with plastic equipment and each
came in the sixth game of both seven-game blocks Thursday.

“This is a different tournament but matching up well with the center means a lot
regardless,” said the 26-year-old Belmonte. In both blocks (Thursday) I started
out slow and was feeling more comfortable towards the end but I would never have
expected to throw two 300 games, especially with plastic equipment.”

The 50-year-old Williams, who owns 47 Tour titles, is looking for his third
title of the season having won the season-opening Motor City Open and his second
United States Bowling Congress Masters title in February. He is currently second
in the Player of the Year Race four points behind Bill O’Neill.

“I had a nice reaction all day and really didn’t change much of anything,”
Williams said. “For me it played like a track shot from the old lacquer days.”

PBA Hall of Famer and 14-time Tour titlist Johnny Petraglia and his son Johnny
Jr. qualified seventh and 26th respectively, the first time the pair have made a
cut together.

“I wish they were all plastic ball tournaments,” said the 63-year-old Petraglia
Sr. “Bowling in a tournament with my son and named after Mark Roth – it doesn’t
get much better than that.”

After a tie for the 32nd and final cut position, Chris Loschetter defeated Steve
Harmann in a one-game roll-off 223-213 to advance.

In addition to using equipment that emphasizes a player’s ability to make
adjustments without being able to rely on the technology built into today’s more
advanced balls, requiring all players to use the same type of equipment also
equalizes the playing field.

After Friday morning’s match play round the field will be cut to 16 for another
match play round Friday evening which will determine the top five who will
advance to Sunday’s finals to be telecast live on ESPN at 2 p.m. Eastern.

LUMBER LIQUIDATORS PBA TOUR
GEICO MARK ROTH PLASTIC BALL CHAMPIONSHIP
AMF Babylon Lanes, West Babylon, N.Y., March 25

SECOND ROUND
(After 14 games, top 32 players advance to match play)

1, Jason Belmonte, Australia, 3,366.
2, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Ocala, Fla., 3,339.
3, Mike Fagan, Patchogue, N.Y., 3,320.
4, Wayne Garber, Modesto, Calif., 3,293.
5, Brian Ziesig, Levittown, N.Y., 3,241.
6, Michael Machuga, Erie, Pa., 3,228.
7, John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., 3,218.
8, Alex Cavagnaro, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 3,215.
9, Ryan Ciminelli, Cheektowaga, N.Y., 3,213.
10, Bill O'Neill, Southampton, Pa., 3,208.
11, Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3,206.
12, Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 3,204.
13, Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 3,197.
14, (tie)  Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., and  Brian Waliczek, Birch Run, Mich., 3,152.
16, Ritchie Allen, Columbia, S.C., 3,151.
17, Robert Smith, Columbus, Ohio, 3,144.
18, Rhino Page, Dade City, Fla., 3,139.
19, Eddie VanDaniker Jr., Essex, Md., 3,125.
20, Jason Sterner, McDonough, Ga., 3,120.
21, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 3,119.
22, Brian Voss, Alpharetta, Ga., 3,112.
23, Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3,111.
24, Ronnie Russell, Camby, Ind., 3,108.
25, Derek Sapp, Keokuk, Iowa, 3,100.
26, Johnny Petraglia Jr., Youngstown, Ohio, 3,093.
27, Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 3,077.
28, Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., 3,059.
29, Chris Barnes, Double Oak, Texas, 3,058.
30, Cassidy Schaub, Ashland, Ohio, 3,043.
31, Mike Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 3,040.
32, (tie) Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, and Steve Harman, Indianapolis,  3,035.
Loschetter def. Harman, 223-213, in one-game roll-off to advance to match play
34, (tie) Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, and Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan., 3,027.
36, Stuart Williams, England, 3,022.
37, Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 3,005.
38, Dave D'Entremont, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, 3,000.
39, Troy Wollenbecker, Miami, 2,999.
40, Brian Kretzer, Dayton, Ohio, 2,997.
41, Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 2,969.
42, (tie) Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., and  Jesse Buss, Wichita, Kan., 2,963.
44, Todd Book, Wapakoneta, Ohio, 2,950.
45, George Lambert IV, Canada, 2,936.
46, Michael Haugen Jr., Carefree, Ariz., 2,934.
47, Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., 2,929.
48, PJ Haggerty, Clovis, Calif., 2,922.
49, Mitch Beasley, Puyallup, Wash., 2,914.
50, Brad Kemp, Allentown, Pa., 2,909.
51, John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 2,905.
52, Tim Mack, Indianapolis, 2,876.
53, John Nolen, Grand Blanc, Mich., 2,868.
54, Joseph Costanzo, Plainview, N.Y., 2,853.
55, Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 2,852.
56, Bobby Hall II, Landover, Md., 2,845.
57, Mike Wolfe, New Albany, Ind., 2,844.
58, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 2,841.
59, Mike DeVaney, San Diego, 2,840.
60, (tie) Eugene McCune, Munster, Ind., and Brian LeClair, Athens, N.Y., 2,827.
62, Stevie Weber, Chalmette, La., 2,825.
63, Nathan Bohr, Wichita, Kan., 2,681.
64, Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., WD

300 games – Jason Belmonte (2)