07/16/07
PBA Special Event
"Kokua Brothers" clinch second win in GEICO® PBA All-Star Shootout
Six Flags St. Louis, Eureka, Mo. (June 24, 2007)
Their team name means "good karma" in Hawaiian and so far in the GEICO® PBA All-Star Shootout Hosted by Six Flags, Tony Reyes (left) and Robert Smith (right) definitely have karma on their side. The "Kokua Brothers" improved to 2-0 in round robin match play with a 243-206 win over the "Southside Playas" team of Jason Couch and Billy Oatman to move one win away from the championship round.
Reyes and Smith fell behind early after Smith left a 7-10 split in the third frame. In this special alternate shot doubles event, teammates attempt to pick up each others spares, but Reyes was unable to convert and the Southside Playas took the lead.
The California natives bounced back to strike in their next seven frames, however, while Couch and Oatman had an open in the sixth frame giving the Kokua Brothers a big lead.
Reyes and Smith missed their chance at an endless 10th frame when Reyes left a seven count on their second shot in the 10th, and Couch and Oatman still had a chance to climb back by striking on their fill ball. Teams striking on their fill ball are awarded an "endless 10th frame" where additional strikes are worth 10 bonus pins, but they must come in succession.
After Couch struck with their first shot in the 10th, Oatman was unable to strike, however, and Reyes and Smith stayed undefeated.
In other matches, Tommy Jones and Wes Malott salvaged their week by winning their final match over Norm Duke and Walter Ray Williams Jr., 277-268. Duke and Williams had already clinched a spot in the finals, but were looking to go undefeated.
The match came down to and endless 10th frame as both teams struck with their fill ball. Duke and Williams struck out in the 10th frame to finish with 258. Trailing by one pin, Jones and Malott needed to strike on their fill ball for a chance to take the lead. After Malott left a 4-pin with their first shot in the 10th, Jones converted then watched as Malott came through with a strike on the fill ball to extend the match.
The "Big & Rich" team then struck three consecutive times in the bonus frame to take the lead. After Malott got just six on their fourth shot, Duke and Williams had a chance to win the match with two bonus strikes of their own, but after Williams struck to pull "Will Duke 'Em" within one, Duke was unable to come up with the game-winner, leaving the 4-6-7-10. The team with a combined 68 Denny's PBA Tour still advanced to the championship round with their 2-1 record.
In the third match, Chris Barnes and Mika Koivuniemi won their final match of the event to finish 2-1, defeating Patrick Allen and Parker Bohn III, 234-215. Allen and Bohn finished the event with a 1-2 record.
The GEICO PBA All-Star Shootout continues next weekend with the final four matches airing Sunday, July 22 from Noon-2:30 p.m. ET. The first match between the "Kokua Brothers" and the "Fire & Ice" team of Doug Kent and Danny Wiseman will determine who advances to the championship round to face Duke and Williams.
Round Robin Group Play
Dick Weber Group
Tony Reyes-Robert Smith def. Jason Couch-Billy Oatman, 243-206.
Standings:
Reyes-Smith 2-0
Kent-Wiseman 1-1
Couch-Oatman 1-2
Rash-Weber 1-2
Earl Anthony Group
Tommy Jones-Wes Malott def. Norm Duke-Walter Ray Williams Jr., 277-268.
Chris Barnes-Mika Koivuniemi def. Patrick Allen-Parker Bohn III, 234-215.
Standings:
Duke-Williams 2-1
Barnes-Koivuniemi 2-1
Allen-Bohn 1-2
Jones-Malott 1-2
Duke/Williams clinch second win in GEICO® PBA All-Star Shootout
With 68 Denny’s Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour titles between them, it’s no surprise Norm Duke and Walter Ray Williams Jr. have proved to be a formidable team in the GEICO® PBA All-Star Shootout Hosted by Six Flags. Duke and Williams improved their record to 2-0 and clinched a spot in the championship round, defeating Chris Barnes and Mika Koivuniemi, 227-184, in the special doubles event featuring 16 of the PBA's biggest stars.
After winning their opening match in round robin group play, Duke and Williams clinched the first of two spots in the final round by knocking off the "Finn to Win" team of Barnes and Koivuniemi, who were also looking to go to 2-0. As the top team in the Earl Anthony group, they will play one more round robin match before facing the top team in the Dick Weber group.
Duke and Williams started the match with four consecutive strikes, while Koivuniemi left a 3-6-7-10 split in the fourth frame which Barnes was unable to convert. The event features an alternate shot format with split conversions worth five bonus pins.
Later in the match, Duke left a split of his own and Williams could not convert, giving Barnes and Koivuniemi a chance to get back in the match. Koivuniemi left a 3-6-10 in the eighth frame, however, and Barnes chopped the spare, all but ending the match.
Another special feature of the event is the potential "endless 10th frame," where teams striking on their fill ball have the opportunity to keep striking for 10 bonus pins per strike. After Williams and Duke struck out in the 10th, they waited to see if Barnes and Koivuniemi could do the same and possibly extend the match, but Koivuniemi was unable to strike on their second shot in the 10th, giving "Will Duke 'Em" a spot in the finals.
In other matches, "The Kokua Brothers" team of Tony Reyes and Robert Smith (pictured) won their first match of the competition, 192-170, over Sean Rash and Pete Weber. Rash and Weber fell to 0-2, opening in the third, fourth and 10th frames.Patrick Allen and Parker Bohn III evened their record at 1-1 with a 267-261 win over Tommy Jones and Wes Malott, who fell to 0-2. The match featured the first endless 10th frame which nearly changed the outcome.
Allen and Bohn struck six consecutive times in frames 5-10 to take control of the match in regulation, but Allen failed to strike on their second shot in the 10th, meaning they could not shut out the "Big and Rich" team. After Malott left a nine count with their first ball in the 10th and Jones converted, Malott struck on the crucial fill ball to extend the match. Needing five strikes to wins, Jones and Malott struck four times before Jones left eight on the fifth bonus frame, giving "Smooth and Slick" the narrow victory.
The other match featured Rash and Weber picking up their first win of the event, 236-217, over the "Fire and Ice" team of Doug Kent and Danny Wiseman. The "Midwest Mafia" struck with their first six shots while Wiseman and Kent could not take advantage of an endless 10th frame situation to draw even.
Round robin match play continues next weekend as three more matches will air Sunday, July 15 at 3 p.m. ET, along with a re-air of a previous match.
Round Robin Group Play
Dick Weber Group
Norm Duke-Walter Ray Williams Jr. def. Chris Barnes-Mika Koivuniemi, 227-184.
Standings:
Reyes-Smith 1-0
Kent-Wiseman 1-1
Couch-Oatman 1-1
Rash-Weber 1-2
Earl Anthony Group
Tony Reyes-Robert Smith def. Sean Rash-Pete Weber, 192-170
Patrick Allen-Parker Bohn III def. Tommy Jones-Wes Malott, 267-261
Sean Rash-Pete Weber def. Doug Kent-Danny Wiseman, 236-217.
Standings:
Duke-Williams 2-0
Barnes-Koivuniemi 1-1
Allen-Bohn 1-1
Jones-Malott 0-2
Kent-Wiseman take the lead in "Dick Weber Group" at GEICO® PBA All-Star Shootout
Recently crowned 2006-07 Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Player of the Year Doug Kent almost had to drop out of the GEICO® PBA All-Star Shootout Hosted by Six Flags, but as it turned out it was Kent who bailed out teammate Danny Wiseman to save their first match of the event. Kent, who woke up the morning of the event's first day with the flu, converted Wiseman's 2-7 split in the opening frame to give his team five bonus pins, then struck with a crucial first shot in the 10th frame to lead "Fire and Ice" to a 205-185 win over the "Southside Playas" team of Jason Couch and Billy Oatman.
Kent and Wiseman were scheduled to bowl two matches on the first day but Kent's illness pushed their first match back to day two, giving Kent time in the morning to get well for their afternoon match against the Southside Playas, who had won the opening match of the event.
Wiseman didn't make it easy on his partner, leaving a 2-7 split with his first shot. The alternate shot doubles format calls for teammates to pick up each others spare attempts, and Kent converted the split to give his team five bonus pins, one of two special scoring elements in the event.
Both teams struggled to strike throughout the match, but Kent and Wiseman clung to a slight lead before Kent left a 6-7-10 split for an open in the ninth frame. Kent redeemed himself with a strike in the 10th, and Wiseman followed with a strike, but Kent could not close out regulation with 10 in the pit, which would have given their team the opportunity for an "endless 10th frame," where additional strikes would be worth 10 bonus pins.
That meant Couch and Oatman had a chance to win the match with a strike on their first shot in the 10th, but Oatman left a 2-4-7-10 split and Couch failed to convert, giving Fire and Ice the win.
In the second match, the "Finn to Win" team of Chris Barnes and Mika Koivuniemi took down "Big and Rich," featuring 2005-06 PBA Player of the Year Tommy Jones and 2006-07 PBA World Point Rankings leader Wes Malott, 255-184.
Jones and Malott got off to a bad start as Jones failed to convert Malott's single-pin spare in the first frame. After Barnes and Koivuniemi had back-to-back eight-spares to open the match, they rattled off four consecutive strikes in frames 3-6 and later had another four-bagger in frames 8-10, while Jones and Malott struck just once in the first eight frames. The Young Gun duo still had a chance late in the match as Malott struck on their fill ball giving them an endless 10th frame opportunity, but needing eight consecutive strikes, Jones left an eight count to give Barnes and Koivuniemi the win.
The special doubles event features 16 of the PBA's biggest stars teaming up in a round-robin group play format. The top team in the Dick Weber Group and the Earl Anthony Group advances to the championship round.
Round robin match play continues next weekend as four more matches will air Sunday, July 8 at 3 p.m. ET.
Round Robin Group Play
Dick Weber Group
Doug Kent-Danny Wiseman def. Jason Couch-Billy Oatman, 205-185
Standings:
Kent-Wiseman 1-0
Couch-Oatman 1-1
Rash-Weber 0-1
Reyes-Smith 0-0
Earl Anthony Group
Chris Barnes-Mika Koivuniemi def. Tommy Jones-Wes Malott, 255-184
Standings:
Barnes-Koivuniemi 1-0
Duke-Williams 1-0
Allen-Bohn 0-1
Jones-Malott 0-1
Southside Playas, Will Duke 'Em tally wins
Jason Couch (pictured) and Billy Oatman started the first outdoor Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) event since 2001 with a bang, defeating hometown favorite Pete Weber and teammate Sean Rash, 290-277, in the GEICO® PBA All-Star Shootout Hosted by Six Flags at Six Flags St. Louis.
Click on the images to view the full size. Courtesy of PBA LLC.
The special doubles event features 16 of the PBA's biggest stars teaming up in a round-robin group play format. The top team in each group advances to the championship round.
The event also features two special rules: five bonus pins are awarded for each split converted, and teams striking on their fill ball are allowed to continue shooting until they do not strike in the "endless 10th frame."
The first match featured a near perfect game as Couch and Oatman, dubbed the "Southside Playas," were unstoppable after a seven-spare in the first frame. They went on to strike 11 consecutive times to finish their 12 frames with 290.
Weber and Rash, aka "Midwest Mafia," were nearly as flawless as they also struck 11 times, but a seven-spare in the sixth frame gave the team 277 through 12 frames. Because Weber and Rash struck on their fill ball, they had a chance to pass Couch and Oatman with two more strikes, but Rash left a nine count, meaning Couch and Oatman didn't need to take their endless 10th frame shots.
The stars of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) have never competed in such an environment.
Bowling outdoors with monster roller coasters as the backdrop and fans cheering during their approach, 16 PBA standouts donned shorts and sunglasses while battling 100-plus degree Fahrenheit temperatures (more than 38 degrees Celsius) in a made-for-TV doubles competition with $50,000 at stake.
In the second match, the legendary team of Norm Duke and Walter Ray Williams Jr., who own a combined 68 Denny's PBA Tour titles, defeated left-handers Patrick Allen and Parker Bohn III, 228-219.
Duke and Williams, going by the name "Will Duke 'Em," converted the first split of the competition to earn five bonus pins when Williams left the 2-8 in the fourth frame but Duke converted.
The team missed a single-pin conversion in the eighth frame, giving Allen and Bohn, dubbed "Smooth and Slick," a chance to take the lead by striking on their fill ball and taking the match to extra frames. After Bohn and Allen struck with their first two shots in the 10th frame, Bohn got just nine on the fill ball, missing out on a chance to extend the match.
All eight teams will bowl three games of round robin match play, with the top team in both the Dick Weber Group and the Earl Anthony Group moving on based on overall record.
The next two matches in the GEICO PBA All-Star Shootout Hosted by Six Flags will air Sunday, July 1 at 1 p.m. ET. Chris Barnes and Mika Koivuniemi will take on Tommy Jones and Wes Malott while Tony Reyes and Robert Smith will face off against Weber and Rash.
Click on the images to view the full size. Courtesy of PBA LLC.
The special doubles event features 16 of the PBA's biggest stars teaming up in a round-robin group play format. The top team in each group advances to the championship round.
The event also features two special rules: five bonus pins are awarded for each split converted, and teams striking on their fill ball are allowed to continue shooting until they do not strike in the "endless 10th frame."
The first match featured a near perfect game as Couch and Oatman, dubbed the "Southside Playas," were unstoppable after a seven-spare in the first frame. They went on to strike 11 consecutive times to finish their 12 frames with 290.
Weber and Rash, aka "Midwest Mafia," were nearly as flawless as they also struck 11 times, but a seven-spare in the sixth frame gave the team 277 through 12 frames. Because Weber and Rash struck on their fill ball, they had a chance to pass Couch and Oatman with two more strikes, but Rash left a nine count, meaning Couch and Oatman didn't need to take their endless 10th frame shots.
The stars of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) have never competed in such an environment. Bowling outdoors with monster roller coasters as the backdrop and fans cheering during their approach, 16 PBA standouts donned shorts and sunglasses while battling 100-plus degree Fahrenheit temperatures (more than 38 degrees Celsius) in a made-for-TV doubles competition with $50,000 at stake.
In the second match, the legendary team of Norm Duke and Walter Ray Williams Jr., who own a combined 68 Denny's PBA Tour titles, defeated left-handers Patrick Allen and Parker Bohn III, 228-219.
Duke and Williams, going by the name "Will Duke 'Em," converted the first split of the competition to earn five bonus pins when Williams left the 2-8 in the fourth frame but Duke converted.
The team missed a single-pin conversion in the eighth frame, giving Allen and Bohn, dubbed "Smooth and Slick," a chance to take the lead by striking on their fill ball and taking the match to extra frames. After Bohn and Allen struck with their first two shots in the 10th frame, Bohn got just nine on the fill ball, missing out on a chance to extend the match.
All eight teams will bowl three games of round robin match play, with the top team in both the Dick Weber Group and the Earl Anthony Group moving on based on overall record.
The next two matches in the GEICO PBA All-Star Shootout Hosted by Six Flags will air Sunday, July 1 at 1 p.m. ET. Chris Barnes and Mika Koivuniemi will take on Tommy Jones and Wes Malott while Tony Reyes and Robert Smith will face off against Weber and Rash.
Round Robin Group Play
Dick Weber Group
Jason Couch-Billy Oatman (Southside Playas) def. Pete Weber-Sean Rash (Midwest Mafia), 290-277.
Earl Anthony Group
Norm Duke-Walter Ray Williams Jr. (Will Duke 'Em) def. Patrick Allen-Parker Bohn (Smooth and Slick), 228-219.
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