Chris Loschetter (pictured left) of Avon, Ohio, ended his nine-year quest for a Professional Bowlers Association Tour title when he defeated four-time PBA Tour winner Bill O'Neill of Langhorne, Pa., 264-231, to win the Lucas Oil PBA Wolf Open at AMF Bowlero.

The stepladder finals of the second of five GEICO PBA Summer Swing presented by Lucas Oil tournaments were conducted June 1 at AMF Bowlero in Wauwatosa, Wis. and aired Tuesday, June 18, on CBS Sports Network.

Loschetter, 33, who had finished second four times during a PBA Tour career that began in 2003 and included 153 previous events, followed a pair of poor shots in the third and fourth frames with a near-perfect finish to run away from O'Neill for the win.

Loschetter entered the Wolf Open finals as the top qualifier, claiming that honor in the preliminary rounds at AMF West by two pins over PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke (left) of Clermont, Fla.

"I've put in thousands of hours in this game and to finally win is what matters to me," Loschetter said. "To say I'm a champion is amazing. I didn't think for a long time that was ever going to happen. It finally did."

Loschetter admitted it was increasingly disappointing to know that O'Neill and Mike Fagan, among others – guys who started their careers about the same time he did – had titles while he was left behind.

"Bill's an amazing bowler," Loschetter said. "I got to see him and Fagan and all the guys coming up with me win, and it's been very hard. I've been very happy for them because they're great guys in addition to being great bowlers. But it's been very hard to watch.

"I had a lot of people telling me to get that first win," he added. "They mean well and I appreciated it, but it's hard to keep hearing. I had to deal with all of those thoughts going through my head. I woke up at 7 this morning and I was thinking all of the crazy things that could happen. I had to let it go. I didn't know if I could, but I did. Finally. I finally have a title. It's my lifelong dream."

Along with his first title, Loschetter qualified for the PBA Tournament of Champions for the first time and he secured a berth in the GEICO Summer King of the Swing special event, the concluding event of the Summer Swing.

O'Neill, who entered the finals as the No. 5 qualifier, nipped PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber (left) of St. Ann, Mo., 222-221, in the opening match. He then spoiled the PBA television debut of 20-year-old rookie E.J. Tackett (right) of Huntington, Ind., 234-204, and used a string of six consecutive strikes to rally past Norm Duke in the semifinal match, 233-206.

The Wolf Open was contested on the 32-foot lane Wolf conditioning pattern – the shortest in the PBA's series of eight animal patterns.

The finals of the Lucas Oil Bear Open, the third event in the GEICO PBA Summer Swing series, will air next Tuesday, June 25, at 7 p.m. ET.

The preliminary rounds were contested on a flat 40-foot Bear lane condition pattern – similar to the demanding pattern used in the U.S. Open – at AMF Bowlero.

 

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PBA Wolf Open - Stepladder Finals

AMF West Lanes in Milwaukee, Wis. (May 22 - June 1, 2013); Finals at AMF Bowlero, Wauwatosa, Wis. (June 1, 2013)

Championship Round:
1. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 264 (1 game), $8,000
2. Bill O'Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 920 (4 games), $5,000
3. Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., 206 (1 game), $4,000
4. E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 204 (1 game), $3,000
5. Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., 221 (1 game), $2,000

Playoff Results:
Match One: No. 5 O'Neill def. No. 4 Weber, 222-221
Match Two: O'Neill def. No. 3 Tackett, 234-204
Semifinal Match: O'Neill def. No. 2 Duke, 233-206
Championship: No. 1 Loschetter def. O'Neill, 264-231.