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EJ Tackett tops Marshall Kent for PBA Central Region title

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06/20/14

2014 PBA Spare Shots #21

HotelPlanner.com sweepstakes offers $250 gift certificates; PBA Bowling Challenge hits 10 million download milestone; "Storm Live" to provide online reports from International Bowl Expo

Reigning PBA Rookie of the Year EJ Tackett (pictured left) of Huntington, Ind. defeated 2014 Rookie of the Year candidate Marshall Kent of Yakima, Wash. by 110 pins to win the PBA J.D. Producing, Inc./Triway Lanes Central Open presented by Hammer at Triway Lanes in Wooster, Ohio, Sunday.

Tackett finished the event with an 8-4 match play record and a total of 5,017 pins for 20 games, including match play bonus pins. The title was Tackett's first of the year in the PBA Central Region and his second career PBA Regional title. He also earned $3,500.

Ryan Shafer (l-r with Howell Lanes proprietor Neal Feingold and runnerup Brian LeClair) of Horseheads, N.Y., rolled a double in the 10th frame to defeat Brian LeClair of Albany, N.Y., 193-187, in the title match of the PBA Howell Lanes Eastern Open presented by Brunswick Sunday in Howell, N.J.

Both finalists struggled to find the pocket early in the championship match, but LeClair, who finished first, doubled in his 10th frame to force Shafer to also double. Shafer threw two perfect shots to win his 24th regional title and $2,500 first place money.

Hometown amateur Jack Ness of Gastonia, N.C., defeated Lee Vanderhoef of Greenville, S.C., 224-182, to win the 23rd Annual PBA Gastonia South Open at Liberty Lanes Sunday.

Ness posted a 10-2 match play record to qualify first for the stepladder finals. Vanderhoef earned his place in the title match by defeating Connor Pickford of Charlotte, N.C., 256-193, in the semifinal round. Ness earned $2,100 for his win, but doesn't get credit for a PBA title because he's not a PBA member.

Mike DeVaney (left) of Hemet, Calif., posted an 11-5 match play record and knocked down 5,936 pins over 24 games, including match play bonus pins, to win his 15th PBA Regional title in the Billy Myers Sr. Western Open at Bowlium Lanes in Montclair, Calif., Sunday.

In the companion PBA50 Billy Myers Sr. Open, Paul Barraco of Laverne, Calif., went 5-2-1 and knocked down 3,713 total pins for 16 games to top Jim Harvey of Los Angeles for his first PBA50 Regional title. Harvey had a 4-2-2 match play record and 3,563 pins.

The June 20-22 PBA Regional schedule includes the American Insurance Midwest Open 1 and 2 – a pair of one-day events – at Tinley Bowl in Tinley Park, Ill.; the Reality Check Melbourne Open presented by DV8 at Brunswick Harbour Lanes in Melbourne, Fla., and the San Antonio Southwest Challenge – an event for players who have never won a PBA event – at Astro Super Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.

A busy June 27-29 schedule closes the month. Tournaments will include the Colorado Ebonite Southwest Open at Holiday Bowling and Billiards in Lakewood, Colo.; the Fort Meade East Challenge presented by Roto Grip, a reduced entry fee event for non-champions, at Fort Meade, Md.; the joint Pro Bowl West Lanes Central/Midwest Challenge, also a reduced entry fee event for non-champions, in Fort Wayne, Ind.; and a doubleheader joint regional at Secoma Lanes in Federal Way, Wash. – the PBA and PBA50 Secoma Lanes Northwest/West Opens presented by Storm.

For complete Regional tournament schedules and entry information, click here.

HotelPlanner.com sweepstakes offers $250 gift certificates

HotelPlanner.com, the official travel partner of the PBA, has announced a new sweepstakes program that will award $250 lodging gift certificates to lucky winners in both July and August. All you have to do is book a hotel room through HotelPlanner.com before August 31, and you will be automatically entered.

You must enter through any link on pba.com, or by using this link. For each additional reservation you make through HotelPlanner.com, you'll receive another free entry into the sweepstakes.

Drawings will take place on July 31 and August 31. To qualify, the user must book a reservation through HotelPlanner.com. The $250 gift certificates will be valid for hotel room and tax only. Any incidental charges will be the responsibility of the person using the certificate.

To enter without making a purchase, send a letter to HotelPlanner, attn.: Carlos Diaz, 777 S. Flagler Drive, Suite 800 West Tower, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. Written entries must be received before the July 31 or August 31 drawings.

PBA Bowling Challenge hits 10 million download milestone

Over the June 14-15 weekend, Concrete Software's PBA Bowling Challenge game for mobile devices hit the 10 million download milestone, continuing to hold its position among the top free sports games available on Google Play and Apple AppStore.

PBA Bowling Challenge is exclusively featured in the Editor's Choice category on Google Play and the Sport Collection in the Apple AppStore. The game has approximately 130,000 daily users. If you have not yet downloaded the game to your mobile device, visit Google Play, Apple AppStore, Amazon's app store or Barnes & Noble NOOK.

Storm Live" to provide online reports from International Bowl Expo

PBA Registered Product partner Storm Products will provide on-site coverage of two new product launches and two other educational events from International Bowl Expo in Orlando, Fla., next week, through its stormbowling.com "Storm Live" webcasts. Hosts will be Nelson Burton Jr., Mike Fagan, Mike Flanagan and Randy Pedersen.

"Storm Live" can be heard through its link on stormbowling.com Broadcasts include "Roto Grip Balls Unveiled" at 12:28 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25; "Sweet Smell of Success" at 3 p.m. Wednesday; "Storm Ball Launch" at 11:13 a.m. Thursday, and "Accessorize Your Game" at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, June 26. All times are Eastern.