Dick Allen wins PBA XF Maine Shootout for fifth title

19 April, 2018

PBA National Tour

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Dick Allen of Columbia, S.C., a 39-year-old 18-year Professional Bowlers Association touring player, captured his fifth career title in the Port Property Management Xtra Frame Maine Shootout at Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine, Wednesday.

Allen (pictured above and right), who is known as a free spirit, embraced the equally free-spirited Bayside Bowl crowd in defeating journeyman John Furey (left) of Howell, N.J., 269-226, 247-235, to sweep the best-of-three-game title match and end Furey’s bid for his first PBA Tour title.

“I don’t know what it is,” Allen said. “I love this place. I always bowl well here. It’s the fans, the atmosphere, everything about it. I love it here.”

Allen had a split and open in his first frame, but then ran off a string of strikes to take the lead into the final two frames where single-pin spares gave Furey a chance to throw two strikes and good count in his 10th frame to win. But Furey, the 2012 PBA East Region Player of the Year, left the 3-6-10 on his first shot in the 10th.

Allen earned his berth in the title match by denying 58-year-old PBA Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. a chance to win a record 48th PBA Tour title, eliminating the PBA’s all-time winningest bowler, 2-1, in the semifinal round while Furey pulled off the upset of the tournament, sweeping Australia’s Jason Belmonte (right), 254-248, 244-226, in the other semifinal match.

Allen lost the first game to Williams (left), 258-226, but won a one-ball, two-shot sudden-death roll-off after they tied at 258 in game two to avoid elimination. Both players struck on their first roll-off shots, but Williams left a 10 pin on his second and Allen struck again to force a third game which he won, 279-247.

The Maine Shootout was the first of eight PBA Tour Xtra Frame events scheduled for 2018. Xtra Frame’s next event will be live coverage of the OceanView at Falmouth PBA League seeding tournament from Bayside Bowl Friday at 7 p.m. EDT.

PBA Xtra Frame Maine Shootout field down to 16
Match Play bracket pairings set for PBA Xtra Frame Maine Shootout
2018 PBA Tour Schedule & Champions

PBA Xtra Frame Maine Shootout – Match Play Results

Single-elimination, best-of-three-games format; winners advance; losers are eliminated. n-denotes non-member.

Championship:
Dick Allen, Columbia, S.C. ($10,000) def. John Furey, Howell, N.J. ($6,000), 2-0 (269-226, 247-235)

Semifinal round (losers earned $4,000):
Furey def. Jason Belmonte, Australia, 2-0 (254-248, 244-226)
Allen def. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 2-1 (226-258, 258-258, 10-10, 10-9 in one-ball sudden death roll-off; 279-247).

Round of 8 (losers earned $2,500):
Williams def. Thomas Larsen, Denmark, 2-1 (258-225, 199-277, 259-226)
Allen def. Bill O’Neill, Langhorne, Pa., 2-1 (194-223, 276-238, 265-182)
Belmonte def. Francois Louw, South Africa, 2-1 (249-182, 226-247, 279-214)
Furey def. Cody Shoemaker, Hanover, Pa., 2-0 (189-186, 217-191)

Round of 16 (losers earned $1,500):
O’Neill def. Wes Malott, Pflugerville, Texas, 2-1 (238-216, 184-191, 255-193)
Larsen def. Ryan Ciminelli, Clarence, N.Y., 2-1 (258-200, 249-256, 257-212)
Shoemaker def. Matt Sanders, Indianapolis, 2-0 (235-226, 232-213)
Louw def. Anthony Pepe, Elmhurst, N.Y., 2-1 (214-236, 237-212, 258-227)
Williams def. Osku Palermaa, Finland, 2-0 (247-200, 290-277)
Furey def. Patrick Girard, Canada, 2-1 (201-278, 267-191, 225-217)
Belmonte def. Anthony Simonsen, Austin, Texas, 2-0 (265-210, 249-212)
Allen def. Andrew Anderson, Holly, Mich., 2-0 (243-190, 199-191)

Herbert Bickel