United States Bowling Congress and Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famers Amleto Monacelli of Venezuela and John Petraglia of Jackson, New Jersey, lead a group of 16 players undefeated after two rounds of match play at the 2016 USBC Senior Masters.

A total of 32 players remain in contention at Sam’s Town Bowling Center from the 64 that began Friday’s competition in the double-elimination match-play bracket.

Monacelli (pictured above) is the defending champion at the Senior Masters, and he is looking to become the first competitor to successfully defend the title since Tom Baker (left) of King, North Carolina, accomplished the feat in 2007.

Monacelli nearly saw his journey back to the stepladder finals take a turn into elimination bracket in Friday’s opening round. The 54-year-old right-hander delivered a double in the 10th frame to defeat Scott Greiner of Platte City, Missouri, 651-641.

“I tried to keep myself cool and stay relaxed, since I knew it was going to be a tough match,” Monacelli said. “Scott had found the right look with the right ball, and the lanes were tough. I was playing the left lane straighter and looping it more with a different ball on the right lane, and it ended up being the right guess.”

Monacelli rolled in his second match, 746-663, against Stoney Baker of Canton, Georgia, and will look to continue his march towards a repeat performance Saturday morning at noon Eastern against Michael Lucente of Warren, Michigan.

“I’m going to try and do the same thing tomorrow,” Monacelli said. “I’m going to keep myself low key and adjust to what I see.”

Petraglia (right) earned his stay in the winners bracket after a dramatic second-round win against fellow USBC and PBA Hall of Famer Norm Duke of Clermont, Florida.

The 69-year-old left-hander knew he’d need a big finish to close out Duke and got there in perfect fashion, tossing the third 300 of the week to secure the victory, 790-742.

Petraglia entered the finale with a 27-pin advantage and got an unexpected opportunity to expand that lead early when Duke opened the final game with a 7-10 split. The two exchanged strikes the rest of the way, finishing the match 300-279.

“Norm doesn’t make mistakes, and anytime he gets to bowl three games on the same pair of lanes, you know he’s probably going to bowl well the last game,” Petraglia said.

“The lanes kept getting nicer the more we bowled, and I knew I had some room. You never expect to go out and shoot 790 or bowl 300 to get there, especially at an event like the Masters, which is pretty special.”

Petraglia compared the feeling he had Friday against Duke to what he felt during his televised perfect game against Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Oxford, Florida, in 1994. He now will look to match that feeling Saturday as he faces off against Jack Jurek (left) of Lackawanna, New York, the runner-up at the 2014 Senior Masters.

“Your concentration level definitely rises in those situations and against guys like Walter and Norm, who you know probably aren’t going to make a mistake,” said Petraglia, the owner of 14 PBA Tour titles and eight PBA50 Tour victories.

“I expect to need the same level of focus tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to it. This is exactly what it’s all about and why I’m still bowling at 69 years old. I love it, and days like today make me love it more.”

Also among undefeated players are 2013 champion Pete Weber (left) of St. Ann, Missouri, hall of famer Brian Voss of Centennial, Colorado, and local favorite Eric Forkel (right) of Henderson, Nevada, who delivered in a must-strike situation on his first shot of the 10th frame to send top seed Parker Bohn III of Jackson, New Jersey, to the elimination bracket, 676-673.

Notable players joining Bohn in the elimination bracket are 2014 Senior Masters champion Walter Ray Williams Jr. and fellow USBC Hall of Famers Rick Steelsmith of Wichita, Kansas, Lennie Boresch of Kenosha, Wisconsin, Sam Lantto of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and Norm Duke.

All 32 remaining players will return to the lanes at Sam’s Town on Saturday morning at noon Eastern.

The field will continue to be narrowed, and the final five players will be seeded into Sunday’s stepladder finals, which will be broadcast live on BowlTV beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern. The winner of the stepladder will take home the top prize of $16,000 of a more than $131,000 prize fund.

The 2016 Senior Masters, an event open to USBC members age 50 and older, featured 263 players, who competed in 15 games of qualifying to determine who would advance to match play.

For more information on the USBC Senior Masters, click here.

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2016 USBC Senior Masters – Match Play Bracket

Double elimination, three-game matches decided by total pinfall.

Match Play Bracket

Match Play Round

Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to elimination bracket.

(1) Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., def. (64) Brian Kretzer, Kettering, Ohio, 778-700
(32) Eric Forkel, Henderson, Nev., def. (33) Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 622-544
(17) Andy Neuer, Lewisburg, Pa., def. (48) Darron Peters, Temecula, Calif., 616-609
(16) David Cirigliano, Phoenix, def. (49) Skip Wolfe, Dixon, Ill., 630-600
(56) Michael Lucente, Warren, Mich., def. (9) Michael Edwards, Tulsa, Okla., 612-607
(24) Steven Brinkman, Sussex, Wis., def. (41) Bob Learn Jr., Lake Worth, Fla., 734-699
(25) Stoney Baker, Canton, Ga., def. (40) Craig Miller, Tracy, Calif., 638-548
(8) Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela, def. (57) Scott Greiner, Platte City, Mo., 651-641

(5) John Donovan, Melbourne, Fla., def. (60) Klaus Lischka, Germany, 688-640
(28) Dave Arnold, Elk Grove, Calif., def. (37) Warren Nelson, Hemet, Calif., 614-511
(21) Brian LeClair, Delmar, N.Y., def. (44) Roger Kossert, Lithia, Fla., 741-587
(12) Brian Voss, Centennial, Colo., def. (53) Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford, Fla., 712-644
(13) Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, N.Y., def. (52) Sam Ventura, Syracuse, N.Y., 739-649
(20) Bryan Goebel, Shawnee, Kan., def. (45) Mark Hanken, Prineville, Ore., 781-569
(29) Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., def. (36) Harry Sullins, Chesterfield, Mich., 703-668
(4) John Petraglia, Jackson, N.J., def. (61) Charles Vashaw, Deephaven, Minn., 643-592

(62) Robert Brown, Cody, Wyo., def. (3) Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, Kan., 665-606
(35) Paul McCordic, Sugar Land, Texas, def. (30) Donald Herrington, Ballston Lake, N.Y., 652-530
(19) Sam Maccarone, Blackwood, N.J., def. (46) Peter Knopp, Germany, 725-521
(14) Chris Warren, Grants Pass, Ore., def. (51) Dale Traber, Cedarburg, Wis., 741-608
(54) Joseph Petrovich, Tracy, Calif., def. (11) Ron Boroff, Mansfield, Texas, 729-708
(22) Joseph Goldstein, San Bruno, Calif., def. (43) Philip Meinke, Germany, 607-498
(38) Eddie Graham, Centerville, Ohio, def. (27) Billy Langford, Lone Grove, Okla., 779-588
(6) Ron Mohr, North Las Vegas, Nev., def. (59) Mark Williams, Beaumont, Texas, 576-554

(58) Patrick Shipley, Spring Valley, Calif., def. (7) Lennie Boresch Jr., Kenosha, Wis., 646-624
(39) Ronald Cleveland, St. Paul, Minn., def. (26) Paul Renteria, Henderson, Nev., 653-587
(23) Junichi Yajima, Japan, def. (42) Jerry Brunette Jr., Rochester, N.Y., 701-652
(10) Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas., def. (55) Michael Karch, Edgewood, Wash., 679-645
(50) Tommy Martin, Millington, Tenn., def. (15) Kevin Croucher, Grants Pass, Ore., 535-514
(47) Alvin Lou, El Cajon, Calif., def. (18) Noel Vazquez, Sacramento, Calif., 692-579
(34) Terry Rohrer, Fort Wayne, Ind., def. (31) Sam Lantto, Eden Prairie, Minn., 584-463
(2) Pete Weber, St. Ann, Mo., def. (63) Kevin Anderson, Mount Juliet, Tenn., 729-545

Winners Bracket Round 2

Winners remain in winners bracket. Losers move to elimination bracket.

Forkel def. Bohn, 676-673
Neuer def. Cirigliano, 688-668
Lucente def. Brinkman, 702-592
Monacelli def. Baker 746-663

Arnold def. Donovan, 641-568
Voss def. LeClair, 648-644
Jurek def. Goebel, 738-681
Petraglia def. Duke, 790-742

McCordic def. Brown, 637-588
Warren def. Maccarone, 672-549
Goldstein def. Petrovich, 633-630
Mohr def. Graham, 673-626

Shipley def. Cleveland, 641-608
Scroggins def. Yajima, 733-623
Lou def. Martin, 588-527
Weber def. Rohrer, 710-584

Elimination Bracket Round 2

Losers eliminated, earn $1,000.

Sargent def. Kretzer, 650-582
Miller def. Greiner, 594-564
Wolfe def. Peters, 713-598
Edwards def. Learn, 703-641

Nelson def. Lischka, 613-575
Vashaw def. Sullins, 655-607
W.R. Williams def. Kossert, 780-672
Ventura def. Hanken, 621-486

Steelsmith def. Herrington, 665-561
Langford def. M. Williams, 613-585
Traber def. Knopp 642-620
Boroff def. Meinke, 626-613

Boresch def. Renteria, 704-563
Lantto def. Anderson, 667-591
Brunette def. Karch, 738-660
Croucher def. Vazquez, 586-561

Elimination Bracket Round 3

Losers eliminated, earn $1,100.

Maccarone def. Sargent, 676-603
Petrovich def. Miller, 629-527
Wolfe def. Brown, 571-541
Graham def. Edwards, 733-670

Yajima def. Nelson, 720-652
Martin def. Vashaw, 607-599
W.R. Williams def. Cleveland, 707-672
Ventura def. Rohrer, 629-620

Steelsmith def. Cirigliano, 737-621
Langford def. Brinkman, 661-661 (10-9)
Bohn def. Traber, 783-629
Baker def. Boroff, 703-636

Boresch def. LeClair, 667-660
Lantto def. Goebel, 647-634
Brunette def. Donovan, 667-649
Duke def. Croucher, 659-622