AUBURN - Pete Bommersbach has bowled in a league at Starlite Lanes for so long he just laces up his shoes, steps on the approach and begins firing strikes.
Jill Connor / The Citizen
Lee Burnett, of Lyons, rolls a practice ball before start of The Citizen Masters bowling tournament on Sunday afternoon at Starlite Lanes in Auburn.
Lee Burnett, of Lyons, rolls a practice ball before start of The Citizen Masters bowling tournament on Sunday afternoon at Starlite Lanes in Auburn.
Sunday, rolling in the Men's Citizen Masters, was no exception.
Using a consistent down-and-in shot, Bommersbach rolled 244 and 256 in his match against Tom Knapp to build a 51-pin lead. He then fired 237 to finish with 739, while Knapp recorded a 664.
“I think it's an advantage for me to bowl here,” the 56-year-old said. “I just rely on familiarity. I don't have to search for a line.”
Plenty of bowlers found the conditions to their liking. Ten players eclipsed the 700 mark, led by Jim Melfi's 750. He defeated Rick McDonald, who shot 610.
Two of those 700s came from opponents Derek Locastro and Greg Bibbens. Locastro had 482 after two games, and then rolled a 257 finale. But it wasn't until he nailed down his first strike in the 10th frame that he ended Bibbens' bid. Locastro had 739 to Bibbens' 707.
In other high-scoring matches, Lou Tabone bested Tom Charles, 743-640; Jeff Lumb defeated Josh Fatcheric, 738-684; Mike Rouse outlasted Jason Lukins, 737-545; Mike Ryan got past Lee Burnett, 716-632; Dan Pilat outscored Pat Donnelly, 712-568; and, Rick Liccion beat Eric Wheeler, 704-644.
When the dust cleared, 16 bowlers had been eliminated, while 16 more were nicely positioned in the winners' bracket. Match play continues Saturday at Falcon Lanes. The losers' bracket competes at 11:30 a.m. while the winners clash at 1:30 p.m.
Lumb, who lost a heartbreaking one-pin match to Ryan on Saturday, rebounded against Fatcheric. He trailed by 45 pins after two games, but finished with 276 to come away with the victory.
Still, he had high praise for his opponent.
“Josh is just 17 years old and he gave me everything I could handle today,” Lumb said. “He stayed within himself the whole way. He had four bad frames in the middle of the last game, and that gave me an opening.
“But I was very impressed with the way Josh bowled today.”
Bommersbach, meanwhile, was relentless against Knapp, a fellow left-hander. There was very little adjusting to do.
“I only moved a couple of boards over the three games,” he said. “The shot held up for me.”
The result was strike after strike.
Indeed, Bommersbach was geared up for play. He's bowled against Knapp for years. The two men are Masters champions. It had all the ingredients of a tough match, and Bommersbach thought it would take a 700 to win it. He was nearly right.
Now, Bommersbach hopes to keep it going.
“I look forward to this every year. It gets your blood pumping,” Bommerbach said of the competition. “If they don't put out a goofy shot (at Falcon Lanes next week), I have as good a chance as anybody to win this tournament.”
In other matches Sunday, Mike Crowley and Pat Donahue each bowled 240 their last game but Crowley still emerged with a 662-623 victory; Joe Bennett outscored Bill Dockstader 207-187 in the third game to earn a 572-569 win; and, Jim Locastro shot a 247 finale to overcome a 12-pin deficit and best Tim Waters, 696-650.
Also, Gary Fedigan won the third game, 227-220, to defeat Brian Brooks, 633-629; Darrin Emperato outscored Scott Bodner 222-200 in the last game and earned a 640-629 triumph; Jerry Locastro trailed Reamer Fiester by 10 pins after two but rallied with 230 to win, 650-641; and, Matt Thomas rolled a 209 finale to erase a one-pin deficit and best Carl Harvey II, 603-567.
The Men's Citizen Masters
Starlite Lanes
1 p.m. Sunday
Winners' Bracket
Gary Sutton 650 def. Gavin Dennis 602
Mike Prior 697 def. Marc Chalupnicki 555
Mike Crowley 662 def. Pat Donahue 623
Mike Sheehan 682 def. Brian Parry 528
Joe Bennett 572 def. Bill Dockstader 569
J.T. Locastro 641 def. Brian Richardson 526
Geary Gioia 694 def. David MacDonald 592
Dan Guzalak 676 def. Bill Gentilcore 560
Mike Ryan 716 def, Lee Burnett 632
Derek Locastro 739 def. Greg Bibbens 707
Pete Bommersbach def. Tom Knapp 664
Jamie Mills 684 def. Harold Frisbie 645
Jim Locastro 696 def. Tim Waters 650
Greg Walczyk 660 def. John Ashby Jr. 643
Joe Chekansky 683 def. David Ashby 644
Kevin Mead 645 def. Nick Pingryn 631
Losers' Bracket
Rick Liccion 704 def. Eric Wheeler 644
Jerry Locastro 650 def. Reamer Fiester 641
Lou Tabone 743 def. Tom Charles 640
Ed DeTomaso 687 def. Marty Black 612
Matt Thomas 603 def. Carl Harvey 567
Greg Hypes 650 def. George Mills 547
Dan Pilat 712 def. Pat Donnelly 568
Steve Gardner 651 def. Steve Rusin 579
Jeff Lumb 738 def. Josh Fatcheric 684
Kevin Ashby 677 def. Greg Spinelli 652
Gary Fedigan 633 def. Brian Brooks 629
Darrin Emperato 640 def. Scott Bodner 629
Jim Melfi 750 def. Rick McDonald 610
Jeff Matty 605 def. Mike Daghita 569
Jim Fedyshyn 636 def. George Donahue 579
Mike Rouse 737 def. Jason Lukins 545
Falcon Lanes
11:30 a.m. Saturday
Winners' Bracket
Sutton vs. Prior
Crowley vs. Sheehan
Bennett vs. J.T. Locastro
Gioia vs. Guzalak
Ryan vs. Derek Locastro
Bommersbach vs. Mills
Jim Locastro vs. Walczyk
Chekansky vs. Mead
Losers' Bracket
Liccion vs. Jerry Locastro
Tabone vs. DeTomaso
Thomas vs. Hypes
Pilat vs. Gardner
Lumb vs. Ashby
Fedigan vs. Emperato
Melfi vs. Matty
Fedyshyn vs. Rouse
Dennis vs. Chalupnicki
Pat Donahue vs. Parry
Dockstader vs. Richardson
MacDonald vs. Gentilcore
Burnett vs. Bibbens
Knapp vs. Frisbie
Waters vs. John Ashby Jr.
David Ashby vs. Pingryn
Using a consistent down-and-in shot, Bommersbach rolled 244 and 256 in his match against Tom Knapp to build a 51-pin lead. He then fired 237 to finish with 739, while Knapp recorded a 664.
“I think it's an advantage for me to bowl here,” the 56-year-old said. “I just rely on familiarity. I don't have to search for a line.”
Plenty of bowlers found the conditions to their liking. Ten players eclipsed the 700 mark, led by Jim Melfi's 750. He defeated Rick McDonald, who shot 610.
Two of those 700s came from opponents Derek Locastro and Greg Bibbens. Locastro had 482 after two games, and then rolled a 257 finale. But it wasn't until he nailed down his first strike in the 10th frame that he ended Bibbens' bid. Locastro had 739 to Bibbens' 707.
In other high-scoring matches, Lou Tabone bested Tom Charles, 743-640; Jeff Lumb defeated Josh Fatcheric, 738-684; Mike Rouse outlasted Jason Lukins, 737-545; Mike Ryan got past Lee Burnett, 716-632; Dan Pilat outscored Pat Donnelly, 712-568; and, Rick Liccion beat Eric Wheeler, 704-644.
When the dust cleared, 16 bowlers had been eliminated, while 16 more were nicely positioned in the winners' bracket. Match play continues Saturday at Falcon Lanes. The losers' bracket competes at 11:30 a.m. while the winners clash at 1:30 p.m.
Lumb, who lost a heartbreaking one-pin match to Ryan on Saturday, rebounded against Fatcheric. He trailed by 45 pins after two games, but finished with 276 to come away with the victory.
Still, he had high praise for his opponent.
“Josh is just 17 years old and he gave me everything I could handle today,” Lumb said. “He stayed within himself the whole way. He had four bad frames in the middle of the last game, and that gave me an opening.
“But I was very impressed with the way Josh bowled today.”
Bommersbach, meanwhile, was relentless against Knapp, a fellow left-hander. There was very little adjusting to do.
“I only moved a couple of boards over the three games,” he said. “The shot held up for me.”
The result was strike after strike.
Indeed, Bommersbach was geared up for play. He's bowled against Knapp for years. The two men are Masters champions. It had all the ingredients of a tough match, and Bommersbach thought it would take a 700 to win it. He was nearly right.
Now, Bommersbach hopes to keep it going.
“I look forward to this every year. It gets your blood pumping,” Bommerbach said of the competition. “If they don't put out a goofy shot (at Falcon Lanes next week), I have as good a chance as anybody to win this tournament.”
In other matches Sunday, Mike Crowley and Pat Donahue each bowled 240 their last game but Crowley still emerged with a 662-623 victory; Joe Bennett outscored Bill Dockstader 207-187 in the third game to earn a 572-569 win; and, Jim Locastro shot a 247 finale to overcome a 12-pin deficit and best Tim Waters, 696-650.
Also, Gary Fedigan won the third game, 227-220, to defeat Brian Brooks, 633-629; Darrin Emperato outscored Scott Bodner 222-200 in the last game and earned a 640-629 triumph; Jerry Locastro trailed Reamer Fiester by 10 pins after two but rallied with 230 to win, 650-641; and, Matt Thomas rolled a 209 finale to erase a one-pin deficit and best Carl Harvey II, 603-567.
The Men's Citizen Masters
Starlite Lanes
1 p.m. Sunday
Winners' Bracket
Gary Sutton 650 def. Gavin Dennis 602
Mike Prior 697 def. Marc Chalupnicki 555
Mike Crowley 662 def. Pat Donahue 623
Mike Sheehan 682 def. Brian Parry 528
Joe Bennett 572 def. Bill Dockstader 569
J.T. Locastro 641 def. Brian Richardson 526
Geary Gioia 694 def. David MacDonald 592
Dan Guzalak 676 def. Bill Gentilcore 560
Mike Ryan 716 def, Lee Burnett 632
Derek Locastro 739 def. Greg Bibbens 707
Pete Bommersbach def. Tom Knapp 664
Jamie Mills 684 def. Harold Frisbie 645
Jim Locastro 696 def. Tim Waters 650
Greg Walczyk 660 def. John Ashby Jr. 643
Joe Chekansky 683 def. David Ashby 644
Kevin Mead 645 def. Nick Pingryn 631
Losers' Bracket
Rick Liccion 704 def. Eric Wheeler 644
Jerry Locastro 650 def. Reamer Fiester 641
Lou Tabone 743 def. Tom Charles 640
Ed DeTomaso 687 def. Marty Black 612
Matt Thomas 603 def. Carl Harvey 567
Greg Hypes 650 def. George Mills 547
Dan Pilat 712 def. Pat Donnelly 568
Steve Gardner 651 def. Steve Rusin 579
Jeff Lumb 738 def. Josh Fatcheric 684
Kevin Ashby 677 def. Greg Spinelli 652
Gary Fedigan 633 def. Brian Brooks 629
Darrin Emperato 640 def. Scott Bodner 629
Jim Melfi 750 def. Rick McDonald 610
Jeff Matty 605 def. Mike Daghita 569
Jim Fedyshyn 636 def. George Donahue 579
Mike Rouse 737 def. Jason Lukins 545
Falcon Lanes
11:30 a.m. Saturday
Winners' Bracket
Sutton vs. Prior
Crowley vs. Sheehan
Bennett vs. J.T. Locastro
Gioia vs. Guzalak
Ryan vs. Derek Locastro
Bommersbach vs. Mills
Jim Locastro vs. Walczyk
Chekansky vs. Mead
Losers' Bracket
Liccion vs. Jerry Locastro
Tabone vs. DeTomaso
Thomas vs. Hypes
Pilat vs. Gardner
Lumb vs. Ashby
Fedigan vs. Emperato
Melfi vs. Matty
Fedyshyn vs. Rouse
Dennis vs. Chalupnicki
Pat Donahue vs. Parry
Dockstader vs. Richardson
MacDonald vs. Gentilcore
Burnett vs. Bibbens
Knapp vs. Frisbie
Waters vs. John Ashby Jr.
David Ashby vs. Pingryn
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