PBA

Facing two of the game's legends, Mike Wolfe and Shannon Pluhowsky showed the poise that has made them two of the top young stars in bowling.
The 31-year-old Wolfe slowed down the incredible early-season run of all-time Denny's Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour titles leader Walter Ray Williams Jr., denying him a second consecutive victory with a 256-225 win in the 2007 Etonic Championship at AMF Thruway Lanes, Cheektowaga (near Buffalo) last Sunday afternoon.
The 25-year-old Pluhowsky, meanwhile, defeated United States Bowling Congress (USBC) and Professional Women's Bowling Association (PWBA) Hall of Famer Tish Johnson, 227-217, to win the second-ever PBA Women's Series event.
Wolfe and Williams, who was making his third consecutive championship round appearance, were dead even through five frames until Williams struggled with three consecutive nine-spares, leaving a 10-pin, his third stone 8-pin of the day and a 4-pin. Wolfe took advantage with strikes in the sixth and seventh to take the lead. Williams tried to keep the pressure on in the 10th, but he could only manage one strike, and Wolfe, needing just a mark in the 10th for the win, struck to capture his third career title.
"You know you're going to have to get at least eight strikes to beat him and you just hope some of them are strung together," Wolfe said. "(Williams) was on an unbelievable run and it's just an indescribable feeling to beat him when he's on a run like this."
Wolfe advanced to the final with a 236-235 win over Chris Barnes in a match that went down to the final frame. Barnes held a slim 10-pin lead until a nine-spare in the ninth frame. Working on a four-bagger, Wolfe evened the match with a strike in the ninth, but left a 10-pin with his first shot in the 10th, missing his chance to shut Barnes out. Wolfe then left another 10-pin with his fill ball, giving Barnes a chance to win with a nine-spare and a strike. Instead, Barnes left the 2-4-5, falling by a pin.
Williams advanced to the title match with a 247-226 win over Mike DeVaney.
In the second-ever PBA Women's Series title match, Pluhowsky squeaked out the win in a match that was close throughout. Pluhowsky took the lead early with three strikes in the first four frames, but Johnson stayed close and had a chance to take the lead in the ninth frame with a strike, but a nine-spare kept control in Pluhowsky's corner. The Team USA member finished with a nine-spare and a strike in the 10th, forcing Johnson to double in the 10th. The lefty left a 6-10 with her first shot giving Pluhowsky her first PBA Women's Series title.
Wolfe earned $25,000 and an exemption for the 2008-09 season for his win while Pluhowsky pocketed $10,000.
The Denny's PBA Tour and PBA Women's Series move this week to Merrillville, Ind., for the 2007 Lake County Indiana Classic presented by United Way. This event at Stardust Bowl II will be nationally televised (ESPN finals) this Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.

Local Scores &
Column Features
Return Next Week

Due to the length of the two feature stories and pictures from the Etonic Championship Professional Bowlers Association Tournament at Cheektowa, local scores, the bowling calendar and column features by yours truly and Mike Luongo will return in next weeks column We will also feature next week the "Ed Lake Express Continues to Roll" with Ed scoring another 300 game (his third this season) in the Friday Mixed league Nov. 9 at Kiamesha Lanes.