SeaWolves Walk-off Ponies for Second Straight Night

Erie, PA – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (40-40, 5-11) lost to the Erie SeaWolves (42-37, 11-2) in walk-off fashion for a second straight night by the exact same score, 5-4, this time in 10 innings Tuesday evening at UPMC Park. This time it was Derek Hill with the game-winning RBI single off Adonis Uceta (3-3) in the tenth scoring Luke Burch from third.

It is the third time in the last four games that the Ponies have been walked off by the opponent and also the Ponies fourth straight loss overall. After starting the year 6-0 against Erie, Binghamton has also dropped five straight games to Erie.

It was the Ponies getting off to a 3-0 lead in this game with Andres Gimenez hitting a sacrifice fly in the fourth and Gavin Cecchini hitting a two-run homer in the fifth. It was Cecchini’s first homer of the season. Then the SeaWolves responded with three in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 3.

Frank Schwindel hit a solo homer off of Church to begin the sixth giving Erie a 4-3 lead but Cecchini drew a bases loaded walk in the top of the 8^th to tie the game at four.

After Uceta escaped trouble in the ninth, he allowed a single to Cam Gibson in the 10^th putting runners on first and third with no one out. That set up Hill’s game-winning hit as Uceta took the loss. Will Vest (2-3) pitched two and a third frames of perfect relief getting the win.  

Binghamton was 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base. Church allowed eight hits over five and two thirds innings in the no-decision. Blake Taylor replaced Church and also threw two and a third perfect innings.

The Rumble Ponies look to avoid the sweep against the SeaWolves as the series and eight-game road trip concludes Wednesday night from UPMC Park. First pitch is at 7:05PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn. The Horizons Federal Credit Union pregame show begins at 6:50PM.

POSTGAME NOTES: The Rumble Ponies are now 2-5 on the current 8-game road trip…Jason Krizan finished 3 for 5 with a run scored…Cecchini had a 3-RBI night…The Rumble Ponies have homered in each of the last three games.

TEBOW HITS METS WIN

Tim Tebow had two hits, including a home run, and scored two runs on Tuesday night (James Farrance).

Rochester, NY (July 2, 2019) - The Syracuse Mets came back from a four-run deficit to beat the Rochester Red Wings, 7-6, on Tuesday night at Frontier Field. This marks the third time this season the Mets have trailed by four runs and came back to win. 

Syracuse (41-43) trailed, 6-2, entering the top of the seventh inning. Rajai Davis led off with a single, and Rubén Tejada walked. After a fly out, René Rivera singled to right, driving in his ninth run in his last five games, trimming the Rochester lead to three, 6-3. Rymer Liriano followed with a single to score Tejada and bring the score to 6-4. Next, it was Taijeron with a ground-rule double to right field to push across Rivera and bring the Mets within a run, 6-5. Arismendy Alcantara would cap the rally and tie the game a batter later with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Liriano to square the score, 6-6. 

The Mets jumped into the lead in the eighth. Rajai Davis tripled with one out. Then, Rochester reliever Carlos Torres, who pitched for Syracuse in 2018, threw a wild pitch, which scored Davis to give the Mets a 7-6 advantage.

Syracuse reliever Tim Peterson pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth inning, and despite allowing a leadoff walk in the ninth, Peterson retired the next three batters to end the game, earning his third save of the season to preserve the Syracuse 7-6 victory.

The Mets started the game’s scoring in the third inning. Tim Tebow, Davis, and Tejada each singled to load the bases. Danny Espinosa was then hit by a pitch to force in the game’s first run for a 1-0 Mets lead.

In the fourth, Tebow continued one of his biggest days of the season with his third home run of the year and second on this road trip, extending the Syracuse lead to 2-0.

Rochester (40-42) added its first run in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs. Zander Wiel and Jaylin Davis each singled, and Tomas Telis followed with his fourth hit of the series to cut the deficit to 2-1.

That run started a stretch of six unanswered runs by the Red Wings. In the fifth, Nick Gordon walked, and Drew Maggi doubled to left to tie the game, 2-2. Brent Rooker singled to left to score Maggi and give Rochester its first lead, 3-2.

The Red Wings continued their run-scoring stretch in the sixth. Davis led off by hitting a 1-0 pitch over the right-field fence to make the score 4-2. Telis then singled and was replaced at first by Ronald Torreyes after a fielder’s choice at second. Torreyes moved to second on an error on first baseman Travis Taijeron on a pickoff attempt. Gordon followed with a double to score Torreyes for a 5-2 edge. A batter later, Maggi singled home Gordon, extending the Rochester lead to four, 6-2. That was Rochester’s final run of the game though.

The Mets and Red Wings close out their three-game series on Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS WEEKLY GLANCE
(For June 26 - July 2, 2019)

South Carolina bowler joins 50-Year Club at 2019 USBC Open Championships
Reaching 50 years of participation at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships is something that snuck up on Butch Dieckhoner of McCormick, South Carolina, who became the newest member of the event's 50-Year Club on June 26.

The 69-year-old right-hander was escorted to the lanes at the South Point Bowling Plaza in Las Vegas by his wife, Kathy, and grandchildren, Violet and Jayden, and he was presented with a chevron, plaque and diamond lapel pin to commemorate the milestone, which was his 50th consecutive appearance at the event.

He is one of 23 bowlers scheduled to reach the 50-year mark during the 2019 tournament, though one of the other honorees, his longtime teammate Ronald Bowers of North Royalton, Ohio, is going to miss the event due to health issues.

Dieckhoner, whose tournament debut came at the 1970 USBC Open Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee, first found his way into the spotlight at the Open Championships during the 1989 event in Wichita, Kansas, where he rolled a perfect game on the way to a career-best 756 singles series.

This year on the tournament lanes at the Bowling Plaza, also one of his favorite venues, Dieckhoner rolled sets of 491 in team, 453 in singles and 448 in doubles for a 1,392 all-events total.

In 50 years at the Open Championships, he has knocked down 83,598 pins for a career average of 185.7.

Illinois bowlers lead Standard Doubles at South Point Bowling Plaza
Jeremy Delby of Park Forest, Illinois, and Gregory Mollett Jr. of Homewood, Illinois, are the new Standard Doubles leaders at the 2019 USBC Open Championships, marking the first lead change in that category since the first week of April.

A final-frame mark and a nine-count fill ball from Mollett on June 28 gave the friends a 1,274 total, four pins better than Todd Reno of Lemont, Illinois, and Robert Riley of Plainfield, Illinois, who took the lead April 7 with 1,270. That effort included Reno's first career 300 game.

Delby, a 34-year-old right-hander making his sixth appearance at the Open Championships, led the surge with a career-high 645 series, which included games of 246, 206 and 193. The effort also marked his first 600 series on the championship lanes. His previous-best was a 597 set in singles at the 2015 event in El Paso, Texas.

Mollett, a 42-year-old right-hander who celebrated his 20th Open Championships appearance this year, added games of 227, 201 and 201 for a 629 series.

Standard Doubles includes teams with combined entering averages of 311-350.

Delby added a 556 series in team and 490 in singles for a 1,691 all-events total, also a career-best, and Mollett had 529 in singles and 523 in team for 1,681.

Arizona bowler tops Classified All-Events standings in Las Vegas
Entering the 2019 USBC Open Championships, Kyle O'Meara of Peoria, Arizona, simply wanted to improve on his past three tournament appearances, while also having fun with his friends and teammates.

The 30-year-old right-hander exceeded those expectations this week at the South Point Bowling Plaza by making his way to the top of the Classified All-Events standings with a career-best 1,732 total, an improvement of more than 300 pins.

After struggling to a 477 series on the tournament's team oil pattern June 25, things fell into place for O'Meara on the doubles and singles oil pattern June 26, and the result was sets of 614 and 641 in doubles and singles, respectively.

O'Meara also moved into fourth place in Classified Singles.

Jay Stratton of West Valley, Utah, previously held the lead this year in Classified All-Events with 1,718 and remains atop the Classified Singles standings with 653.

The Classified Division includes bowlers with entering tournament averages of 155 and below.

New leaders emerge in Senior Doubles at 2019 Bowlers Journal Championships
It's only going to take few days of waiting for Robert Brown of Cody, Wyoming, and John Huber of Marshfield, Missouri, to find out if they will be among the champions at the 2019 Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC.

Brown, a 59-year-old right-hander, and Huber, a 57-year-old right-hander, combined to shoot 1,359 at the South Point Bowling Center on June 29 and landed at the top of the Senior Doubles standings. They passed previous leaders Phillip Spruill of San Francisco and Terry Leong of Henderson, Nevada, by six pins (1,353).

The new leaders were separated from one another by just five pins, led by Brown, who rolled games of 201, 235 and 246 for a 682 series. Huber added 264, 188 and 225 for a 677 set.

Brown claimed the 2017 Senior Doubles title with Billy Langford of Lone Grove, Oklahoma. Huber's 2019 appearance at the Bowlers Journal Championships was the first of his career. He also made his debut at the nearby USBC Open Championships.

The Bowlers Journal Championships is being held in conjunction with the Open Championships for the 73rd year and also will run until the first week of July.

A look ahead
The 2019 USBC Open Championships and Bowlers Journal Championships presented by USBC are in their final days.

The two events kicked off during the first week of March and will end their runs in Las Vegas on July 8 and July 7, respectively.

During the 122-day run of the Open Championships, more than 52,000 bowlers made their way to the South Point Bowling Plaza. The official five-player team count for the 2019 event is 10,440.

For more information on the Open Championships, visit BOWL.com/OpenChamp.

Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.

United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world - the USBC Open and Women's Championships - and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens.

Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,638 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.

2019 USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
South Point Bowling Plaza
Las Vegas

(Division leaders with hometown and pinfall)

As of July 2, 2019

REGULAR DIVISION

Team
(Combined averages of 876 and above)
1, Higgy's Aquarium (Chad Roberts, Joshua Conner, Charles Tompkins, Joe Bailey, Dan Higgins), Westerville, Ohio, 3,362. 2, Nestle Crunch Bar, Clarksville, Tenn., 3,345. 3, Melrose Bowl Red, Norwood, Minn., 3,301. 4, S and B Pro Shop 1, Warren, Mich., 3,254. 5, Bowlers Sport Shop, Indianapolis, 3,249. 6, Before the 1st Frame 1, Battleboro, N.C., 3,241. 7, Gasthaus Motel, Monroe, Wis., 3,236. 8, Hope in a Box, O'Fallon, Ill., 3,232. 9, Lefty Mafia 2, Canyon, Texas, 3,226. 10, Himmler's Pro Shop, Versailles, Ind., 3,223.

Doubles
(Combined averages of 351 and above)
1, Cotie Holbek, Burlington, Wis./Steven Fisher, Winthrop Harbor, Ill., 1,478. 2, Lawrence Porter, Whitesboro, N.Y./Art Alexander III, North Syracuse, N.Y., 1,423. 3, Jason Duran, Brighton, Colo./Duane Mellinger, Aurora, Colo., 1,413. 4, AJ Rice, Columbus, Ga./Jeremiah Howsare, Frostburg, Mass., 1412. 5, Joseph Conti, Liverpool, N.Y./Derek Magno, Cicero, N.Y., 1,404. 6, Nicholas Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Casey Maxted, Gillette, Wyo., 1,397. 7, Aaron Pawloski, Brentwood, Calif./Robert Huckaby, Santa Cruz, Calif., 1,392. 8, Dan Vick, Pittsford, N.Y./David Gerhart, Mount Joy, Pa., 1,390. 9, Will Barnes, Wichita, Kan./Geoffrey Young, Roanoke, Texas, 1,384. 10, Matt Dzikiewicz, Rocky Hill, Conn./Patrick Hanrahan, Wichita, Kan., 1,383.

Singles
(Averages of 176 and above)
1, Mitch Beasley, Clarksville, Tenn., 812. 2, Ron Case, Oakley, Calif., 803. 3, Ryan Mouw, Muskegon, Mich., 802. 4, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 800. 5, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 794. 6, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 792. 7, Zachery Tackett, Huntington, Ind., 780. 8, William Welch, Franklin, Wis., 778. 9, Dylan Burns, Wichita, Kan., 777. 10, Jason Rasinske, Dimondale, Mich., 775.

All-Events
(Averages of 176 and above)
1, Ryan Mouw, Muskegon, Mich., 2,156. 2, Kristopher Prather, Plainfield, Ill., 2,153. 3, Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 2,151. 4, Kurt Pilon, Warren, Mich., 2,150. 5, Derek Magno, Cicero, N.Y., 2,142. 6, Aaron Pawloski, Brentwood, Calif., 2,128. 7, Daniel Vick, Pittsford, New York, 2,122. 8, Jakob Butturff, Tempe, Ariz. 9, EJ Tackett, Bluffton, Ind., 2,097. 10, John Burkett, Fort Worth, Texas, 2,095.

Team All-Events
(Combined all-events totals of all five team members)
1, Mento Produce (Anthony Pepe, Travis Mento, Steve Meyer, Derek Magno, Joseph Conti), Syracuse, N.Y., 9,983. 2, S and B Pro Shop 1, Warren, Mich., 9,967. 3, Team NABR, Fairport, N.Y., 9,900. 4, Higgy's Aquarium, Westerville, Ohio, 9,758. 5, Bowlers Headquarters/EFX, Muskego, Wis., 9,717. 6, Big O Tires, Oakley, Calif., 9,709. 7, Tile-All, Inc. 2, Mount Laurel, N.J., 9,660. 8, Hope in a Box, O'Fallon, Ill., 9,612. 9,(tie), Nestle Crunch Bar, Clarksville, Tenn., and The Locker Guy 1, Owatonna, Minn., 9,607.

STANDARD DIVISION    

Team
(Combined averages of 776-875)
1, Shawn Blanton Team 2 (Chris Strehl, Shawn Blanton, Andrew Dill, John Leonard, Davey Murphy), Owensboro, Ky, 2,870. 2, Steve Austin Team 1, Sparta, Mich., 2,864. 3, Princess and The Jokers, Queen Creek, Arizona, 2,863. 4, Buffalo Wild Wings 1, Chicago, 2,854. 5, Schliep Consulting LLC, Shakopee, Minn., 2,849. 6, WALCO 1, Kalona, Iowa, 2,848. 7(tie), Cancer Sucks 3, McDonough, Ga., and New Vision Team 1, Ashtabula, Ohio, 2,840. 9, Fire Power, Baltimore, 2,832. 10, House Stark, Melissa, Texas, 2,829.

Doubles
(Combined Averages of 311-350)
1, Jeremy Dalby, Park Forest, Ill./Gregory Mollett Jr., Homewood, Ill., 1,274. 2, Todd Reno, Lemont, Ill./Robert Riley, Plainfield, Ill., 1,270. 3, Jeff Nolte, Palm City, Fla./Frank Kartner, Jensen Beach, Fla., 1,250. 4, Jeff Schott/Tyler Shellabarger, Celina, Ohio, 1,248. 5, Glendon Riffe, Pawcatuck, Conn./Howard Eldredge, Westerly, R.I., 1,237. 6, H. Weldon Ganaway, Ruidoso Downs, N.M/Joshua Ganaway, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1,231. 7, Mitchell Scheller/David Scheller, Mount Olive, Ill., 1,230. 8, Wes Leong, Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada/William Walters, Thornville, Ohio, 1,226. 9, Paul Spiotta/Greg Wolff, Batavia, N.Y., 1,225. 10, Larry Waldron/Michael Walker, Marianna, Fla., 1,221.

Singles
(Averages of 156-175)
1, Cody Morrow, Eugene, Mo., 690. 2, Don Erickson, Renton, Wash., 680. 3, Andrew Leppen, Amherst Junction, Mich., 679. 4(tie), Dale Storm, St. Charles, Minn., and Bryan Mitchell, Chandler, Ariz., 678. 6, Monty Hansen, Sterling Heights, Mich., 676. 7, Dan Krostal, Waukegan, Ill., 673. 8, James Schmidt, Boerne, Texas, 672. 9(tie), Donald Mehrtens Jr., St. Rose, La., and Xavier Altamirano, Tucson, Ariz., 671.

All-Events
(Averages of 156-175)
1, Jenny Wonders, Roscoe, Ill., 1,876. 2(tie), Randy Lightsey, San Antonio, and Xavier Altamirano, Tucson, Ariz., 1,874. 4, Vicente Ada, Bellmawr, N.J., 1,873. 5, Ryan Allender, Griffith, Ind., 1,866. 6, Don Erickson, Renton, Wash., 1,865. 7, Donald Wilson, Olive Branch, Miss., 1,862. 8, Gene Rivers, San Antonio, 1,860. 9, Kimberly Jensen, Rockford, Ill., 1,854. 10, Tyler Boe, Mountlake Terrace, Wash., 1,849.

CLASSIFIED DIVISION

Team
(Combined averages of 775 and below)
1, Lynn Christianson Team 1 (Doug Fugleberg, Corey Hanson, Ricky Crane, Jody Bueng, Lynn Christianson), Twin Valley, Minn., 2,624. 2, Romano's "B" Team, Essington, Pa., 2,589. 3, Roy Allen Team 2, Springfield, Mo., 2,580. 4, Who's Buying?, Beavercreek, Ohio, 2,578. 5, High Rollers, Baton Rouge, La., 2,557. 6, The Bowlers Store 1, Dayton, Ohio, 2,533. 7, Keith Settles Team 2, Indianapolis, 2,532. 8, Silver City Misfits, Silver City, N.M., 2,531. 9, Bowling Buddies, Huntsville, Ala., 2,504. 10, Greater Toronto Ten Pin, Toronto, 2,501.

Doubles
(Combined averages of 310 and below)
1, Kevin Graham, Fairfield, Conn./Anthony Merritt, Naugatuck, Conn., 1,133. 2, Erik Koteles, Madison, Wis./Michael Henes, Cottage Grove, Wis., 1,117. 3, Jennifer Prokopinski, Chippewa Falls, Wis./Lori Stuart, Fall Creek, Wis., 1,114. 4, Brian Connell, Mundelein, Ill./Gerard Kraemer, Park City, Ill., 1,111. 5, Stephen Martin and Jesse Banks, Chicago, 1,105. 6, Charles Hurst, Julesburg, Colo./Matthew Walters, Englewood, Ohio, 1,103. 7, Ronald Burns/Bill Lanes, Burleson, Texas, 1,101. 8(tie), Mare Byres, Rio Rancho, N.M./Linda Johnson, Albuquerque, N.M., and Gregory Gates, Pontiac, Mich./John Sawyers, Waterford, Mich., 1,100. 10, Ronald Shelton, Waukon, Neb./Michael Rediske Hokah, Minn., 1,097.

Singles
(Averages of 155 and below)
1, Jay Stratton, West Valley, Utah, 653. 2, Joseph Micheri, Lancaster, Calif., 646. 3, Charles Vo, Sugar Land, Texas, 644. 4, Kyle O'Meara, Peoria, Ariz., 641. 5, Bill Vianco, Delphi, Ind., 638. 6(tie), Patrick Murphy, Ballwin, Mo., and Patrick Muirhead, Starkville, Miss., 626. 8, Justin Nguyen, San Diego, 625. 9(tie), Robert McKinzie, Liberty, Mo., and Bryce Libtow, Waterford, Mich., 624.

All Events
(Averages of 155 and below)
1, Kyle O'Meara, Peoria, Ariz., 1732. 2, Jay Stratton, West Valley, Utah, 1,718. 3, James Yourishin Jr., Aurora, Colo., 1,717. 4, Larry Meyers, Renwick, Iowa, 1,707. 5, Derek Hopson, Belleville, N.J., 1,687. 6, Wesley Straight, Cooperstown, N.D., 1,673. 7(tie), Roberto Rodriguez, Chicago, and Brian Whited, Cave Creek, Ariz., 1,668. 9, Jeremy McGill, Louisville, Ky., 1,667. 10, Aaron Zhang, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, 1,660.

Mike Ford tabbed as IL Player of the Week

All-Star first baseman honored by International League for play between June 24-30

MOOSIC, Pa. (July 1, 2019) – The International League announced today that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre infielder Mike Ford was selected as the Player-of-the-Week for June 24-30. Ford was a non-drafted free agent singned by the New York Yankees in 2013 and made his Major League debut in April of this year.

Ford batted .417 last week with three home runs and ten runs batted in with a league-best five doubles and 26 total bases.  In 2019, the first baseman leads the International League in on-base petcentage at .426 and is in the top ten for most major offensive categories, including batting average, home runs, runs batted in and slugging percentage.

Ford is the second RailRider to be honored by the league this year, joining Breyvic Valera in May.

The International League, in conjunction with the Pacific Coast League, has also announced that Ford will participate in the 2019 Jarritos Triple-A All-Star Home Run Derby during the 2019 Triple-A All-Star festivities next week in El Paso, Texas. Ford will be joined in the derby by Brandon Barnes from Columbus, Travis Demeritte of Gwinnett and Deivy Grullon from Lehigh Valley as the International League’s representatives.

The Pacific Coast League will be represented by Reno’s Kevin Cron and Yasmany Tomas, Kyle Tucker from Round Rock and Ty France from the host El Paso Chihuahuas.

The Derby will take place on Monday, July 8 at Southwest University Park.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre begins a three-game set at Pawtucket tonight before returning o PNC Field on Thursday, July 4, to start a four-day, five-game series against Rochester leading into the All-Star break. Tickets for July 4 are nearly sold out. Visit swbrailriders.com for more information or to purchase tickets for the upcoming homestand.

100TH USBC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS CONCLUDES IN WICHITA

WICHITA, Kan. – The 100th edition of the United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships came to a close Sunday, helping wrap up a tournament-long celebration at Northrock Lanes.

The 2019 event kicked off April 20 and lasted for 72 days in The Air Capital of the World. A total of 4,108 four-player teams, more than 16,000 bowlers, participated at the 48-lane venue, competing in four average-based divisions for team competition and six divisions for doubles, singles and all-events.

All standings are unofficial and pending final verification.

The top score in each discipline came from the Diamond Division, which features bowlers with entering averages of 190 and above.

Beverly Gonzalez of Sierra Vista, Arizona, took the lead in Diamond Singles on May 7, firing games of 279, 243 and 276 for a 798 series. The series was the second-highest total recorded in singles competition in USBC Women’s Championships history (Michelle Feldman rolled 816 to win Classic Singles in 2009).

Lauren Pate of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, and Jordan Newham of Aurora, Illinois, posted the top doubles score May 14, combining for a 1,417 total. Pate and Newham both were making their tournament debuts after finishing their collegiate careers at McKendree and Vanderbilt, respectively.

Pate led the way with games of 221, 264 and 289 for a 774 series, and Newham added 179, 246 and 218 for a 643 set.

USBC Hall of Famer Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, also made her move to the top of the leaderboard May 14, taking the lead in Diamond All-Events with 2,211.

Kulick rolled sets of 775 in doubles, 737 in singles and 699 in team to become the sixth player in tournament history to surpass the 2,200 mark for her nine-game total. Despite already being a USBC Hall of Famer, this would mark her first title at the Women’s Championships.

The top score in Diamond Team was rolled May 30 by Powerhouse of Lakewood, Colorado, which averaged more than 230 as a team on the way to a 2,767 total.

Led by Sharon Powers’ 785 series, Powerhouse posted games of 881, 943 and 943 to finish with the second-highest team score since the Women’s Championships transitioned to four-player teams in 2014 (Bowlieve In A Cure finished with 2,819 in 2014 to win Diamond Team).

Powers was joined by two-time titlist Christine Gill (736 series), Michelle Maly (654) and Debbie McMullen (592).

A pair of bowlers also are poised to take home multiple titles at the 2019 event.

Chris Lafko of Simi Valley, California, took the lead in Topaz Singles and Topaz All-Events on May 30, using the strength of a 530 series in singles to propel her to the top spot in all-events with 1,425.

Lafko rolled games of 163, 214 and 153 in singles and added sets of 468 in team and 427 in doubles. Topaz Singles and Topaz All-Events include bowlers with entering averages of 129 and below.

On June 8, Elizabeth McGarey of Warren, Michigan, followed a similar path, as her strong finish helped her into the lead in Amethyst Singles and Amethyst All-Events.

McGarey used games of 197, 146 and 222 to get to the singles lead with a 565 series, and she added 485 in team and 476 in doubles to finish with a 1,526 all-events score. Amethyst Singles and Amethyst All-Events feature bowlers with entering averages of 130-144.

A total of five bowlers rolled 300 games at the 2019 Women’s Championships, matching the 2014 event in Reno, Nevada, for the most perfect games during a tournament. In all, 32 perfect games have been achieved at the tournament.

Amanda Flood of Brandon, Florida, was the first to roll 12 consecutive strikes at the 2019 event, doing so during her singles set on May 13. She finished with a 789 series, which placed her second in Diamond Singles.

USBC and PWBA Hall of Famer Jeanne Naccarato of Tacoma, Washington, also connected for 300 on May 13, rolling her second career 300 game at the Women’s Championships during her team event. Naccarato became the first bowler to own multiple 300s at the tournament, after first achieving the feat at the 2014 event.

Kaidee Sutphin of Maitland, Florida, posted 300 during her singles set May 14, and USBC and PWBA Hall of Famer Leanne Hulsenberg of Pleasant View, Utah, added her name to the list during her doubles competition May 15.

Hulsenberg joined USBC Hall of Famer Dede Davidson as the only players in tournament history with both a 300 game and 800 series on the championship lanes. Hulsenberg’s 800 series came at the 2007 event in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she rolled 804 during her team event.

Brenda Clifford of Kahoka, Missouri, was the fifth player to achieve perfection at Northrock Lanes, rolling her first career 300 during her opening game of doubles June 14. Clifford also is leading Ruby All-Events with a 1,837 total. Ruby All-Events features bowlers with entering averages of 175-189.

Six bowlers were recognized this year for their dedication and longevity at the Women’s Championships, joining the event’s exclusive 50-Year Club.

This year’s group included Marcie Baker of Fredericktown, Missouri; Karen Bostian of Hilton Head, South Carolina; Muriel Casey of Fairfax, Virginia; Marilyn Miller of Two Rivers, Wisconsin; Marie Neugebauer of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania; and Fran Smith of Marshalltown, Iowa.

In addition to the 100th edition of the Women’s Championships, Northrock Lanes also hosted the USBC Queens from May 15-21. The Queens, a major championship on the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Tour, welcomed nearly 200 of the top female bowlers from around the world to compete for the coveted tiara awarded to the winner.

Ukraine’s Dasha Kovalova, who was a standout at nearby Wichita State, won the event for her first career PWBA Tour title, defeating Malaysia’s Sin Li Jane in the title match, 226-216. The stepladder finals were broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

The Women’s Championships will head to Las Vegas’ South Point Bowling Plaza for the 2020 event. The 60-lane facility also hosted the tournament in 2016.

For more information on the Women’s Championships, visit BOWL.com/WomensChamp.

Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Women’s Championships page.

United States Bowling Congress

The United States Bowling Congress serves as the national governing body of bowling as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). USBC conducts championship events nationwide including the largest participation sporting events in the world – the USBC Open and Women’s Championships – and professional events such as the USBC Masters and USBC Queens. 

Founded in 1895, today USBC and its 1,638 state and local associations proudly serve more than a million members. USBC is headquartered in Arlington, Texas, working toward a future for the sport. The online home for USBC is BOWL.com.

2019 USBC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Northrock Lanes, Wichita, Kan.

(Top 5 division leaders with hometown and pinfall)

As of June 30, 2019

NOTE: All standings are unofficial and pending final verification.

TEAM

Diamond
(For bowlers with combined averages of 725 and above)
1, Powerhouse (Sharon Powers, Michelle Maly, Debbie McMullen, Christine Gill), Lakewood, Colo., 2,767. 2, Golden Approach Pro Shop, Dayton, Ohio, 2,682. 3, Husker Shox, Las Vegas, 2,675. 4, Ballard vs. the Big C, Keller, Texas, 2,663. 5, The Bowling Stones, Savannah, Ga., 2,608.

Ruby
(For bowlers with combined averages of 650-724)
1, Rookies (Diane Weeks, Vi Frye, Briana Hooper, Trenetta Alford), Shawnee, Kan., 2,215. 2, Garden Center Lanes 2, Alexandria, Minn., 2,175. 3, Molly Frazer Team 1, Salem, Ore., 2,158. 4, Tex-Cal Gals, Plainview, Texas, 2,133. 5, Canucks, Mount Brydges, Ontario, 2,128.

Emerald
(For bowlers with combined averages of 575-649)
1, KC and the Sunshine Bowlers (Teresa Phillips, Sandra Pierce, Sammie Vaughn, Kathy Carlson), Stephenville, Texas, 2,031. 2, RAI off NE, Ravenna, Neb., 2,027. 3, Ball Keepers, Perris, Calif., 2,017. 4, For 7, Bozeman, Mont., 1,998. 5, When Bally Met Alley, San Jose, Calif., 1,990.

Sapphire
(For bowlers with combined averages of 574 and below)
1, McGuire Construction (Colleen Jeffery, Debra McGuire, Kimberley Davis, Kim Grams), Red Cloud, Neb., 1,875. 2, 4 for Fun, Bloomfield, N.M., 1,859. 3, Starlites, Alexandria, Minn., 1,829. 4, Memory Lanes No. 2, Osseo, Minn., 1,819. 5, Almost Here, Sioux Falls, S.D., 1,815.

DOUBLES

Diamond
(For bowlers with combined averages of 380 and above)
1, Jordan Newham, Aurora, Ill./Lauren Pate, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., 1,417. 2, Jessica Aiezza, Mechanicville, N.Y./Liz Kuhlkin, Schenectady, N.Y., 1,411. 3, Blair Blumenscheid, Columbus, Ohio/Leanne Hulsenberg, Brigham City, Utah, 1,409. 4, Ricki Ellison/Georgia Drewes, Wichita, Kan., 1,385. 5, Corina Grasso, Fort Collins, Colo./Carrie Endres, Windsor, Colo., 1,384.

Ruby
(For bowlers with combined averages of 350-379)
1. Rebecca Hernandez, Leander, Texas/Robin Holton, Omaha, Neb., 1,223. 2, Sharon Beckett, St. Joseph, Mo./Angela Edwards, Savannah, Mo., 1,203. 3, Ashley Durrance, Ormond Beach, Fla./Colleen Carroll, St. Augustine, Fla., 1,202. 4, Christina Barber, Corpus Christi, Texas/Mary Carnes, Portland, Texas, 1,197. 5(tie), Baileigh Swanson, Eldridge, Iowa/Lesley Carter, Donahue, Iowa, and Nancy Brennan, Boise, Idaho/Rene Hopkins, Garden City, Idaho, 1,175.

Emerald
(For bowlers with combined averages of 320-349)
1, Vicki Harris, Mira Loma, Calif./ Katherine Green, Nampa, Idaho, 1,152. 2, Sonjia Shoemaker, Battle Ground, Wash./Debie Watkins, Vancouver, Wash., 1,118. 3, Margaret Randall, Pine Valley, N.Y./Vickie Tobias, Bath, N.Y., 1,114. 4, Diann Copeland/Pam Shumaker, Paducah, Ky., 1,110. 5, Karen Flora, Center Line, Mich./Kimberly Casbar, Warren, Mich., 1,102.

Sapphire
(For bowlers with combined averages of 290-319)
1, Rosie Martinez/Sheri Sexton, Bloomfield, N.M., 1,099. 2, Billie Barnes-Wheeler, Phoenix/Brenda Clifford, Kahoka, Mo., 1,098. 3, Tiffany Friars/Brittany Friars, Greencastle, Ind., 1,090. 4, Hillary Lozano/Vanessa Wade, Canon City, Colo., 1,065. 5, Christa Baker/Sue Rief, Fremont, Neb., 1,044.

Amethyst
(For bowlers with combined averages of 260-289)
1, Wendy Esco, Phenix City, Ala./Dottie Swenson, Cataula, Ga., 1,005. 2, June Reed, Cloverdale, Ind./Jamie Bunten, Fillmore, Ind., 983. 3, Becky Swaim, Portales, N.M./Tracie Robbins, Fort Worth, Texas, 978. 4, Susan Heath, Haven, Kan./Barbara Moore, Hutchinson, Kan., 967. 5, Judith Koch, Holgate, Ohio/Wendy Koch, Stryker, Ohio, 966.

Topaz
(For bowlers with combined averages of 259 and below)
1, Norma Tucker, Cross Plains, Texas/Ronda Conley, Mullin, Texas, 907. 2, Teah Colvin, Riverton, Neb./Mary Sawyer, Burr Oak, Kan., 874. 3, April Smith/Linda Hartman, Sayre, Okla., 854. 4, Trisha Warnicke, Kalamazoo, Mich./Dakotah Warnicke, Portage, Mich., 847. 5, Lou Anne Iceman/Mary Joy, Blackduck, Minn., 830.

SINGLES

Diamond
(For bowlers with averages of 190 and above)
1, Beverly Gonzalez, Sierra Vista, Ariz., 798. 2, Amanda Flood, Brandon, Fla., 789. 3, Emily Eckhoff, Wheat Ridge, Colo., 784. 4, Maria Rodriguez, Austin, Texas, 773. 5, Rina Sabo, Bennett, Colo., 768.

Ruby
(For bowlers with averages from 175-189)
1, Renzie Kintzler, Cheyenne, Wyo., 725. 2, Debra Haskell, Burney, Calif., 675.3, Annette Miller, Roseville, Calif., 663. 4, Apryl Sneed, Sand Springs, Okla., 662. 5, Rachel Thielen, Richmond, Minn., 656.

Emerald
(For bowlers with averages from 160-174)
1, Heather Mooney, Anaheim, Calif., 677. 2, Sheila Bussler, Brownton, Minn., 622. 3, Anna Ingles, Ashland, Mo., 621. 4, Susie Chapin, Huntington, Ind., 619. 5, Debbie Etheredge, Satsuma, Ala., 616.

Sapphire
(For bowlers with averages from 145-159)
1, Glenyce Klaers, St. Michael, Minn., 597. 2, Lurline Chin, Sacramento, Calif., 587. 3, Bonita Hampton, Pomona, Calif., 586. 4, Linda Jones, Stockbridge, Ga., 583. 5, Linda Ronning, Dent, Minn., 581.

Amethyst
(For bowlers with averages from 130-144)
1, Elizabeth McGarey, Warren, Mich., 565. 2, Julie Holloway, Reeseville, Wis., 559. 3, Mildred Coleman, Novi, Mich., 550. 4, Denise Penley, Santee, Calif., 547. 5, Sandra Freitag, Muscatine, Iowa, 542.

Topaz
(For bowlers with averages of 129 and below)
1, Chris Lafko, Simi Valley, Calif., 530. 2, Carol Sharp, Albuquerque N.M., 505. 3, Lorraine Gearig, Montpelier, Ohio, 502. 4(tie), Danielle Bassett, Greencastle, Ind., and Cynthia Forrest, Knob Noster, Mo., 497.

ALL-EVENTS

Diamond
(For bowlers with averages of 190 and above)
1, Kelly Kulick, Union, N.J., 2,211. 2, Maria Rodriguez, Austin, Texas, 2,196. 3, Leanne Hulsenberg, Brigham City, Utah, 2,143. 4, Karsyn Lukosius, Brick, N.J., 2,127. 5, Amanda Vermilyea, Apple Valley, Minn., 2,116.

Ruby
(For bowlers with averages from 175-189)
1, Brenda Clifford, Kahoka, Mo., 1,837. 2, Apryl Sneed, Sand Springs, Okla., 1,836. 3, Renzie Kintzler, Cheyenne, Wyo., 1,824. 4, Elainea Myers, Bowie, Md., 1,802. 5, Lori Stein, Lindenhurst, Ill., 1,779.

Emerald
(For bowlers with averages from 160-174)
1, Jennifer Henn, Norfolk, Neb., 1,751. 2, Heather Mooney, Anaheim, Calif., 1,707. 3(tie), Jacqueline Herndon, Los Angeles, and Michelle Anderson, East Helena, Mont., 1,676. 5, Ashley Frieze, Valley City, N.D., 1,675.

Sapphire
(For bowlers with averages from 145-159)
1, Kellie Bowes, Eagan, Minn., 1,630. 2, Dawne Byers, Bella Vista, Ark., 1,629. 3, Kelly Haman, Palmdale, Calif., 1,622. 4, Carole Preszler, Lemmon, S.D., 1,593. 5, Debra Finseth, Fountain, Minn., 1,591.

Amethyst
(For bowlers with averages from 130-144)
1, Elizabeth McGarey, Warren, Mich., 1,526. 2, Nicole Sparks, Cottage Grove, Minn., 1,506. 3, Debra McGuire, Red Cloud, Neb., 1,502. 4, Shelbi Dobie, Bozeman, Mont., 1,487. 5, Christine Westerberg, North Vancouver, British Columbia, 1,479.

Topaz
(For bowlers with averages of 129 and below)
1, Chris Lafko, Simi Valley, Calif., 1,425. 2, Samantha Wright, Scott City, Kan., 1,404. 3, Halie Luker, Lake Charles, La., 1,402. 4, Jane Gaston, Camargo, Okla., 1,392. 5, Teah Colvin, Riverton, Neb., 1,360.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE RAILRIDERS GAME REPORTScranton/Wilkes-Barre  5  -  Pawtucket  1

Daniel Camarena dominates over seven innings as SWB snaps skid

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PAWTUCKET, RI (July 1, 2019) – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders got a dominating performance from Daniel Camarena Monday night to kick off a three-game series against the Pawtucket Red Sox, playing at McCoy Stadium for the first time this season.
Camarena allowed just a hit and a walk over his first six shutout innings, but in the process he induced a pair of double-play groundouts and faced the minimum 18 batters entering the seventh frame. He allowed a hit to Chris Owings in the inning, but escaped having allowed no runs over seven innings.
Offensively, the RailRiders got on the board quickly with a three-run first inning. Clint Frazier (3-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI) doubled home a pair of runs and later scored on Trey Amburgey’s flared RBI double to right field to make it 3-0 before Pawtucket even stepped to the plate. The RailRiders added a run in the fifth and seventh inning to open up a 5-0 lead before the PawSox scored a run in the eighth inning off the SWB bullpen.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rapped out 12 hits in the game as Tyler Wade (2-for-5, 2 R) and Ryan McBroom (3-for-4) also logged multi-hit games for the RailRiders.
The RailRiders and PawSox continue their three-game series Tuesday night with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch. RHP Raynel Espinal (3-7, 4.71) is expected to take on LHP Kyle Hart (3-2, 3.44) as the RailRiders look to win their fourth in-a-row against Pawtucket this season. The RailRiders return to PNC Field Thursday, July 4 for the annual Independence Day game with incredible postgame fireworks. For tickets and more information, call (570) 969-BALL or slide to www.swbrailriders.com/tickets

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Record:

47-35

Ponies Suffer Walk-Off Loss to SeaWolves in Series Opener

Erie, PA – The Rumble Ponies (5-10, 40-39) fell to the Erie SeaWolves 5-4 on Cam Gibson’s walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth to cap off a back-and-forth series opener at UPMC Park. Stephen Villines (0-1) came in to begin the ninth and issued a walk to Kody Eaves that was followed by a single to Sergio Alcantara, with Alcantara advancing to second on the throw to third. With second and third and none out, the Ponies intentionally walked Chace Numata to load the bases. Gibson then hit a deep fly ball to center that scored Eaves from third to win the game.

The Ponies rallied from a 3-0 deficit after five to score four unanswered runs. In the sixth, David Thompson hit a two-run homer, his second of the year to cut the lead to 3-2. In the seventh, Quinn Brodey laid down a sacrifice bunt that pitcher Trent Skutnik threw errantly to first to score Mike Paez from second. That was followed by a two-out RBI double from Mike Paez in the eighth.

The SeaWolves (11-2, 42-37) responded immediately though off reliever Eric Hanhold as Erie third basemen Issac Parades tied the game with a solo shot over the left-centerfield wall.

Harol Gonzalez allowed three runs over seven innings in the no decision. The game-winning run in the ninth was the first earned run allowed this season by Villines in a Ponies uniform.

The Rumble Ponies continue their series the Erie SeaWolves Tuesday night from UPMC Park. First pitch is at 7:05PM on Newsradio 1290 WNBF and on the Binghamton Rumble Ponies channel on TuneIn. The Horizons Federal Credit Union Pregame Show begins at 6:50PM.

POSTGAME NOTES: The Ponies have dropped three in a row…After starting the year 6-0 against Erie, they have now lost 4 straight to the Tigers affiliate.