Joe Bucciarelli, right, is congratulated by Tom Sardou, proprietor of Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, following his victory Sunday in the Triple O Mechanical Singles Handicap Tournament. James Townsend of Batavia, left, placed second. The event drew 64 entrants. Photo by Mike Pettinella.
High-revving Batavia right-hander James Townsend fell a bit short Sunday in his bid for a second Triple O Mechanical Singles Handicap Tournament at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen.
Townsend, who won the event in 2021, made it into the championship match where he dropped a 224-211 decision to first-time participant Joe Bucciarelli of Lima.
Bucciarelli received 33 pins handicap due to his 188 entering average.
Through six frames, Bucciarelli, owner of Main Street Café locations in Honeoye Falls and Mendon, held onto his advantage. Townsend closed the gap to just 11 pins with strikes in frames seven through nine, however, to set up a 10th frame showdown.
Finishing first, Townsend converted the 2-4 spare and got eight on his fill ball for 211.
Bucciarelli, 40, who said he returned to league bowling last season after a 20-year layoff, needed eight pins on his first ball in the 10th to clinch the victory.
He knocked down eight, picked the spare and struck on his final ball to pocket the $700 first prize. Townsend, 26, earned $365 for placing second.
The Batavian posted a 710 series (all scratch) on the second squad but had to wait until all the scores were in from the third squad to see if he qualified for the 16-bowler eliminator-style finals.
As it turned out, Townsend captured the 16th and final spot to keep his hopes of becoming the first repeat winner in the tournament’s 17 years alive.
Semifinalists, earning $150 each, were Frank Fitzmaurice of Rochester and Pat Brick of Buffalo. Brick was coming off a first-place finish last weekend at the New York State Senior Masters in Owego.
Reaching the quarterfinals, winning $105 apiece, were Keith Garceau, Troy Hotaling and Jon Keenan, all of Rochester, and Marty Lindner of Scottsville.
The other qualifiers, earning $80 each, were defending champion Doug Bates of Greece, Patrick Quayle of Churchville, Mark Mack of Le Roy, Jim Shelly of Honeoye Falls, Mike Palozzi of Rochester, Mike Domicolo of Oswego and the father-daughter duo of Mickey Hyde of Le Roy and Naomi Hyde of Batavia.
Naomi Hyde was the high qualifier out of 64 entrants with a 794 series on the 10 a.m. squad. Her scratch games were 223, 191 and 248, plus she received 132 pins handicap.
Garceau had the tournament’s high game of 290, followed by Shelly, who recorded 289.
Tournament statistics:
Top 16 qualifiers – Guaranteed spots: Naomi Hyde 794, Patrick Quayle 767, Jon Keenan 760, Mark Mack 760, Mike Domicolo 731. Others: Jim Shelly 792, Doug Bates 766, Joe Bucciarelli 749, Pat Brick 744, Mike Palozzi 742, Marty Lindner 739, Troy Hotaling 732, Keith Garceau 729, Mickey Hyde 722, Frank Fitzmaurice 719, James Townsend 710.
Round 1 – Lanes 1-2: Hotaling 271, Brick 222 advance; Shelly 215, Mack 185 eliminated; Lanes 3-4: Lindner 226, Fitzmaurice 219 advance; Domicolo 203, Palozzi 184 eliminated; Lanes 5-6: Garceau 258, Townsend 234 advance; Bates 221, N. Hyde 217 eliminated; Lanes 7-8: Keenan 237, Bucciarelli 222 advance; M. Hyde 205, Quayle 185 eliminated.
Round 2 – Lanes 1-2: Bucciarelli 288, Brick 236 advance; Lindner 221, Keenan 220 eliminated; Lanes 7-8: Fitzmaurice 268, Townsend 235 advance; Hotaling 221, Garceau 157 eliminated.
Semifinals: Lanes 3-4: Bucciarelli 255, Townsend 225 advance; Brick 219, Fitzmaurice 199 eliminated.
Finals: Lanes 5-6: Bucciarelli defeated Townsend, 224-211.
TRIPLE O MECHANICAL CHAMPIONS
2008 – Laurie Morgante, Bergen
2009 – Dan Robinson, Chili
2010 – Debbie Falbo, Bergen
2011 – Melanie Balduf, Bergen
2012 – Kevin Gray Sr., Warsaw
2013 – Brian Decker, Rochester
2014 – Albert D’Ambrosia, Rochester
2015 – Rob Husted, Spencerport
2016 – Chris Bardol, Brockport
2017 – John Martorella Sr., Rochester
2018 – Jeff Dewar, Rochester
2019 – Dan Keenan, Rochester
2020 – Mickey Hyde, Le Roy
2021 – James Townsend, Batavia
2022 – Bill Neubert, Batavia
2023 – Doug Bates, Greece
2024 – Joe Bucciarelli, Lima
HONOR SCORES ABOUND IN LEAGUE ACTION
Three Genesee Region USBC bowlers registered honor scores in league competition last week, led by prolific left-hander Brian Cline, who rolled 279-245-290—814 in the Wednesday 4-Man League at StrikeForce Lanes in Oakfield.
At Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, Harris Busmire posted a 300 game in the Thursday Owls League and at Medina Lanes, Hayden Allis found perfection in the Thursday Firefighters League.
You can watch videos of Busmire and Allis in the Pin Points/Bowling Scores listing on this website.
Link to scores below:
PIN POINTS/Bowling Scores/November 2nd-10th, 2024 – Video News Service