PRESS RELEASE – A fifth seed armed with ball speed and power complimented the short oil condition that thrust Bruce Calip to his first career bowling title. Calip stumped his opponents in the first elimination round rolling eight strikes in a row after a slow start to cruise into the semi-final round with a 233 game upending 4th seed Shannon Bukikosa 190 and 6th seed Jim Pinaula’s 155 game.
3rd seed Manny Tagle opened the semi-final round with a double to open a slight lead over 2nd seed Greg Borja and Calip. However an error in the fourth frame swung momentum towards Borja and Calip as both bowlers begun stringing strikes. Borja’s single pin miscue in the seventh frame spelled disaster as Calip took control of the game by connecting another eight bagger to close out his opponents with a 250 game which set up the finale.
Calip closed out the match with a lopsided victory in the finale against top seed Joey Miranda III in a must beat top seed twice format. Calip dominated from the onset as he smashed the pins in the first game of the finals with a 268-174 drubbing of the tournament’s top player and then cruised with a 226-204 set in the rubber match to claim the title and championship prize.
Miranda, Calip and Pinaula jockeyed for the top post during the six game qualifier held earlier in the day with Miranda taking the early lead via a 246 game to open the series. Pinaula poured on a 267 second game to snatch the lead after two as Jonathan Duenas lurked in second after a 289 game. Pinaula held pole after three games, four pins ahead of Duenas as Miranda and Calip made their move, ten pins adrift. A 238 score in the fourth game vaulted Calip to the top with Miranda’s 235 two pins behind as Pinaula and Duenas struggled. Miranda then took advantage of the low scoring fifth game before catapulting into the top spot closing the series with a 273 game. Miranda’s set of 1356 pins included games of 246, 180, 240, 235, 182 and 273 that beat the field by 104 pins. Borja jumped to second place with a 1252 total followed by Tagle’s 1248 as Bukikosa’s handicap played a factor in her fourth place finish from where Calip fell to fifth, finishing with 1238 total while Pinaula salvaged the final spot in the elimination round with a 1225 set.
(AP/Carlos Osorio)
