BUCYRUS (Crawford County Now) — The 16-team field of the 60th Bill Rahm Invitational bowling tournament was cut in half on the opening weekend at Suburban Lanes.
The 16 bowlers carry the highest averages from sanctioned men’s league in Bucyrus.
On Saturday, Joe Powers beat Tod Spurlock, Jr., 821-793, Don McLauglin got by Mike Hill, 942-803, Mike Lear topped Eric Baldinger, 939-894, and Joel Butt got by Brock Lykens, 887-846.
Phil Gabel slipped past Jacob Dairy, 866-851, Bob Lear, Jr. dropped Jordan Fagan, 922-874, Jo Metz topped Mitch Long, 928-856, and Nathan Monk edged Dave Shock, 868-861.
The winners’ bracket on Sunday saw Butt down Gabel, 933-835, Bob Lear, Jr. took down Metz, 919-764, Mike Lear beat McLaughlin, 840-808, and Powers bumped Monk to the losers’ bracket, 868-856.
In the first session of the losers’ bracket (Saturday’s losers), Long was one pin better than Fagan, 835-834, Lykens stopped Dairy, 932-823, Shock took out Spurlock, 818-760, and Shock handled Hill, 933-776.
Fagan, Dairy, Spurlock, and Hill were eliminated from the field.
In the second session, Mitch Long beat Monk, 930-878, Baldinger rolled the high series of the day to defeat Gabel, 971-852, Shock slipped past Metz, 857-840, and McLaughlin got the best of Lykens, 940-841.
Monk, Gabel, Metz, and Lykens were eliminated from the field.
The remaining eight bowlers will return to Suburban Lanes on Saturday to narrow the field to the final two by Sunday afternoon.