BUCYRUS (Crawford County Now) — The 59th Bill Rahm Invitational kicked off Saturday afternoon at Suburban Lanes.

The tournament features the top 16 bowlers with averages in sanctioned leagues in Bucyrus competing in a scratch, double-elimination format. Each match is four games with an aggregate final score.

On Saturday, Shawn Ridgeway defeated Mitch Long, 922-854. Tod Spurlock edged Gabe Higginbotham, 927-921 and Joe Powers was 17 pins better than Dave Tinch, 851-834.

Brayden Bruner rolled the high series of the day to get past Steve Chambers, 972-798 and Jacob Dairy fell to Charles Yancey, 888-847, despite rolling the high single game of the day of 278.

Defending champion Mike Lear advanced to the winners’ bracket, 886-796 over Rick McWaters. Brock Lykens dropped Bob Lear, Jr. 879-806 and Joel Butt slipped past Don McLaughlin, 883-872.

There were four matches in both the winners’ and losers’ bracket on Sunday’s first session.

In the winners’ bracket, Powers dropped Ridgeway to the losers’ bracket, 869-806. Mike Lear got past Spurlock, 969-947, in a high-scoring affair. Lykens held off Bruner, 899-828 and Butt topped Yancey, 869-828.

In the losers’ bracket, Long defeated Tinch, 864-788, Higginbotham eased past McWaters, 864-761, McLaughlin downed Dairy, 853-831, and Bob Lear stopped Chambers, 850-769.

Tinch, McWaters, Dairy, and Chambers were eliminated from the field.

In the second session losers’ bracket, Bruner was 53 better than McLaughlin, 854-801, Ridgeway narrowly got by Higginbotham, 921-912, Long had the high series of the day to defeat Spurlock, 994-870, and Bob Lear Jr. knocked out Yancey, 858-724.

McLaughlin, Higginbotham, Spurlock, and Yancey were eliminated in the second session to reduce the field to eight bowlers.

The tournament resumes on Saturday, February 15. Mike Lear takes on Joel Butt and Joe Powers faces Brock Lykens.

In the losers’ bracket, Shawn Ridgeway goes against Brayden Bruner and Mitch Long tangles with Bob Lear, Jr.

The survivors of the two brackets will meet for the championship on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. back at Suburban Lanes.