The 53rd Bill Rahm Invitational bowling tournament got underway Saturday afternoon at Suburban Lanes in Bucyrus.
The field of 16 bowlers, which included four rookies, bowled four-game series on Saturday, with the losers of each of the eight matches going into the losers’ bracket of the double-elimination format.
Rookie Mike Eulett defeated Curtis Groves, 843-781, on Lanes 1 and 2; rookie Joe Powers dropped Joel Butt, 971-835 on Lanes 3 and 4; Rick McWaters downed Dave Conti, 912-811, on Lanes 5 and 6; and Chris Kuehne Sr. edged Butch Pangallo, 897-870, on Lanes 7 and 8.
On Lanes 9 and 10, lefty Nathan Monk rolled a big 1001 series to defeat rookie Dustin Harigle, who had an 884. Mitch Long eased past rookie Dave Shock, 981-913, on Lanes 11 and 12; Mike Lear topped Skip Heimlich, 847-793, on Lanes 13 and 14; and despite rolling a perfect 300 in Game 2, defending champion Brian Patrick fell to Don McLaughlin — who rolled a 299 in Game 3 — 1069-1006, on Lanes 15 and 16.
In Sunday’s winners’ bracket, McWaters defeated Powers, 840-771; McLaughlin dropped Eulett, 842-748; Mike Lear slipped past Kuehne, 901-879; and Monk edged Long, 895-891.
In the losers’ bracket, Conti squeezed by Joel Butt, 800-795; Patrick defeated Groves, 956-906; Heimlich beat Pangallo, 939-674; and Shock stopped Harigle, 917-784. Butt, Groves, Pangallo and Harigle were eliminated from the tournament.
In the losers’ bracket second session, Heimlich got past Powers, 871-845; Conti held off Kuehne, 897-840; Shock rolled the highest series of the day to defeat Eulett, 1006-868; and Patrick beat Long, 901-846. Powers, Kuehne, Eulett and Long were eliminated in the second session.
The tournament continues Saturday. In the winners’ bracket, McWaters faces off against McLaughlin and Lear takes on Monk.
In the losers’ bracket, Conti meets Patrick and Heimlich bowls Shock.