By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
After two weeks of bowling the 2016 Ladies Invitational wrapped up Saturday at Suburban Lanes, but not before a bonus game had to be played between the final two contestants in which Tacsha Ridgeway walked away as champion.
Ridgeway met Patricia Horsley for the final games of the invitational Saturday afternoon. Ridgeway had taken the first set between the two on Tuesday 753-635; Wednesday it was Horsely picking up the victory 785-665 setting the stage for the final set of three games Saturday.
Horsely won the set of three Saturday 620-541 setting the stage for a one game roll off. The tide turned for the roll off as Ridgeway jumped out to an early lead and didn’t look back taking the roll off and the championship with a final score of 230-185.
Ridgeway explained what thoughts were going through her mind as the final frames were being bowled.
“We moved over to lanes 11 and 12, and I knew it was a fresh pair of lanes, and I knew I had to get out to an early lead, and thank goodness for my husband, who is my rock,” Ridgeway said. “He was like, you are going to have to move right, and I did. I hit my target, and they fell. So I was excited about that.”
While she came out as the victor, Ridgeway explained that win or lose she was going to have fun bowling with her friend.
“It is nice, it is a good feeling. Win or lose, Patty and I have been good friends for a long time,” Ridgeway said. “I knew it was going to be fun, I knew it was going to be entertaining, and Patty is a good bowler, so I knew she was going to come out and it was going to be a good show.”
Ridgeway is unsure if she will return in 2017 to try to repeat as Ladies Invitational Champion.
“We will see,” Ridgeway explained. “It is yet to be determined.”