PALOS VERDES BOWL

champs Wesley Low & Danny Martinez

        Wesley Low and Danny Martinez finished off the 2012-13 regular season with exciting wins in JBT Southern California Conference action at Palos Verdes Bowl.

        Eric Hatchett and Luke Holley, the only two righthanders to make the stepladder finals, began with an entertaining match won by Eric 228-218.  Eric then got by Washington bowler Darren Stanley 212-196  Wesley Low then defeated Hatchett 212-187, advancing to face top seed Derek Acuff in their third So Cal title match together since February.

        Acuff had looked terrific in leading the fairly high-scoring event, but unfortunately for him it was the same thing all over again in the title match, as for whatever reason he has struggled against Low.  Wesley was able to keep it on cruise control, eventually winning the match 209-153 for the 13th title of the talented Low's JBT career.

        Kayla Goad had already had a landmark day, rolling the first 300 game of her career, the only of the event, and the first 300 game by a female this season (Correen Lieber nearly joined her with a 298 game as well).  Goad had to hang on to her spot among the high-scoring finalists, and then opened the handicap stepladder with a 265-200 win over Kennison Andrews.  In the ensuing battle of two of our veteran girls, Alexis Atkin then edged Goad 228-219.  In the semifinal, the Pac NW's Josh Alvarez, who has been red-hot up north, kept his roll going down south as well, beating Atkin 226-206 to advance to the title match.

        Top seed Danny Martinez has had a terrific year in the JAT tournament club, but had not matched that success in previous JBT events.  It was a different story here, as he grabbed the lead going into the finals, then bowled a confident game in the title match while Alvarez struggled down the stretch.  The result was a 239-206 win for Danny, good for the first title of his JBT career.

        Goad's day got even better with a 243-169 over Brittany Kolatzny to capture the day's JBT Women's Series event, presented by Impact Bowling.  The field is now set for the So Cal Invitational, where over $6,000 will be awarded to the qualifiers.  Thanks to Danny Ontiveros and the crew at Palos Verdes for a great job hosting our Tour for the first time!