#4 Ocello and #8 Fenicle Capture Marathon Tournament Titles

The PJBT continued its 19th Season with a Labor Day Classic Tournament!  This year our 8-Game Marathon Event was held on Labor Day Sunday.  This event has a unique format where the important number is 8!  There is 8 Games of qualifying on this day with the top 8 advancing to the finals for a single elimination bracket final.  In the final, matches are two game matches total pins.  We had 48 bowlers competing this day with 31 in Scratch and 17 in Handicap.  The lane pattern was a newly created Kegel Pattern just for this event.

Joey Ocello of NJ, the #4 seed in the finals, took home the coveted title.   Ocello bowled a solid 8 game block on this day to stay near the top of the leaderboard.  Like many of the competitors, he had some up and down games but his 7th game of qualifying really cemented his position in the finals, when he shot 276.  After 8 games, Ocello was +78 and was the #4 seed entering the bracket finals.  8th place cut for 8 games was +13.  Ocello began his run toward the win with a Round of 8 match vs #5 seed Austin Englehart.  In a close match, Ocello defeated Englehart 417-403.  In the semi-final match, Ocello took on #8 seed Ryan Goddard.  Ocello won this match 403-349.  That advanced him into the title match vs #2 Isaac Erickson.  Ocello defeated Erickson in the 2 game final match 430-393 to take home the title.  Ocello won a $200 scholarship and plaque for his victory.

Sarah Fenicle captured the Handicap Marathon title.  Fenicle squeaked her way into the finals as the #8 of 8 seeds and then never looked back!  Fenicle entered the event with a 165 average and 31 pins handicap.  She shot consistent games with her high game being 192 and low game 136.  After 8 games, she was -56 and was in position for the cut line of advancing.  She had an uphill battle to victory….but that never slowed her down.  Her first match was against #1 seed MariBeth Baker.  Baker, who won our event last week….was hot again!  Fenicle cooled her off with a 354-331 victory.  This advanced Fenicle into the semi-finals vs #4 seed Aiden Lederer.  Another close match here….but in the end…..Fenicle defeated Lederer 368-331.  This advanced Fenicle into the finals vs #7 seed Jenna Garman.  We had #7 and #8 bowling for the title, both females!  This match came down to the final shot.  Fenicle outlasted Garman for the victory by just four pins 328-324.  Fenicle won a $200 scholarship and plaque for her victory.

No honor scores bowled on this day and nobody hit our Lucky Shot Jackpot.  Lucky Shot is now over $330 going into next week.

Next Week:  Our first Saturday Afternoon event of the Season – PJBT rolls into Jay Lanes in Douglassville PA for a regular season singles event starting at 2:30pm.