Zimmerman Wins #11 and Jody #2 at Hanover Bowl

The PJBT continued its 18th Season with a trip to Hanover Bowling Centre in Hanover, PA.  The PJBT was proud to return to the area for the first time in two years!  Last year’s event was cancelled due to a 30 inch snowstorm that nailed the northeast.  We were not able to reschedule the events….so we were happy to be back in our Southernmost Center in PA.

On this day, 52 PJBT athletes took to the lanes for a Regular Season Singles Event.  However, the event was a sport-shot event…as the pattern they competed on was WTBA Mexico City.  We had 28 bowlers competing in Scratch and 24 in Handicap.  Format for event was normal PJBT format.  5 games Qualifying – top 40% bowl an additional 3 games of match play – top 5 advance to stepladder final.

In Scratch, Dylan Zimmerman captured his 11th career PJBT Title and his 2nd title of the year.  Zimmerman got his 1st title of the year back in October 2016 at Major ABC North Lanes.  Zimmerman started off as many do on a sport shot….survival!  He shot games that would not move him backwards.  He had 213, 197, 168, and 193.  In Game 5 of qualifying, he shot the high game of qualifying…a 276.  His 276 put him at 1047 (+47) and boosted him into the tournament lead.  Of 28 bowlers, Zimmerman and 2nd seed Bret Zirkle were the only two bowlers plus after qualifying.  The first cut ….. 12th place….was -85.  Zimmerman kept it going in match play.  He went 3-0 with games of 236, 289, and 177.  Zimmerman maintained his tournament lead entering the stepladder final.  In the final, Zimmerman took on #3 seed Alex Glinski.  Glinski had won his first two matches over DJ Brown & Aidan D’Souza….as he entered the title match.  Zimmerman got off a string of strikes and never looked back.  Zimmerman defeated Glinski in the title match 243-188.  Zimmerman took home the champion plaque and won $200 scholarship.

In Handicap, Jody Royer captured her 2nd career PJBT title and 1st Singles PJBT title of her career.  Her only other title came in the Adult Junior at Leisure during last season.  Jody’s road to victory was a climbing of the ladder….a battle.  She entered the tournament with a 166 average and 30 pins handicap a game.  During qualifying, she shot scratch games of 117, 160, 168, 156, and 189.  With her handicap, she had 960 (-40).  She sat in 8th place out of 10 bowlers advancing to match play.  10th place cut was -75.  In Match Play, she went 2-1.  She lost her first match, shooting 132.  She then shot 175 and 171 and won her last two matches.  Her last two wins helped her squeak into the finals as the 5th and final seed.  She then “walked the ladder!”  She won all 4 stepladder matches.  Royer defeated Andrew Sass in Match 1 203-151.  In Match two, Royer beat Alexis Baer 211-174.  In the semi-final,  Royer squeaked out a victory over Paul Johnson 155-148.  This advanced her to the title match vs tournament leader Logan Reed.  This match was a classic….it came down to the 10th frame….and we, for the first time in years, ended in a TIE!  The title match ended in a tie….forcing a 9th and 10th frame rolloff.  In the rolloff, Royer defeated Reed 45-37 to capture the title.  For her win, Royer received the $200 top scholarship prize and the trophy for her victory.

No honor scores were bowled on this day.

PJBT’s next event is a MAJOR event Sunday January 22 at ABC East Lanes, Harrisburg.  Starting Time 10:30am.