Fazzone leads strong area showing
Capital Region bowlers came out in large numbers Saturday for the 31st annual New York State Masters, the first time since 2015 the tournament was held in the area, and they showed why this remains an epicenter for elite players.
Matt Fazzone, a 29-year-old lefthander from Rotterdam, beat Connor Leclair 414-354 in the two-game final to win the $2,400 first-place prize. Rob Danzy of Menands lost to Fazzone in the semifinals, giving the Capital Region three of the four semifinalists. Eleven of the 24 qualifiers were local.
After qualifying seventh and earning a one-round bye, Fazzone won four straight two-game matches, knocking off second-seeded Jim Thomas of Binghamton in the semifinals.
Fazzone, who operates the pro shop at Towne Academy, won a New England Bowlers Association title two years ago. He also owns one Huck Finn tournament victory and finished second in the Jack Scaccia Memorial.
“I was struggling in league, not matching up and not throwing it very well,” he said. “I tried to focus on making good shots. I just wanted to make the cut and see how everything went from there on.”
The scoring pace was low, as would be expected in an elite competition. In the five-game qualifying competition, it took 1,019 (203.8 average) to advance out of the morning squad and 1,010 (202.0) in the afternoon.
“You had to make shots,” said Fazzone, who shot 1,095 (219.0) in qualifying. “They didn’t release the pattern. They said it was a Challenge pattern, but it actually was a Sport pattern they put out. You had to make great shots, and you had to be in the right part of the lane. If you weren’t, the scores were really low.”
It will be a busy month for Fazzone and other high-level bowlers. There is an over-50/under-50 doubles tournament Sunday and the Donato Scratch Singles the following weekend at Towne Academy.
Local scene
Former PBA50 Player of the Year Brian Leclair of Delmar was given a
surprise before bowling his squad at the NYS Masters. The Albany USBC presented him with a plaque inducting him into the association’s Hall of Fame. ... A shoutout to Ron Cherry, who produced Facebook Live video for much of the day at East Greenbush. Cherry is one of the biggest promoters of bowling in the Capital Region.
Kenny Livengood of Colonie placed fourth in the Six- Game Scratch Tournament at Pat Tarsio Lanes in Newburgh with a 1,269 total, earning $600. ... Rich Strath of Schenectady missed the cut by 35 pins but still managed to cash a $475 check in the PBA50 Strike Zone Lanes Central Classic in Canton, Ohio. Don Herrington of Ballston Lake was 28th but out of the money.
A Hometown Lanes team called Freddie Got Fing set a Troy Bowling Association record for a four-person single game with an 1,118. Drake Begin and Keith Kalwasinski each rolled 300. Fred Onyon and Josh Kalwasinski contributed 259 apiece . ... Kristine Impellizzeri won the open division of the Electric City 600 Club tournament with a 662 triple at Towne Academy. Division winners: Connie Canfield (A), 578; Laurie Laduke (B), 691; Jeanne Mastro (C), 511, and Connie Nagy (D), 394.
Nate Purches of Marlborough, Mass., who could be seen Sunday on the national telecast of the PBA Jr. National Championship (taped Feb. 21), won the Capital District Youth Scholarship Tour event at Kingpin’s Alley,
rolling a 1,474 six-game total (245.7 average) for an 89-pin win over Brandon Vallone of North Adams, Mass. There were 37 entries . ... Austin Van Buren of Altamont rolled a pair of 300s in an 1,116 four-game set at Town ‘n Country.
National news
Bring back the XFL! Why is that plea in a bowling column? The Fox telecast on Feb. 21 of the PBA Tournament of Champions drew 865,000 viewers, a 41 percent drop from last year (1.464 million). Why the difference? Last year’s Feb. 9 T of C followed an XFL telecast that attracted 3.385 million. Lead-ins do matter . ... The PBA has five straight days of live programming beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday with the finals of the World Championship on Fox. That’s part of the World Series of Bowling XI, which will include — all on FS1 — the finals of the Roth/holman
Doubles (3 p.m. Sunday), Cheetah Championship (8 p.m. Monday), Chameleon Championship (8 p.m. Tuesday, March 16) and Scorpion Championship (8 p.m. Wednesday, March 17).
Mo Pinel, one of the nation’s premier bowling ball designers, died Friday in Baton Rouge, La., from complications of COVID -19. He was 78. I met Pinel, a Long Island native, 20 years ago on a visit to old Ken Hall’s Pro Shop, and his knowledge of ball surfaces, weight blocks, oil patterns, etc., was mind-blowing. He was far ahead of his time on the scientific side of bowling.