ADDISON, Ill. – The Professional Women’s Bowling Association conducted the stepladder finals for three events at Stardust Bowl in Addison, Illinois, on Sunday, and the finals will air on CBS Sports Network this month.
The PWBA Lexington Open, PWBA Rochester Open, and PWBA St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open finals are part of the CBS Sports Network television package with the United States Bowling Congress.
CBS Sports Network is televising 23 bowling events, including 13 PWBA Tour events, this year.
The U.S. Women’s Open, the third major of the 2016 PWBA season, was held at Stardust Bowl and following the live televised finals Sunday, the stepladder finals of the three PWBA events were taped for broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The dates the shows will air on CBS Sports Network (all times Eastern):
The PWBA Lexington Open featured four Team USA players. In the opening match, Shannon O’Keefe of O’Fallon Illinois, defeated left-hander Shannon Pluhowsky of Dayton, Ohio, 10-9, after they tied at 180. In the semifinal match, Bryanna Cotè of Red Rock, Arizona, slipped past O’Keefe, 192-180.
Cotè then struck eight times in a 228-178 win against Kelly Kulick of Union, New Jersey, to become the fifth first-time winner in 11 PWBA events this season. The finalists for the PWBA Lexington Open were determined at Collins Bowling Center – Eastland in Lexington, Kentucky.
Josie Earnest of Nashville, Tennessee, kicked off the PWBA Rochester Open with a 187-159 victory over USBC Hall of Famer Carolyn Dorin-Ballard of Keller, Texas. Earnest then struck in six of the first eight frames of the semifinal match on her way to a 238-214 victory over Colombia native Clara Guerrero.
Earnest advanced to meet O’Keefe, who was making her fifth championship-round appearance of the season, in the title match. Starting in the fourth frame, Earnest strung together four strikes, while O’Keefe opened in the sixth after leaving the 4-6-7. Earnest captured her first PWBA title with a 229-180 victory. The final four competitors for the PWBA Rochester Open were decided at AMF Gates Lanes in Rochester, New York.
The opening match of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open saw Kulick edge 2015 PWBA Rookie of the Year Stefanie Johnson, 198-192. In the semifinal, Colombia native Rocio Restrepo caught a few good breaks, and despite an open frame in the ninth frame, was able to hold off Kulick, 214-211.
Restrepo advanced to face top-seed Lindsay Boomershine of Perry, Utah, who was competing on her first TV show. Each player struggled, but Restrepo walked away with 165-134 victory and her second PWBA title this season. The finalists for the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Open were determined at Seminole Lanes in Seminole, Florida.
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