Ruselle, Carrie top SBA June roll-offs

Ruselle Zapanta and Carrie Camacho barged into the monthly champions circle after prevailing in Saipan Bowling Association’s Budweiser King and Queen of the Lanes Tournament for June last weekend at Saipan Bowling Center.

Carrie Camacho, left, and Ruselle Zapanta show their prizes after winning the Saipan Bowling Association’s June roll-offs last weekend at the Saipan Bowling Center. (Contributed Photo)

Zapanta competed in the Sunday roll-off and recorded three 200-plus pins in the four-game series for a field best 839 pinfalls. He surpassed the 732 pinfalls of last Saturday leader Edgar Abalos, who also bowled last Sunday but his 745 pinfalls were only good enough for a tie for third place with Robert Talavera. Raymond Angeles completed the Top 3 with his 803 pinfalls last Sunday. Bowlers are allowed to join both days of the tournament, but only the higher score is counted.

In last Sunday’s contest, Angeles and Talavera were in a close fight after the first two games, 236-234, with the former gaining 199 and 237 in Games 1 and 2 and the latter tallying 226 and 208. However, they ended up behind Ruselle, who stole the win with a strong finish. The June winner, who registered 200 and 210 and Games 1 and 2 before dropping to 182 in Game 3, came out swinging in Game 4 with his 247 for an average of 209.

Both Angeles and Talavera, who slowed down in Game 3 with 195 and 147 pinfalls, respectively, missed the 200-pinfall mark in Game 4 to fall short in their bid to claim another monthly plum. Angeles won the January and February roll-offs, while Talavera reigned supreme in the March and April competitions. Edward Baluyan took the May honors to complete the list of month winners in the first half of the 2015 season.

Meanwhile, in the Queen of the Lanes, Carrie got her first monthly win and foiled her mother’s bid for a third victory this year.

Carrie joined the Saturday roll-off and finished the four-game series on top of the field as she knocked down 770 pins (232, 163, 188, and 187) and averaged 192.50. Carrie’s mother Diana, on the other hand, returned for the Sunday contest, but mustered only 721 pinfalls (167, 215, 179, 160) for a 180.25 average to settle for the runner-up honors. Diana, who was ranked only fifth in last Saturday’s event, won the February and March roll-offs and is still in the hunt for her third win of the season.

Yho Villavicencio joined the mother and daughter pair in the Top 3 after recording 700 pinfalls (178, 191, 166, and 165) in last Sunday’s tournament. Day 1 second placer and April victor Gloria Omechelang (682 pinfalls) dropped to fourth, followed by May winner Tess Fabie (667), Elena Soll (640), Janice Camacho (626), Lala Taitano (619), Gloria Pagarao (587), January champion Diane Chong (569), and Gigi Zapanta (482).