Castro rallies past Talavera

Castro

Alex Castro overcame Robert Talavera’s twice-to-beat advantage to clinch the Class A championship in the 2015 Philippine Bowling Association Budweiser Classified Tournament held over the weekend at the Saipan Bowling Center.a

Castro stunned Talavera in Game 1 of the stepladder finals, 233-189, to force a rubber and the former completed the come-from-behind win after posting a 199-189 victory in the deciding Game 2. Earlier in the semifinals, Castro downed Raymond Angeles, 193-165, to earn the right to challenge Talavera for the Class A title.

Talavera, Angeles, and Castro advanced to the stepladder finals after taking the Top 3 spots in the qualifying tournament. Talavera collected 1,143 pins in six games for an average of 190.50. The top finisher prevailed against 10 other bowlers, recording 200-plus pins in two games, (223 in Game 4 and 206 in Game 6). His four other scores were 185, 197, 184, and 151 and his first place finish handed him the twice-to-beat edge in the stepladder finals.

Angeles had 1,111 in the six-game qualifier for an average of 185.17. He registered 202, 212, and 202 in Games 3, 4, and 6, and logged 172, 161, and 162 in the three other games. Castro, on the other hand, averaged 184.67 after opening the qualifier with a 200 and recording 153, 199, 196, 184, and 176 in the last five games.

Castro and Angeles went on to duel for the last finals berth and with the latter advancing against Talavera, the former settled for third place.

Raul Dumapit, the 2014 Class A champion, Percy Omechelang, and Raymond Zapanta joined Castro, Talavera, and Angeles in the Top 6. Dumapit had a total of 1,086 in the six-game qualifier for an average of 181, while Omechelang and Raymond Zapanta gathered 1,079 (average of 179.83) and 1,075 (average of 179.17), respectively.

Other bowlers who joined the Class A qualifier were Simon Manacop (1,059), Bernard Paraiso (1,052), Richard Leong (1,026), Lito Teodoro (1,025), and Kathy Mersai (1,019).

Last weekend’s 2015 Philippine Bowling Association Budweiser Classified Tournament were originally scheduled for August last year, but was postponed as SBC closed after sustaining damage due to Typhoon Soudelor.

Meanwhile, results in classes B and C will be reported in Saipan Tribune’s Friday issue.