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Zeke Bayt poses with the winner's trophy after capturing the Bowlerstore.com Open at Pla-Mor Lanes in Coldwater.
COLDWATER - One could say Zeke Bayt had a perfect touch at Pla-Mor Lanes this weekend.
The Westerville native threw a perfect game during qualifying, took the top seed through the advancers round, then beat A.J. Johnson 189-176 in the stepladder final to win the Professional Bowlers Association Central Region Bowlerstore.com Classic on Sunday.
The win is his first official victory as a tour member as he collected $10,000 for the win.
"I feel maximized this tournament as best I could with the pairs (of lanes) I got," said Bayt. "Obviously, no bowler's perfect. There's some shots I want back, but at the end of the day, I'm holding the trophy."
Bayne rolled his 300 as part of the second shift of qualifying bowlers on Saturday and was eighth overall, easily moving with the top 32 to Sunday's Cashers' Round. Bayt moved up to second after the first round of four games on Sunday morning and after remaining second after three more games, moved ahead of AJ Johnson in the final two games to finish with a total of 3,653 pins, 17 better than Johnson, to earn the automatic spot in the finals of the four-player stepladder playoffs.
"They're all excellent bowlers, don't get me wrong, but I don't care whose name is on the back of the jersey, it doesn't matter to me," said Bayt about the stepladder lineup. "I'm trying to put 10 frames together against anyone."
The first stepladder game featured 2014 Coldwater winner and two-time and reigning PBA Bowler of the Year E.J. Tackett against Bailey Maverick. Tackett, a crowd favorite in Coldwater, picked up the 208-199 win to advance to face Johnson in the semifinal. Johnson took advantage of some early struggles by Tackett to win 235-204 to face off against Bayt.
Bayt got the first roll of the final and threw a strike. Johnson rolled spares in his first five frames while Bayt alternated strikes and spares. Through five, Bayt held a 15-pin margin at 109-94.
"The right lane was harder than I thought," said Bayt. "In practice I thought it was the better lane and chose to finish on that lane, but it was not. It was a tough pair, but it worked."
Both bowlers went strike-spare in the sixth and seventh frames, but Bayt left an open eighth frame in getting nine pints. Johnson spared in his eighth frame, but managed just six pins on his first throw of the ninth, then only managed to drop two pins for an open eight. Johnson needed strikes in the 10th to try and keep a chance, but nine-spared his first two rolls and got a nine in his final throw to finish with 176.
Bayt got nine on his first roll of the 10th to clinch, then spared. The final throw was not needed as Bayt got his 189.
"This place is amazing," said Bayt about Pla-Mor Lanes. "They treat bowlers excellent here. I'm always going to be back as long as I'm not injured. I'll be here to bowl."
Johnson got $5,000 for second place. Tackett and Mavrick took home checks of $2,500 and $2,000, respectively for third and fourth.
Minster's Matt Kuba finished 12th overall and won $1,080. Versailles grad Michael Davidson was 19th for a $765 payday. Former Wapakoneta standout Antyony Jennard finished 23rd to collect $745.
Ryan Liederbach, who won the PBA Central Region event at Minster on Tuesday, came up short in his attempt to win his fourth straight tour event, finishing 25th for $735 after making $4,000 on Thursday.
