Document text
Bieghler's 300 in final results in triumph Beats Brockbank, who had two 300s By DON HUNT It seemed fitting that two of the best bowlers in Southern Oregon -- Jim Brockbank and Jason Bieghler -- found themselves in the championship match of the Southern Oregon Merchants Masters Tournament at Medford Lanes on Sunday. Brockbank accomplished a rare feat by rolling a pair of 300 games on his march to the finals Sunday. And then Bieghler tossed the fifth 300 game of his career in the championship match against Brockbank and walked off with the $1,000 first-place prize. Just another day at the lanes for Medford's `Big B's' of bowling? Not quite. This was special. "All 12 shots were solid -- I packed them all," a happy Bieghler said of his 300 game in the title match. The matches were actually two-game sets, and Bieghler's 547 total easily surpassed Brockbank's 404 total in the final match Sunday. The three-day tournament started out with 91 bowlers, with the final 32 qualifying for a double-elimination format Sunday. Despite his two 300 games, Brockbank had lost one match Sunday by the time he ran into the then-unbeaten Bieghler. Brockbank rolled a two-game series of 425 while Bieghler struggled to a 368, forcing another two-game block for all the marbles. That's when Bieghler spun his timely 300 and followed up with a 247. Brockbank's final two games were 213 and 191. "I just tried to shake off those first two games against Jim and get ready for the next two," the 21-year-old Bieghler said. "You can't let one or two bad games get to you in this sport. You've got to keep your confidence and remain upbeat." Bieghler used an old ball that belonged to Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Famer Marshall Holman on Sunday. Holman had donated the ball to Medford Lanes, and when Bieghler stuck his fingers in the holes, he was surprised to find out the ball was a good fit. "That's the best that ball has looked in a long, long time," quipped Holman, now a broadcaster for ESPN bowling telecasts, who was on hand for the tournament. Medford's Jason McCleary finished third and Jimmy Carlson was fourth. Carlson had an 808 series Sunday. The 800-plus series is recognized by the American Bowling Congress because Carlson bowled the three games in succession. On Saturday, Allen Reyes, of Ashland, rolled a 299 game in qualifying. It was the high game of the day. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford,