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Blaise blazes ahead at PBA event Staff, PBA reports ERIE, Pa. - Now would be as good a time as any for Blaise to change his name to Blaze. Blaise Bedolla, the Professional Bowlers Association rookie from Sutherlin, continued to use his powerful arm swing like a wrecking ball Saturday and powered into today's television finals at the Flagship Open at Eastway Lanes. ESPN will broadcast the finals live at 9:30 a.m. Less than two months into his tour career, Bedolla has established himself as a contender for rookie-of-the-year honors despite coming on the scene two-thirds of the way into the season. The 22-year-old Bedolla capped a 9-0 run through match play with a round-of-eight sweep of Justin Hromek on Saturday evening, 267-192, 236-218 and 238-237. "It's an incredible feeling," said Bedolla of qualifying for his first finals appearance in such dominant fashion. "I feel really good this week, and I'm throwing the ball really good. It's like nothing else matters." Bedolla came within a whisker of making the finals at the Medford stop last month. "Being under the lights for the second time, I've been here, I know what it's like," he said. He is just the third person this season to take an undefeated record into the finals. Bedolla was coming off a poor performance at the Empire State Open in Latham, N.Y., failing to cash. "I made some bad shots and I made some good shots, but the bad shots prevailed that day," he said. "I had a little determination this week. I was going to make it, and that's the way it was going to be. I guess that was the right game plan for me this week." Bedolla's 248.56 tournament average is second only to defending champion and hometown favorite Bob Learn Jr.'s 248.77. Bedolla faces Steve Wilson in the semifinals. The youngster plans to maintain the even-keeled approach that has to date served him well. "I just try to keep myself in check, not let the highs get too high or the lows get too low," he said. "I don't get overwhelmed by the shot, just take things as they go and never forget that it's never over." Earlier Saturday, Bedolla bested Steve Hoskins, 3-0 (258-207, 289-276 and 239-238). In the third game, Hoskins finished first with a 238. Bedolla left a six-count on his first ball in the 10th frame (3-4-6-7-9-10 combination) and needed four pins to beat Hoskins by one pin. He picked up exactly four pins and locked his fate with a 239 win. "When I threw that shot, I was just trying to keep the ball on the lane," said Bedolla. "Then I wasn't sure what I needed to pick up the win - I was just trying to convert the spare." His opponent today, Wilson, knocked off Steve Jaros, 3-0 (279-247, 257-252, 247-246). Wilson, who won earlier this season at Virginia Beach, Va., is in his fourth finals. Learn advanced by downing Mika Koivuniemi, 3-1 (250-258, 246-237, 216-214 and 278-246). In 1996 at the Erie Civic Center, Learn rolled the 10th televised 300 game in PBA history en route to capturing his third career title. That same day, Learn set the PBA record for average on TV, both three-game (283.33) and four-game (282.25). Learn, who claimed his fifth career title earlier this season in Tokyo, will face Koivuniemi in the opening wild card match. Koivuniemi earned the wild card spot. Rounding out the final five is Jason Queen, who swept Tony Reyes, 268-258, 235-190 and 246-227, to make his first finals as a pro. Queen opens in the semifinals against the Learn-Koivuniemi winner. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.