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Five alive at Lava Lanes Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Blaise Bedolla, from Sutherlin, gestures to the crowd following a strike in the second game against competitor Ryan Shafer on Saturday. Shafer bested Bedolla 3-1 to advance into today's competition at Lava Lanes. Blaise Bedolla of Sutherlin just misses making it into the finals in his second PBA event By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Blaise Bedolla has barely been on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour long enough to catch his breath. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old from Sutherlin caught the fancy of Medford Open fans Saturday when he flirted with making today's television finals before being ousted in a best-of-five match by veteran Ryan Shafer, 3-1, at Lava Lanes. Bedolla - who joined the national tour last week in Seattle - made it to the round of eight and drew wild applause when he was introduced, as he warmed up and whenever his strikes scattered the pins like so many dominoes. The only problem was the latter didn't happen enough. Shafer, a tour regular since 1987 and owner of three career titles, closed out Bedolla with a 234-194 victory in the fourth game. Shafer had won the first two games, then Bedolla won the third in a one-ball roll-off after they tied at 218. Bedolla still had a chance to make the finals as the wild card, but he needed Kevin Mitchell to defeat Rob Rice in a match on adjacent lanes. The quarterfinal loser with the fewest losses fills out the five-man finals. Mitchell opened a 2-0 lead, but with an occasional fan shouting something like, 'Come on, Mitch, give us a hand,' he was unable to do so, losing in five games to the game Rice. Mitchell was guaranteed to make the finals, but had he beaten Rice, he would have gained a bye this morning. By losing, he advances as the wild card and faces Rice again. The winner is plugged into the semifinal bracket opposite Shafer. In the other semifinal, Parker Bohn III, the hottest bowler in the world, faces resilient Ricky Ward. Each finals match is one game. Bedolla, who earned $5,000, was aware that his fate could rest with Mitchell but didn't dwell on it. "It didn't effect my personal output," he said. "I did pay more attention to the match next to me, but I didn't get mad or angry or sad or anything about what was going on. "I had enough work of my own to do instead of worrying about those guys." Only his third game was close. Shafer appreciated that the crowd was in his opponent's corner. But he was piqued when a few cheers escaped after he left a split. "What the fans were doing for him was great," said Shafer. "But I don't like it when you root against people. I know they're excited for their guy, but you have to have more class than that." Shafer was impressed with Bedolla, whose big arm swing generates a powerful ball. "For a young kid, he throws the ball great and can strike a ton," said Shafer. Bedolla began bowling adult events at the age of 15, including league and Southern Oregon All-Stars tournaments. In order to enter a PBA tour event, he had to first become a member, then cash in two regional events. He joined in September and cashed in his first two tournaments - and each of five or so others he entered. In Seattle, he made the first cut and earned $1,000. "I was extremely pleased with how I bowled in this tournament," said Bedolla, adding that nerves never threatened to get the better of him. "Honestly, I'd have to say a few things have gone my way, but you need to have that. "I came out here to learn, to find the ways on how to become a Hall of Famer, be the best. I am learning, and to get these results this fast is kind of shocking to me." Shafer liked the results he got, too, especially with a ball that behaved differently than normal. "I usually hook a lot," he said, "but my ball has been pretty straight this week. I'm proud of myself for making the show with my C or D game. A lot of people back home would be surprised to see me throw like this." Against Mitchell, Rice lost by four pins in each of the first two games, then won the next three in relatively comfortable fashion. Neither he nor Mitchell has won on tour. In what clearly would have been the featured match had Bedolla not been in the picture, Bohn defeated Couch, 3-1. Bohn, the 1999 player of the year, leads the tour with four wins this season, including last week in Seattle, and has 28 in his career. He won the first two games from Couch, who missed a costly 2 pin in the ninth frame of the second game. But Couch was mounting an impressive comeback when the bottom fell out. In the fourth game, Couch, the top qualifier, had four straight strikes and was seemingly in control entering the 10th frame. But he got too aggressive with his shot, managed only a five count, then filled only three, leaving him with a devastating open and a 211 score. "Mental note to myself," he grumbled, "don't throw it fast on a tight lane." The low count on the first ball meant Bohn could win with a strike and a spare in the 10th, which he did, ending with a 214. "When you're bowling an opponent like that and you're down 0-2," said Couch, "you'd better go to the wall every game or you're in trouble. "I felt like I bowled as good as he did, I just opened at the wrong times." The two engaged in friendly banter midway through the match, but that subsided as the tension mounted. "We had a little fun with it," said Bohn. "Jason and I know each other well enough that we can do that, but we also know there's a lot of money at stake." Despite his hot streak, Bohn isn't ready to christen this campaign something special. He noted that he was 30 pins below making the cut line in qualifying before coming up with a 269 his last game to advance. "If you're fortunate enough to make the telecast two weeks in a row," he said, "you're riding a high. As far as turning it into something extravagant, that's not done in just one week or two weeks." Ward had to come back from a 0-2 deficit against Steve Hoskins, finishing him off with a 238-190 victory. "I told Steve I become a very dangerous man now because my back is against the wall," said Ward. "I had nothing to lose. One more loss and I was done." He came back earlier in the day against Dave Husted, losing the first game then winning three straight. Against Hoskins, he rolled games of 169 and 161 to start and wondered, "What am I even doing out here? How did I get this far? But I don't give up. You have to mathematically put me out." He eclipsed 200 the next three games, including 238 to Hoskins' 190 in the deciding game. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.