Oriana Akiera, Jem Strikers, Avengers make grade in FTBJ-ICBL 31st Conference

The seedings held true for Oriana Akiera Sato and Jem Strikers but Avengers defied the form book as all three teams qualified for the stepladder finals in the FTBJ-ICBL 31st Conference bowling tournament at Jeddah Lanes here.
Oriana and Jem finished the 8-team three games with handicap shootout right where they started — in fifth and sixth place — with total points of 27 and 25 and total pinals of 2,928 and 2,903 respectively.
At the bottom of the team standings for longer than anyone cares to remember, Avengers qualified No. 7 to complete the stepladder cast including the top four in the eliminations and outright finalists Nasser Al Hajri, Oryx Jets, Sky Freight Forwarders and Hidada Ltd.
Avengers totaled 22 points and 2,887 pinfalls, and whether their luck would hold will be known next Friday when the championship round takes place.
The first match in the stepladder is the one-game with handicap shootout among teams 5, 6 and 7 (Oriana, Jem and Avengers) with the winner to advance in a knockout game against No. 4 Hidada.
The second match winner goes on to meet No. 3 Sky Freight to determine the opponent of No. 2 Oryx Jets for the right to challenge No. 1 Nasser Al Hajri for the title in a twice-to-beat format.
Oriana did well in parlaying a seven-man rotation with only its ladies players, Matet Cavite and Fuly Primo, going the distance on 563 and 491. Ding Dela Rosa, Sulaiman Ibrahim, Alex Flora and Ruel Santoc all carded two games of 207-221, 211-215, 178-183 and 191-225, while Ed Labuac added 177.
Pancho Cuevas won the men’s Bowler of the Week award and hit the jackpot prize of SR1, 100 after shooting the high series of 722 while leading Jem Strikers. Class A bowler Cuevas assembled games of 201, 227 and 276.
Jeff San Pedro fired 603 in support of Cuevas while Che Bautista added 530 and Charie Guzman 483 from the distaff side. Efren San Pedro had 170-161 and Jess Pineda made 202 to round out the scoring.
To Avengers belonged the day, 20th week of the competition, as they hit a big pair of 650s courtesy of Sindi and Paul Antiporda.
Sammy Ocampo was equally effective with his 560 while the Avengers’ ladies duo of Myrna Diaz and Alma Baylon contributed 523 and 504.
Lourdes Punzalan of Pin Slashers won the ladies Bowler of the Week on 566.
Pin Slashers missed the cut by two points on 20 with Lance & 3rdy on 14.5 and D’ Barkads on 12.5. Taurus RDLR and Kulisap ni Moe tied on 11.5 points.