Mike Scroggins Wins Johnny Petraglia BVL Open to Become Season's First PBA50 Multiple Winner

bowlingball.com 6/4/2015

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas, won four consecutive step ladder matches to win the PBA50 Johnny Petraglia BVL Open presented by Brunswick and become the season's first two-time winner.

Scroggins defeated PBA Hall of Famer Pete Weber of St. Ann, Mo., in the championship match, 247-195, at Farmingdale Lanes to win his second PBA50 Tour title in three tournaments with his first win coming in the recent UnitedHealthcare Sun Bowl In The Villages in his PBA50 Tour debut. "It's hard to believe being here after what I've been through the past year," said Scroggins, who is coming back from a nearly year-long layoff from competition because of a foot ailment.

"It's been a long road back but I can honestly say this is the best I've felt in about two years. If anyone would have told me a year ago I'd be standing here with two titles, I'd say no way," the eight-time PBA Tour winner added. "It's fun to be on top again."

Just as he did in his Sun Bowl In The Villages win, Scroggins, who qualified fifth for the finals, won three consecutive matches to get to the championship match. Scroggins first beat Brian LeClair of Delmar, N.Y., in a tight first match, 245-244, then went on to beat Mike Dias of Lafayette, Colo., in the second match, 245-206, and Ron Mohr of Las Vegas in the semifinal match, 228-179.

"I'm not sure why exactly but I thought Brian would be my toughest opponent and if I could get by him I thought I'd have a good chance to get to the championship match," Scroggins said. "I had bowled on that pair of lanes a few times during the tournament and had a pretty good read on those lanes. I threw mostly good shots but got a few breaks on some shots I didn't throw that well."

Sandwiched in between Scroggins' wins was a 49th place finish in last week's Miller High Life Classic in Mooresville, N.C. Weber, who was trying for his fourth PBA50 Tour title, has been battling back from a sluggish start to the season with 24th and 44th place finishes in the first two tournaments, but has bounced back with a third in last week's Miller High Life Classic and his second-place finish in the Johnny Petraglia BVL Open.

The tournament was named after PBA legend Johnny Petraglia who is a 14-time PBA Tour and eight-time PBA50 Tour winner. Petraglia, a Vietnam War veteran who finished 18th in the tournament, is the only player in history to win national PBA titles in six different decades.

The tournament raised approximately $50,000 to benefit the BVL, an organization which is funded exclusively by the bowling industry that provides recreational and therapeutic programs and services for America's active duty and veteran service men and women.

PBA50 JOHNNY PETRAGLIA BVL OPEN PRESENTED BY BRUNSWICK Farmingdale Lanes, Farmingdale, N.Y.
Final Standings:

1, Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas $7,500.

2, Pete Weber, St. Ann, Missouri $4,000.

3, Ron Mohr, Las Vegas $2,500.

4, Mike Dias, Lafayette, Colorado $2,000.

5, Brian LeClair, Delmar, New York $1,750.

Stepladder Results:

Match One - Scroggins def. LeClair, 245-244

Match Two - Scroggins def. Dias, 245-206

Semifinal Match - Scroggins def. Mohr, 228-179

Championship - Scroggins def. Weber, 247-195



Article was posted with permission from Stars & Strikes, America's Bowling Newsmagazine. www.starsandstrikesbowling.com