Ten Pin Talk: Hodges wins Choteau tournament

In a battle of Mining City bowlers, Mark Hodges stood tall.

The Butte southpaw qualified first after match play and knocked off fellow Butte kegler Dave Martinich, Jr., 224-217 Sunday afternoon to capture the top prize of $720 at the Choteau Scratch Invitational at The Alley Cat.

Hodges averaged 239 during the his nine games, including the eight match play and position round games bowled Sunday.

Martinich, Jr., son of Star Lanes owner Dave Martinich, Sr. (who also bowled the tourney) qualified fifth after match and rolled through the stepladder finals, defeating (in order) Nate Gelling of Butte 235-226, Keith Van Setten of Choteau 254-188, and Calgary’s Bob Puttick 192-190 to earn his slot in the championship match.

Martinich, Jr., took home a check for $360. Puttick earned $310 before the exchange rate, Van Setten got $260, and Gelling collected $220.

Great Falls’ Jody Bastas took sixth and earned $190, Dave Martinich, Sr., got $175, Havre’s Shawn Mariani finished eighth for $165, Jim LaBuda of Big Sandy will cash at $155, Choteau’s BJ Warehime, who started the day as the alternate, got $145 for taking 10th, Kelly Olson took $135 back home to Havre, and former Alley Cat owner Dale Bouma got $125.

Warehime was thrust into the fray after Steve Martin of Great Falls, who led the tourney after Saturday’s qualifying round, injured his back and could not continue. Martin, who had the tournament’s high game, a 277 Saturday, received $50 as the alternate.

Owners Karin and Paul Dahn said a total of 35 bowlers braved Saturday’s howling winds coming off the Rocky Mountain Front (which were considerably calmer Sunday) to bowl the two-day event. Sponsors included K’s Auto, VSW Construction, Alpine Touch, Little’s Lanes, the Antler Bar, Neal Bouma and Dale Bouma Trucking.

HARLEM’S JOHN HEALY, SR., continues to hold a 59-stick lead over Joe Fisher of Browning after the second weekend of the Budweiser Handicap at Lewistown’s Snowy Lanes.

Healy, Sr., has a total for 1,263 pins from the first weekend. Jovon Fisher of Browning is third with 1,186, followed by a pair of Lewistown bowlers, Tom Koski (1,127) and David Wood (1,112).

In the team events, 2D2D – made up of Lewistown bowlers Ryan McNary, Bre Sibbett, Tim Schultz and Robert McNary – leads another Lewistown team, Sack Daddy, by 18 pins. BSW No. 1 of Laurel is third, 25 pins in back of Sack Daddy, with Four Jacks of Harlem another 18 pins behind in fourth and Olive Lanes of Laurel riding in fifth.

The tournament continues through Feb. 28. Call Snowy Lanes at (406) 535-3473 to reserve your spot.

THIS COMING WEEKEND MARKS the opening of the City Women’s Tournament, which concludes Feb. 22.

All events will be at the Elks Club. Entry forms are available at any local bowling center.

Also next Sunday (Feb. 14), The Double Nickel Bowling Association will make a stop at Town and Country Lanes in Billings, but with a twist: this stop will be a handicap event, based of 100 percent of 210 and using a bowler’s average from Jan. 1.

Entry fee is $65. The tournament starts at 10 a.m. with a three-game qualifier.

The Double Nickel tour is for bowlers 55 and older. Contact Dale Matthaes at (406) 652-3104 or email bowlingnut704@aol.com to sign up.

ON THE HORIZON IS the 34th annual Jeanette Martinich Ladies’ Classic March 5-6 at Star Lanes in Butte.

This is a scratch tournament for women and female youth bowlers as well (youth winners will be awarded scholarships).

Saturday’s format consists of two five-game qualifying shifts (3:30 and 6 p.m.), with the top 12 qualifiers moving to Sunday’s match play.

On Sunday, the 12 qualifiers (or alternates in qualifiers are late or have to withdraw) will be broken down into two pool of six. Pool play will be five games, each against a different member of the pool, followed by a position round with all 12 bowlers against a single opponent, determined by total pinfall plus bonus pins. From there, the top five will bowl in an eliminator format, with the lowest score being eliminated until there is a champion.

Entry fee is $65, with added money in the prize fund. Contact tournament director Laurie Tripp at (406) 498-4167 for more details.

Tribune Sports Writer Lee Vernoy writes TEN PIN TALK every week for Tribune. Call him at (406) 791-6569 or 231-3383, follow him on Twitter at @GFTrib_LVernoy, or email him at lvernoy@greatfallstribune.com.