2019 PBA Lubbock Sports Open

Allen's Victory In Lubbock Absolutely Stunning

Allen's Victory In Lubbock Absolutely Stunning

In one of the most bizarre, yet entertaining, finals in the history of the PBA Tour, Dick Allen defeated Sean Rash to win in Lubbock.

Jan 27, 2019 by Lucas Wiseman
Allen's Victory In Lubbock Absolutely Stunning

In one of the most bizarre, yet entertaining, finals in the history of the PBA Tour, Dick Allen defeated Sean Rash in dramatic fashion Sunday afternoon to win the PBA Lubbock Sports Open title.

Allen used an improbable comeback in the final frame to win his sixth career title, 201-200, at South Plains Lanes in Lubbock, Texas, after Rash missed a 10 pin in the final frame.

Needing a double and eight for the win, Allen got exactly that but his journey in the final frame was full of heart-stopping moments.

Highlights: Watch the top moments from the PBA Lubbock Sports Open

On his first shot, Allen pitched the ball two boards right, all the way out to the 1.4 board, and barely got a piece of the head pin. The result could have easily been a 2-8-10, a 2-8 or a two pin, any of which would have equaled a loss for Allen.

Instead, the 10 fell quickly, followed by the eight pin and the head pin sleepily rolled around on the deck and rolled out the two pin for the strike.

Allen’s second strike was more conventional, however, on his fill ball things got interesting.

Needing eight to win, Allen pulled the ball 2.7 boards inside and it sliced through the head pin. The 10 pin was the last pin to fall and he left the 3-6 standing, just enough to get the victory by one.

“Momentum always gains advantages. Always, that’s it,” Allen said to FS1 sideline reporter Kimberly Pressler. “I mean, you saw that momentum right there on the first shot in the 10th. I made a good shot right after that and got a little lucky on the last one.”

Rash, meanwhile, appeared as if he had his 14th career PBA title all but locked up heading into the final frame. After striking in the seventh, caving in the 7-10 for a strike in the eighth and striking in the ninth, Rash needed any kind of mark in the final frame to win.

Instead, Rash stepped up and left a 10 pin where a messenger flew across in front of the pin. Needing just the spare, Rash completely whiffed it to the left, allowing Allen the chance to mount his comeback.

As soon as he let the spare shot go, Rash yelled “Oh no!” As he walked back to his seat, he said, “Oh God, Sean, what did you just do?”

The stepladder finals were made even more interesting and entertaining by the fact that the players battled two patterns, one on each lane. The left lane was conditioned with the 42-foot Scorpion pattern, while the right lane had the 32-foot Wolf pattern.

With a different strategy needed to strike on each lane, it created an additional layer of intrigue and drama as the players, at times, struggled to manage both patterns.

In the semifinal, Allen blew past Kyle Troup, 278-188, to advance to the final. After watching the players struggle on the Scorpion pattern the first two games, Allen came out and struck all five times on the tough lane to crush Troup.

Troup, meanwhile, never led in the match and didn’t manage a double until the sixth frame. Allen continued to build and build his lead and by the final couple frames had already locked up the victory.

In the second match of the stepladder, Troup used a gutsy ball change in the final frame to take down Michael Tang, 228-215.

Struggling on the Scorpion pattern and having only struck one time in nine shots on the left lane, Troup made a ball change that paid off big time. Needing a double and eight for the shutout, Troup got all three in the 10th to lock up the win.

After leaving and missing the 2-10 split in the first frame, Tang made a 10 pin in the second and rattled off four consecutive strikes to build an 11-pin lead. But his inability to master the Scorpion did him in as he missed the headpin in his final two frames on that lane.

In a stunning finish to the opening match of the stepladder, Troup survived against Rhino Page, 198-186, after Page finished the game with back-to-back opens.

Finishing the ninth and 10th frames first, Page needed just to stay clean with good count. He left a seven pin in the ninth and whiffed it to the right. In the 10th, he came up light and left the 3-6-7 split, which he missed.

Troup, who trailed by 20 pins after he finished his ninth frame, just needed a mark with good count to lock up the win and tossed two perfect strikes to seal the deal.