Butte's Mark Hodges got another opportunity that he has always lived for — a chance to win in the final frame of championship game of a major bowling event at the state level.
Fortunately, for Ken Stockton and Tim Rooney, a ringin' 7-pin tap is all that stopped Hodges from winning yet another title.
Hodges needed a strike in his first ball of the 10th frame of Sunday's championship match of the 40/90 Doubles at Little's Lanes to lift he and partner, Helena's Tony Woodward, to their first 40/90 title together.
The talented lefthander, who won last October's John Willey Memorial, made a near-perfect stroke, but the stubborn 7-pin halted the duo's bid for the title, giving Stockton and Rooney a 226-217 victory.
Stockton, out of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and Rooney, a veteran from Libby, went unbeaten in all six of their matches during Sunday's qualifying and were the tourney's top seed.
They waited through three other stepladder matches for their chance.
We bowled well all day," said Rooney, who suffered a broken back a few years ago that almost ended his bowling career. "We teamed well all day and didn't lose a match."
Rooney's open in the 10th frame opened the door for Hodges and Woodward, who doubled in the eighth and ninth frame to set up the final frame.
Rooney and Stockton had combined in the alternate-shot Baker format to reel off five straight strikes to take control of the match.
But, Stockton's spare in the ninth ended the string, and Rooney's miss gave Hodges and Woodward a final chance.
"The last ball could have easily carried," said Hodges, who was trying to win two out of three titles staged at Little's this season. "The second ball I threw was much better."
Stockton and Rooney pocketed the first-place check of $1,100, while Hodges and Woodward, who beat Great Falls' Jim Svir and Duane Zeier, 246-214, and Kenny Volk and Ken Curry, 213-181, to advance to the final match took home $750.
"This is the first time I've bowled in this tournament," said Stockton. "I just became eligible.
"I had a good time and this is a good tournament."
Volk and Curry won $550 and the Svir-Zeier combo collected $400 for fourth.
Salt Lake's Troy Wareing and Portland's Shawn Copland, who lost to Svir and Zeier, 204 to 168, in the opening match of the stepladder won $310 for fifth.
In Saturday's Over 40 Singles, Billings' Stu Summers claimed the title the hard way by beating Salt Lake's Troy Wareing not once but twice.
"I lost earlier in the tournament and had to come back through to make the finals," said the personable Summers, who is one of the best if not the best bowler in the Magic City.
Summers opened with a 226-191 win over Wareing, who went through the match play as the lone unbeaten in the double elimination format.
Summer then rolled a huge 278 to garner the $700 first prize.
"By far this is the biggest tournament I've ever won," said Summers. "But, I bowl in a tournament in Bismarck, North Dakota, that televises the stepladder finals. I made the stepladder three times.
"That is a pretty big thrill."
Cory Wagner opened the stepladder with a 244-197 victory over Rick Perry in a matchup of Kalispell bowlers. Wagner then lost to Summers, 223-212, in the semifinal match and the opportunity to meet Wareing.
Great Falls' Paul Dehn and Mike Judd finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
Calgary's Bob Puttick, with the aid of his seventh-career 300 game, was Saturday's top qualifier, totaling 1,248 for the five games.
"That is my seventh 300 game, and I'm proud to say my first on American soil," said the likeable Puttick.
It took a 1,025, 25 over, to qualify for Saturday night's match play.