Brian Himmler nearly didn't make it to match play.
Now he's in position to make it back into the winner's circle — the first time in the six years of the Earl Anthony Medford Classic a champion has returned to advance to the TV finals.
Wes Malott, Sean Rash and Patrick Healey Jr. will try to take Himmler's title from him in the Denny's Professional Bowlers Association finals Sunday at Lava Lanes.
"I'm excited, but that's been a year ago," Himmler said of defending his title. "It's been a long year."
Himmler defeated Del Ballard Jr. in the round of eight, 4-1, capping an alternately gutsy and dominating run through three matches Friday.
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The finals are at 10 a.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The show is sold out.
Himmler very nearly didn't make it out of Thursday's qualifying round. He gained the 32nd and final spot by one pin over Brian LeClair and two over Ritchie Wolfe, who seemed to throw a perfect ball in the last frame but didn't get necessary carry.
"You have to get breaks out here if you hope to survive, and I got a couple of breaks," said Himmler. "It was a gut check after things went really badly for six games (Thursday). Sometimes it feels better to work hard and sneak in."
On Thursday, he made his own breaks, coming through four out of five times when he needed doubles in 10th frames to win.
The only time he didn't was in the first game against Ballard, which the latter won, 252-247. Thereafter, Himmler took control, throwing 289 and 258 games at Ballard to finish him off.
For the most part, Himmler said he was "pretty much flawless" all day.
In the round of 32, he defeated Tim Criss in a rematch of a semifinal last year, 4-2, then ended Patrick Allen's 18-game winning streak with another 4-2 victory.
"It's kind of like being in a zone," said Himmler of his comfort Friday, "but you have to be alert and pay attention to the breakdown of the lanes. Otherwise, you can throw a quality shot and not know if it's you or the lanes."
Himmler will face Malott in one semifinal, with Rash and Healey meeting in the other.
Malott, the points leader, is making his fifth finals appearance of the season, which leads the tour and is a career high for him.
He earlier defeated Brian Kretzer in the round of 32, 4-1, and Mika Koivuniemi in the round of 16, 4-1.
In the third game against Couch, Malott changed balls midway through and finished with seven straight strikes for a 250. Couch needed a double in the 10th to win, but after getting the first, his ball came in high and left two pins.
From that point Malott was in command.
"As long as I was bowling well," he said, "I didn't see any way he was going to defeat me because my reaction was really good."
Healey continued what has been a hot stretch, downing Mike Scroggins 4-1 and Steve Jaros 4-3 — using consecutive 300s in the process — earlier in the day.
Healey was struggling with his game and visited his physical coach, Fred Borden, in November for a 11/2-hour lesson. Since then, he's made the round of eight in one tourney, was sixth in another and now is in the show.
"I feel extremely happy," said Healey, who won twice in 2003-04, including the Tournament of Champions, but hasn't won since. "I feel satisfied. So far, it's been a difficult season."
In Rash, he faces a rising star. Last year, Rash became the first qualifier to march through and win a tournament. He added a victory in the first half of this season.
On Friday, he beat Chris Collins 4-1 and Dino Castillo 4-2 prior to downing Russell.
"It's a one-game match," Rash said of Sunday. "A lot of guys talk about it being a crapshoot. All four of us have bowled well all week. It's Sunday, it's under the lights, it's on ESPN. In our sport, what more could you ask for?"
Malott and Rash each won in the first half of the season and have a chance to match Norm Duke as the only players with two wins.
Duke pulled out this week with a toe injury.
Match Play Results
Round of 8
(Single elimination, best-of-seven)
Sean Rash (6), Wichita, Kan, def. Ronnie Russell (30), Indianapolis, 4-1; Patrick Healey Jr (26), Mexico, def. Jeff Carter (31), Springfield, Ill., 4-2; Brian Himmler (32), Cincinnati, def. Del Ballard Jr. (24), N. Richland Hills, Texas, 4-1; Wes Malott (12), Argyle, Texas, def. Jason Couch (4), Clermont, Fla., 4-1.
Round of 16
Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, def. Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., 4-1; Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, def. Steve Weber, Buford, Ga., 4-3; Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, def. Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., 4-2; Patrick Healey Jr., Mexico, def. Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., 4-3; Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan, def. Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, 4-2; Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., def. Troy Wollenbecker, Toledo, Ohio, 4-3; Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., def. Chris Barnes, Flower Mound, Texas, 4-1; Del Ballard Jr., N. Richland Hills, Texas, def. Mike Machuga, Erie, Pa., 4-2.
Round of 32
Chris Barnes, Flower Mound, Texas, def. Marv Sargent, Temecula, Calif., 4-1; Troy Wollenbecker, Toledo, Ohio, def. Jason Hurd, Titusville, Fla., 4-1; Dino Castillo, Carrollton, Texas, def. Joe Ciccone, Buffalo, N.Y., 4-2; Del Ballard Jr., N. Richland Hills, Texas, def. Bryon Smith, Roseburg, 4-1; Patrick Healey Jr., Mexico, def. Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 4-3; Mika Koivuniemi, Hartland, Mich., def. Tommy Jones, Simpsonville, S.C., 4-3; Ronnie Russell, Indianapolis, def. Doug Kent, Newark, N.Y., 4-3.
Brian Himmler, Cincinnati, def. Tim Criss, Bel Air, Md., 4-2; Jeff Carter, Springfield, Ill., def. Bill O'Neill, Levittown, Pa., 4-2; Jason Couch, Clermont, Fla., def. Chris Loschetter, Avon, Ohio, 4-1; Sean Rash, Wichita, Kan, def. Chris Collins, Savannah, Ga., 4-1; Mike Machuga, Erie, Pa., def. Tony Reyes, San Bruno, Calif., 4-3; Steve Jaros, Yorkville, Ill., def. Mike Scroggins, Amarillo, Texas, 4-1; Wes Malott, Argyle, Texas, def. Brian Kretzer, Kettering, Ohio, 4-1; Steve Weber, Buford, Ga., def. Brad Angelo, Lockport, N.Y., 4-3; Patrick Allen, Wesley Chapel, Fla., def. John May, Lincolnton, N.C., 4-0.
300 Games (7) — Chris Barnes, Jeff Carter, Dino Castillo, Patrick Healey Jr. (2), Tommy Jones, Mike Machuga.
Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail ttrower@mailtribune.com
