East Allegheny junior wins regional bowling title in tiebreaker

By: Triblive
Friday, March 1, 2024 | 4:22 PM

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Five games of qualifying and a 12-player, four-round step-ladder final weren’t enough to separate East Allegheny junior JJ Bingham and Greensburg Salem junior Dylan Megliorino at the Western Pennsylvania Regional boys singles bowling finals Friday at AMF Noble Manor Lanes.

The championship match came down to a two-frame tiebreaker, and Bingham struck out in the 10th frame to secure the regional championship.

Megliorino was the top bowler in qualifying, rolling a 1,035 five-game series. Bingham was only one pin behind at 1,034.

By virtue of qualifying first and second, they advanced directly to the step-ladder semifinals.

Megliorino got a spare and a strike in the 10th frame to get past Greensburg Central Catholic’s Michael Mullany, 201-199, and Bingham beat Greater Johnstown’s Lexington Tanaka, 224-201.

The finals ended up tied 199-199 after Megliorino missed a 7 pin in the 10th frame. Both bowlers had open frames in the first frame of the two-frame tiebreaker before Bingham claimed the title with three straight strikes. The tiebreaker score was 39-17.

The top 12 bowlers in qualifying advance to the step-ladder finals. The first round features two four-bowler matches.

Mullany won one of the matches with a 223 game, finishing ahead of Franklin Regional’s Luke Sunny (202), Thomas Jefferson’s Joey Nix (170) and Carlynton’s Connor Hart (137).

Tanaka won the other with a 223 game, beating Gateway’s Joey Jurczak (195), Franklin Regional’s Brayden Fallon (180) and Belle Vernon’s Luke Mastin (150).

Mullany and Tanaka also won the quarterfinals. Mullany knocked off No. 4 seed Jonathan Bernotas of Bishop Canevin, 230-155, and Tanaka beat No. 3 seed Landon Plyler of Meadville/Cochranton, 178-170.

The Western Regional boys team tournament is set for Saturday at AMF Noble Lanes.

The boys singles state tournament is March 15 at Leisure Lanes in Lancaster.