In that electric atmosphere of Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine, Zach Wilkins and AJ Chapman captured their first Roth/Holman Doubles Championship title - and their first PBA Tour titles - defeating the Lavery-Spahr twins in a dramatic race-to-two final.
In the opening game of the championship match, both teams came out firing, combining for four strikes in the first five frames. However, after the break, the Lavery-Spahr brothers returned with back-to-back open frames, handing momentum to Wilkins and Chapman. They capitalized immediately, taking the first game 216-201.
The second game turned into a strike fest, as all four players understood the cost of a single mistake. With each bowler chasing a first PBA Tour title, the pressure was enormous. Wilkins and Chapman held a slight edge through the ninth frame, consistently striking at a higher pace.
Then came the moment that could have changed everything. Chapman hit the ball off his ankle, sending it into the gutter. He converted the spare, but the lead shrank to just one pin, and the match was wide open again.
In the closing frames, however, the Lavery-Spahr twins were unable to deliver the strikes they needed, settling for spares in the ninth and tenth. Wilkins and Chapman closed the door — and with it, a new chapter of their careers began.
With this win they earned a spot in next week's PBA Tournament of Champions in Fairlawn, Ohio.
In the first semifinal between the Lavery-Spahr twins and the duo of Deo Benard and Eric Jones, the twin brothers came out strong, opening with a four-bagger and a spare. Meanwhile, the youngest pair in the TV finals began unevenly, leaving a split, throwing a strike, and converting a spare. Jones and Benard then added a double before the commercial break but still trailed by 31 pins.
After the break, Sean and Anthony Lavery-Spahr added a spare, while Jones and Benard answered with a double to close the gap. The twins quickly responded with a double of their own to maintain control. Benard struck in the ninth, and Jones followed with three consecutive strikes to keep the pressure on.
In the end, all eyes turned to Sean Lavery-Spahr, who needed a strike and seven pins to seal the match. He delivered a double and nine, securing a 254-238 victory and advancing to the championship match.
The second match featured Zach Wilkins and AJ Chapman against Ethan Fiore and Santtu Tahvanainen. Both pairs opened the game well, but the momentum shifted when Tahvanainen failed to convert a 6-10. Fiore covered a spare in the fourth frame, and the duo added a double, but it was not enough to keep pace.
Wilkins and Chapman were flawless before the commercial break, striking in all five of their opening frames to build early control of the match.
After the break, Chapman and Wilkins each converted their spares, but Tahvanainen and Fiore responded with a perfect stretch, applying heavy pressure down the stretch. That surge forced Wilkins to deliver in the tenth frame, needing a strike and nine pins to secure the win.
The Canadian rose to the moment, striking on all three shots in the tenth to seal a 268-256 victory and advance to the championship match.
Everything else is history.
Next week, the PBA Tour heads to Ohio for one of the season’s biggest events,
the PBA Tournament of Champions, set to take place at AMF Riviera Lanes in
Fairlawn.
Sweden’s Jesper Svensson will return as the defending champion.
