After the first seven-game match play round, 2018 PBA50 National Championship winner Lennie Boresch Jr. of Kenosha, Wis., compiled a 6-1 match play record and averaged 243 to lead the 14-player field in the PBA50 Storm Invitational Saturday at Planet Fun Bowling & Entertainment Center in Shallotte, North Carolina.

Boresch, who finished with a 1,882 overall pinfall total including 30 bonus pins for each match win, bowled games of 259, 224, 233, 259, 242, 238 and 247 on the 42-foot PBA Mark Roth lane condition. The USBC Hall of Famer’s only loss came in a 244-238 defeat at the hands of 2018 PBA50 Cup winner Brian Kretzer of Dayton, Ohio, in the sixth match of the round.

“When you’re in a field with this much talent I just wanted to be in contention to make the finals, so to be leading was a little unexpected,” said Boresch of the field that includes 10 hall of famers. “It seemed like every adjustment I was making was the right one and I only had one open so the goal going forward is simple—just keep doing the same thing tomorrow.”

Kretzer, who concluded the regular season with his PBA50 Cup win for his first career PBA50 Tour title, finished the first round in second 40 pins behind Boresch with a 1,842 pinfall and 5-2 match play record.

Rounding out the top five were Ryan Shafer, Horseheads, N.Y., 1,799; 2018 PBA50 Player of the Year Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 1,765, and PBA/USBC Hall of Famers Norm Duke, Clermont, Fla., and Walter Ray Williams Jr., Oxford Fla., 1,726, who tied for fifth.

The “all-star” special event features the top 12 in 2018 PBA50 Tour points plus invitees hall of famers Johnny Petraglia and Brian Voss.  The entire field returns Sunday for the second seven-game match play round at 1 p.m. ET which will determine the top five players for the stepladder finals set for 6 p.m. Both rounds will be broadcast LIVE on FloBowling.

Release courtesy of Jerry Schneider, PBA Media Relations