JEDDAH – Tito Cruz and Aileen Miralbuna outscored their rivals with their two sterling games in the four-bowler race with handicap finals and emerged as the August male and female champions of Filipino Expatriate Damayan Bowling Group at the Bowling City here. It was actually a rocky trek for Cruz as he was still in 7th position till the third game with Joey Calapatia topping and looking down on Rolly Vistal, Ferdie Coloma, Edward Botardo, Jimmy Aragones and Fred Cuenca in the four-game elimination. But Cruz seared the lanes with 234 in the fourth game to pierce through layers of barriers to be top-seed class finalist with a four-game series of 761. Calapatia, who turned out second with 745, survived Vistal, Jun Pingan, Botardo and Sol Cuenca with his playoff blitz of 95. But a double 170 luckily made Cruz Class C champion when Calapatia could only get 319. From there, Cruz aspired for the overall championship with group OA winner Joel Nidoy being the top favorite among Arnel Dicap and Edris Mangoda who survived classes B and D. Nidoy, Digap and Edris Mangonda outlasted Rudy Valenzuela (396-359), Dariel Loquias (354-350) and Jun de Dios who lost via rule of consistency (5-31) on 349 deadlock. Unfazed by Nidoy's perfect-game records, Cruz bowled at his usual pace to make 224 and 218 for a championship total of 442. Such stupendous conclusive games made Digap his bridesmaid with 402 while Nidoy and Mangonda satisfied themselves at third and fourth places with 367 and 366. In the women's division, Fuly Primo and Christine Esperancilla advanced to outright final when they topped their group with 736 and 750 AB and CD supremacy. Then in the one-game sudden death playoff, Malou Nidoy survived Sally Sa?osa (176), Alona Antinero (169) and Aisah Silabay (186) with her 215. Miralbuna narrowly escaped Shirley Sagmit (168-162) as Maricar Victorino and Andrei Parena made only 149 and 137. The four-bowler race two-game finals rolled with Miralbuna seemingly avoiding the playoff scenario initialing with 217 with Nidoy on the closest at 191. Esperancilla and Primo were trying to retrieve rhythm with 175 and 144. Aware of Nidoy's capacity to explode, Miralbuna took care of her sparing, keeping two marks away which results benefitted her till she clinched the August championship at 417. Nidoy kept second place with her 358 while Esperancilla and Primo embraced third and fourth positions respectively.
