Sean Rash
Anchorage’s Sean Rash defeated Missouri’s Kyle Sherman in a battle of champions during the PBA playoffs Round of 16 Race to 2 Points matches that aired on FS1 from Portland, Maine.
The sixth-seeded Rash knocked off the No. 11 seed by scores of 227 to 175 and 237 to 214 in the two-game series to advance to the Round of 8, which will air May 27.
Rash, of Dimond High fame, is a 13-time champion on the PBA Tour; Sherman a 7-time winner.
“I had a good ball reaction in both games and was fortunate to take advantage of the opportunity I was given,” said Rash. “You need to fill frames anyway you can, but in the end, I felt like I only threw one bad shot.
“I was pretty much in control and Kyle was struggling in the first game. It came down to strong finishes in both games. Kyle’s an excellent player and I didn’t want to give him too much hope.”
The Race to 2 Points format means each game won is worth one point. If the players split the first two games, a ninth-and-10th frame roll-off will award the deciding point.
Rash will face No. 14 Dom Barrett of England in the quarterfinals.