‘Spare Parts’ bowlers celebrate title after unusual three-way run-off

“I told the guys I hadn’t won a championship since the ’70s,” said Pete Diffley, beaming after his team claimed the first-half bowling title of the “Guys and Dolls” league in a wild run-off with two other teams.

Diffley’s “Spare Parts” team prevailed Tuesday night at AMF Woodlake Lanes in Woodland Hills on the final night of the season’s first half.

Buoyed by Diffley’s 215 in the first game and Nick Tirabassi’s 183 and 224 in the first two games, “Spare Parts” won all three games contested against its opponent, “Winners and Winos.”

“Spare Parts,” “Winners and Winos” and “Pitbulls on Crack” all had finished on top of the standings with 40 wins entering Tuesday night’s action. When “Pitbulls” was upset by “Marshall Law,” it gave the foursome of Diffley, Diane Weed and Nick and Marti Tirabassi the first-half championship.

“All three of our games were close,” said Diffley, a 172-average bowler who finished well above his average with a 215, 190 and 149. “It came down to the final couple of frames each game.”

Nick Tirabassi was one of his team’s big heroes by blistering a 224 in the second game in addition to a 183 in the first game and 146 in the finale. A 159-average bowler, Tirabassi scored 25 pins above his average. In the second game, Tirabassi smoked a five-bagger from the fourth to the eighth frames.

Additionally, Tirabassi scored a strike or spare in the first nine frames of the second game.

“The second game was the turning point,” added Diffley, pointing to the razor-thin 847-846 victory margin.

Weed, who garnered local attention for her electrifying 603 series one month earlier, also was a key factor in the second game. After opening in the first three frames, Weed marked in six of the final seven frames, including a spare and a strike in the pressure-packed 10th frame.

Even in defeat, “Winners and Winos” enjoyed a spectacular season that was marked by strong season-long efforts by Martin Torres, Mike Hahn, Perry Haberman and Shannon Renee, all of whom bowled at least a 205 sometime during the season. Torres had a 655 series and also rolled a 247 during the course of the season.

The “Pitbulls” of Jason Sheriff, Pete Dobrow, Chris Ohmstead and Scott Tschappat also enjoyed a splendid season, rallying strongly at the end of the season to forge a three-way tie for first place before they were sidetracked by “Marshall Law.”

“We bumped them off,” laughed Marshall Winer of “Marshall Law.” “We were the spoilers.”