Ninety members braved the winter weather to bowl NEBA's Cambridge Credit Invitational on Sunday. Forty advanced to the Super Match Play round with the top four vying for the title in a stepladder final. #4 Paul Smith defeated #3 Tim Healey 248-237 in the first match. Paul lost 215-206 to #2 Dennis Bissonnette. It was #2 Dennis against #1 Alex Aguiar.
In the title match, Aguiar started with a 4 bagger and Dennis opened, but responded with his own 4-bagger and they were tied at 128 apiece in the fifth frame. Alex stopped carrying while Dennis tossed two strikes to take a ten-pin lead going into the last three frames. A split in the eighth followed by a missed single pin spare in the ninth by Dennis gave Alex the chance to lock up the match with 19 in the tenth. A ten-pin stood on the first shot and Alex proceeded to miss it, putting the match back in Dennis' hands. A double in the tenth would give him the win. He went spare - strike for a 213 tie and we were headed into OT. After a long day, the tournament came down to one ball. Alex went first getting nine pins. Dennis also hit the pocket for nine pins and they moved on. Alex threw a strike to put all the pressure on Dennis, and finally, after a long battle, Dennis' last shot went astray and Alex Aguiar had the win in one of the most exciting NEBA Finals matches ever.
