Professional Bowlers Association

All Steve Hoskins needed was a break, and he got one...literally.

Hoskins, Tarpon Springs, Fla., was able to collect his thoughts during the only commercial break during the title match of the PBA Tour's $330,000 ACDelco Classic. The result was five consecutive strikes down the stretch on his way to a 230-202 win over Tim Criss.

Hoskins, the 1989 PBA Rookie of the Year, earned his first title of 1998 (the seventh of his career) and the first-place check for $52,000.

"That commercial break was crucial," commented Hoskins. "I had some time to stop and think about what I was doing and to sort of compose myself. I added some tape to my ball which gave me a better feel, and I was able to put together some big shots when I needed them."

Criss, who threw some big shots himself Friday night when he struck out in the 10th frame of his final match to make the championship round by one pin, looked like he had the magic again Saturday. He knocked off No. 2 seed Ricky Ward and No. 3 seed Robert Smith in the opening match by firing a 230 to Ward's 202 and Smith's 196.

The win was especially tough since Smith, who used to bowl out of Lakewood and now makes his home in Simi Valley, Calif., was performing in front of a partisan crowd. The rookie was making his first PBA telecast as a member, but had finished second in this event In 1994 when he lost to Norm Duke after qualifying as the tournament leader.

With the local favorite out of the way, Criss set his sights on Hoskins. Hoskins converted a difficult 4-10 split in frame four which helped keep him within three pins of Criss through five frames. Criss caught a bad break in frame six when he left a pocket 7-10 split, which he was unable to convert.

Criss, Bel Air, Md., followed the open frame with three consecutive strikes. Hoskins followed his clutch spare conversion in frame four with two more spares, then collected himself after the commercial break and fired five strikes in a row, the last three of which closed the door on Criss.

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND

PLAYOFF RESULTS-Match one: Criss (230) defeated Ward (202) and Smith (196); and in the championshipgame, Hoskins defeated Criss, 230-202.

42-GAME TOTALS

		Name, City		Pins		Avg		WLT		+		Tot		Amt
1		Steve Hoskins, Tarpon Springs, FL		9643		229.6		17-7-0		510		10153
2		Ricky Ward, North Fort Myers, FL		9537		227.1		15-9-0		450		9987
3		Robert Smith, Simi Valley, CA		9489		225.9		14-10-0		420		9909
4		Tim Criss, Bel Air, MD		9538		227.1		11-71-2		360		9898
5		Danny Wiseman, Baltimore		9447		224.9		15-9-0		450		9897		$10,000
6		Ricky Corona, Yorba Linda, CA		9506		226.3		12-11-1		375		9881		9,000
#7		Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, KS		9411		224.1		14-9-1		435		9846		8,500
8		Norm Duke, Clermont, FL		9440		224.8		13-11-0		390		9830		8,000
9		Dale Eagle, Lewisville, TX		9392		223.6		13-10-1		405		9797		7,500
10		Jason Couch, Clermont, FL		9305		221.6		13-11-0		390		9695		7,100
11		W.R. Williams Jr., Stockton, CA		9315		221.8		12-12-0		360		9675		6,700
*12		Randy Pedersen, Hollywood, FL		9282		221.0		13-11-0		390		9672		6,300
13		Bob Learn Jr., Erie, PA		9288		227.1		9-14-1		285		9573		5,900
14		Warren Guernsey, Cobleskill, NY		9157		218.0		13-11-0		390		9547		5,600
15		Jeff Lizzi, Sandusky, OH		9288		221.1		8-15-1		255		9543		5,300
16		Steve Jaros, Bolingbrook, IL		9171		218.4		11-13-0		330		9501		5,000
17		Richard Wolfe, Falls Church, VA		9121		217.2		12-12-0		360		9481		4,700
18		Eric Forkel, Tucson, AZ		9202		219.1		9-15-0		270		9472		4,400
19		Brian Voss, Atlanta		9119		217.1		11-13-0		330		9449		4,200
20		Rick Steelsmith, Wichita, KS		9037		215.2		13-11-0		390		9427		4,000
#21		Bob Spaulding, Portland, OR		9083		216.3		11-13-0		330		9413		3,800
22		Wayne Webb, Akron, OH		9119		217.1		8-15-1		255		9374		3,600
23		Chris Barnes, Wichita, KS		9035		215.1		10-14-0		300		9335		3,500
24		Jack Jurek, Lackawanna, NY		8899		211.9		7-17-0		210		9109		3,400

Pos.		Name, City/State	Amount
*25		Curtis Odom, Coldwater, MI	$3,270
26		Patrick Healey Jr., Chesterfield, MI	3,000
27		Dave Wodka, S. Setauket, NY	2,900
28		James Wallace, Hicksville, NV	2,800
29		Kelly Coffman, Topeka, KS	2,680
		Doug Kent, Canandaigua, NY	2,680
31		Parker Bohn III, Jackson, NJ	2,600
#32		Gene Bruihl, Petaluma, CA	2,500
		Paul Koehler, Stuart, FL	2,500
		Kevin McGerr, Lincoln, NE	2,500
#35		Greg Thomas, Old Town, ID	2,410
36		Billy Myers Jr., Temple City, CA	2,380
37		Guppy Troup, Taylorsville, NC	2,360
38		Dave Husted, Milwaukie, OR	2,340
39		Brian LeClair, Chatham, NY	2,320
40		Kurt Pilon, Clinton Township, MI	2,300
41		Mark Williams, Beaumont, TX	2,280
42		Jeff Smith, Little Falls, MN	2,270
43		Brad Snell, Itasca, IL	2,260
44		Amleto Monacelli, Venezuela	2,250
45		David Traber, Woodstock, IL	2,240
46		Ryan Shafer, Elmira, NY	2,230
47		John Gant, Winston-Salem, NC	2,220
48		Don Sylvia, Vero Beach, FL	2,210
49		Mike Devaney, Escondido, CA	2,200