Rolltech PBA World Championship top qualifier, E.J. Tackett of Huntington, Ind., survived a see-saw Round of 16 best-of-five single-elimination match against nine-time Tour winner, Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill., to advance to Wednesday’s Round of 8 in the PBA Scorpion Championship presented by Reno Tahoe USA.

Tackett won the final two games of the match to win, 3-2, at the National Bowling Stadium to make his first Round of 8 berth in a GEICO PBA World Series of Bowling VII presented by Silver Legacy animal pattern event.

In the final game, both players went strike-for-strike through the middle of the game. Tackett was able to pull away at the end to win, 247-216.

“I changed balls twice in the second game because I had to figure something out,” said Tackett, who earned PBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2013 and won the Xtra Frame Lubbock Open earlier this season for his first PBA Tour title. “I finally found a ball that gave me a good consistent reaction so it was a matter of getting the pin carry. I was able to make some minor hand adjustments and was fortunate to get a string of strikes in the last game to win the match.”

Other players advancing from the Round of 16 were: Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., 3-2; John VanHees, Charleston, R.I., 3-2, Dom Barrett, England, 3-2; Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., 3-1; Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., 3-1; Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, 3-1, and Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., 3-2.

Wednesday’s Scorpion Championship match ups will be: Bohn vs. Simonsen; Sterner vs. Tackett; Smallwood vs. VanHees, and Waliczek vs. Barrett.

As top qualifier for the World Championship stepladder finals, which will air Thursday live on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT) from the National Bowling Stadium, Tackett will bowl one match for the title. The four other finalists are Ryan Ciminelli, Gary Faulkner Jr., Scott Norton and Rhino Page.

With the conclusion of the Scorpion Championship Round of 16, the Round of 8 match ups for all four of the PBA Tour animal pattern lane condition tournaments have been determined.

All of the animal pattern championship Round of 8 matches – Cheetah, Viper, Chameleon and Scorpion –will be part of a super Wednesday on PBA’s online bowling channel Xtra Frame with live coverage of who makes the final four for each telecast.

Round of 8 action begins at 10 a.m. PT on Wednesday and will determine the four players who will advance to the ESPN tapings of the animal pattern events on Friday.

The 24 players competing in today’s match play rounds advanced from Scorpion Championship qualifying conducted last Friday.

PBA SCORPION CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY RENO TAHOE USA

National Bowling Stadium, Reno, Nev., Tuesday

BEST-OF-FIVE SINGLE-ELIMINATION MATCH PLAY (eight players advance to Wednesday’s Round of 8)

Round of 16 (losers earn $1,400)

Parker Bohn III, Jackson, N.J., def. Ryan Graywacz, Feeding Hills, Mass., 3-2 (216-202, 234-143, 209-300, 238-248, 178-146).
Jon VanHees, Charlestown, R.I., def. Devin Bidwell, Wichita, Kan., 3-2 (268-180, 221-300, 185-229, 211-207, 235-216).
E.J. Tackett, Huntington, Ind., def. Sean Rash, Montgomery, Ill., 3-2 (224-214, 205-279, 225-237, 237-227, 247-216).
Dom Barrett, England, def. Markus Jansson, Sweden, 3-2 (232-226, 179-235, 279-184, 221-248, 235-196).
Jason Sterner, Covington, Ga., def. Michael Haugen Jr., Phoenix, 3-1 (189-222, 244-189, 248-175, 224-215).
Lonnie Waliczek, Wichita, Kan., def. Martin Larsen, Sweden, 3-1 (204-256, 222-190, 225-190, 268-220).
Anthony Simonsen, Princeton, Texas, def. Joseph Hostetler, Louisville, Ohio, 3-1 (255-214, 224-236, 201-196, 268-188).
Tom Smallwood, Saginaw, Mich., def. Nobuhito Fujii, Japan, 3-2 (199-225, 203-226, 257-202, 208-186, 257-249).

Round of 24 (losers earn $800)

Smallwood def. Stuart Williams, England, 3-2 (238-238, 233-216, 148-214, 279-225, 278-199).
Sterner def. Nathan Bohr, Austin, Texas, 3-2 (245-207, 235-217, 182-189, 255-258, 254-233).
Jansson, def. n-Matthew Farber, Plainview, N.Y., 3-1 (235-210, 179-202, 233-200, 221-202).
Bohn def. Sam Cooley, Australia, 3-1 (206-159, 226-210, 168-223, 268-201).
VanHees def. Gerald Marrs, Huntley, Ill., 3-0 (267-212, 269-170, 257-161).
Hostetler def. J.R. Raymond, Bay City, Mich., 3-0 (215-207, 201-192, 267-226).
Waliczek def. Liz Kuhlkin, Rotterdam, N.Y., 3-1 (158-222, 227-192, 259-195, 191-190).
Rash, def. Chris Arcaro, Charlotte, N.C., 3-2 (244-191, 234-245, 258-235, 239-243, 267-229).

Round of 8 Matches

Bohn vs. Simonsen

Sterner vs. Tackett

Smallwood vs. VanHees

Waliczek vs. Barrett.

n-denotes non-member