PBA star Mika Koivuniemi won the first official event on the PBA calendar, winning the Japan Cup in Tokyo on Sunday. The win was the eighth title of Koivuniemi's career.

Koivuniemi beat fellow PBA star Mike Wolfe 200-178 for the crown.

The finals had an international flavor this year, as five Japanese bowlers, one Korean bowler, one American bowler and a Finnish bowler made up the round of eight.

Koivuniemi earned $50,000 with the win.

The complete championship round of the Dydo Japan Cup will be broadcast on ESPN at 1 p.m. Oct. 21

• Carl Ealy recently shot a 296 game in the Buckhorn League at Bon Aire Bowl. A score like this isn't unusual for Ealy, who has rolled big games before. But this time it was different. Ealy started out with the first nine strikes on lanes 17 and 18, but then there was a lane breakdown and the teams were forced to move to lanes 19 and 20.Ealy proceeded to throw the next two strikes before a six-count kept him from the perfect game. Ealy finished the night with a 732 series. Others who bowled well included Brad Buckley, 259 (701) and Wayne Blank, 268 (694).• A mixed couples league that bowls at Bruin Lanes on Friday nights is looking for bowlers. Contact Bruin Lanes for more details.

In bowling-speak, if you left the "dime store," what pin combination does this refer to? Answer at the end of the column.

Leaving the 6-7 or the 4-10 split might look intimidating, but both can be converted. If faced with one of these beauties, try this tip.For the 6-7, line up your shot as if you are going to shoot at the 10-pin. Move your feet one board to the right, then make your shot as if you were shooting the 10.For the 4-10, line up as if you want to convert the 7-pin. Move one board to the left, then make your shot as if you were shooting the seven.You may have to adjust for lane conditions.

The USBC's U.S. Women's Open is under way, and the first week drew good television ratings. More than 780,000 households watched Carolyn-Dorin Ballard advance to the semifinals with a win over Kim Terrell. On Sunday, Liz Johnson advanced with a 215-194 win over Missy Bellinder.In the next telecast at 1 p.m. this Sunday on ESPN, Lynda Barnes takes on Amanda Burgoyne, and Amy Stoltz meets Michelle Feldman.A great part of the broadcasts are the announcers. Nelson Burton Jr. and Marshall Holman are handling the play-by-play duties. Their experience both on and off the lanes make it a great telecast. And listening to Burton takes my mind back to the 1970s and '80s, when he partnered with the late Chris Schenkel on the Saturday afternoon telecasts of the PBA.

The 5-10 split.