Jason Couch bowls Sunday during the final frame of the PBA Tour's Motel 6 Classic at Strike Zone inside Sunset Station as Billy Oatman, in blue shirt, looks on. Couch beat Oatman 236-228 to win the title. Photo by Jane Kalinowsky.

Billy Oatman came close Sunday to winning his first PBA Tour title.

The only things that got in his way during the televised championship match was a stubborn 10 pin and the hottest bowler on the PBA Tour.

Jason Couch defeated Oatman 236-228 to win the inaugural Motel 6 Classic at Strike Zone inside Sunset Station.

Couch's selection to start on Lane 10, which meant he would finish on the left lane -- No. 9 -- proved to be decisive.

"The right lane (No. 10) seemed to be a little tighter and the ball was skidding a little farther (down the lane)," Couch said. "I'd rather have my opponents finish on that lane so I could finish on the hooking lane (No. 9)."

The strategy worked.

After falling behind in the seventh frame, Couch struck in the ninth and on his first two rolls of the 10th to force Oatman to get the first two strikes in his 10th.

"I knew I had to get up in the ninth and 10th and do something because he looked really confident," Couch said.

Oatman, who had eliminated Walter Ray Williams Jr. and Chris Barnes to make the semifinals, struck on his first shot in the 10th before rolling a 9 on his second shot, leaving just the 10 pin standing.

That brought an end to the Cinderella story for Oatman, who was trying to become the second black bowler to win a PBA Tour title.

"It felt great. I thought it was there," said Oatman, a 41-year-old rookie from Chicago who was making his first appearance in a PBA Tour televised finals.

"There's always a blessing around the corner. I'm not disappointed with the way I threw the ball."

Couch, who said he never watches his opponents while they're bowling, saw Oatman's last shot on replay and said it was "a good shot. He just didn't get a break."

It gave the 15-year veteran the 15th victory of his career and second in Las Vegas, where he also won the 1998 Showboat Invitational. He also won last week in Southern California to mark the first time he's won back-to-back titles.

Couch, a 37-year-old from Clermont, Fla., has finished in the top six in the past four tournaments.

"I don't think I've ever had a run like this," he said. "In 1999, I made a (PBA) show and two weeks later won my first Tournament of Champions, but never have I gone third, sixth, win, win.

"It's a change in my attitude. I get down on myself too often. I told my wife on New Year's Eve no more of that. It's been an unbelievable run ever since."

Couch said he figures it won't be long until Oatman wins a tournament.

"Billy is a phenomenal talent and I have no doubt he'll end up in the winner's circle," he said.

Couch advanced to the final match be eliminating Mike Scroggins, 238-230. Oatman defeated Brad Angelo, the only right-hander in the final four, 207-181.

In the championship game, Oatman and Couch both opened with splits they failed to convert. Couch took an early lead by striking from the fourth through sixth frames before leaving a 9 pin in the seventh.

Oatman responded by striking from the sixth through the ninth, which gave him a chance to win the match regardless of what Couch did. Oatman's strike in the ninth forced Couch to open the final frame with a double to regain the lead.