Pool: Round 2 Day 4

We've got another day full of games, beginning in...

UPS Hall, Maplewood: Cubby v. Stealth. The day starts with a northeast region battle in 12-ball. Harrison's Stealth took control with a 1-0 series lead early on, using a four-ball run to pace his attack, and then using Maplewood's Cubby's poor defensive leave as the finishing touch for the win. The Lumberjacks' Cubby overcame the strong break by the Specters' Stealth, claiming a wild-card ball and using a four-ball run on his first turn and a perfectly executed kick on the 7 to the bottom right corner to even the series at 1. Stealth overcame a strong start from Cubby in game 3, keeping pace and taking advantage of his wild card ball to complete a two-ball run-out from bad locations, making the series 2-1 for the Specters' veteran. Stealth took the series in game 4, overcoming giving away a wild card ball early and navigating a cluttered table late for a two-ball run-out in the right side pockets. Cubby got one back in game 5, a defensively oriented affair, but it wasn't enough. Stealth won the series 3-2, and the #67 ranked 12-ball player is set to oppose Acorn at the Mercedes-Benz Forum in round three. Speaking of that locale...

Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Leandra v. Valencia. A little to the south, we have 15-ball on the schedule. Harrison's Leandra took game 1, a messy affair, with a three-ball run-out including a finishing touch of the 15 banked into the bottom side. Game 2 went mostly the same way, until the end, where the Specters' Leandra did a six-ball run-out to take a 2-0 series lead. Golden's Valencia staved off a loss in another poorly played game 3, as both players couldn't get clean shots to shoot, and missed about half of the clear ones. The Pilots' Valencia now trails 2-1 in the series. Leandra secured the series in game 4, outlasting Valencia in a more cleanly shot game, and finishing with a strong three-ball run-out. In game 5, Valencia carried possession with a majority of the shots made belonging to her, and she was rewarded with the win. Leandra still took the series 3-2, and the #44 ranked 15-ball player will continue into the third round.

Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Jack v. Graham. Two of the league's macho men do battle in 10-ball out west. Jack of Pacific took a mostly unimpressive game 1 with a two-ball run-out after many errors on both sides. Eastside's Graham tied it with another unspectacular game 2, capitalizing on a late miss by the Volcanoes' Jack. The Sharks' Graham weathered a five-ball run from Jack to mop up in game 3, taking a 2-1 series lead in the process. Graham took the series in game 4, running out the final three balls after Jack failed to make legal contact on his turn. Jack salvaged a bit in game 5, playing a mostly solid game before a brilliant carom off the 6 sank the 10 in the bottom left pocket for the win. Graham, the #91 ranked 10-ball player, is the one who advanced in the end, continuing into the third round for a visit to UPS Hall against Cubby.

Toyota Arena, Freedom: Cowzart v. Ruby. Freedom doesn't host many events, but this is one they get in 12-ball with a league superstar in town. Archtown's Ruby displayed her skills in full force, capitalizing as Cowzart of Freedom scratched twice to set himself back too far to catch up, giving the Arrows' Ruby a 1-0 lead. In game 2, Ruby overcame a scratch of her own to out-maneuver the Cascades' Cowzart and take a 2-0 series lead. Ruby finished the upset by clinching the series in game 3 with a piece of mastery. Facing having the 11 in the bottom side pock while Cowzart could choose either right corner pocket, Ruby banked the 11 just off of the rail and to the right of the target pocket, and left the cue ball along the rail farther to the left, making legal contact impossible. After Cowzart's missed, Ruby made the tough-angle shot as the clincher in a moment of shooting brilliance rare for today's games. Ruby dominated in game 4, running five balls in five shots from the break, and then using careful positioning and two fouls by Cowzart to finish it with the 9 in the top right corner. Cowzart prevented the sweep with a powerful performance with a wild card ball in hand in game 5. Two scratches by Ruby helped his cause, and the latter of the two allowed him to use a three-rail kick to pot the 5 in the bottom right corner while shooting away from it in the kitchen. Ruby still took the series 4-1, but Cowzart claimed the series highlight. Ruby, ranked #80 for 12-ball, is through to the third round, solidifying herself in the Players' Cup discussion.

BMW RockDome, Westside: Goatee v. Sally. Things will get quicker with a series of 7-ball in the suburbs of the northwest region. Goatee of Westside did all of the work in game 1, taking three turns to sink all seven balls for a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 was not as sharp for the Rockers' Goatee, as she struggled with a few shots, but it didn't hurt her chances as Archtown's Sally twice missed the 7 and fell behind 2-0 in the series. Goatee ran all seven balls in one turn for game 3, proving her dominance over the Arrows' Sally as Goatee took a 3-0 series lead to clinch it. Sally got on the board in game 4, capitalizing on a brutal mistake by Goatee (her first of the series), using a 1-7 combination to the bottom left pocket after Goatee mishit the 1 toward the bottom side and left it in line. Goatee finished the series winning 4-1, taking just two shots after the break to sink the 1 in the bottom side before a 2-7 combination that put the 7 in the top left and the 2 across the table in the bottom right. Goatee, ranked highly at #2 for 7-ball, continues strong play to get to the third round.

Kraft Forum, Royal: Nightfur v. Shannon. Across both highways in Royal, there is Rotation to play. Shannon stormed out from the break to a big lead, and made it last to win 8-4, giving Southern a 1-0 lead to start the series. Royal's Nightfur finally got things together late in game 2, rallying with a four-ball run to win 8-6 and tie the series at 1. Nightfur continued to dominate in game 3, with the Crowns' diminutive newcomer using two separate three-ball runs to establish a lead and selective shooting to finish an 8-3 win. The clinching shot was an impressive table-long kick off the right rail to sink the 9 in the bottom side from a relatively significant distance given the difficulty of the core shot. Nightfur took a 2-1 series lead with the highlight-reel play. Game 4 started very back and forth before an absolute vacancy of success occurred. The Monarchs' Shannon paced herself to a modest lead, but then Nightfur roared back with a four-ball run to tie the game, and followed with a two-ball run-out to win it 8-6, and secure the series at 3-1. Nightfur won the series 4-1, falling into the pattern of spotting Shannon a lead (this time two balls twice), and then working her way back with a two- and three-ball run to win 8-7. Nightfur, ranked #10 in Rotation, is into the third round in this campaign.

Apple Center, Todavía: Sierra v. Cleo. In the west, there is 10-ball on tap. Everton's Cleo took a 1-0 lead in the series with a strong finish to game 1, running out the final five balls with strong accuracy. The Eagles' Cleo took a 2-0 series lead in game 2, answering the abrupt end of Todavía's Sierra's three-ball run via scratch with a three-ball run to clinch the game herself. Cleo clinched the series in game 3, and she highlighted the achievement with an eight-ball run. Sierra of the Stills nearly made it all for nothing, but her scratch set up Cleo for the winner. Cleo continued her hot streak in game 4, running out the last four balls to win again. Cleo swept the series 5-0, but game 5 was a highlight reel. Cleo's was the most valuable, being a hard shot on the 10 from distance that she chipped perfectly. In the middle of the game, Sierra had three highlights. The first was a 3-6 break up kick shot off the right rail that deposited the three in the bottom side while the 6 went in the top side. Later that turn, she sent the 5 all the way across the table off a carom from the 8 and sank it. Finishing off the trio, she turned in a hard carom from medium distance, potting the 7 via the 10 into the bottom left corner. Cleo, pulling off the upset, takes her #103 ranked 10-ball bid another improbable step forward into the third round.

Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Cheddar v. Graham. We head a little bit north for another 7-ball series. Whitewater's Cheddar took game 1 with a two-ball run-out, getting revenge on the 6 after it did not go backdoor for her on an earlier turn. The Shores' Cheddar made it 2-0 with a five-ball run-out to finish game 2, using excellent positioning work to make the run possible. Graham of Eastside took advantage of Cheddar's scratch after the 6 in game 3. The Sharks captain came to the table and mopped up one shot, making the series 2-1 Cheddar. In game 4, it was Cheddar doing mop-up duty after Graham's three-ball run came up short. Cheddar secured the series at 3-1. In game 5, Cheddar proved too strong again, using good aiming to take a three-ball run-out and a win for a 4-1 series win. Cheddar, ranked #60 in 7-ball, advances to the third round.

Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Sprinkles v. Citrus. The two very close cousins meet up to battle again, this time with the game of choice being Rotation. Citrus of Diamond navigated a poorly played game by both players to take game 1 with a two-shot run-out for the finish, winning 8-4, and leading the series 1-0. In game 2, the Gems' Citrus upped the ante, pulling off a come-from-behind victory in a cleaner game by doing a four-ball run-out to win 8-6 and take a 2-0 series lead. Citrus did it again in game 3, topping Capital City's Sprinkles with another four-ball run-out to win the game 8-5 and clinch the series at 3-0. Citrus toyed with the Sharpshooters' Sprinkles in game 4, tying the game three times (at 3, 6, and 7) before swooping in to pot the 15 and win 8-7 for a 4-0 advantage in the series. Sprinkles let loose with some rage in dominating game 5 by a final score of 8-1. Citrus still took the series 4-1, and the #73 ranked Rotation player will oppose Sparkles in the Apple Center in Todavía in round three.

Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Paige. Way to the north, there's a series of survival to close out the afternoon games. Central's Dustin won a nail-biter in game 1, hanging onto one life for over a rack and being in sudden death for all of the third rack, eventually winning when Queens' Paige missed for the first time since the end of rack two. Dustin gave the Warriors a 1-0 series lead with the epic performance. Game 2 also made it to three racks, and Dustin again outlasted the Flames' Paige, holding her at one life for nearly an entire rack while having just two himself as each of them pieced together improbably long streaks of success. Game 3 lacked the drama of the first two, as Dustin clinched the series with four lives remaining for a 3-0 series lead. Dustin dominated throughout game 4 as well, holding even or better until the last two turns, but that was when it ended when Paige couldn't convert on a clean table. Dustin seeks the sweep at 4-0 in the series. In game 5, he did just that, holding five lives as a worn-out but competitive Paige went down in two racks to allow Dustin a 5-0 sweep. The #22 ranked Survival player outlasted another top team's newcomer to advance into the third round and bolster the Central Warriors title hopes.

It's a short day today. We'll be back with a fuller schedule tomorrow after only 50 games today. If you like the coverage so far, drop a comment in the comments section!