After taking the weekend off, we're back with a heavy slate of Memorial Day games. I hope you didn't miss it too much, as I was working on setting up for the next tournament so I will be able to make a fairly seamless transition after this season's postseason tournaments. Now, for the first day of games.
Ebay Center, Queens: Max v. Missy. The leadoff series is in 8-ball between highly ranked players. In game 1, the players had to fight off a bit of rust early, but Max of Queens had no trouble once he got going, finishing with a three-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead over Capital City's Missy. The Sharpshooters' Missy tied it in game 2, a cautious effort by both players. Missy started off lucky as the Flames' Max scratched twice early, but the game ended tight, and Missy took the game after a series of misses by both players on the 8. Missy had to make a rally in game 3, as Max had an early five-ball run. Max got stymied with the 6 as his last ball standing, failing to get a clean shot on it until Missy had pulled level, and his one attempt on the 8 was left short. Missy tapped in the 8 for the win, going up 2-1 in the series. Max stepped up in game 4, tying the series with a four-ball run-out after a strong first turn at the table, allowing Missy few shots as the series went to 2-2. Max had a four-ball run late in game 5, but left the 8 short at the bottom right with the cue along the right rail. Missy used a deft touch to get the 13 from distance, and the cue came to rest less than an inch from the 8, earning her a tap-in victory and 3-2 series win. Missy, ranked #18, is the first player through to the fourth round.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Jake v. Tori. Continuing the first day, we're onto 7-ball in the neighboring territory. Royal's Jake took a somewhat messy game 1 with strong late positioning after Victoria's Tori missed on the 6 narrowly. The Crowns' Jake roared to a 2-0 lead, dominating possession in game 2. Jake began with three balls on the break and added a fourth on his next shot. The Spurs' Tori struggled but made one ball on her first turn, only to watch Jake hide the cue in the bottom left pocket's jaws to induce a ball-in-hand for his two-ball run-out. Jake clinched the series in game 3, but it wasn't because of anything he did. Jake did score a double-pot by shooting the 4 to the bottom left, with a hard carom to pick up a 5-6 combination in the top left, but a shot on the 7 was errant. Tori potted the 7 on a tough cut to the top right, but the cue found the bottom side, allowing Jake a 3-0 lead with the awarded win. Jake again took a gift when Tori left the 7 short at the bottom right in game 4, which did not go well in the shooting accuracy department for either player. Jake returned to dominance in game 5, restoring his accuracy as he cruised to a victory to complete his 5-0 sweep. Jake, ranked #9 in 7-ball, will participate in the fourth round.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Bright v. Leonette. A former Hummingbird returns to play one of the home team's newest players in Survival. In the first rack of game 1, Pacific's Leonette made a highlight with her shot, a carom off the 7 and the right and bottom rails that grazed the 8 into the bottom left for the extra life. The extra life proved handy, as it helped the Volcanoes' Leonette hold on as she pushed Tysini's Bright to the edge and to a loss in the second rack. The Hummingbirds' Bright bounced back with a well-shot game 2, toppling Leonette in one rack to make it a 1-1 series. Bright took a 2-1 series lead after game 3, where making the 8 for the extra life flipped the course of the game around, causing Leonette to fade late in the first rack. Bright's usage of a left-handed break came back to bite him in game 4, as the scratch on the break put Leonette firmly in control for the quick, series-tying victory. Game 5 was a thriller for the home crowd, as Bright twice ended a rack with one life, only to shatter the next rack and earn two back, the second time finally working to wear Leonette out, until she finally chipped a carom to the top left and lost, giving Bright the 3-2 win in the series. Bright will play host again in the fourth round, advancing with the #10 ranked Survival bid.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Chicky Phil v. Bryant. The next series is up north a bit, with 15-ball set to be played. In game 1, Westside's Chicky Phil lived and died by the fluke, running four balls with three of those being completed on fluky shots, only to see the attempt to contact the 8 result in an unintentional 13-15 combination to the bottom side on illegal contact, giving Maplewood's Bryant the 1-0 series lead. The Lumberjacks' Bryant went ahead 2-0 in the series with a three-ball run-out to close out game 2, which went in old-school style: contact over accuracy, patience, and defensive shooting resulting in waiting for an opportunity and taking it when it comes. Game 3 was more of the old-school 15-ball style, but in fast forward. The Rockers' Chicky Phil didn't do himself any favors late, missing the 15 short, allowing Bryant to clinch the series with a tap-in for a 3-0 lead. Chicky Phil took the win in game 4, capitalizing on a handful of scratches by Bryant and eventually working a three-ball run-out to turn it into a 3-1 series. Bryant finished off game 5 with a three-ball run-out, with a 9-15 combination to take the series 4-1 in the end. Bryant is ranked #108 in 15-ball, and will continue his traveling campaign in the fourth round.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Slinks v. Shaggy. To the east, there's a series of 9-ball. Harrison's Slinks took game 1 in the series after Southridge's Shaggy left the 9 short, although both players were guilty of poor, non-authoritative shooting habits in the game. The Defenders' Shaggy tied the series with a game 2 win after the Specters' Slinks couldn't get contact on a thin cut attempt for the 9 in another frustratingly erratic game. Slinks had the edge in game 3, getting set for an 8-9 combination that she converted, but she put a little too much into the shot, resulting in a scratch that gave Shaggy the 2-1 lead instead. Shaggy wrapped up the series for herself in game 4, as Slinks' missed 6-9 combination allowed Shaggy to make a follow-up shot as a carom off the 6 to drive the 9 to the top left. Shaggy ended the series after Slinks lazily attempted to contact the 4 and missed. Shaggy set up for an easy 4-9 combination to win the series 4-1. Shaggy is ranked #118 in 9-ball, and will continue a remarkable run on the road in the fourth round.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Cubby v. Graham. Two of the tough guys go at it in 10-ball in the northeast. Eastside's Graham brought the shock value in game 1, taking possession after a three-ball run by Maplewood's Cubby only to sink three in two shots, with the double-pot being a 4-6 combination to the top left with a carom that drove the 10 to the bottom side for a 1-0 lead for the Sharks' Graham. Game 2 went the distance, and it was fairly even for each player, with the Lumberjacks' Cubby making a three-ball run. In the end though, Graham made the final two shots with strong positioning to take a 2-0 series lead. Graham drove possession a little more in game 3, but it didn't do him any good, as the players chased the 10 around until Graham tried to get too fancy, allowing Cubby to take it from ball-in-hand to make the series 2-1. Graham redeemed himself with, ironically, a fancy shot in game 4, using a 4-6 combination to the bottom left as the insurance call with the cue caroming off the 10, which went to the top left successfully for another valid win with those three balls in motion. Graham clinched the series at 3-1 in the process. Cubby avoided total collapse, making a three-ball run-out in game 5 to put the series at 3-2 in Graham's favor for the final. Ranked #91, Graham takes his 10-ball campaign into the fourth round.
Ebay Center, Queens: Kayla v. Sweetheart. Round 1's top players meet up after taking a bit of damage in the second round, for a series of 9-ball. Boston's Sweetheart popped up with a surprise in game 1 on her second shot, kicking the cue off the left rail to graze the 2, with the cue picking up run off the ball and the bottom rail, just enough to tap the 9 as the cue went by to pot the 9 in the bottom side for a quick 1-0 lead. Queens' Kayla cooled the Swifts' Sweetheart in game 2, despite a five-ball run from Sweetheart. Kayla of the Flames finished with a strong three-ball run-out, including a wicked cut with spin on the 8 to the bottom left to set up the 9 to the top left on a more regular cut, tying the series at 1. Sweetheart retook the series lead at 2-1 with a game 3 win, overcoming a strong three-ball run late in the game by Kayla to mop up the 9 after Kayla left it short at the bottom right. Sweetheart clinched the series at 3-1 in the highly-defensive game 4, working around Kayla's crafty play to get to the shots she wanted so she could win. Sweetheart iced the series at 4-1 with a game 5 winning coming on a tap-in after Kayla's miss on the 9 left it perfectly aligned from a short to medium distance from the bottom right. Sweetheart, ranked #30 for 9-ball, will be hosting her fourth round series on this bracket.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Cleo v. A. Charlton. Up north a little, there's the first series of 12-ball in the round. Everton's Cleo took a wild game 1, giving up a wild card ball on the break only to see Golden's Charlton give one to her later on, allowing her to pick a spot for her final ball after the Pilots' Charlton surrendered ball-in-hand. The Eagles' Cleo tried the unconventional kick-break in game 2, and while it didn't ultimately help her, both players agreed it helped the pace of play and improved strategy. Charlton ended up winning as the players were moving in opposite directions for the direction of their shots, and Charlton got lucky to have the balls land just right for her to tie the series. Cleo needed only one turn to retake a 2-1 series lead, making all six of her shots in a single run-out after Charlton's first and only miss of game 3. Cleo dominated in game 4, even with a wild card ball given away early on. Cleo ended with a four-ball run-out, with the finishing move being a kick-carom on the 2, bouncing the cue off the right rail and driving the 2 left, where it glanced the 10 before finding the bottom left for the win in a run of good shot selection. Cleo could have buried the 3 in the bottom left earlier from the spot, but chose to go bottom side instead, setting up the run that clinched the series at 3-1. Charlton shot back with a little rule-bending in game 5, intentionally and illegally potting her second to last ball with the last one set up in the jaws of the last needed pocket. This forced Cleo into desperate shooting, which failed, resulting the series being only 3-2 in favor of Cleo. Ranked #84, Cleo is set to advance into the fourth round.
Ebay Center, Queens: Crystal v. Goldy. We return again to the southeast for 7-ball. Everton's Goldy took a 1-0 series lead with a game 1 win, working her way around the table to get position for a long cut shot on the 7, which went down as planned in the bottom left after the deft touch. Queens' Crystal bounced back with a three-ball run-out in game 2, tying the series at 1 with the confident rebound performance. The Eagles' Goldy couldn't keep the ball in play on her first attempt at the 7 in game 3, but it didn't burn her because the Flames' Crystal whiffed the shot from ball-in-hand, allowing Goldy a chance to redeem herself, which she gladly took since she controlled the pace of play to go up 2-1. Goldy clinched the series in game 4, mopping up the miss from Crystal on the 7 to go up 3-1 in the series. Goldy iced the series at 4-1 with a three-ball run-out to finish off game 5. Goldy takes her #55 ranked 7-ball campaign into the fourth round after the convincing victory.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Sprinkles. Back north, we have 9-ball, with the silver cue drawing in for the red cue this time around. Web City's Rainmane had a four-ball run near the middle of the game, but it didn't hold up later on, as Sprinkles of Capital City took a 1-0 lead with the final two shots. The Sharpshooters' Sprinkles doubled the lead after game 2, going up 2-0 with a four-ball run-out highlighted by good positioning and shot execution. Sprinkles capitalized on the Spiders' Rainmane failing to pot the 9 in game 3, not giving the host another chance to as Sprinkles secured the series at 3-0. Rainmane avoided the sweep in game 4 by controlling the run of play late with a five-ball run and a poor enough leave after a miss on the 9 that Sprinkles couldn't convert, allowing Rainmane to mop up for the win. Rainmane also took game 5, a very quick-paced game that saw Sprinkles run five balls only for Rainmane to answer with a four-ball run-out for the win. Sprinkles took the series 3-2, with her #65 ranked 9-ball bid entering the fourth round.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Valencia. Nearby, the silver cue will draw in for the blue cue for Rotation. Harrison's Twinkie II got off to a strong start from the break, but took a huge swoon in the middle of the game. Golden's Valencia was on the cusp of winning, but then the Specters' Twinkie II roared back to tie it with a four ball run. Twinkie II ended up topping the Pilots' Valencia after the latter left the 15 short at the bottom right from a tough angle cut shot, and Twinkie II went to 1-0 in the series on an 8-7 win. Valencia shot back in a much more tightly-conducted game 2, winning 8-5 with a three-ball run-out after both players chased the 11 for awhile. Twinkie II took the lead back in game 3, showing off her command and accuracy late to pull ahead with a double-pot of the 9-13 combination to the bottom side, with the 9 caroming to bump the 15 into the bottom right. With the win, Twinkie II got to 2-1 in the series. Valencia came out firing in game 4, cruising to an 8-1 victory to retie the series at 2. Valencia's accuracy and luck were both high, which is a dangerous combination for opponents, as most of the shots she took found pockets and her defense managed the rest. Twinkie II remained resilient, answering with a dominating early effort and smothering finale, winning game 5 8-6 for a 3-2 series win. The #44 ranked Twinkie II will be on the road in the fourth round for Rotation.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Amber v. Rainmane. The busy Web City star Rainmane hit the road to the east for a 15-ball series as the blue cue makes its return to action. Web City's Rainmane struck first, taking advantage of a scratch late in the game by Atlantic's Amber to pot the 15 on a free shot for a 1-0 lead in the otherwise crafty game 1. The Pirates' Amber tied the series in game 2, using a three-ball run-out after a scratch by the Spiders' Rainmane as the keystone for her victory. Rainmane retook the series lead in game 3, which went slowly at first but was frenetic at the end, with Amber running three balls before Rainmane took the final two for a 2-1 series lead. Amber again had a reply, tying the series at 2 after a fast-paced game 4 saw her finish up with a three-ball run-out as her equalizer. Rainmane held strong, and Amber couldn't replicate game 4 given a similar situation in game 5, allowing Rainmane to mop up the missed 15 for a win and 3-2 series win. Rainmane, ranked #24 in 15-ball, will host the Maplewood Lumberjacks' Bryant in the fourth round at Hope Depot Forum in Web City.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: Tori v. A. Charlton. The night session begins with 10-ball tonight. Golden's Charlton struck first with a game 1 win to go to 1-0 in the series, cleaning up a missed shot on the 9 by Victoria's Tori before getting a clean shot on the 10. The Pilots' Charlton went to 2-0 in the series after a three-ball run by the Spurs' Tori ended with a scratch, leaving the shot on the 10 as a freebie. Tori got on the board in game 3, running out the final three balls to begin her comeback attempt, while also showing more accuracy and fewer errors than in the early games. Tori tied the series in game 4, a bit of a messy game, with the end wrought with strategy. After Tori illegally potted a ball, Charlton attempted a shot on the 6 which failed. Tori got the 6 and the 9, but missed the 10, as did Charlton, who left it short for Tori to finish it off. In game 5, Tori completed the comeback, winning the game and series 3-2 with a five-ball run-out, capped by three straight distance shots (a 7-9 combination, 7 cut, and 10 bank off the left rail to the top right) to win in spectacular fashion. Tori, ranked #72 in 10-ball, is through to the fourth round.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lionel v. Whiskers. Up north, there's a series of Rotation. Infinity City's Whiskers started the series with pinpoint accuracy in game 1, using a five-ball run to establish a lead and not letting Commerce's Lionel linger long as the score ended 8-2 in the game for a 1-0 series lead. The Tradewinds' Lionel took an early lead in game 2, watched it evaporate, gained it back with a three-ball run to answer the Torpedoes' Whiskers scoring a four-ball run, and then Lionel twice failed to close the game out. The first time was a miss, and the second time was a successful shot on the 14, but with a scratch that gave Whiskers free will for the winning shot in the 8-7 thriller that put her up 2-0. Whiskers proved resilient in a challenging game 3, as Lionel got out to a big lead, but Whiskers rallied ahead. Lionel tied it again at 6, but Whiskers made the next two balls to win 8-6 and clinch the series at 3-0. Game 4 went much the same, with Whiskers falling behind early, catching up, and then staving off Lionel late for another 8-6 win to move to 4-0 in the series. Lionel did dominate in a meaningless game 5, controlling the pace of play with some lucky shots to win the finale 8-2. Whiskers won the series 4-1, and takes her #15 ranked rotation bid back home to Nissan Hall in Infinity City to host Twinkie II of the Harrison Specters in the fourth round.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Brownie. As the red cue returns to action, the top player left opposes a player whose team is dangerously close to the end of their run, with 9-ball as the style. Game 1 for Atlantic's Brownie consisted of just one shot that went from good to great to bad in about five seconds. The good was the cut on the 1 to the top right, the great was the two rail carom that had enough steam to sink the 9 in the top left, and the bad was the still-too-much steam the cue used to head directly for the top side, scratching, and awarding the win to Tysini's Princess. The Hummingbirds' Princess went up 2-0 in game 2, using a three-ball run and a scratch from the Pirates' Brownie to get set on the 9 with a tap-in to win. Princess did more in this game, driving play with confidence and accuracy. Princess dominated in game 3, using a four-ball run-out to clinch the series at 3-0, while Brownie had a number of fouls and misses that derailed any momentum she could have tried to build. Brownie got on the board after two bad scratches from Princess allowed Brownie to make a four-ball run and another two-ball run-out for the win. Brownie stole game 5 away from Princess, caroming the cue off the 7 to take the 9 and make the series just 3-2 for Princess. The #59 ranked 9-ball player, Princess will host the Capital City Sharpshooters' Sprinkles at this venue in the fourth round. With the loss, the Pirates' Brownie was eliminated, leaving her future with the floundering former expansion team in doubt after an also-lackluster cricket season. Princess scored her second kill of the season, and now leads the league in that category with plenty of more bids left to wreak further havoc.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Slinks v. Dani. A former Specter returns as a Sharpshooter to play 7-ball. Harrison's Slinks had pieced together a late four-ball run, but the cue ball decided to join the others in the pockets after the 7 went down, giving Capital City's Dani a free win to go to 1-0. In game 2, the Specters' Slinks used a scratch by the Sharpshooters' Dani to go on a four-ball run-out, and Slinks kept the cue on the table this time, tying the series at 1 with the strong rebound game. Slinks came out blazing in game 3, running six balls from the break, but she failed to get the one that counts, and Dani made sure Slinks only had one chance at it, scoring the 7 to the bottom right on her only shot to put herself back in the lead at 2-1. Dani clinched the series in game 4 as Slinks' shot on the 7 ended up sitting right in front of the top side, allowing Dani an easy tap-in to move to 3-1. Slinks got one back in game 5, a fairly standard game without a remarkable aspect to it. What is remarkable is the 3-2 series win for the #122 ranked Dani, whose 7-ball bid will continue its territorial tour in the fourth round.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Twilight. Stars from various times align for a Survival series. Boston's Puff II got the better of Central's Twilight in game 1, with the hosting Puff II of the Swifts displaying significantly more accuracy and command in her shots compared to the Warriors' Twilight, who couldn't get set comfortably on the many medium-range cuts she attempted. Twilight finally found traction in the middle of the first rack of game 2, and once she did, Puff II couldn't hold on much long, eventually falling in the second rack as the series tied up at 1. Twilight maintained her momentum in game 3, slipping up only slightly. Twilight really excelled in defensive positioning, leaving the ball in unfavorable spots for Puff II to aid her decline. Twilight clinched the series with more of the same in game 4, although her emphasis in going up 3-1 was more with accurate shooting more than crafty obstruction like earlier. Puff II thought she had game 5 in the bag as Twilight went ultra-casual, but Twilight bounced back to make it interesting late in the game, only to give it away in the end anyway. Twilight won the series 3-2, and her #124 ranked Survival bid continues its improbable run into the fourth round for another road set.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lionel v. Stealth. The blue cue has the rest of the sets today, beginning with this 8-ball batch. Commerce's Lionel dominated throughout game 1 of the series, winning after a late run by Harrison's Stealth that ultimately was too little, too late in the well-played game. The Tradewinds' Lionel didn't start as well in game 2, but a six-ball run in the middle erased all early struggles, and the Specters' Stealth couldn't keep up, dropping another game as Lionel went to 2-0 in the series. Stealth got on the board in impressive fashion, winning game 3 with a quick start, efficient shooting, and a bank off the top rail to the bottom side on the 8 to finish the game and make it 2-1 in the series. Stealth cruised to the 8 in game 4, working very effectively, including a bank off the right rail to pot the 13 in the bottom side, but Lionel did not stay down at all. Lionel pieced together a brilliantly positioned seven-ball run-out to take the game and series at 3-1. Lionel iced it at 4-1, despite Stealth's best effort to vulture the game away late on a three-ball run that just left the 8 short for Lionel to tap-in for the win. Ranked #57 for 8-ball, Lionel will participate in the fourth round.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: B. Chapman v. Cheddar. To the south, there's a bit of 15-ball. Game 1 was a tale of two halves: the first, a more balanced battle between players, and the second, where Victoria's Chapman dominated possession and gained separation, making six of the last seven balls to go ahead 1-0 on Whitewater's Cheddar. The Spurs' Chapman got all the bounces in game 2, using the 4 as a catalyst that eventually saw it hit the 15, which then caromed off the 6 and the 9, as well as the top rail to find the bottom side and put Chapman up 2-0 in the series. Game 3 saw each player have their own problem, as Chapman scratched a bit more than any player should while the Shores' Cheddar squandered a lot of her free shots with poor accuracy. In the end, Cheddar's problem was less significant, as Chapman's scratch led Cheddar to a victory, making it 2-1 in the series. Cheddar thought she had a fighting chance after Chapman scratched while also potting the 10 and 14, but Cheddar couldn't convert the 15, resulting in a chase that ended with Cheddar five shots later, scratching as she finally buried the 15, giving Chapman a series win at 3-1. Cheddar won a very casual game 5, as neither player went at full speed with nothing but pride on the line. Chapman, ranked #10 for 15-ball, advances to the fourth round where she'll be hosting her next opponent.
That's all for a big, 95-game first day of the round. Programming notes: Wednesday will be a short day, but I do not foresee any other day during the course of this round being truncated unless personal emergency strikes. Please enjoy the remaining 109 series in the third round, and leave a comment if you want to talk about the league.
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