Pool: Round Three Day 4

Today should be a full day as long as everything goes well. We begin in...

Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Midnight v. Paps. The first series of the day is 10-ball. The players felt each other out in game 1 a bit, playing a little tight but without much defense. In the end, Paps of Pronger made a shot on the 10 to the top right from distance after Commerce's Midnight couldn't convert a similar one, with the Tridents' Paps moving to 1-0 in the series. The Tradewinds' Midnight was lucky to tie the series in game 2, getting a second chance after Paps rattled out her short leave at the bottom right. Paps retook a series lead at 2-1, winning a frustrating game 3 that saw the 5 get chased around before Midnight took it with the cue jumping the table. Paps made the 6 and then pulled off a 7-10 combination to the bottom side with tempers boiling for the win. Midnight tied it again in an even testier game 4, winning just before another flare-up by using a hard carom off the 7 to take the 10 in the bottom right. Paps took the series 3-2, winning in game 5 with a carom off the 8 to bump the 10 into the bottom side. Paps, ranked #104 in the 10-ball, is set to face Graham of the Eastside Sharks at HP Field Events Center in the fourth round.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Jack. We begin a tripleheader of 7-ball from the northeast. Also, the Dark Marble Swirl billiard set has replaced the standard Aramith set as the league attempts to keep the pace of play at peaceful and healthy, something that has lacked in this round so far. Pacific's Jack took a very back-and-forth game 1 with a tap-in on his second whack at the 7 after Web City's Rainmane couldn't make a cut on it from distance. The Spiders' Rainmane tied the series with a deft touch on the 7 in game 2, avoiding the likely scratch in the top side on the cut to the top left with a shot that had just the right amount of pace. The Volcanoes' Jack was back in mop-up duty, handling another missed 7 by Rainmane at the bottom right to move to a 2-1 series lead. Jack took the series at 3-1 with a three-ball run-out, finally showing some semblance of controlling possession for longer than a shot or two. Jack iced the series at 4-1 with an anticlimactic game 5 victory. Jack, ranked #105 in 7-ball, is set to travel to Royal for a meeting with the Crowns' Jake at Kraft Forum.

BMW RockDome, Westside: Goatee v. Jasmine. In the middle series, we head west to continue the 7-ball streak. Westside's Goatee began with a game 1 victory, running out the final three balls for a 1-0 series lead, although a suspension of play is looming for the second time in three days. Jasmine of Freedom tied it in game 2, mopping up a sloppy leave by the Rockers' Goatee to tie the series. Play was suspended at this point for the integrity of the tournament since play is not going at an acceptable quality level. After the resumption of play, Jasmine took a 2-1 series lead for the Cascades, taking the 7 after a scratch by Goatee. Jasmine claimed the series with an early five-ball run and lucky contact on the 6 after snookering herself, setting Goatee up for a scratch shot on the 7, which did occur as planned, resulting in Jasmine moving to 3-1 in the series. Goatee got one back in game 5, making the 7 off a carom from the 3 at the bottom side to give Jasmine a 3-2 series win. Jasmine, ranked #36 in 7-ball, will play on into the fourth round.

Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Chris v. Smudge. Completing the trio of 7-ball series, we have a finale from the urban core. The silver cue will make the appearance for the red cue here. Infinity City's Smudge looked cautiously comfortable in game 1 of this series, finishing with a softly-hit three-ball run-out to take a 1-0 lead. Game 2 was a little shakier, but Chris of Capital City took it by mopping up the 7 after the Torpedoes' Smudge couldn't corral it in a more back-and-forth style of play. The Sharpshooters' Chris weathered a run from Smudge mid-game, taking the 5 on an aggressive cut that ended up double-kissing (a rather hard kiss too) the 5 to the top left. With a shot from distance on the 7, Chris upped his authority and potted it the bottom left for the 2-1 series lead. Smudge took advantage of Chris' break leaving the 7 by the top side, banking the 2 off the left rail and using it to carom off the 4 to tap the 7 in, retying the series at 2. Chris took the series 3-2 in a fairly luck-fueled game 5. The last shot summed it up, as Chris again deployed an aggressive double-kiss that redirected the 7 to the bottom left perfectly for the win. Chris, ranked #59 in 7-ball, will host his fourth round series at this venue against Kayla of the Queens Flames.

Apple Center, Todavía: Leonardo v. Easter. This is an intra-team game for these two players, both members of the Stills. Game 1 saw both players a little cautious and careful with their shot attempts, but Easter opened things up at the end with a three-ball run-out, going with a 7-8 combination to the bottom right, a positioning play with the 7 going down, and a bank off the top rail to take the 9 in the bottom side for a 1-0 lead. Easter moved to 2-0 in the series when Leonardo scratched in game 2, allowing Easter another three-ball run-out. Leonardo did scratch late again in game 3, but redeemed himself on the 8 with a strong kick from the left rail to drive it to the top right, only to miss the 9. Easter took the 9 with a sharp shot from distance to the top right to clinch the series at 3-0. Easter had a luck-fueled three-ball run at the start of game 4, which ended in a scratch that allowed the 1-9 combination for Leonardo to get on the board. Easter never got a clear shot despite leaving the 9 right at the edge of the top left pocket on the break. Leonardo found the highlight reel in game 5, cutting the 3 into the top side and watching the cue ball carom two rails to forcefully drive the 4 to the bottom right for the double-pot. Leonardo later took the game on a carom from the 6 to tap the 9 to the top left, making it a 3-2 series win for Easter. Ranked #44 in 9-ball, Easter is set to play on in the fourth round.

Kraft Forum, Royal: Jake v. Stripes. Once again, the silver cue draws into a series, subbing for the blue cue to keep the appearances evenly divided. This is a set of 12-ball. Viewpoint Sound's Stripes did an excellent job of getting herself set up in game 1, and even though she had a wild card ball, she didn't really need it as she took a 1-0 series lead when Royal's Jake let his defenses up too soon. The Meteors' Stripes again took advantage of picking up a wild card ball in the middle of the game, and continued with excellent set-up shots and positioning to go up 2-0. Her final shot left the cue dangerously on the edge of the top right pocket. Stripes fell behind early in game 3 as the Crowns' Jake worked his way around the table, but he got stopped up when Stripes had three balls in his way to get the 9 to the top right. The defense didn't budge until it had to, as Stripes took all three balls on one turn to clinch the series at 3-0. Jake ended up with a win in game 4, getting a second chance to sink the 15 in the bottom side after chipping the first one wide from the kitchen after Stripes scratched. Stripes had another late scratch that allowed Jake to set up, and she couldn't bank the 4 to the top side to sneak away with another win, dropping to a 3-1 lead. Jake made quick work of game 5, running three balls at the start and working efficiently to get the rest through his set-ups. The final blow came when Stripes couldn't contact the 5 on a cut attempt. Stripes still won 3-2 in the series, and advances her #58 ranked 12-ball campaign.

AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Acorn. Two competitive captains play the first half of the 15-ball doubleheader, with the blue cue returning to action. Lighton's Acorn took charge in game 1, pulling off a seven-ball run-out with a high level of accuracy and execution, leaving Oceanside's Snuggle dumbfounded from the sidelines. The Waves' Snuggle bounced back, weathering early storms from the Prestige's Acorn before going on a four-ball run and dominating possession in the later stages of game 2, tying the series at 1 with the final two balls after Acorn's scratch. Game 3 was very sloppy, but mostly because the 15 was near the bottom side, which tends to take conventional shooting out of the mix for the hopes of some kind of carom shot. Snuggle ended up taking the game by tapping in the 15 to the bottom right after Acorn earlier disturbed it and then failed to make it on a bank attempt, giving Snuggle a 2-1 lead. Acorn tied it again in game 4, working a four-ball run-out with execution again as the centerpiece to his win. Snuggle made a critical mistake in game 5, missing the 6 in such a way that it lined Acorn up for a very easy 6-15 combination to take a 3-2 series win. Acorn, ranked #95 in 15-ball, will travel next to Victoria's Lay's Field Events Center to play against the Spurs B. Chapman in the fourth round.

Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Kavan. For the second 15-ball series, the red cue draws back in for the first of eight straight series on its ledger. Central's Dustin took a testy game 1 with a three-ball run-out after at least a dozen shots were taken at the 10, most from bad locations. The Warriors' Dustin took a 2-0 series lead after Freedom's Kavan left the 6-15 combination lined up, which Dustin was more than willing to make as the red cue continued to be inaccurate. The second half of game 3 ended up being full of mistakes, as both players tended to scratch, make illegal contact, and generally miss easy shots. In the end, the Cascades' Kavan scratched to give Dustin the ball-in-hand for the 15, which he almost surprisingly made for a 3-0 series lead. Kavan got on the board in the game 4, making the final five balls on two turns to push the series at 3-1. Kavan made it 3-2 in game 5, pulling in a spectacular four-ball run-out on three-shots, with the middle of those being a double-pot with the 9 in the top side and 11 in the bottom right ever so narrowly, which also set up the 15 to the bottom right for the game. Dustin, ranked #20 in 15-ball, will play on into the fourth round. With the loss, Kavan likely saw his Freedom Cascades career come to an end, as Dustin recorded the 22nd elimination this season, his first of the season. Kavan has struggled for two years, but Freedom held on expecting a compensatory pick. However, Kavan decided to return to the league in 2015-16, and this split is not likely to be amicable.

Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Leonardo. Now, the second of a location-based doubleheader, with 12-ball on tap for the back half. Central's Twilight elected to keep it simple in game 1, as both players had a wild card ball and fairly comfortable with their set up shots on their respective last balls. The Warriors' Twilight simply snookered the cue behind her 10, and Todavía's Leonardo couldn't make contact, giving Twilight the easy ball-in-hand tap-in to win for a 1-0 lead. The Stills' Leonardo absolutely blew it in game 2, twice missing tap-ins on the 14 at the bottom right, a pocket the players were both jockeying for. On his third shot, Leonardo sank the 14 but also scratched, and Twilight managed to get contact and defensive position on with her 5. Leonardo's bank attempt failed, and after three straight shots of her own that didn't do much previously, Twilight finally got the chance to take the ball and the game, for a 2-0 series lead. Twilight clinched the series at 3-0 with a much less nutty win in game 3, dominating on the break and continuing through with just the help of illegal contact by Leonardo at the end, overcoming a wild card ball ceded late on her first turn for the win. Twilight's positioning and shot arrangement outlasted Leonardo's attempted craftiness in game 4, as Twilight knew when to break out the muscle, working a draw shot on the 14 to get set for the 9, which worked to give Twilight a 4-0 lead. In game 5, Twilight gave up two wild card balls early, but played an unfazed game in aligning her shots just right and taking advantage of one mistake by Leonardo to sweep the series 5-0. Twilight continues a bit of an odds-defying 12-ball run, as her #29 ranked bid continues to the fourth round despite being favored in all three previous matchups, a typical death sentence in 12-ball.

Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lionel v. Mams. We're back to 15-ball as we head to the urban northwest. Mams of Viewpoint Sound appeared to be in good shape in game 1, running four balls late, but an even later scratch gave Commerce's Lionel the easy finish for a 1-0 lead. The Meteors' Mams tied it with a game 2 win, working a three-ball run-out that ended with a soft carom from the 10 to score the 15 in the bottom left, a brilliantly executed shot with perfect pace. The Tradewinds' Lionel retook a series lead at 2-1, shocking the crowd with a no-look two-rail bank of the 9 that hit the 15 square to pot it in the bottom right for a surprise win. Mams tied it again with a game 4 win, mopping up a missed shot on the 15 by Lionel to make it 2-2 in the series. Lionel took the series 3-2 with a back-and-forth game 5 win, potting the final two balls to secure the series confidently. Lionel, ranked #62 in 15-ball, will oppose Dustin of the Central Warriors at Nestle's Warriors Hall since Dustin won 10 games ago.

Apple Center, Todavía: Easter v. Leonette. Continuing the alternating, the next series is 12-ball from the southwest coast. Pacific's Leonette got a little crafty at the end of a solidly conducted game 1, using intentional illegal contact to set up for her last two shots, which she took as Todavía's Easter needed the two pockets the Volcanoes' Leonette had protected by her remaining balls. Leonette tried crafty again in game 2, but her intentional scratch just made the Stills' Easter using a left rail kick to pot the 11 in the top right for the series-tying shot all the more spectacular. Leonette retook the series lead at 2-1 in game 3, making all six of her balls in two turns, with the help of Easter taking a foul for missing contact on her final ball to give Leonette ball-in-hand for the last two. Leonette charged to victory in game 4, pulling off remarkable shots after a hideous break, including a five-ball run-out to clinch the series at 3-1 and cement her status as both the alternate to Princess in the MVP and Comeback Player of the Year races. Leonette secured the series at 4-1 in game 5, going on a four-ball run-out after a much better behind-the-rack break, the newest fad in 12-ball. Leonette, ranked #108 for 12-ball, is set to face Twilight of the Warriors at Nestle's Warriors Hall in Central in the fourth round.

Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: Spice v. Allison. We move along to 8-ball now, with two southwest derby teams sending in representative to the heated rivalry. Tysini's Allison dominated at the start, running six balls on her first turn, which allowed Victoria's Spice to clear four of her own later. The Hummingbirds' Allison won with simple shooting once there was enough space for her to operate, going to 1-0 in the series. The Spurs' Spice made a hugely individual effort in game 2, as Allison was more methodical in her shooting. Spice pieced together separate three-ball runs, the last one on two shots as she double-potted the 3 in the top left on a cut that left a brilliant path to the 5 in the bottom left, while also setting up the 8 for the equalizer in the series. Allison retook the series lead with a game 3 win, in a more tight game later on. Both players excelled early, with a six-ball run by Spice chipped away at by two scratches. Allison avoided the scratching fouls, and ground out the win after Spice did some set-up work on the 8. Allison gave game 4 away to Spice, playing pretty well after Spice's scratch but falling apart when it came time to break up a cluster that included the 8. As you can probably tell, Allison's dynamite-esque shot potted the 8 prematurely, allowing Spice to take the game and tie the series at 2. Game 5 went right to the wire, with the momentum swinging each direction wildly. A series of close misses defined the end of the game, none more than Spice's miss on the 8, allowing Allison to take the series 3-2. Allison, ranked #93 in 8-ball, will play on in the fourth round.

Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Paps. The other half of the 8-ball doubleheader leads off the night games. Southern's Shannon took a very tight game 1 after Pronger's Paps left the 8 short at the bottom right. Shannon of the Monarchs sneaked the 3 around the 8 and then tapped the 8 in to go up 1-0 in the series. The Tridents' Paps tied the series by learning his lesson in game 2, banking the 13 from top rail to bottom side and then finishing on the 8 instead of leaving it short in another close game. Paps' final two shots in game 3 were a defensive play that induced Shannon into missing contact on the 6, and a tap-in to the top right from ball-in-hand to go up 2-1 in the series after playing smart and getting everything to align for a four-ball run earlier. Shannon essentially copied game 1 in game 4, taking advantage of Paps leaving the 8 short to sink her well-placed final ball and then make easy work on the 8, retying the series at 2. Paps had a seven-ball run in game 5, using two double-pots that dazzled to get down to the 8, but Shannon proved resilient and defensive, holding Paps off until she could mop up the rest of her balls and the 8. After three squandered attempts at the 8 by Paps, Shannon won it and the series as well at 3-2. Ranked #61 in 8-ball, Shannon is into the fourth round with her triumph.

Intel Center, Diamond: Olivia v. Patches. Onto 12-ball again, from the east this time. Boston's Patches outplayed Diamond's Olivia in all facets, relinquishing her wild card ball in the process of making illegal contact to knock the 2 away from its required pocket. The Swifts' Patches then patiently cleared off four balls, keeping the 2 from the pocket through strong defense, and Patches took a 1-0 series lead after the herculean effort. Patches had the Gems' Olivia on her back foot for almost all of game 2 as well, as Olivia got buried early in possession and Patches very carefully played simultaneous defense and alignment, waiting for the right moment to strike for the win, which came when the cue was left at the center of the table with Patches needing and succeeding at both sides. Patches went up 2-0 with the brilliant performance. Game 3 was more of the same from Patches, as she continued to manipulate the table effectively, working the sides first and the right corners after that to be in a position of extreme strength from solid set-up work. The last two took some time, but Olivia was not set up anywhere, so time was plentiful for Patches, and she used as much as she needed for a win and 3-0 series lead. Olivia made game 4 close, as Patches did not have her usual efficient break, surrendering a wild card ball early. The thing that saved Patches was Olivia's struggles in sinking the 3 to the top left, which cost her valuable possession and allowed a more accurate Patches to cruise through her full complement of shots until she broke through for a victory and 4-0 lead. Patches bounced back with a more dominant effort in game 5, working her way left to right before Olivia bumped the 13 in for her, simplifying the final shot significantly as Patches took the series in a 5-0 sweep. Ranked #115, Patches will travel to Harrison to face the Specters' Twinkie II at the Mercedes-Benz Forum in the fourth round.

Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Olivia. Speaking of which, Diamond's Olivia faces Harrison's Twinkie II next in Survival. The Specters' Twinkie II took game 1 near the start of the second rack, playing a bit defensively despite her dangerous status, which worked to push the Gems' Olivia over the ledge and give Twinkie II a 1-0 lead in the series. The players played evenly at the start of game 2, but Twinkie II gained the upper hand once shots became tougher, gradually pushing Olivia back and finally dropping her again at the start of the second rack for a 2-0 lead. Olivia's losing streak reached eight games as she rattled the 1 out of the top side late in the first rack of game 3, giving Twinkie II the series at 3-0. Olivia dominated from the start in game 4, but it still took halfway through rack two for Twinkie II to fade away, and Olivia would have been in trouble without gathering so many extra lives throughout the game. The series stands at 3-1 with a game to play. Olivia continued her strong play in garbage time for game 5, but faded late. It wasn't late enough for Twinkie II, whose late struggles may just be politeness as she locked the series up at 3-2. Twinkie II, ranked #6 in Survival, will continue on to host a fourth round series. With the loss, Olivia's UPCL career is likely over, pending the Gems' ability to make the playoffs or Humanity West calling upon her for the postseason. Her retirement will award the Diamond Gems a compensatory pick. Twinkie II had her first kill of the season in taking out Olivia with the help of her next 12-ball opponent as mentioned above.

Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Whiskers v. Sierra. After a long slumber, the blue cue returns for 7-ball in the southwest. Infinity City's Whiskers jumped out to a 1-0 lead immediately, taking the 7 on the break to the bottom side, as it rattled off both edges before dropping in a dramatic fashion. Todavía's Sierra looked good in game 2, but it wasn't her skill that earned her the series-tying win, as the Torpedoes' Whiskers did more harm than help to herself by scratching on the 7. Whiskers took a 2-1 series lead with a three-ball run-out to claim game 3 after the Stills' Sierra had a little too much power on one shot that ended up scratching, giving Whiskers the useful ball-in-hand. Whiskers had a three-ball run going in game 4 before scratching, allowing Sierra to complete a four-ball run-out and tie the series again at 2 games apiece. In game 5, the shots were very sloppy on both sides, and it was a bit of lucky, good slop that gave Whiskers the game, as she rattled the 6 around and it took three rails to the bottom right, with a good leave on the 7 to win the series 3-2. Whiskers is ranked #1 in 7-ball and will host another series in the fourth round at this venue.

GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Shaggy v. Ice Cream. The red cue returns for the last two series of the day, with this one being 8-ball. Southridge's Shaggy used a five-ball run and a bit of defense to top Commerce's Ice Cream, who had a four-ball run but couldn't connect with the 8, giving the Defenders' Shaggy a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 lacked the same run-and-gun style, with the break being a little weak but definitely diverse with the leave. In the end, Shaggy chipped away fastest in what became a Poison Ivy Game later on, finishing a modest two-ball run-out to move to 2-0 in the series. The Tradewinds' Ice Cream played a brilliant game 3, pulling herself into the 2-1 series with a four-ball run that also saw her casually use the 8 on a carom to wipe out the defense at the top left pocket, which is where she put it two turns later for the win. Ice Cream tied the series with a remarkable five-ball run-out, including a triple-kiss to get the 1 to the bottom right, a wicked sharp cut on the 2 to the top side, and perfect positioning on the other three, including the equalizing 8, to make Shaggy really pay for not kicking the 8 in on her opportunity. Ice Cream kicked up the authority in game 5, running five balls at one point to put Shaggy into scramble mode. Ice Cream did get a free whack at the 8 after Shaggy scratched late, but Ice Cream missed. When Shaggy couldn't bury the 9, Ice Cream took advantage of the second chance to pot the 8, winning the game and taking the series 3-2. Ice Cream is ranked #90 in 8-ball and will play on into the fourth round.

Toyota Arena, Freedom: Stinky v. Dusky. Finally, in the east, we have 10-ball to wrap up the full day portion of the a two-day-listed-as-one post. Archtown's Dusky banged in the 10 to win game 1 of the series, a back-and-forth affair that continued recent difficulties with the game of 10-ball. It has proven to be the hardest game this round, if not this entire tournament, and these players are about to start trying to innovate a solution to the poor breaks. Freedom's Stinky took game 2 on a three-ball run-out after a break from the center did little to change the effects of the break. The Cascades' Stinky mopped up after interesting decisions by the Arrows' Dusky. Early on, Stinky ended up taking more shots in his run, but Dusky got the ball back after a miss. At the end, Stinky finished by potting the last two balls to go up 2-1 in the series. Dusky had a five-ball run aided by an uncalled double-pot of the 6 and 7 both in the top right after a kick shot, but Stinky deferred, which ended up working when Dusky missed the 10 at the end of her turn. Stinky's tap-in earned him the series at 3-1. Dusky again converted a wicked shot after being deferred to, using a 4-9 combination to the top left to extend her turn. After a chippy late stage, Dusky tapped in on the 10 to give Stinky just a 3-2 series win. Ranked #18 in 10-ball, Stinky is set to host the Lighton Prestige's captain, Acorn, at this venue in the fourth round.

We'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with less personal problems.