Pool: Round Three Day 6

Hello, we're back for the second half of the third round over the course of this week. We begin in...

Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Sleepy B. v. Marsell. The first series of the day, coming in the midst of another long run of red appearance, is 15-ball. Tysini's Marsell won a fairly strong game 1 over Archtown's Sleepy B. with a three-ball run-out to take a 1-0 lead. A late scratch in game 2 by the Arrows' Sleepy B. ended up being her downfall when the Hummingbirds' Marsell used the ball-in-hand for to pot the 15 and go up 2-0. In game 3, a very back-and-forth stanza, Sleepy B. thought she was in good shape until the cue took a deflection off the point of the top side, sending it along the top rail as the 15 fell until it reached and dropped in the top right, giving Marsell a victory in the close game for a 3-0 lead. Sleepy B. continued her gradual improvements by winning game 4 on a three-ball run-out, avoiding the sweep as the series moved to 3-1. During the game, Marsell had the unusual circumstance of one-hopping the cue off the table after getting stuck in a bad position and taking an oddly-planned shot that saw him get too far under the ball. Marsell controlled possession in game 5, but he didn't get to the ball that mattered, as Sleepy B. buried it the first time she saw it, making it a 3-2 series win for Marsell. Ranked #102 in 15-ball, Marsell is through to the fourth round as he shows growth in his sophomore season.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Shadow v. Gizmo. This next series is 7-ball as we stay in the northeast region. Web City's Shadow began in game 1 with two on the break, but he also scratched. Central's Gizmo shot back with two in a row, but also scratched, giving the Spiders' Shadow all he needed for a three-ball run-out to go up 1-0 in the series with a fast-paced victory. Shadow went up 2-0 after game 2, ending with a four-ball run-out after a very defensive start to the game, which even saw Shadow surrender possession to the Warriors' Gizmo by illegally potting the 2 on a 5-2 combination because there was no other shot available. Obviously, the plan worked. Gizmo looked more confident in game 3, working around his missed shots as Shadow seemed to lose a step, which became blatantly evident when he left the 7 short for Gizmo to tap-in and win, pushing the series to 2-1. Shadow took the series at 3-1 after Gizmo couldn't corral the 6 in game 4, giving Shadow easy shots to finish off his win. Gizmo took a very lazy game 5, as neither player gave it much effort in the throwaway game. Shadow, ranked #10 in 7-ball, took the series 3-2 and will host Dani of the Capital City Sharpshooters at this venue in the fourth round.

Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Dusky. We head out to the coast for a series of Rotation to start the afternoon. Archtown's Dusky took a very back-and-forth game 1 by a score of 8-5 over Pacific's Ms. Kitty, executing her final shots to perfection for the win. The Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty tied it in game 2, winning 8-6 after establishing a big lead early and weathering a four-ball run by the Arrows' Dusky to make it 1-1 in the series. Ms. Kitty made a rally in game 3, as Dusky started off really well but ran into trouble on the 7, which eventually acted as the catalyst of a four-ball run by Ms. Kitty that paced her attack in the 8-4 win for a 2-1 lead. Game 4 acted as the opposite of game 3, with Ms. Kitty getting the hot start but Dusky pulling away late in game, winning 8-6 after pushing Ms. Kitty to the ropes with her defensive posture. Ms. Kitty played game 5 excellently in all facets, using a strong attack early to build her lead, using defense when necessary, and transitioning between the two in stride to frustrate Dusky. Ms. Kitty was rewarded with an 8-2 win to take the series 3-2. Ranked #18 in Rotation, Ms. Kitty will play in the fourth round.

Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Midnight v. Citrus. We begin a three-pack of Survival with this series from the urban north. Diamond's Citrus took game 1, a very tight game, after Commerce's Midnight ignored the importance of defense, leaving the extra life ball open for the Gems' Citrus, which also served Citrus well in wearing the Tradewinds' Midnight down for a 1-0 lead. Citrus played a similar style in game 2, although her defense at the start of the second rack didn't work. Citrus did hold on in the end, as Midnight rattled the 8 out of the top right, losing a life instead of gaining one to give Citrus a 2-0 lead. Citrus made it 3-0 as Midnight couldn't keep up a strong pace in another tight game, losing in the second rack for a third time with a rattling shot. Midnight's biggest problem has been a lack of steadiness in pressure situations, which is critical for success in Survival. Citrus didn't show up very well in game 4, and Midnight was able to get away with some laziness in making the series 3-1 with her first win. Citrus had a little more staying power in game 5, winning in another lethargically conducted game for a 4-1 series win. Ranked #32 for Survival, Citrus is next set to face Twilight of the Central Warriors at Citrus' home, the Intel Center in Diamond for the fourth round matchup. With the loss, Midnight became the twenty-eighth player eliminated from the tournament. The Commerce Tradewinds have had a season plagued by decidedly average or ever-so-slightly less than average efforts, and it is unknown what will happen to Midnight's future with the team at this time. Citrus recorded her first kill with the victory.

Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Starlight v. Leonardo. Back on the coast, the middle set of the tripleheader in Survival gets going. After a good start in the first rack of game 1, Todavía's Leonardo made two mistakes in the second rack, allowing Pacific's Starlight to enter cruise control at the end for a 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Starlight went to 2-0 in the series with a very tightly played game 2, as Leonardo of the Stills controlled the pace for most the game until near the end of the first rack. The second rack was a bit sloppy, but Leonardo's miss on the 8 was all it took for him to lose. Game 3 saw only five made shots versus nine missed, a disaster by any measure for both players. Leonardo ended up getting away with a terribly sloppy win by making a single extra shot to pull ahead as both players crashed like lead balloons. Starlight bounced back, shooting with supreme accuracy in game 4 as Leonardo folded very quickly, allowing Starlight to clinch the series at 3-1. Game 5 was the most competitive of the series, but Starlight held her ground early and faded only slightly late to make it a 4-1 series win over Leonardo. Starlight, ranked #18 in Survival, is set to travel to face Twinkie II of the Specters at Harrison's Mercedes-Benz Forum in the fourth round. Surprisingly enough, the series loss sees Leonardo become the twenty-ninth player to fall in the tournament, although his future with the Stills is safe thanks to a top-32 individual performance in cricket. Starlight, ever the interesting character, records her second kill of the tournament, tying Princess for the lead.

Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Panda v. Twinkie I. The finale of the tripleheader comes from down the coast a bit, and marks the return of the blue cue. Lighton's Twinkie I won a wild game 1, getting all the way to four balls down before hunkering down and working the table until Southern's Panda scratched in the second rack to take the loss, making it 1-0 for the Prestige's Twinkie I. The Monarchs' Panda held on a little longer in game 2, and this ended up being the difference, as Twinkie I had the same approach by dropping a lot early and holding on at the end, but she couldn't last through the second rack as Panda would not drop, tying the series at 1. Game 3 was nearly perfect for three racks by both players, but Twinkie I was a bit more resilient over that span, holding on to where she fell more than Panda, who peaked a bit early. This separation of styles became evident in rack four, and ultimately Panda did not last the entire fourth rack, dropping near the end to give Twinkie I a 2-1 lead in a hard fought game worthy of high praise. In a much shorter game 4, Panda held on long enough to survive as Twinkie I melted late in the first rack and fell apart completely in the second rack, tying the series again at 2 in what has been a thriller thus far. Panda managed an odd game 5 that saw changes in momentum throughout, holding on narrowly to take the series 3-2. Ranked #28 in Survival, Panda plays on into the fourth round.

UPS Hall, Maplewood: Fluffina v. Sweetheart. We leave Survival and the coast to head inland for 10-ball. Boston's Sweetheart displayed great decision making in deferring the shot to Maplewood's Fluffina after her illegally potted shot on the 7. Fluffina of the Lumberjacks missed on the 8, leaving Sweetheart of the Swifts to make the final two shots and go up 1-0 in the series. Fluffina only took a couple of turns to equalize the series in game 2, scoring a 1-10 cut combination to the top left to make it 1-1 in the series. Sweetheart used a 3-10 combination with the 10 also getting a carom off the 6 to send it to the top left as all she needed in a quick game 3, retaking a series lead at 2-1 with the impressively planned shot for the win. Save for caroms off the 2 to take the 6 and 9 in the left corners, Sweetheart didn't do much in game 4, and Fluffina made her pay for it in the sloppy ending, potting the 10 after Sweetheart whiffed it twice, tying the series at 2 in the process of controlling possession efficiently. Fluffina dominated possession in game 5, which made it a lot easier for her to claim victory, especially after good positioning put the 10 in a reasonable spot. Ranked #19, Fluffina took the series 3-2 and will wait to see who she'll be hosting at this venue in the fourth round.

BMW RockDome, Westside: Misty v. Sugar. We head west again for some 12-ball. Westside's Misty made strong work happen in game 1, using positioning to get around Web City's Sugar, who wanted to play at a slower pace, for a 1-0 lead.  The Rockers' Misty went to 2-0 with another well-played game, using strong accuracy and positioning to comfortably defeat the Spiders' Sugar. Sugar found her mojo in game 3, getting positioned much quicker and shooting straighter to make it 2-1 in the series as Misty got behind early. In game 4, the ending was all about defense, as Sugar's 6 prevented Misty's 10 from getting in the bottom right, but Misty used her 10 effectively after Sugar's illegal contact foul, preventing Sugar from sinking the 6. Eventually, Sugar did pot it, but also scratched. Misty obtained position on the 10 in one shot, and made it on the next for a 3-1 series lead. Sugar dominated throughout game 5, with the help of a wild card ball, making it a 3-2 series win for Misty. Ranked #21, Misty will host Twinkie III at this venue in the fourth round. With the loss, Sugar is the thirtieth player to be eliminated from the tournament. Sugar's Web City Spiders career is in doubt at this point after Misty's first kill of the season.

Google Hall, Modernistic: Puff I v. Cheddar. Next up, a doubleheader of 7-ball. Modernistic's Puff I took a 1-0 lead with a three-ball run-out in game 1, controlling the better part of possession over Whitewater's Cheddar. The Shores' Cheddar tied the series at 1 with a game 2 win, bouncing back in a very tight game as neither player broke out for big runs, but Puff I of the Union missed her one chance at the 7. Puff I took the lead back at 2-1, using a four-ball run and her second chance on the 7 to take the victory and edge ahead in the series again in a less tightly-played game. Puff I clinched the series at 3-1 with a three-ball run-out, using solid positioning as her key to victory. Puff I took game 5 with the 7 going in the bottom side on the break, good for a 4-1 victory. Ranked #34 in 7-ball, Puff I will host Goldy of the Everton Eagles at this venue in the fourth round. With the loss, Cheddar became the thirty-first eliminated played from the tournament. Her future appears safe with the cricket powerhouse Whitewater Shores, and she is expected to remain with the team next season. Puff I earned her first kill.

Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v. Shelley. The other half of the 7-ball doubleheader comes at night in the eastern hills. Diamond's Citrus used a three-ball run-out in game 1 to take a 1-0 lead, working strong positioning to top Infinity City's Shelley after her scratch. The Gems' Citrus had another three-ball run-out for a win in game 2, but with more spectacular shooting, nearly potting the 7 on a carom off the 4, only to get it later after positioning herself for an awkward but successful 6-7 combination to the bottom right, making it 2-0 in the series. Citrus did all the work in game 3, running four balls at the start and the final three-ball run-out after Shelley of the Torpedoes missed on her only shot, claiming the series at 3-0 in the process with a dominant effort. Citrus moved to 4-0 in a much more balanced game, but she still made the final two balls after Shelley left the 6 short at the bottom left and the 7 in a favorable location at the top side. Shelley had a six-ball run-out in game 5, making Citrus pay for her one mistake to give Citrus just a 4-1 series win. Ranked #51 for 7-ball, Citrus will travel to nearby Freedom to visit Cascades captain Jasmine in the fourth round at Toyota Arena.

Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Sierra. Two high-ceiling players take the table in the northeast for Survival. Todavía's Sierra made quick work of a hapless Dustin of Central in game 1, as Dustin scratched on the break and missed a fair number of shots throughout the single rack game, allowing the Stills' Sierra to lead the series 1-0. Sierra moved to 2-0 with another quick win in game 2, as the Warriors' Dustin deflated quickly and Sierra wiped out two opportunities at once while also losing a life when she double-potted the 8 and 12 while scratching. Dustin couldn't convert on the 5 late in the first rack, which caused the loss after Sierra had disrupted a decent lie as a bit of crafty defense. Dustin did his best work in game 3, a three-rack epic that saw near perfection during the second and and early third racks, until Sierra fell off pace while Dustin continued to gain strength. Dustin's win cut his deficit to 2-1 in the series. Dustin found a highlight in the lopsided game 4, double-potting the 3 and 4 on a length-of-table bank on the 3 after a tap-in at an angle on the 4. Dustin cruised to victory in game 4, building off his big triumph in game 3 to tie the series at 2. Sierra bounced back as game 5 came to an abrupt end with both players fading fast, but Sierra had farther to fade, winning the series 3-2. Ranked #61 in Survival, Sierra is through to the fourth round after the thrilling win.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Shadow v. Twinkie III. We move a little south for 9-ball now. Whitewater's Twinkie III thought she had won game 1 on a four-ball run-out, but the cut she put on the 9 resulted in a scratch, giving Web City's Shadow a 1-0 lead instead. The Shores' Twinkie III again buried the Spiders' Shadow in possession, and this time she kept the cue on the table to tie the series with a three-ball run-out. Shadow dominated possession in game 3, as Twinkie III had two major illegal contact fouls and missed the 6 on a supposed tap-in at the top side, which triggered a three-ball run-out by Shadow as he took a 2-1 lead with the convincing victory. Shadow clinched the series at 3-1 with a confident game 4 victory, using a three-ball run-out as his keystone in the clincher, toppling a nervous Twinkie III who appeared shaken from game 3. Twinkie III got one back in game 5, using a five-ball run-out with top-notch positioning to give Shadow a series final of 3-2. Ranked #96 in 9-ball, Shadow will travel to Todavía to play the Stills captain Easter in the fourth round at Apple Center.

Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Starlight v. Twinkie I. We head to a doubleheader of 10-ball, with the silver cue making both appearances. In this series, the red cue gives way for the silver cue. The 10 proved to be a difficult capture in game 1, as Pacific's Starlight illegally potted it twice, while Lighton's Twinkie I couldn't corral it on combination shots. The Volcanoes' Starlight scratched on the 10 though, and the Prestige's Twinkie I narrowly potted it in the top side for a 1-0 lead. Starlight almost regretted her decision to defer in game 2, as Twinkie I cobbled a four-ball run but couldn't connect on the 10. The players chased the ball around until Starlight got a favorable cut, tying the series at 1. Game 3 followed the pattern of pace throughout the first nine and then a battle on the 10, with Twinkie I coming up again after Starlight squandered two chances at the 10. Twinkie I got a favorable lie, with a relatively straight shot on the 10 to the top side, moving to 2-1 in the series. Neither player had a good grip on play in game 4, but it worked out alright for Starlight, as her late scratch worked to get the back-and-forth game into the proper pattern for her to collect the 10, which she did on her first try to retie the series at 2. Twinkie I weathered Starlight's early storm in game 5, and then struck with a four-ball run-out keyed by accuracy to take the series 3-2. Ranked #99 in 10-ball, Twinkie I is set to travel to Maplewood to play the Lumberjacks captain Fluffina at UPS Hall in the fourth round.

Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Snowball v. Twilight. In the heart of the urban core, the silver cue covers for the blue cue in the second half of a 10-ball doubleheader. Swordpoint's Snowball got into a groove in game 1, which led to a five-ball run-out as she took a 1-0 lead over Central's Twilight. When the Warriors' Twilight scratched in game 2, the Blades' Snowball cashed in a 4-10 combination to the top left, although the 4 did have to bump the 10 twice to sink it as Snowball moved to 2-0 in the series. In game 3, Snowball had a top-10 shot of the year, attempting a carom off the 2 to sink the 4 in the top left, which was the called shot. What happened was the 2 banking off the bottom rail as the 4 glided to the top left, colliding at the perfect angle for a clean redirect on the 4, making the called shot perfectly for the absolute stunner of a highlight. Despite the theatrics, Twilight was unfazed, going on a three-ball run-out with a bank of the 10 off the bottom rail at an odd angle to the top left that made it 2-1 in the series with a lesser but still impressive highlight of her own. Twilight continued to surge, using the 6 and 9 nestled at the top side as anchors for separate runs, the last being a three-ball run-out that tied the series and put Snowball on her back foot for the next game. Snowball benefited greatly from Twilight's choice to shoot after Snowball illegally potted the 4. Twilight left the 5 short, laying the foundation for Snowball to piece together a well-positioned six-ball run-out for a 3-2 series win after taking game 5. Snowball is ranked #76 in 10-ball and will face the highly-seeded Max of the Queens Flames at his home, the Ebay Center, in the fourth round.

Google Hall, Modernistic: Kiwi v. Sweetheart. The red cue returns for the last two series tonight, beginning with this set of 8-ball up north. Boston's Sweetheart won a somewhat sloppy game 1 for a 1-0 lead, as both her and Modernistic's Kiwi got stuck shooting poorly for the entire second half of the game after picking off the easy shots. The Swifts' Sweetheart got herself in gear late in game 2, using a four-ball run-out with some excellent positioning to go to 2-0 in the series over the Union's Kiwi. Kiwi made a highlight in game 3, getting a narrow cut on the 2 to the bottom side that glanced the 7 later on, sending it to the top left for a strong double-pot. Kiwi finished the job in game 3, using a three-ball run-out to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the series. Cynics would say it was a win for posterity for the disgruntled captain, but casual observers could say it was a return to form for a very talented player. In game 4, the players exchanged five-ball runs early on. Sweetheart would follow with a modest two-ball run near the end, but Kiwi capitalized where Sweetheart failed, using a three-ball run-out with a finish on the 8 to take the game and tie the series at 2. Kiwi made another late three-ball run in game 5, after the players exchanged four-ball runs during the early stages, and Kiwi made that late run count when she nabbed the 8 to take the series 3-2. Ranked #9 in 8-ball, Kiwi proves to be a difficult out as she will now host Shannon of the Southern Monarchs at this venue in the fourth round.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Twilight. Finally, the night ends with Rotation from the northeast. Web City's Rainmane used a four-ball run-out and patient defense to combine with Central's Twilight making a number of errors, resulting in the Spiders' Rainmane going up 1-0 with an 8-2 win in game 1. Rainmane did well defending early on in game 2, but when the defense fell apart, the Warriors' Twilight rallied for a five-ball run, and eventually won the game 8-6 with some accurate shooting to tie the series at 1. Rainmane shot back with another dominant effort in game 3, working herself out of tough situations with accurate shots in an 8-2 win, moving to a 2-1 lead in the series. Twilight looked like she was going to break out on a run late in game 4, but a scratch undid all of that and gave Rainmane a quick two shots for an 8-3 win to clinch the series at 3-1. Rainmane continued her dominant attack in game 5, shutting down Twilight again at 8-3. That's a hard thing to do, and Rainmane did that or better four times, winning the series 4-1 over a very solid opponent. Rainmane, ranked #1 in Rotation, will play on against the Todavía Stills' weakest link, Sparkles, in the fourth round at this venue.

That's 80 games today. The SCL should resume tomorrow under a new scheduling plan, but there may be issues if the SCL continues to correlate with poor pool performance. My best guess is that round three will wrap up Thursday or Friday, pending SCL disruptions. If everything goes to plan, it'll be Thursday.