Welcome to Halfway Day for the second round, as we rapidly approach series 128 for the round. To get there, we will play a minimum of 70 games today, the first five of which are for...
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Wings v. Ms. Kitty. The first series of the day is 15-ball, a fresh challenge for the day. The schedule did not denote this as a Rivalry match, but it was. Pearl's Wings struck first in a mostly-clean game 1, finishing off the final two balls to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Surfers' Wings capitalized on a mistake by Pacific's Ms. Kitty in game 2, taking the ball-in-hand after a scratch and using it for a 9-15 combination to take a 2-0 lead. The Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty struck back in game 3, using a three-ball run-out to get on the board. Her final shot was a 14-15 combination to bottom left after strong positioning worked in her favor on he previous two shots. Wings took the series in game 4, using a four-ball run-out with a 12-13 combination to the top left, a distance cut on the 14 to the bottom right, and a sharp angle on the 15 in the bottom left as the key moves to move to 3-1. Ms. Kitty got one back with a fairly standard game 5, making it a 2-1 series win for Wings. Ranked #4 in 15-ball, Wings is through to the third round with this campaign.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Sweetheart v. Blizzard. The next series is 9-ball in the southeast. Everton's Blizzard closed game 1 with a brilliant highlight after Boston's Sweetheart fouled. With ball-in-hand, the Eagles' Blizzard set up a 4-9 carom shot, designed to drive the 9 to the bottom left. What happened was the original carom, and then two bounces off of the 7 by the intended pocket to force the 9 in for the win. The Swifts' Sweetheart returned the favor, pulling off a 4-9 combination to the top left after a scratch by Blizzard in game 2, tying the series at 1 in what has been sloppy games ended by highlights thus far. Sweetheart took a 2-1 lead, getting away with leaving a bally short when Blizzard did the same on the 9 in what was a slightly more defensive than sloppy game, but it didn't end very cleanly. Sweetheart claimed the series in game 4, using a three-ball run-out to take a 3-1 lead with a certain air of dominance. In game 5, both players made shows happen early. Blizzard took a 1-6 double-pot in the bottom side and bottom right as her move, using the cue to carom the 6 to its destination. Sweetheart answered on her next turn by slicing the 2 into the top side, and after some ball action, the 7 ended up there as well. Blizzard ended up with the game after Sweetheart worked in a 3-8-5 combination and a 3-4 combination to the bottom left. Sweetheart was well on her way, but she put a little too much spin on her 9 shot, and the cue ball followed it from distance into the top left. Sweetheart still took the series 3-2, and takes her #30 ranked 9-ball bid to the Ebay Center in Queens for a third round battle with Kayla.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: Spice v. Shannon. We're back to 15-ball for this series in the southwest. Southern's Shannon wasted no time in striking, taking her first shot with a double-carom off the 1 and 3, drilling the 15 in a straight line to the top left, earning a 1-0 lead in the process of her good luck. Both players made three-ball runs late in game 2, but hit dry spells on the 15. After an errant shot by Victoria's Spice, the Monarchs' Shannon stepped up and banked the 15 into the top side off the bottom rail, taking a 2-0 lead. The Spurs' Spice needed just two shots to get on the board in game 3, capitalizing on missed contact by Shannon to knock the 1 into the bottom side and carom the cue off the 2 to put the 15 in the top left, making it 2-1 in the series that has seen a lot of good, intelligent play. Spice brought the home crowd to their feet in game 4, tying the series with a carom off the 6 that turned into an 11-15 combination to the top left, executed cleanly and perfectly to tie the series at 2. Spice's luck ran out in game 5, even with two separate four-ball runs to her credit. Shannon was able to capitalize on Spice's juicy leave on the 15, taking a game Shannon did not control very well for a 3-2 win in the series. Shannon, ranked #98 for 15-ball, is into the third round against an opponent to be determined later.
Apple Center, Todavía: Leonardo v. Debby Ryan. It's 9-ball again to begin the afternoon after three exciting morning series. Todavía's Leonardo was the first to win a game, taking game 1 with a slightly shaky effort but enough accuracy to work. The Stills' Leonardo took a 2-0 series lead with a sloppy start in game 2, but it was Southridge's Debby who lost control of the game with a late scratch, setting Leonardo up for a 5-9 combination from ball-in-hand. The Defenders' Debby got on the board with a kick on the 3, which caromed into the 9 and sent it on two more rails into the top side, making it 2-1 in the series. In game 4, Debby had a four-ball run, but left the 9 short on the top left pocket, leaving it for Leonardo to clinch the series at 3-1. Leonardo used a four-ball run in game 5 and a miss by Debby on the 9 to seal the series at 4-1. With the series win, the #14 ranked 9-ball player Leonardo will host his Todavía Stills captain in an all-Stills game in round three.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Dreamy. We're on 15-ball again with this series. Central's Dustin took a very sloppy game 1, after Swordpoint's Dreamy left the 15 short on the bottom right corner, allowing an easy tap-in in a game where few shots came easily. Dreamy of the Blades tied it in game 2, using a sloppy start, even worse than game 1, and a mediocre finish by Dustin of the Warriors as the keys to victory. Dustin dominated in game 3, using an eight-ball run-out as a massive knockout blow and the catalyst to taking a 2-1 series lead. Dustin clinched the series in game 4, using Dreamy's scratch early on to set up for a 3-15 combination from a bad angle into the top side, which he converted for a 3-1 lead. Dustin took the final game as well, but Dreamy did much of the work in the final stanza, as she had a five-ball run late that she couldn't ice with a cut on the 15, allowing Dustin the easy tap-in. Dustin, ranked #20 in 15-ball, is into the third round and will bring in Kavan to Nestle's Warriors Hall in Central.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Leonette v. Wild Thing. We move along to the coast again for a series of Rotation. Pacific's Leonette dominated from the start of game 1, running four balls on the break before pacing herself the rest of the way to an 8-4 win over Swordpoint's Wild Thing. The Volcanoes' Leonette cruised to a 8-4 win, again building a lead, watching shrink, and then for game 2, running out four balls for the 2-0 series lead. The Blades' Wild Thing flipped the script, winning 8-3 in game 3, and it was he who built up a big lead early on and finished off with patience, waiting for the right moment and the right shot to cut the series to 2-1. Wild Thing tied the series in game 4 with an 8-7 win, weathering a late storm by Leonette to hit the 15 into the top right on a sharp cut for the equalizer. Leonette played game 5 like game 1, dominating at the start to build a 7-0 lead, and using one error by Wild Thing to cash in an 8-2 game win and 3-2 series win. Leonette is ranked #12 in Rotation, and will visit the similarly-ranked Nightfur in the Kraft Forum in Royal for a third round matchup.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Slinks v. Nightfur. Two former Brute Force Club members do battle in 7-ball. Slinks of Harrison wasted no time in taking a 1-0 series lead, getting all the right bounces to win game 1 on the break. The Specters' Slinks didn't have the same type of luck in game 2, as the 7 didn't move on the break, but Royal's Nightfur was visibly shaken by game 1 and didn't shoot well. Slinks was able to use an illegal contact foul by the Crowns' Nightfur to her advantage, finishing off the final two balls after the violation. Nightfur avoided collapse with a win in game 3, running out the final four balls to make it 2-1 in the series. Slinks shot back with a game 4 win, a very messy win but a win nonetheless. Slinks clinched the series at 3-1. Nightfur got one back late, using a well-paced carom off the 6 to direct the 7 into the top left pocket, making it 3-2 in the series. Slinks takes her #41 ranked 7-ball campaign into the third round, where she will face current Capital City Sharpshooter and former Harrison Specter Dani in this very venue.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Jennifer v. Kiwi. We're on 15-ball again, as the game continues to be the core theme of the day. This series and the next one will feature the silver cue returning to action, subbing for the blue cue in this particular series. Whitewater's Jennifer played very well with positioning on a cue that tends to not cooperate with that facet of the game, but Modernistic's disgruntled captain Kiwi took the game on a three-ball run-out for a 1-0 lead. The Shores' Jennifer shot back immediately in game 2, using a three-ball run on her only turn, capped by a carom off the 3 that drove the 15 to the top right as the equalizing shot. The Union's Kiwi answered even quicker in game 3, using illegal contact by Jennifer to knock the 1 into the bottom left and carom the cue off the 2 and into the 15, which was shuffled off the 10 into the top left for a 2-1 lead. Kiwi took advantage of the situation in game 4, a game which Jennifer had dominated. With just the 15 left and a small but potentially viable angle on the 15, Kiwi shot from near the right rail with the hopes of getting a cut on the 15 to the bottom left. Given the silver cue, it worked, in a situation where either of the two other cues likely would have faltered, and Kiwi secured the series at 3-1. Game 5 was very sloppy, as to be expected when the series is already determined, but Kiwi came out with the win and a 4-1 series win in the process. Her #55 ranked 15-ball bid continues into the third round.
HP Events Center, Eastside: Chelsea v. Shannon. Out in the hills, we have the silver cue drawing in for the red cue in 8-ball. Southern's Shannon took a messy game 1 after exchanging about a handful of misses with Eastside's Chelsea. Game 2 went a little more smoothly for all involved, but Shannon of the Monarchs again took the win, navigating the strategic element of the game slightly more quickly than the Sharks' Chelsea. In game 3, Chelsea got on the board after Shannon got hung up on her last two balls on the table, while Chelsea used a combination and minor positioning to make it 2-1 in the series. Shannon secured the series in game 4, running a couple of short stretches before pulling off an improbable shot on the 8 to the bottom left from distance at a bad angle. Shannon's attempted breakup shot in game 5 went awry, potting the 8 in the top left to give Chelsea a free game. Still, Shannon won the series 3-2, and takes her #61 ranked 8-ball campaign into the third round.
Apple Center, Todavía: Sparkles v. Shiny. Two sisters do battle in 15-ball in the coastal southwest. The blue cue returns to action in this series. Sparkles of Todavía ran the course of play in game 1, running six balls at one points, but Victoria's Shiny used good decision making on the 15 by cutting instead of banking, and it was enough to give the latter a 1-0 series lead. Both players found highlights in game 2, with the Stills' Sparkles cutting the 2 oddly enough to get it into the top left through traffic, while the Spurs' Shiny had a double-pot after using the 3 as a wrecking ball, taking out the 6 and the 8. Shiny made her lead 2-0 after Sparkles again lacked a killer instinct to finish off the game. Sparkles got on the board in a much more interesting game 3, using a three-ball run-out and a bit of luck with her positioning on the 15 coming from a bounce off the bottom side pocket's wall to make it a 2-1 series. Shiny tried really hard on game 4, using a four-ball run late to clear the table significantly, but it was Sparkles with what it took to win, icing the last two balls and moving from 14 to 15 with masterful positioning to tie the series at 2. Game 5 went pretty similarly, and Sparkles again came out on top as Shiny peaked too early, with the key to victory for Sparkles being positioning unlike many. Sparkles took the series in come-from-behind fashion, winning 3-2, and takes a #50 ranked 15-ball campaign into the third round, where she'll host Kiwi of the Modernistic Union from two series ago in this post at the Apple Center in Todavía.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Cassandra. We end the afternoon with 12-ball, and the return of the red cue after its break. Diamond's Cassandra took advantage of a big break by Harrison's Twinkie II, using the wild card ball to make shot selection a little easier en route to a 1-0 series lead in game 1. The Specters' Twinkie II tied it in game 2, a very messy game filled with missed opportunities, but she did have to overcome giving Cassandra of the Gems a wild card ball. Twinkie II used clinical positioning, setup shots, and shot selection in game 3, absolutely dismantling Cassandra to take a 2-1 lead. That Cassandra was able to pot one ball is remarkable in that game. Cassandra bounced back in game 4, and it was her with strong start and patient finish, with a wild card ball to her name. Twinkie II tried to seal the series with a furious three-ball run, but fell just short as she tried to position her last ball. In game 5, strategy ruled, as both players worked on positioning secondarily to defense. Cassandra was the one who faltered, trying to curl the cue to the 13 by the top right, getting sidetracked by the 5, which went in and resulted in a wild card ball as well as ball-in-hand for illegal contact. With one ball left, Twinkie II made an easy shot to win the game and series, 3-2. The #78 ranked Twinkie II is set to travel down to Golden in round three, opposing Strut at the Amazon Field Exhibition Hall.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall: Strut v. Ms. Kitty. Speaking of that place, we head there to begin the night series with 9-ball. Pacific's Ms. Kitty used two banks and a five-ball run-out to lay claim to game 1, ending with a bank off the top rail that sent the 9 into the bottom side for the clinching shot. Golden's Strut tied it after the Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty failed to cash in on his previous miss on the 9, allowing him to tie it with a straight-in shot to the top right. In game 3, both players cruised through until the 9, which inspired many misses until Strut of the Pilots got a manageable cut shot near the top right that he buried to take a 2-1 series lead. Ms. Kitty hit the highlight reel with a graceful double-pot on the 5 and 6, doing a 2-5 combination with the 2 drifting after the 5 entered the bottom left to take the 6 into the top left. Ms. Kitty again used a bank on the 9 ball in game 4, swapping just the rail and side from the game 1 victory to retie the series at 2 and send it to a win-or-go-home finale. Strut used a five-ball run-out in game 5 to steal the series 3-2, using excellent positioning above all. Strut is ranked #83 for 9-ball, and advances into the third round.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Jack v. Taylor Swift. We continue with a series of Rotation. Eastside's Taylor did a good job of establishing an early lead in game 1, and she held on to weather a storm from Pacific's Jack, winning 8-5 to take a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, Taylor of the Sharks made a huge play to key a four-ball run-out, converting a 6-14-10-9 combination to the top left that set her up for the rest of her necessary shots to win 8-3 and take a commanding series lead at 2-0. Taylor handled game 3 comfortably, even as the Volcanoes' Jack erased her nearly-trademarked 4-0 lead and even put her behind at 5-4, only to watch her roar back over two turns to make it 8-5 as a final, clinching the series at 3-0. Jack made highlights in game 4, twice using the 2 as a catalyst for other shots along the top rail, sinking the 12 in the top right and the 6 in the top left with very little margin for error. After the highlights, it was once again the Taylor Swift show, as she ended up winning 8-6, driving possession throughout the later half of the game to make it 4-0 for the series. Jack got one back with some insanely good luck in game 5, rallying from the usual 4-0 deficit, and then a 7-3 deficit to win 8-7 over many turns. Taylor Swift still took the series 4-1, and her #41 ranked Rotation bid is through to the third round.
Ebay Center, Queens: Paige v. Strawberry. This series marks halfway for the second round, accomplished in just ten days of playing time (eleven calendar days due to a day off). The series is a 15-ball set. Pronger's Strawberry ran out the final three balls in game 1 after Queens' Paige ran out of crazy magic trick shots to perform as she had done early in the game with banks and kicks. The Flames' Paige got one back in game 2, tying the series as the well-paced game slowed dramatically on the 15, which she potted once a properly-aligned shot was left out by the Tridents' Strawberry. Game 3 was sloppier than the first two, and this was most evident on Strawberry's missed shot on the 15, failing to make contact that allowed a free shot for Paige, who won the game and took a 2-1 series lead because of it. Paige secured the series at 3-1, using a double-pot spurred by the 8, which caromed into both the 10 and the 13 to pot them in the top side and bottom left respectively, and then a 14-15 cut combination to the bottom side to seal the deal. In the characteristically sloppy and meaningless game 5, Paige managed to come through again, winning the series 4-1. Paige is ranked #76 in 15-ball, and she is set for a third round visit to Mercedes-Benz Forum in Harrison to play Leandra.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Dani v. Spirit. We're back to Rotation in the final appearance of the red cue for today. Dani dominated game 1 for Capital City, running out to a big lead early, only to watch Lighton's Spirit tie the game late. The Sharpshooters' Dani pulled out an 8-7 win when the Prestige's Spirit scratched on a narrow cut attempt gone awry. Spirit mustered no comeback in game 2, as Dani held on even after some poor shots to win 8-1 and take a 2-0 series lead in the process. Dani clinched the series in game 3, using a four-ball run-out as the knockout punch in another big 8-1 win. Spirit made the highlight reel in game 4, banking the 7 off the right rail at the perfect angle to deflect the 14 into the top side. Spirit got the win later in the game, by a score of 8-4 to make it 3-1 in the series. Dani took a back-and-forth game 5 by an 8-7 score in a game devoid of highlights, winning the series 4-1. Dani takes a #89 ranked Rotation campaign into the third round.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Frosty v. Sierra. Finally, we end the night with Survival. In game 1, Royal's Frosty struggled to find a shooting rhythm, while Todavía's Sierra did enough on her own to hold on for a win and a 1-0 series lead. The Stills' Sierra took it easy in a strong win in game 2, needing just one rack to top the Crowns' Frosty. Sierra was strong in game 3 into the second rack, but it all fell apart from there, and Frosty was able out-maneuver her to get back in the series with a win, making it 2-1 on that scoreboard. Frosty evened the series with another mind-game laden game 4, manipulating a much less cerebral Sierra with good placement to make it a 2-2 series. Game 5 was competitive through the first rack, but Sierra took control in the second rack and won comfortably as Frosty faded. Sierra, ranked #61 in Survival, is set to visit Dustin at Nestle's Warriors Hall in Central for their third round battle.
The upcoming schedule should produce about 50-60 games tomorrow, 30-40 on Friday, and 30-50 on Saturday. Tomorrow night will see some SCL games as well, and Saturday could also have SCL action. Things will be at full speed or close to it on Sunday.
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