We're back today with an extended afternoon. The extra games may make it feasible to play Cricket later tonight, or we may just maximize the pool for the day. We begin in...
Ebay Center, Queens: Kayla v. Sweetheart. We've got a doubleheader in 7-ball to lead off the morning slate. Queens' Kayla drove possession in game 1, potting six of the seven balls to take a 1-0 lead on the shaky Sweetheart of Boston. The Flames' Kayla took a 2-0 lead in the series, again controlling game 2, and taking advantage of a poor shot by the Swifts' Sweetheart late to tap the 7 in for a clinching shot. Kayla clinched the series with two balls off the break and a three-ball run-out for the 3-0 lead in another dominating effort. Sweetheart had a three-ball run-out in game 4, avoiding the sweep by salvaging a game with strong accuracy and positioning. Kayla took the series 4-1 after a somewhat sloppy game 5 win. Kayla, ranked #92 in 7-ball, awaits the result of the next series to figure out where she will travel for the third round.
Ford Forum, Pronger: Precious v. Easter. The other half of the doubleheader comes from the east. Todavía's Easter did a very good vulture impersonation, watching Pronger's Precious do all the work and get all the bounces (two balls of her six-ball run were of the lucky bounce variety), before the latter choked on the 7 and the former mopped up for a 1-0 lead. The Stills' Easter displayed the other way to win making just one shot in a game, taking the 7 off the break into the bottom side for a 2-0 series lead through a lucky spread. Easter took advantage of a highly flustered Precious, as the Tridents' player twice left the 7 in vulnerable positions. The first time, Easter was a bit lazy, but after a scratch by Precious, Easter potted the 4 in the bottom left before double potting the 6 and 7 with a follow on the combination to the top left, clinching the series at 3-0. Precious got on the board in game 4, capitalizing on a mistake by Easter, where she missed the 5 after getting the 6 to fall in the top left after being jostled around. Precious also took game 5, a lazily conducted stanza, to make it a 3-2 series win for Easter. Ranked #52 in 7-ball, Easter will host Kayla at Todavía's Apple Center in round three.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Puff III v. Steven. Now for another type of doubleheader, the location-based. We've got two from Everton to start the afternoon, the first in 8-ball. Atlantic's Steven took a 1-0 lead after gaining separation with a late three-ball run to top Everton's Puff III. The Eagles' Puff III tied it in game 2, playing a somewhat chippy game to dig in at the Pirates' Steven, who squandered a noticeable lead in this stanza. Steven took game 3 after Puff III screwed up a ball-in-hand situation, adding a little too much cut on her shot that resulted in the 8 falling where she intended the 10 to go. Puff III answered with a three-ball run-out and strong positioning in game 4, tying the series at 2 as her shooting avoided costly mistakes. Puff III got the luckiest of lucky breaks in game 5, managing to rally back only to see a very valid 8 shot not fall and leave the 8 by the pocket. Steven, however, whiffed the finish, leaving the cue frozen on the 8 in the jaws of the top left, which Puff III tapped just slightly to win the game and series 3-2. Puff III, ranked #38 in 8-ball, is set to bring in Twinkie I of the Lighton Prestige to this venue in the third round. With the loss, Steven is the seventh player to see his 2015 tournament come to an end. Steven is not returning to the UPCL next season, and the Atlantic Pirates will receive a compensatory first round selection in the Expansion Draft. Puff III earned her first kill of the tournament.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy v. Bear. Staying put, we have the Everton captain Goldy against Whitewater's captain Bear in 15-ball. Game 1 maintained a solid pace until four balls remained, where all semblance of offense fell apart. Goldy of the Eagles ended up taking the game after finally putting some pieces together. Late mistakes by both players made game 2 sloppy, but Goldy scratching after potting the 15 to give Bear of the Shores the win was the worst of all the mistakes. In game 3, Bear took a 2-1 series lead with his win in a mostly standard game, with a two-ball finish as the highlight. Another moment was Goldy's double-pot of the 7 in the bottom side, with the cue ball running to pluck the 9 at the bottom right after grazing the bottom rail. Bear clinched the series in game 4, a mostly standard game again capped with a nice run-out of three balls. Goldy got one back with a fast-paced game 5 win, with runs extremely common for both sides. Bear still won the series 3-2, and takes his #126 ranked Cinderella 15-ball effort into the third round, where Shannon of the Southern Monarchs awaits him in the Microsoft Center in Del Sur.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Sydnee v. Puff III. We're onto 12-ball in the southeast. Everton's Puff III, fresh off a home win, managed to hold off a rallying Sydnee of Royal in game 1 of this set, using ball-in-hand after illegal contact to put away the 10 in the bottom side for the win. The Eagles' Puff III took a 2-0 lead in game 2, with a surprisingly close win over the Crowns' Sydnee. The game started interesting with a solid going down on the right side of the table, which gave Sydnee a wild card ball. On her last shot, Sydnee took the 14 in the top side, seemingly to clinch the game, except the cue ball made it all the way back to the top left and scratch, giving the wild card ball away. Puff III, who had made excellent positioning and shot selection decisions, was rewarded for smart play with a fairly easy shot on the 7, which she made for the win. Puff III clinched the series with a highlight-laden game 3. Puff III began with a four-ball run, sinking two on the break. Sydnee shot right back to make it nearly even after a double pot that saw the 1 go to the bottom side while the 2 went to the top right. Sydnee continued to run on good positioning, but things got tighter later on. Puff III eventually took the series with even better positioning to get the bottom side and top right herself with the 10 and 15. Game 4 was beautifully strategic, with Sydnee getting the best of it after Puff III potted Sydnee's last ball to seal the game. Throughout the game, each player engaged in defense, positioning, and crafty play to preserve any advantage, with Puff III holding a wild card ball that eventually cost her a good chance after two scratches (it didn't come out the first time due to an illegally potted ball, a minor loophole in the wild card rule). Puff III took game 5 as well, another tightly contested game despite the lack of anything to play for. In the game, both players navigated difficult suits, although Puff III clearly did better with this. Puff III won the series 4-1, and takes her #96 ranked 12-ball campaign back home to host Dusky of the Archtown Arrows at the Chevrolet Center in Everton in the third round.
Intel Center, Diamond: Cassandra v. Spirit. Next up, there's 8-ball in the Eastern Hills. Diamond's Cassandra took game 1 with a three-ball run-out, ending with a slight scare as the 8 nearly rattled out of the top side, but it eventually dropped to squash Lighton's Spirit having any chance of stealing the game away. Cassandra took a 2-0 lead in the series with a four-ball run-out in game 2, thoroughly dominating possession in the game. In game 3, the Gems' Cassandra used a five-ball run around mid-game to pace herself back into the game that the Prestige's Spirit had controlled up to that point. Cassandra eventually pulled off the win, taking an unbeatable 3-0 series lead. Game 4 was pretty evenly played, but Spirit made a critical mistake by scratching on the 8, which she had made in the bottom left as the cue fell in the top side to giving Cassandra a 4-0 lead. Cassandra completed the 5-0 sweep with a simple win in game 5, outlasting Spirit's not-all-there attack. Ranked #14 in 8-ball, Cassandra opposes Spirit's sister Valencia of the Golden Pilots in the third round at this venue.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Slinks v. Twinkie III. We've reached a Survival series now, which could eat up a bit of time. Game 1 did not go well for either player, but especially not for Whitewater's Twinkie III, whose accuracy was non-existent. Harrison's Slinks went up 1-0 solely because she made a couple of shots in the sloppy game. Game 2 was a better kind of close, lasting into the second rack as Slinks of the Specters held off a furious Twinkie III for the Shores, earning a 2-0 lead with the narrows win. Slinks clinched the series with a narrow game 3 win, again going two racks to top Twinkie III, who just can't match Slinks ball-for-ball yet. Slinks was the one who blew a close game in game 4, fanning on her last two shots to allow Twinkie III to avoid a sweep as the series went to 3-1. Slinks merely played out the string for game 5, happy to let Twinkie III win to make it 3-2 in the series. Ranked #61 for Survival, Slinks is set to travel to Gillette Center in Swordpoint to face Snowball of the Blades in the third round.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Strawberry. Out on the coast, there's Rotation to be played. Pacific's Ms. Kitty did not get rattled after falling behind early, and her level head helped her come back against Pronger's Strawberry and win 8-4 in game 1. The Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty used virtually the same plan as before, spotting the Tridents' Strawberry a few balls before roaring back slowly but effectively over many turns for an 8-3 win and a 2-0 series lead. Ms. Kitty secured the series in game 3, winning 8-2. The highlight came as she scored her seventh ball, with the 8 kicking off the 10, ramming the 11 and 14 around to take out the 13 in the bottom right corner. The shot resulted in a setup on the 8 for the final ball. Strawberry shot back in game 4, flipping the script with a hot start and a frosty but doable finish to win the game 8-2 and make the series 3-1. Things got tense in game 5, with Ms. Kitty getting frustrated near the end, and compounding that was Strawberry pulling to an 8-7 victory. Ms. Kitty still took the series 3-2, and she will host Dusky of the Archtown Arrows in the third round at this very venue.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Dani v. Strawberry. After a brutal loss earlier, Pronger's Strawberry travels a little southeast for the second half of her person doubleheader, playing 12-ball now. The Tridents' Strawberry took game 1, which ended up as a race to see who could get their ball down first, and Capital City's Dani had issues getting lined up. The Sharpshooters' Dani rallied right back, running her side of things all at once. For the first five shots out of six, she managed with good positioning, and having done all that properly, she took a bit of luck on the last. With the 5 snookered behind the 10, 11, and 14, Dani just smashed at it. The 11 came back off the top and bottom rails with spin, and bumped the 5 toward the intended top left pocket for the equalizing win. Strawberry managed to hold off a strong effort from Dani late in game 3, taking a 2-1 series lead when she finally corralled the 1 into the top right. Strawberry clinched the series in game 4, dominating in offense, taking advantage of the wild card ball, and playing well enough defensively to frustrate Dani despite favorable angles on many of her shots. Strawberry took game 5 narrowly, but more impressively overcame Dani's wild card ball to get the win. Strawberry, ranked #102 in 12-ball, faces Ruby of the Archtown Arrows at Starbucks Arena in the third round after a 4-1 win in this series.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Sweetheart v. Ruby. Next up, there's 15-ball just across the highway. Archtown's Ruby weathered a five-ball run by Boston's Sweetheart in game 1, and took a little bit of motivation from her opponent in using the 11 as an object to carom off of, sinking the 15 just one shot after Sweetheart couldn't pull off the trick. The Arrows' Ruby went up 2-0 in game 2, battling fiercely with her fellow MVP contender on the Swifts. In the end, Sweetheart's scratch cost her the game, allowing Ruby a short two-ball run-out. Ruby clinched the series in game 3, waiting for Sweetheart to trip up on the 15 after a closely played game before tapping in the final ball for the winner. Sweetheart took game 4, relieved to see that her five-ball run around the middle of the game actually counted for something this time, as Ruby was hot on her trail for most of the game but didn't have the same finishing acumen now that the series has been wrapped up. Sweetheart also took game 5 in much the same way, as the game itself was very back-and-forth without any long runs of possession. Ruby claimed the series 3-2, and takes her #82 ranked 15-ball bid into Queens to play Crystal of the Flames at the Ebay Center in the third round.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Wild Thing v. Ms. Puppy. The blue cue, after an extended absence, returns for 12-ball. Ms. Puppy of Modernistic took advantage of Swordpoint's Wild Thing surrendering a wild card ball off the break, using it as leverage for positioning after Wild Thing shrunk his defense too much to cover every option. After the Blades' Wild Thing missed a cut on the 14 to the bottom right, sinking the 2 in the top right instead, the game favored the Union's Ms. Puppy, who didn't disappoint in navigating defense laid out by Wild Thing near the bottom left in an effort to preserve a chance. Ms. Puppy went up 2-0 with the win. Wild Thing got on the board with a very fast-paced game 3 win, with shot selection being his standout quality from this particular game. Ms. Puppy shot back in game 4, but she hardly earned the game. She held two wild card balls, and this allowed her to play more patiently but also resulted in a lot of lazy shots en route to a 3-1 series lead. Wild Thing took game 5 pretty simply as well, making it 3-2 for Ms. Puppy. Ms. Puppy is into the third round with a 12-ball bid ranked at #111.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Lydia v. Starlight. The league's most diva-esque star is back for her second series of seven this round, playing 9-ball away from home on the coast. Viewpoint Sound's Lydia quickly established control after a failed combination by Pacific's Starlight. Lydia of the Meteors mopped up the 2-7 combination Starlight of the Volcanoes left behind, and then used a 2-9 combination with caroms from the 4 and 6 and a touch off the top rail to make the 9 do a wide u-turn into the bottom side for a 1-0 lead. Lydia took a 2-0 series lead in game 2, which is rightfully described as a comedy of errors. Neither player exhibited much control of the ball, and the scratching was beyond excessive. Starlight had the bulk of possession in game 3, using a four-ball run and Lydia's overthinking to win on a two-ball run-out to make the series 2-1. Starlight again controlled game 4, running five balls at one point and again capitalizing on Lydia's shaky play late in the game. Starlight is notoriously dangerous in and out of games, and no lead is safe from her frenetic play. Starlight upped her ante again in game 5, running four balls early. Lydia seemed poised to recover, but scratched, and Starlight had a four-ball run-out to take the series 3-2. Ranked #54 in 9-ball, Starlight is on to the third round with a typical, come-from-behind, herculean effort. Starlight drew her first kill of the season, knocking Lydia out of the tournament as the eighth such happening. Lydia is not protected for the Meteors, and she could be seeing a new team next season.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Jasmine v. Panda. The night session has 7-ball to begin with. Freedom's Jasmine led off with a game 1 win, using slightly better positioning than Southern's Panda to get the win. The Cascades' Jasmine made it 2-0 in the series with a game 2 win, despite the Monarchs' Panda scoring a four-ball run in the game. Panda got on the board with a win in game 3, taking advantage of Jasmine's late scratch to seal a much-needed victory. Jasmine clinched the series with a tap-in on the 7 at the top side pocket after Panda left it short in a much choppier game 4. Jasmine made it 4-1 in the series with a game 5 win, although both players were left chasing the 7 around the table by the end of the game, as their earlier shooting prowess disappeared. Jasmine advanced to the third round with her #36 ranked 7-ball campaign, with travel plans for Westside to oppose Goatee of the Rockers at the BMW RockDome.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Shaggy v. Boots. This 8-ball series pits Southridge Defender against Southridge Defender in an intra-team set. Boots did not have to try hard to best the higher-ranked Shaggy, who appeared a bit shaky in game 1. Boots cruised to victory, with Shaggy only getting everything together late in the game. Shaggy appeared the more confident of contestants in game 2, matching Boots' game 1 efforts on her own here, tying the series at 1 in the process with an almost precise reversal of roles from the first game. Shaggy continued strong play into game 3, running four balls to set up for the 8, but Boots wouldn't let her get another chance, running her final three balls and the 8 to take a 2-1 series lead for the "visitor." Boots controlled the run of play in a much sloppier game 4, but she did not get rewarded for it, as her shot on the 8 saw her scratch after successfully banking it into the top side from the bottom rail, allowing Shaggy another breath of life in a 2-2 series. Both players exchanged four-ball runs in game 5, and it appeared Boots' run had her set for an easy win if she got another chance. Instead, Boots made a mistake on the 8, leaving it short for Shaggy to polish off for a 3-2 series win. Shaggy will use her #7 ranked 8-ball campaign in the third round as the host to Ice Cream of the Commerce Tradewinds at this venue. Shaggy also knocked Boots out of the tournament with her first kill of the season. Boots is the ninth player to fall and the first by friendly fire. It is possible but unlikely that the Defenders captain will be cut at season's end.
Ebay Center, Queens: Max v. Chicky Phil. Staying in the southeast, there's 12-ball to be played. Westside's Chicky Phil made the most of two misplays by Queens' Max. First, the Flames' Max potted the 6 in the bottom side as collateral damage for making the 11 in the bottom right, making the 6 a wild card ball. Then, Max double potted the 13 in the top side and 15 in the bottom right, for an illegally potted ball. The Rockers' Chicky Phil was served just fine in shooting his two remaining balls to the top right and bottom side to take the game and a 1-0 lead. Chicky Phil dominated game 2 with brilliant shot selection and positioning, pulling ahead to 2-0 in the series but also dropping the cue on his foot and taking a minor injury that may hamper his comfort at the table. Game 3 was wrought with controversy, although it had no impact on the game itself. Chicky Phil won cleanly, and would have won anyway even if one of the spectators hadn't jumped on the table to keep the 5 out of the top right on Max's shot. Max's turn continued with the 5 being awarded (and he had a wild card ball at that point), and then his subsequent end of turn resulted in a doable shot for Chicky Phil, who converted to win the game and the series. With that said, the Ebay Center crowd was highly displeased, and they have been known to riot before (a cricket match against the Freedom Cascades is all you need to know about that). In game 4, Max got on the board, settling the crowd only the tiniest bit as it came with a wild card ball and via a Jenga-like game of cat and mouse. With both players needing the top right, but neither aiming to give up a good shot, they engaged in short, deliberate contact as a defensive guise. On the third run through of this, Chicky Phil tapped a little too hard on his 3 and the 11 dropped to give Max the game. Chicky Phil again dominated in game 5, needing just two turns to secure the series at 4-1. Chicky Phil, ranked #109 for 12-ball, advances to the third round, where he will return home to the BMW RockDome in Westside to host Ms. Puppy of the Modernistic Union, from a series earlier in this post.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Snowball v. Allison. Across the highway, there's a series of Rotation on the schedule. The silver cue will sub in for the red cue this time around. Swordpoint's Snowball struck first, coming out of game 1 blazing before cooling off as the game turned strategic. Snowball still topped Tysini's Allison 8-4 for the win. The Hummingbirds' Allison tied the series with a resilient 8-5 win in game 2, showing that she can keep pace with an all-time great. She actually did well to pull ahead of the Blades' Snowball, and managed to finish it before Snowball got too greedy. Allison staved off Snowball again in game 3, building a big lead that faded slowly, but not efficiently, as Snowball's scratch set up a finishing double pot by Allison on the 11 and 12 in the bottom left with the follow shot for a 2-1 lead. Allison found the highlight reel on her shot for the 3, pulling off a kick with spin with the silver cue, something that has proven difficult thus far. Allison clinched the series in game 4, with her knockout punch a carom off the 10 into the 13 to the bottom left for an 8-2 win and 3-1 series lead. Allison continued to impress, winning game 5 8-6, and taking the series 4-1 through good positioning and a mature approach to the game. Allison is ranked #55 for Rotation, and she is into the third round with the victory.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Bryant v. Precious. Hoping this is a doubleheader in 10-ball, both in the northeast region. For this series, the silver cue will take the spot of the blue cue in its last designated series of the day. Maplewood's Bryant took a three-ball run-out for a 1-0 series lead in game 1, working strong positioning and accuracy as part of his recipe to beat Pronger's Precious. Game 2 went a little more frenetically, with possession changing hands. Precious of the Tridents did hit a strong bank off the right rail to the top left to sink the 6, and later got the position on the 10 after the Lumberjacks' Bryant missed to tie the series at 1. Precious again ran possession in game 3, scoring a four-ball run about midway through and finishing with a highly difficult cut, from distance, to the bottom right pocket, with the rawest cue, and yet it went down and Precious went up 2-1. Bryant tied it with a strongly played game 4, shooting crisply and working around the table to collect shots. Precious did well in game 5, driving the play forward, and she capitalized on a late mistake by Bryant, taking the ball-in-hand from his scratch and using it to win the series 3-2. Ranked #126 for 10-ball, Precious is into the third round.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Stealth v. Ice Cream. The final series of the day is 10-ball, with the red cue drawing in for the finale. Commerce's Ice Cream lead off with a game 1 in a sloppily-contested match, as both players struggled to get set for shots or execute with any consistency. Harrison's Stealth tied the series at 1 as Ice Cream of the Tradewinds couldn't complete her run-out attempt, falling short on the 10 and leaving it in good position to be snapped up readily on the next turn. Game 3 was a little disjointed, but it was the Specters' Stealth making a shot from distance on the 10 that mattered in the end, giving him a 2-1 lead. Ice Cream made a huge error in game 4. She had run five balls earlier in the game, and controlled the pace through some pretty nice bounces. Stealth scratched on the 10 while potting it, putting the 10 on the spot and the cue in hand, but Ice Cream flubbed the freebie. Stealth took the game and won the series 3-1. Stealth hit the highlight reel with a double-pot of the 5 and 8 in game 5, scoring to the left pockets after using the 2 to break up some junk. Ice Cream answered with a highlight on a kick of the 2 from the left rail to the bottom right pocket, with perfect positioning on the 3. Stealth continued his dominance with accuracy late in the game, making up for a bad choice to take possession after an uncalled shot, and then scratching. Stealth won 4-1, and will take his #44 ranked 10-ball bid in another home series against the Tysini Hummingbirds' Princess in the third round.
That's 90 games today, and it may just move the pace up for the end of the round. Tomorrow morning, there will be cricket.
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