More games today, but no silver cue due to Rivalry rules, beginning with...
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Debby Ryan v. Gizmo. We begin with a trio of Rotation series today. Southridge's Debby built up a lead early, only to see Central's Gizmo tie the game at 5. Debby of the Defenders shot back with a three-ball run-out to win the game 8-5 and take a 1-0 series lead. Debby took game 2 by an 8-3 score after a four-ball run-out, but before that stretch, it was a series of missed contacts and scratching for both herself and the Warriors' Gizmo. Gizmo won another sloppily conducted game 3, building up a lead gradually when he wasn't snookered, before sealing it off at 8-4. In game 4, Debby hit the highlight reel with a two-rail kick onto the 1, which caromed the 8 into the top side and 6 into the bottom side to take a lead early in the game. Debby showed better positioning throughout game 4, and also capitalized on a poor decision by Gizmo to win 8-4 and secure the series at 3-1. Debby and Gizmo battled throughout game 5 as well, until another scratch by Gizmo led to another four-ball run-out and 8-4 victory for Debby, saved by a strong 10-ball kick to the bottom right off the top rail. Debby won the series 4-1, and advances to the third round with her #9 ranked campaign in Rotation, with her soon-to-be-named opponent scheduled to visit GE Stadium Events Center in Southridge.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Sydnee v. Twilight. The next series heads to the red side of the bracket. Central's Twilight worked efficiently, chipping away with defense against Royal's Sydnee until she could ice the game at 8-2 to take a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Sydnee played a big role in setting the Warriors' Twilight up in game 2, as her hard miss on a 9-10 combination positioned both nicely for Twilight. Twilight then navigated to a good spot on the 11, winning the game 8-4 and moving to 2-0 in the series. Twilight started game 3 with a four-ball run on her turn after the break, and managed to weather Sydnee's late three-ball run that was ended by missed contact, with Twilight winning the game 8-3 and clinching the series at 3-0. Sydnee stymied Twilight late in game 4, using a double pot on the 6 (top side) and 7 (bottom left) to get set on the 11. Twilight got one back, but Sydnee rallied with a three-ball run-out for a come-from-behind 8-7 win. In game 5, Sydnee won 8-5 with another two-turn rally, making two balls to finish after using three to take the lead, including a double-pot on the 10 in the bottom right with the cue taking one rail to knock the 13 into the top left. In the series, Twilight won 3-2, and she takes her #91 ranked Rotation bid on the road again in round 3, doing battle with Rainmane in Web City's Home Depot Forum.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: J. Garcia v. Smokey. The third straight Rotation series and second part of the Southridge doubleheader is next on the list, and also serves as the 100th series of the 256 series in the second round. Southridge's Garcia dominated in game 1, winning 8-2 with the highlight coming during a four-ball run. On the shot, the Defenders' Garcia had an awkward angle on a 6-13 combination, but it turned out to be perfect for a double-pot as she executed the shot in ideal form, with the 6 in the top right after the carom, and the 13 in the top side. Diamond's Smokey took game 8-4, tying the series with a four-ball run-out featuring strong positioning. Early on, the Gems' Smokey rallied from 3-0 down by nursing the top left pocket, using combinations to pot the 13 and 14 before a well executed right rail kick to nab the 4 as well. Smokey survived an early onslaught by Garcia in game 3, holding on to the very end where a five-ball run-out pulled him to an 8-7 win and a 2-1 series lead. Garcia shot back to retie the series in game 4, building a lead that faded early before striking with a four-ball run-out as the equalizer. Garcia, in a controversial ruling, gained possession down 6-2 and rallied a six-ball run-out for an 8-6 game win and 3-2 series win, bringing the Southridge fans to their feet while a small contingent of Diamond fans in attendance entered protest. Garcia, ranked #14 in Rotation, will be the visitor in an all-Southridge meeting in round three against Rookie of the Year candidate Debby Ryan.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shawn v. Kavan. The afternoon begins with 15-ball in the southwest. Southern's Shawn pulled out a sloppy win in game 1, as both players lacked confidence and command in their shots, and many went well wide of the pocket or resulted in scratching or missed contact. Freedom's Kavan tied it in game 2, which was another sloppy affair but not as bad as the first game of the series. Scratches are still prevalent, and the quality of play has declined from last year. Kavan took a 2-1 series lead for the Cascades as the Monarchs' Shawn left the 15 on the doorstep at the top left pocket. Game 3 was yet again sloppy, and either of these players is subject to get humiliated in the third round, as scratches and easy misses have been the theme of the series so far. Game 4 was unusual, as the players got into gear. Kavan hit an impressive double-pot with the 7 and 13 on a bank and kick combination to the top side and top right pockets. Shawn took the game and retied the series at 2 with a five-ball run-out, easily the best of the series thus far. Kavan took the series 3-2 in game 5, taking advantage of Shawn's scratch to use ball-in hand to make the 11 in the bottom side, carom the cue to tap the 14 into the top left, and then walk the top rail on the 15 as a three-ball run-out in two shots. Kavan, pulling off another underdog victory, will travel somewhere in round three to continue his #111 ranked 15-ball effort.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Chimpy v. Dusky. The schedule heads into the afternoon with back-to-back Survival series. Chimpy of Modernistic pulled off a Survival rope-a-dope in game 1, casually chipping his own lives down with misses before Archtown's Dusky made her first miss, and then taking over the game with crafty positioning. After gaining a bonus life, the Union's Chimpy chipped further to tie the game at one life each, forcing the Arrows' Dusky to sink a ball on a tap in that left favorable position. At the start of rack 2, Chimpy knocked in the spare ball, and disturbed the rack enough to limit Dusky's breakup shot potency, working to take a 1-0 series lead with a wonderful series of mind games. Dusky avoided falling for the chip-down method in rack 2 of game 2, but it nearly worked. Instead, Chimpy missed his last shot, giving Dusky the game she needed to tie the series and restore her confidence. Chimpy regained a series lead at 2-1 in game 3, using defensive tactics after pulling back to level ground with Dusky to seal the deal. He snookered her at the bottom right pocket, which led to a scratch, and then disrupted the rack on his shot after the scratch, causing an ill-advised carom attempt. Finally, Dusky blew it herself on the breakup shot with what was left of the rack. Chimpy clinched the series in game 4, using Dusky's own rack disturbance at the start of the second rack to his own benefit. Chimpy made light contact, further disturbing the rack, but with his advantage in lives, he could afford to lose one for the highly likely chance Dusky would fail to sink a ball on her last life. His gamble worked, and he made the series 3-1. Dusky took a laid-back game 5 by using some of Chimpy's tricks on him, but it was still a close call that counted on him missing a combination shot. Chimpy, ranked #25 for Survival, advances into the third round as the enigmatic mastermind plays on.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Midnight v. Easter. The other half of the Survival doubleheader comes from Commerce, a suburb of Modernistic. Commerce's Midnight took game 1 over Todavía's Easter, in a much faster-paced affair than the previous series. Both players played strong, with a certain amount of dislike for each other evident in the Rivalry series. The Tradewinds' Midnight took the game by forcing Easter of the Stills into a combination (7-9) she couldn't convert. Midnight took game 2 as well, a very back-and-forth battle with Easter that saw each of them have leads at various times. Easter dropped the game and dropped into a 2-0 hole in the series with a missed cut shot from a bad angle. Midnight buried Easter in game 3, ending with six lives when Easter flubbed her final shot and barely made contact. Easter avoided a sweep with a win in two racks in game 4, holding on after her throw-off tactic backfired on her and Midnight pulled off making a ball on the second rack breakup. Midnight narrowly took game 5 to make it 4-1 in the series, holding on just long enough in the third rack to seal the game after a close miss by Easter. Ranked #15 in Survival, Midnight is set to host another series in the third round, as Citrus of the Diamond Gems visits the Nike Field Events Center in Commerce.
Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Whiskers v. Missy. Things speed up a bit as we hit 7-ball, and the first of six straight series for the blue cue after three straight from the red. Infinity City's Whiskers ran out the final four balls in game 1, giving her a strong start with a 1-0 series lead after playing the first half of the game on the periphery. The Torpedoes' Whiskers got away with lazy shooting late in game 2, as Capital City's Missy couldn't convert on a top rail on the 7 to the bottom left, allowing Whiskers the tap-in for a 2-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Missy got on the board with a game 3 win, after Whiskers mishit the 6 in an attempt to gain positioning and ended up losing possession and the game. Missy tied the series in game 4, running out the final six balls and sinking all of them after she took the 1 on the break. In the run, Missy used the 2 to sink both the 3 and 4 in combinations at the top corners before knocking it off the board. Whiskers was white-knuckling near the end of game 5, as Missy ran three balls before shooting wide left on the 7 at the bottom right. On a shot from medium-to-long distance toward the top left, Whiskers buried the 7 to secure the series 3-2. Whiskers is ranked #1 in 7-ball, and she continues after two straight close series to host her next opponent at Nissan Hall in Infinity City.
HP Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Leandra. Rotation is back again for this series. Stirring the pot early, Eastside's Graham, a prickly captain disliked by many around the league, erased a 7-0 lead by Harrison's Leandra, using a four-ball run-out to come back from the largest possible deficit and win 8-7 for a 1-0 series lead. The Sharks' Graham did in game 2 what the Specters' Leandra failed to in game 1: win 8-0, as he dominated from the start this time around. Key to victory was a mob shot on the 5 that shifted four balls to the bottom left of the table, potting the 14 and the 8 to take a strong 7-0 lead before an easy shot on the 5 to the top left. Graham clinched the series with an 8-1 win in game 3, but it was more of a defensively oriented game rather than the flat out dominance from before. Game 4 was much closer, as Graham won only 8-5, but it did have highlights. Early on, to take a 2-0 game lead, Graham used a 1-12-5 combination that saw the 12 also follow. Finishing off the game, Graham executed a bank shot cleanly off the top rail on the 13 and into the bottom left after a furious comeback effort by Leandra. Graham surged to the sweep with an 8-4 win in game 5, using an early double-pot on the 2 and 3 in the same pocket on a follow shot and a late run to bolster the lead before finishing off Leandra. Graham is ranked #57 in Rotation, and he will be traveling in round three to visit Oreo at the Gillette Center in Swordpoint.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Slinks v. Mams. Slinks has a doubleheader on her schedule, both home series, with 8-ball the first of those. Viewpoint Sound's Mams took game 1 with control early on, and got lucky as Harrison's Slinks missed the 8 on her cut attempt. With ball-in-hand, the Meteors' Mams ran out the final three balls for a 1-0 series lead. The Specters' Slinks made a highlight reel shot in game 2, cutting the 11 into the bottom side to claim stripes, with the cue bouncing off the right rail and running along the bottom rail to tap the 13 into the bottom left for the double-pot. Slinks overcame two scratches in game 2, winning narrowly to tie the series at 1. Slinks dominated in game 2, navigating a cluttered table with an early run and late accuracy for a 2-1 lead in the series. Mams got lucky to tie in game 4, after Slinks dominated early. Mams frustrated Slinks enough with defense on her last ball, the 5, so much that a kick shot went awry and committed the Three Worst Things in 8-ball: sinking an opponent's ball (Mams' 14 in the top right); scratching (in the top right); and sinking the 8 early (in the top right). This tied the series at 2. Game 5, as to be expected in a win-or-go-home situation, was very tight until the end, where Mams ran out three balls with two side pocket shots and a sharp cut on the 8 to win 3-2 in the series. Mams, ranked #101 in 8-ball, opposes the highly ranked Princess at Cisco Arena in Tysini in the third round.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Slinks v. Noelle. After her failure in 8-ball, Slinks hopes to end on a good note in 9-ball. For about half of game 1, the 9 was pinned just outside the pocket by the 4, which was unhittable, distracting the players. After the mess was cleared, they went back-and-forth strategically, until Central's Noelle left the 9 on the doorstep at the bottom left. Harrison's Slinks tapped it in for a 1-0 lead. Game 2 ended in controversial fashion, favoring the Specters' Slinks and the home crowd. With ball-in-hand, Slinks lined up for the 2, with the 9 frozen on it near the bottom left. According to the judge, the shot was technically a carom, and the 9 banked off the bottom rail into the top side for the win, but that ruling is questionable at best. Noelle got one back for the Warriors, getting her redemption after Slinks scratched in a spot where a 5-9 double-pot combination was the logical option to make it 2-1. In a fairly normal game 4, it was Noelle coming up with the win in unspectacular fashion. It was enough to tie the series for the vengeful-feeling Warrior. Slinks held off Noelle in game 5 despite getting demolished early in possession, finishing with a three-ball run-out for a 3-2 series win and an even 5-5 doubleheader record. Slinks, ranked #41 in 9-ball, will play again at home in the third round as she hosts Shaggy in this very venue.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Spirit v. Paps. We bridge the gap between afternoon and night with a 15-ball series. Game 1 went smoothly until the 15, which was chased around quite a bit after Pronger's Paps elected for a bad-angle bank instead of a worse-angle cut. Lighton's Spirit finally tamed the 15 to take a 1-0 series lead. Paps of the Tridents showed quite a bit of luck and skill all at once, ripping a four-ball run-out to tie the series, with the final blow being a two-rail bank of the 14 that glided into the 15, sending the latter to the top left pocket to win the game. Spirit looked ready to reclaim the series lead in game 3, but she chipped the 15 after a three-ball run and left it close to the bottom side for Paps to tap in, giving him the 2-1 lead instead. Spirit took advantage of a shaky ending to the game, scoring the 15 to tie the series in a fairly standard game. Once game 5 got moving, Spirit had an eight-ball run, the longest since the website started at the very least. Paps had the other eight balls, and anyone who knows anything about pool knows that isn't as good as it sounds. Paps did knock down all of the 9-15, but in the process of making the 15 on his third turn after Spirit's run, he scratched, giving the game and series away to Spirit, 3-2. Ranked #38 for 15-ball, Spirit had a lot of luck on her side to advance to the third round.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lionel v. Bells. The night series begin with 8-ball. Oceanside's Bells capitalized on Lionel of Commerce leaving the 8 on the table after his late run, as Bells ran out the final five of her own and the 8 with pinpoint accuracy and brilliant positioning to take 1-0 lead from the jaws of defeat. The Waves' Bells was in full control in game 2, using a four-ball run-out as her knockout move. In that run, Bells executed a perfect kick on the 14 from the bottom rail to the top left pocket, somehow getting it past the 5 despite a lack of space, and then setting herself up for an easy shot on the 8, which she converted for a 2-0 lead. The Tradewinds' Lionel got on the board in game 3 with a strong win, capitalizing on a scratch by Bells late in the game. Lionel tied the series with a win in game 4, although it started off slowly. Both players struggled early, but a mid-game rally by Lionel was enough to set him apart, and Bells' late scratch made the 8 easier. Lionel was getting buried in game 5, as Bells drove possession late with a series of good, productive turns, but she put just a bit too much juice on her 8 shot, and the cue caromed off the right rail into the top side, giving Lionel a come-from-behind 3-2 series win. With the series loss, Bells has been eliminated from all events, and Lionel is credited with a kill. Bells' future with the Waves is in a bit of doubt, but her cricket numbers indicate she might be back. Ranked #57 in 8-ball, Lionel will host the Harrison Specters' Stealth in the third round at the Nike Field Events Center in Commerce.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Americus v. Marsell. The night continues with 15-ball on the coast. Tysini's Marsell took advantage of a scratch by Oceanside's Americus, using the ball-in-hand to run the last two balls for the win in a relatively well-played but simple game. The Hummingbirds' Marsell controlled the pace of play in game 2, using a mid-game rally as his biggest force play. The Waves' Americus was in good position to tie the series, but left the 15 short, and Marsell cashed in to take a 2-0 lead on the tap-in. Americus got on the board with a four-ball run-out in game 3, making the series 2-1 in what has been fairly uneventful play so far. Marsell shot back, clinching the series with a huge win in game 4. Americus attempted to use a combination-bank shot with the 5-7-15, having the 7 act as the action ball on the rail. This failed, but Marsell used the next shot, with the 7 cleared away, to complete a 5-15 bank combination to the top left off the bottom rail, which was executed brilliantly. Americus ran out the final four balls in game 5, making it a 3-2 series win for Marsell. Marsell, ranked #102 for 15-ball, advances into the third round, where he will oppose Sleepy B. of the Archtown Arrows at the Starbucks Arena in Archtown.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Snuggle. This 7-ball series is tainted a bit by the transcription mistake I made when forming the documents, with Rainmane being ranked improperly in the bracket. Web City's Rainmane looked good in game 1, controlling possession sufficiently, but she put a little too much into her shot on the 7, and Oceanside's Snuggle was credited with the win after the scratch. The Waves' Snuggle again made the Spiders' Rainmane pay for a scratch, using ball-in-hand to double-pot the 4 and 6 in the bottom left, sink the 5 in the top left, and get position for a humiliating bank on the 7 from the top rail to the bottom right for a 2-0 series lead. Rainmane was the one cashing in with game 3, using Snuggle's illegal contact foul as the catalyst for her two-ball finishing run, potting the 4 in the bottom left and using a 5-7 combination in the top left as the knockout hit. Rainmane used insane shots in game 4 to win the game, sinking the 6 in the bottom left after having it circle the table and spin its way in, only to be topped by her botched cut on the 7 toward the bottom side that ended up, with favorable spin, in the top left to tie the series at 2. Snuggle did most of the work in game 5, but much like building a house, it doesn't matter if you built every wall if you forget the roof. Snuggle's five-ball run was for nothing when he left the 7 short on the doorstep of the top right, an easy tap-in for Rainmane to win the series 3-2. Rainmane, ranked #15 for 7-ball, is set to host another series at Home Depot Forum in round three, against Jack of the Pacific Volcanoes.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Gradley v. Dreamy. The last Survival series for awhile, looking at the schedule, is on the blue cue in the urban southeast. Boston's Gradley did well early on, holding his own, but once he hit the skids, he couldn't stop, and Swordpoint's Dreamy remained more stable in her shots, taking game 1 comfortably in one rack. In game 2, Gradley made the highlight reels with a double-pot shot early in the first rack. He had a tough cut on the 5 into the top right, but it went down, and the cue ball caromed off of two rails, kicking the 8 to the bottom side to earn an extra two lives. These extra two lives generally held on as the Swifts' Gradley wore the Blades' Dreamy out, tying the series at a game apiece. Dreamy rebounded in game 3, as Gradley's life-saving shot at the start of rack two ended up scratching, wiping out the savior effect, and putting him down 2-1 in the series. Dreamy drained Gradley even faster in game 4, holding four lives as he faded away again down the stretch of the first rack. Gradley did almost exactly the same thing to Dreamy in game 5, but it wasn't enough as Dreamy won the series 3-2 despite losing the last game. Ranked #119 in Survival, Dreamy continues an improbable run into the third round.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Midnight v. Snowball. For the third time today, Commerce is host to an event, this time 9-ball. Commerce's Midnight survived a five-ball run by Swordpoint's Snowball early on, answering with a four-ball run-out as both players displayed the full extent of their skills. The Tradewinds' Midnight took a 2-0 series lead with a less dominant but still very confident looking effort in game 2, a fairly normal game by league standards. The Blades' Snowball took game 2 in an iffy fashion, pulling off a 2-9 carom that barely grazed the 2 before sending the 9 to the bottom side. The play was reminiscent of the Slinks v. Noelle game 2 earlier in the day, but more toward the legal shot side of things. Midnight looked poised to answer in game 4, sinking the 4 on a small-angle carom off the 7, and then making the 6 and 7 on tough shots, but she rattled the 8 out, leaving Snowball available to pick up the pieces and tie the series. Snowball won the series on a bold two-rail bank shot, missing her intention of the bottom right but watching it glide into the top right with ease for a 3-2 series win. Ranked #99 in 9-ball, Snowball will visit the Lay's Field Events Center in Victoria for a third-round battle with Spice.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Twinkie I v. Sleepy B. The final series of the night features the red cue and 8-ball in the southwest. Game 1 was very sloppy, as neither player could establish a run of play, but Sleepy B. of Archtown was less futile, taking a 1-0 series lead with a win that was anything but strong. The Arrows' Sleepy B. took a 2-0 lead on Lighton's Twinkie I in game 2, running out the final four balls with more rattlers than the Arizona desert. Luck aside, Sleepy B. adapted much better after seeing game 1. In game 3, the Prestige's Twinkie I got on the board by running play and using solid positioning to tighten the series up a little bit. In game 4, Twinkie I made a double-pot on the 10 and 13, using the 7 as an intermediary contact point to get both balls down. Sleepy B. answered with a five-ball run to tighten the game up. The end of the game was a bit choppy, but Twinkie I tied the series by taking a little pace off the cue ball to nail the 8 in the bottom left without scratching in the top left as the structure of the shot suggested would happen. Twinkie I completed the comeback by winning game 5 in dominant fashion, and with a lucky bounce as the 1 and cue ball went to the bottom side and the cue redirected the 1 in. Twinkie I won the series 3-2, and takes a #67 ranked bid in 8-ball to the third round.
That's all for today. We should be hitting halfway tomorrow night for the second round, just ten playing days in as we keep pace very high. Programming notes: I will be taking a little time off Thursday from pool for the SCL, and I will be at a baseball game on Friday night. Saturdays are normally slow, so expect a light load over the next few days after tomorrow.
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