Welcome to the start of the fourth round of pool action. This is when things start to get really exciting, based on past experiences. This is the round that has a large number of kills, comparable to round three, but with more players getting kills out of necessity to stay alive themselves. This also sets the stage for the final three rounds, which are the most intense and competitive as the cream has risen to the top. Be aware that the next two rounds are series of seven games each, up from five. We begin with...
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Lionel. The first series is in 15-ball from the northeast. Commerce's Lionel began with a three-ball run-out in game 1, capitalizing on a miss on the 12 by Central's Dustin to take a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin tied it at 1 in game 2, converting a 13-15 combination with the 15 banking off the bottom rail to get to the top left at the end, a highlight-reel finish to a competitive game. The Tradewinds' Lionel pulled out to a 2-1 lead despite struggling thoroughly late in game 3. The struggles began with Lionel's semi-successful jump over the 10 that sank the 8 but also scratched once the spin took over. Dustin made four of the next five balls, but a miss on the 15 gave Lionel the finishing shot. Lionel moved to a 3-1 lead in the series with a two-ball run-out to answer a late five-ball run by Dustin that missed on the 14 and ultimately fell short of the mark. Lionel secured the series at 4-1 with a 6-7-15 combination to end game 5 that saw the 6 kick off the left rail, caroming the 7 into the 15, which fell in the bottom side for the winning shot to make the highlight reel again. Dustin got one back in game 6, scoring a two-ball run-out after Lionel's miss. The token highlight was Dustin's double-pot with a 10-13 combination to the top left and a carom to take the 14 at the top side. Dustin dominated possession in game 7, including a late four-ball run full of brilliant positioning, but it didn't do any good when he missed the 15. Lionel tapped it in, taking the series 5-2 with the final victory. Ranked #62 in 15-ball, Lionel will host his series in the quarterfinals.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Dusky. The leading MVP candidate brings us to the southwest as she looks to bounce back with 12-ball. Tysini's Princess showed her resilience in game 1, falling behind early but using positioning and strategy to get around Archtown's Dusky in the end for a 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Dusky evened the series in game 2, tying it at 1 with a lot of patience as the Hummingbirds' Princess employed strategic scratches and other crafty techniques to disrupt Dusky's angles, which worked for a bit but did not last as a sustainable plan. Dusky went up 2-1 after a sloppy game 3, filled with bad misses and each player taking a wild card ball but failing to really have a plan for it. Dusky ended up with the win as Princess got her positioning messed up on her last ball, and it took too long to set up, allowing Dusky to make her final two with the wild card ball in her pocket. Dusky charged out to another lead in game 4, making a lot of shots early while Princess struggled to break her shots up. Princess rallied back, but just as she got position on the 5 to the bottom side, Dusky banked the 11 into the top side, taking the game and a 3-1 series lead. Princess shot back in a fast-paced game 5, taking the sides first while Dusky worked left to right, and eventually getting down to just the 5. Dusky missed a bank on the 15 to the top right, but it was close enough that Princess needed contact. She went all-in on the shot, kicking off the bottom rail with spin just enough to cut the 5 to the top left and make it a 3-2 series. Princess tied the series with a very lopsided win in game 6. Princess had all the bottom pockets done after her first turn, and took the top side on her second turn with ball-in-hand after Dusky had no balls down and scratched. Princess then worked positioning, surrendering the 3 as a wild card ball to Dusky to clear her final pocket, the top right, which she took on the next turn after Dusky's late run fell short. The series became tied at 3. Dusky made a big mistake in game 7, scratching and surrendering a wild card ball on the same turn, which set Princess up for a three-ball run-out and a 4-3 series win, which she earned by completing the finish. Ranked #71, Princess survived the close call in this series to advance into the quarterfinals. With the loss, Dusky is the forty-sixth player to be eliminated and the first to fall in the fourth round. Dusky will return to the Archtown Arrows next season after a very good cricket performance. Princess recorded her league-leading third kill of the season in the win.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Patches. On the other half of a 12-ball doubleheader, the silver cue makes an early appearance for the red cue. Boston's Patches took a 1-0 series lead with a game 1 win, getting a wild card ball from Harrison's Twinkie II on her first turn and using it as leverage throughout with strong accuracy. The Specters' Twinkie II shot herself in the foot by missing contact late in the game, giving Patches of the Swifts all she needed to make her last two shots. Patches again had a wild card ball in game 2, and it again served her well as she got positioned efficiently and took only a handful of turns to go up 2-0, while frustrating Twinkie II with inconvenient leaves. Twinkie II blew it in game 3, even with a wild card ball, as Patches showed off her accuracy and was in the process of setting up her final shot. Twinkie II thought the leave on the 9 would be convenient to carom in her 4, but the bank attempt she had for that ended up striking the wrong side of the 9, and when it went down, Patches took a 3-0 series lead. Patches clinched the series at 4-0 with a tightly played, strategic game 4, with Twinkie II very nearly defending Patches to the end. The one mistake Twinkie II made was shooting hard on her last ball when she should have jockeyed for position. Patches had three- and two-ball runs in game 5, which helped quite a bit with pace in a quick game that she won to go up 5-0 through excellent execution. Twinkie II took two turns in game 6, with a wild card ball helping her out. She had a three-ball run, which ended with a good set up to the final two pockets. Patches, while also playing strong with a three-ball run, did not have time to set the rest of her shots up. Game 7 also went quickly, with Twinkie II again holding a wild card ball. Twinkie II nearly cost herself the game by illegally sinking one of her last two balls, but Patches struck wide on her final ball to the top right and lost when Twinkie II ran out the final two. The final in the series favored Patches 5-2. Ranked #115 in 12-ball, Patches continues to the quarterfinals.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Paps. The red cue returns to action briefly for 10-ball. Eastside's Graham had the best of the run of play in game 1, and he also dominated in luck, as Pronger's Paps rattled both the 6 and the 10 out in critical situations, giving Graham a 1-0 lead build on a foundation of tap-ins. The Sharks' Graham dominated possession in game 2, but despite sinking 8, he didn't sink the two most important balls. Those fell to the Tridents' Paps, whose disturbing lack of accuracy took a minute off so that he could pot both of them and tie the series at 1. Paps took a 2-1 series lead, winning game 3 after a scratch by Graham ahead of the 9, allowing another modest two-ball run-out as Graham appears to have lost his luck late in games. Graham retied the series in game 4, an evenly-played game, with a long shot on the 10 after a miss by Paps. Neither play controlled the course of play, and accuracy was about average, but the game was very competitive. Graham made sure a three-ball run didn't go to waste in game 5, and he got his shot to prove it at the end after an errant bank attempt by Paps. Graham held true, sinking the 9 gently in the bottom side before a slight cut on the 10 to the top left to go up 3-2. Paps tied the series again at 3, winning game 6 on a well-shot four-ball run-out, getting excellent position on all of his shots to put the pressure on Graham and making his earlier accuracy doubts disappear. Paps found a highlight reel shot, cutting a 2-5 combination that he called to the bottom left, with the cue caroming to add the 9 in the top left for the spectacular double-pot. Graham answered with a kick-cut on the 3 to the bottom right off the top rail, with the 3 sitting away from the rail. Graham nearly won it when he called a hard carom off the 4 to get the 10, but the 10 stood at the jaws of the bottom left. Paps dodged two more bullets in game 7, as Graham's 6-10 and 7-10 combination attempts both went wide, with the 7 returning to the bottom right. Paps elected to shoot, and two shots later took the game. Paps, ranked #104, won the series 4-3, and will be on the road again for a quarterfinals series. Paps picked up his first kill of the season with the win. Graham found himself eliminated in the loss, the forty-seventh player out of the tournament. Graham will return to the Eastside Sharks in the next season, with a protected contract from cricket.
Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Gabe v. Diddley. The awkward homecoming for players that swapped teams for this season is now in 7-ball. The blue cue is listed as the cue for the next six series as well, but expect the silver cue to make one appearance. Infinity City's Gabe opened with a five-ball run-out in game 1, taking a 1-0 lead over Maplewood's Diddley. The Lumberjacks' Diddley did make a double-pot with the 1 going to the bottom right and the 4 going to the top-right, but the Torpedoes' Gabe took game 2 on a three-ball run-out for a 2-0 lead. Diddley made it 2-1 by making quick work of game 3, using a three-ball run-out that was capped by a light 3-7 combination to the top left for the winner. Diddley distributed well on the break in game 4, sinking the 3 in the top left, the 2 in the bottom side, and most importantly, the 7 in the top right to win the game and tie the series at 2-2. Diddley went up 3-2 in the series after Gabe couldn't extend his three-ball run in game 5 despite good positioning. Diddley made the final two balls to pull ahead. Diddley secured the series at 4-2 in game 6, making a highlight reel-worthy bank-combination 3-7 to the top right, with the 3 coming from the left rail at the perfect trajectory. If nothing else, Torpedoes' management is questioning why they let their former captain go. Gabe got game 7, dominating possession with two three-ball runs, the last being a run-out. Diddley, ranked #89 in 7-ball, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-3 series win. Diddley's win earned him his second kill with his back against the wall. Gabe is the forty-eighth player to be eliminated, and his future with the Torpedoes is not guaranteed, but he may stay on in a leadership position for a team that lacks anyone in that role.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Debby Ryan v. Dustin. From the southeast, there's Rotation to play. Southridge's Debby took a 1-0 series lead with a win in game 1, pulling ahead of Central's Dustin around the middle of the game before cruising to an 8-4 victory after the Warriors' Dustin scratched. The Defenders' Debby took a 2-0 lead in the series with another 8-4 win, running five balls early on for another hot start, and then capitalizing on many mistakes by Dustin, whose aggressive style is not translating well in this series. Dustin built up a stronger lead in game 3, but Debby rallied back to tie it and keep the game close in the late stages until she emerged with an 8-7 win to go to 3-0 in the series. Dustin continued to improve in accuracy, and with a couple missed shots from Debby, won game 4 by an 8-5 score. Dustin's game included a five-ball run to erase an early deficit, and a two-ball run-out for the win. The difference in game 5 was each player's ability to handle a cluttered break region. Debby handled it very well, while Dustin struggled to get out of snookered positions, and therefore Debby won the game 8-3 and clinched the series at 4-1. In game 6, Debby hit the highlight reel with a go-ahead double-pot, cutting the 3 sharply to the top left while blasting the 5 on a kick into the bottom side. The game as a whole was very back-and-forth, but Debby came out on top with an 8-6 win after Dustin struggled to cut the 13 in the open. Dustin took game 7 by an 8-6 score, as Debby didn't have her best stuff in this stanza, and Dustin capitalized with more accuracy. Debby won the series 5-2, and her #9 ranked Rotation bid is set to host her series in the quarterfinals. Debby picked up a revenge win that saw Dustin get eliminated as the forty-ninth player to fall out. Dustin's Central Warriors career is in no doubt, as last year's most borderline cut has made it a point to make the Everton Eagles regret their decision, and he has succeeded in that. Debby picked up her first kill while strengthening her Rookie of the Year campaign.
Intel Center, Diamond: Cassandra v. Lionel. Out east, the game shifts to 8-ball and the silver cue makes its last appearance of the day, subbing for the blue cue. Diamond's Cassandra used a three-ball run-out at the end of game 1 to take a 1-0 series lead, while Commerce's Lionel was stunned by her less-than-textbook shooting style that worked wonderfully this time. The Gems' went up 2-0 on the break in game 2, taking the 8 in the top left. Interestingly, that's the second time the silver cue has taken the 8 on the break this season, with the other two veteran cues only doing it once combined (Twinkie III, round three). The Tradewinds' Lionel bounced back from the shocking game, winning game 3 after pushing Cassandra around early, which worked to make 2-1 in the series. Lionel tied the series at 2 with a thrilling four-ball run-out in game 4, complete with a deft bank off the top rail to the bottom right on the 8 for the winning shot. Cassandra retook the series lead at 3-2 with a game 5 win, running out the last three balls with an especially impressive cut on the 8 that saw her display situational awareness with the 13 acting as the guard of the top left pocket to prevent a scratch. Cassandra proved patient in game 6, getting off to a blistering start but getting stuck on the 8. Lionel roared back with a five-ball run, and Cassandra missed on the 8 again. Lionel made a ball but scratched, and Cassandra found a contact-only play. Finally, after Lionel was down to one ball, Cassandra finished it off and won the series at 4-2 in the process. Lionel still played hard in game 7, showing off late accuracy with a three-ball run-out with perfect positioning. Cassandra won the series 4-3, even if it never seemed that close, and takes the #14 ranked 8-ball campaign into the quarterfinals.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: B. Chapman v. Shaggy. Next up is a doubleheader of 9-ball, beginning in the southwest as the blue cue returns to action. Victoria's Chapman took a quick 1-0 series lead, caroming the cue off the 2 after potting it in the top side to run it along the top rail and double-kiss the 9 into the top left for the win. The Spurs' Chapman took a 2-0 lead by dominating the course of play in game 2. Southridge's Shaggy got one attempt at the 9, but her bank was a little too narrow, and Chapman tapped in for the win on the next shot. Chapman went up 3-0, answered a four-ball run in game 3 from the Defenders' Shaggy with a four-ball run-out, including a brilliantly executed cut on the 8 that drove the cue around the table and into a straight line position on the 9 for the winning shot. Chapman's strengths in the series have been her ability to break well and her ability to control play. Shaggy got on the board to stay alive in game 4, a very tightly played and somewhat sloppy game. Shaggy capitalized on Chapman's missed bank of the 9 off the top rail to the bottom right, which was left short for a tap-in that made it 3-1 in the series. Shaggy had a bad leave for the last shot she took, working a four-ball run late that ended when she just barely contacted the 9, but the glancing shot left Chapman in position for a straight in shot that let her secure the series at 4-1. Game 6 ended with a three-ball run-out by Shaggy, sparked by Chapman's late scratch after sinking the 5, making it 4-2. Shaggy started hot in game 7, shooting four straight, although you could say four and a half after the 4 rattled out of the top side. Chapman didn't look back, running out the last five balls to win the game and take the series 5-2. Chapman, ranked #28 in 9-ball, will host her quarterfinals series. With the loss, Shaggy is the fiftieth player out of the tournament, and her future with the Southridge Defenders is in doubt. She didn't really have much of an impact either way in cricket, and her pool performance is just slightly under .500, so it will be a game of wait and see for her. Chapman earned her second kill of the season.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Sydnee v. Spice. On the other side of the highway, we have the other half of the 9-ball doubleheader to wrap up the afternoon. Royal's Sydnee struck first with a game 1 win, taking advantage of Victoria's Spice leaving the 8 short at the bottom side for a tap-in to set herself up for the 9 in the bottom left and a 1-0 lead. The Crowns' Sydnee made it 2-0 with a six-ball run in game 2 and a little bit of luck that the Spurs' Spice rattled the 9 out of the bottom left on her chance at it. Game 3 was very sloppy, but Spice got the worst of it, scratching as the cue just avoided grazing the 1, which would have prevented the favorable ball-in-hand situation Sydnee got: a 1-9 combination to the top left for a 3-0 series lead. Spice stayed alive in game 4, making a three-ball run-out with solid positioning to back up an earlier run in the game that she finally unlocked dominance and control of possession. Spice almost had game 5, working the course of play again with strong shooting, including a four-ball run, but at the end, her attempt on the 9 that Sydnee left short at the bottom left went awry, with the glancing shot off the rail spinning into the pocket for a scratch and loss, giving Sydnee the series at 4-1. Spice got one back with a game 6 win, despite Sydnee controlling play from the get-go on a double-pot of the 2 and 3 to the left corners. Sydnee did have a late scratch, with cost her the game as Spice handled the 9 from ball-in-hand easily to make it 4-2. Sydnee finally took game 7, which ended up being pretty sloppy at the end, as the 9 took a bit of chasing down. Sydnee won the series 5-2, and takes her #51 ranked 9-ball bid into the quarterfinals.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Dusty v. Panda. Down in the farmlands, there's Survival to begin the night. Southern's Panda won a sloppy game 1, with the only advantage being not losing a life on the break like Golden's Dusty did, giving the Monarchs' Panda a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 went much better, but the result of the game was essentially the same, with Panda taking the win in a second rack for a 2-0 lead after Dusty of the Pilots was stricken with accuracy issues. Dusty couldn't force a second rack in game 3, falling near the end of the first rack to give Panda a 3-0 lead in the series. Dusty had come back from the brink once, but faltered with her second chance and Panda only got stronger late in the game. Dusty again proved to be her own worst enemy, scratching to end a very sloppily played game 4 and give Panda the series at 4-0. Dusty finally got one in game 5, taking two racks to both get ahead of Panda and then push him around through mildly defensive shooting to make it a 4-1 series. Dusty continued to find new ways to lose, missing contact on all four remaining balls while on her last life in game 6, giving another game away to Panda as he achieved a 5-1 lead without a whole lot of extra effort. Panda took the series 6-1 as Dusty revisited an old way to lose, the scratch on her last life. Ranked #28, Panda will be hosting his Survival series in the quarterfinals. Dusty's loss spelled elimination for her, the fifty-first player out, as well as her team, the Golden Pilots. Just as recently as the end of the second round, the Pilots appeared set to make the playoffs, but disaster struck, culminating in this remarkable flame-out. Last season, the Pilots finished second, so this is a major fall. Dusty is protected due to cricket, as is much of the team, so expect few changes. Panda got his first kill in the win.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Noelle v. Sprinkles. Back to the red cue for the next four series, beginning with 7-ball. Central's Noelle took game 1 with a quick three-ball run-out, ending on a 5-7 combination to the top left after Capital City's Sprinkles had a jumbled shot leave the 7 near the pocket. The Warriors' Noelle followed the same script in game 2, but a ball earlier, with the three-ball run-out culminating in a perfectly positioned 4-7 combination to the top left from a modest distance. The Sharpshooters' Sprinkles got a lucky bounce in game 3, completing a three-ball run-out of her own with a kick combination that saw the 6 kick off the bottom rail and bump the 7 to the top right to make it a 2-1 series with every game having ended early so far. Noelle got away with illegal contact in game 4, as Sprinkles couldn't run out the remaining balls because she left the 9 short. Noelle tapped it in to make it a 3-1 series lead. Sprinkles shot back in game 5, answering with an early three-ball run and control of the pace of play to make it a 3-2 series after Noelle left the 7 short. Noelle avoided disaster, making a three-ball run-out in game 6 (they appear to be the theme of the evening) with excellent positioning after a Sprinkles scratch to take the series at 4-2. Noelle took what appeared to be heading for a sloppy game 7 with a deft carom off the 1 to take the 7 in the bottom side after narrowly missing it there on the break. Noelle won the series 5-2, and her #4 ranked 7-ball campaign will return to this venue in the quarterfinals to host an undetermined opponent.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Leonette. The second half of a locational doubleheader is 12-ball. Central's Twilight was well on her way to a game 1 win when Pacific's Leonette bumped in one of her stripes, giving her a wild card ball. No amount of crafty defense would be enough for the Volcanoes' Leonette, as the Warriors' Twilight worked past strategic scratches and defense to take a 1-0 series lead. Twilight tried to shoot too big in game 2, and this backfired because she had given up a wild card ball on the break. Leonette played a smaller game, taking what was given, and eventually tying the series through good shot selection. Twilight wisely used her wild card balls up by intentionally scratching to jam out Leonette's last ball but restrict her location for the next shot. It didn't work twice, as Leonette banked the 7 off the left rail to the bottom right to win and go up 2-1 in the series. Twilight got to use a wild card ball for offense in game 4, as her shots got lined up very quickly, and she took care of sinking them to retie the series at 2, as Leonette failed to get anything organized, and also fell victim to defense. Twilight made the highlight reel in game 5 with the classic bank off the left rail to the top side, which is always a highlight shot. The miracle shot was critical for her taking a 3-2 lead, as without it, Leonette was much closer to getting set up in the pivotal stanza. Game 6 appeared to be like diffusing a bomb for Twilight, as Leonette worked her way closer and closer while Twilight struggled to unlock the combination. However, Leonette triggered the switch when she potted Twilight's defensive ball, and Twilight did the rest in the side pockets to take the series at 4-2. Twilight iced the series at 5-2 after getting a wild card ball when Leonette illegally potted one of her balls and scratched her own wild card ball away, flipping the series around. Twilight then used defense and accuracy to take the game. Ranked #68 in 12-ball, Twilight continues on to host the Boston Swifts' Patches in the quarterfinals at this venue.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Sparkles. Heading south a little bit, there's Rotation. Todavía's Sparkles executed a 2-15-9 combination early in game 1, hitting the highlight reel. All the highlights in the world wouldn't have done any good for her, as Web City's Rainmane proved extremely resilient, coming back from six down to win 8-7 and take a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Rainmane didn't let herself get behind in game 2, dominating early on with a four-ball run and eventually cruising to an 8-2 win over the Stills' Sparkles for a 2-0 lead. Rainmane started a little colder in game 3, building up a marginal lead, but Sparkles was persistent until Rainmane had a four-ball run-out for an 8-3 win that extended the series lead to 3-0. Sparkles had a little too much urgency in game 4, which cost her as she missed a lot of shots and fouled frequently. Rainmane wasn't exactly sharp, but she capitalized on enough of Sparkles' mistakes to win 8-4 and take the series at 4-0. Rainmane took a 5-0 series lead with another four-ball run-out in game 5, winning that game 8-4 after some stagnation around the 9 for both players. Sparkles got on the board with a narrow 8-6 win in game 6, working from behind against Rainmane, who built a strong lead but couldn't finish this game off as the series went to 5-1. Sparkles took another won, with a much stronger opening, as she won game 7 by a score of 8-5, making the series 5-2 for Rainmane. Ranked #1 in Rotation, Rainmane will host another series in this bracket at this venue. Sparkles' loss meant she was eliminated from the tournament as the fifty-second player ousted. Sparkles has had a bit of a rough season so far, but the Todavía Stills are the prime example of players filling their role and they have had a lot of success in such a system, so they may be reluctant to change personnel just yet. Rainmane got her first kill with the win.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Snowball v. Chicky Phil. Finally, the last series of the day comes from the center of the map in Survival. Once Westside's Chicky Phil got a piece of the lead in game 1, he didn't let go, inducing three straight misses by Swordpoint's Snowball to take a 1-0 series lead in one rack. Snowball of the Blades made an impressive 12-8-13 combination in the second rack of game 2, and it served her well because she would have lost without it instead of winning at the start of the third rack with a life left when Chicky Phil missed. The series is tied at 1. The Rockers' Chicky Phil fell fast in game 3, making maybe one shot as Snowball pulled to a 2-1 series lead in very little time. Chicky Phil worked well with his last life on the line, pushing Snowball by making two long distance shots, which Snowball failed to answer, taking the loss in game 4. The series moved to a 2-2 tie. Chicky Phil tried playing carefully in game 5, but that careful streak bit him in rack two, as his shot on the 15 with one life left ended up hanging on the bottom left pocket, but it wouldn't fall, giving Snowball a 3-2 series lead. Snowball ended up securing the series in game 6, as everything fell apart at once for both players, going from healthy totals to small very quickly. Chicky Phil ended up chipping his last shot to take the loss. Snowball took a lazily-played game 7 quite easily for a 5-2 series win. Ranked #27 in Survival, Snowball will continue on into the quarterfinals.
Just like that, 98 games down for the fourth round. I'm anticipating the end of the fourth round to be around next Wednesday or Thursday, and then we get into the rounds with actual names. I'll be back tomorrow for probably about 50-60 games, but not as much as today by any means.
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