We've got a tentative schedule of 70 games today, with today being the most stable of the remaining days in the round. Theoretically, the tournament could come to a close as soon as next Thursday, the 18th. With the end rapidly approaching, we get right to the games, beginning with...
Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v. Twilight. The first series of the day opens a doubleheader by location with Survival in the Eastern Hills. Central's Twilight had problems with accuracy early, while Diamond's Citrus played a sharp game 1, taking a 1-0 series lead with a win in one rack. Citrus of the Gems moved to 2-0 with a strong win in game 2, missing a few shots while the Warriors' Twilight continued to struggle, culminating in getting nothing off the breakup shot in the second rack, which caused the loss. Citrus didn't dominate in game 3, but she didn't have to, as Twilight faded even sooner and took another loss as Citrus pulled ahead to a 3-0 lead. Twilight got on the board with a win in game 4. Twilight only won the game because Citrus stumbled early and Twilight had a double-pot to buy herself more time. Citrus still leads the series 3-1, but she is out of possession of the momentum at this point. Game 5 was the best of the series, lasting three racks, but Twilight fell apart in the third rack after holding on for all of the second rack, giving Citrus the win and a 4-1 series lead. Twilight didn't have any fight left for game 6, losing very quickly under Citrus' relentless attack, with the one-rack victory giving Citrus a 5-1 series lead. Twilight dominated in game 7, in a surprisingly civil meeting between the Youth Movement and Reality pot-stirrers, getting a casual win that showed flashes of dominance to make it a 5-2 series win for Citrus. Ranked #32 in Survival, Citrus next opposes Starlight of the Volcanoes (and twin sister of Twilight) in the quarterfinals series at Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific.
Intel Center, Diamond: Cassandra v. Precious. In the second half of the doubleheader, there's 9-ball between two surprising contestants. Pronger's Precious had a slightly better run of play in a very tight game 1, and she was rewarded when Diamond's Cassandra missed the 9, knocking in the mop-up shot to take a 1-0 lead. The Tridents' Precious had a late three-ball run to answer an earlier one from the Gems' Cassandra, but she whiffed on the 9, and Cassandra buried it to tie the series at 1 between players from regional rival teams. Game 3 was a little bit more of the sloppy variety, especially with the ending, as Cassandra's scratch allowed Precious to tap in the 9 for a 2-1 lead after accuracy seemed to be an afterthought. Precious went up 3-1 in the series with a three-ball run-out to finish off game 4, a confident set of shots after a shaky start to the game from both sides. Precious clinched the series in game 5, using a three-ball run-out capped by a soft carom off the 4 to take the 9 at the bottom left in a highlight reel-worthy finishing move for a 4-1 series advantage. Precious tried to get a little too fancy in game 6, and Cassandra was able to take the last two balls because of it, moving the series to a 4-2 margin. Cassandra also took a sloppy game 7, as neither player had much desire to give 100%, and that made it a 4-3 series victory for Precious. Ranked #103 in 9-ball, Precious will hit the road again in the quarterfinals.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: Spice v. Chelsea. Moving to the southwest, there's Rotation on the schedule. Victoria's Spice got out to a nice lead early in the game, but Eastside's Chelsea roared back on a four-ball run before a scratch allowed the Spurs' Spice to take a 1-0 series lead with an 8-6 win. The Sharks' Chelsea wasted no time in making it a 1-1 series, scoring a six-ball run-out in game 2, including an impressive three-rail shot on the 5 that bumped the 6 before she could follow with a seeing-eye shot through traffic to nail the 5, both to the bottom left as part of the 8-1 victory. Spice shot right back with a six-ball run in her game 3 victory, an 8-0 shutout that began with a double-pot of the 1 to the top side and a handful of caroms to take the 11 in the bottom left to push the series to 2-1. Game 4 stayed close early on, but Chelsea pulled away late as Spice couldn't get anything going, taking the game 8-4 to retie the series at 2 as the pressure builds. Chelsea held a lead throughout game 5, but she didn't really pull away until a three-ball run late in the game, which she eventually won 8-3 to move into a 3-2 series lead. Spice pulled even at 3-3 in the series with a very wild game 6. Spice roared ahead to a five-ball lead early through a series of caroms involving the 1 and 2, but Chelsea's more traditional shooting brought her even. Then, at the end, Spice pulled off a three-ball run-out for an 8-5 win. Spice clinched the series at 4-3 with a resilient 8-4 win in game 7. Chelsea breathed down Spice's neck all game, but couldn't catch her at any point, taking a loss in a very exciting series. Ranked #13, Spice takes a high-powered bid on the road to Web City in the quarterfinals, meeting Rainmane of the Spiders at the Home Depot Forum. With the loss, Chelsea finds herself as the sixty-sixth player eliminated from the tournament. The Eastside Sharks are non-committal to whether she will be back or not, suffering through an inconsistent season. With one player leaving the league, they may be reluctant to shake up the low-scoring but successful cricket team, or they may try a half-rebuild. Spice, with her back against the wall, came out with her first kill of the season.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Mr. Snowman v. Pounce. After a long layoff, the Rivalry returns with this 12-ball series. Lighton's Pounce took an absolutely painful-to-watch game 1 by finally getting position off of Viewpoint Sound's Mr. Snowman missing contact, going up 1-0 in the game no one wanted to win. Game 2 went in a polar opposite direction, with the Prestige's Pounce beginning with brilliant tactical positioning in a four-ball run, only to be answered later by a five ball run from the Meteors Mr. Snowman. Pounce still had the advantage from a quicker start, and iced off his last ball to the top left to go up 2-0 since he got the second-to-last one in an accuracy doldrums. Game 3 represented the middle ground, with a little less pace and a little more execution, with a dash of strategy. Pounce's strategy worked the best, with a little help from a Mr. Snowman scratch that haunted him all game as he failed to get position at the top side. Patiently, Pounce worked around the defense and eventually took the game for a 3-0 series lead. Mr. Snowman got on the board with a win in game 4, outlasting Pounce's defense and striking as soon as he removed it, making it 3-1 in the series. Mr. Snowman gained new life when Pounce scratched while potting what was his last ball, and the ball that came out refused to get in position. Mr. Snowman did a wonderful job of getting set and making the last two shots he needed, pushing the series to 3-2 in the process. Mr. Snowman tied the series in game 6, playing another patient game with Pounce out of position. In the end, Pounce was chasing position for his final ball, and Mr. Snowman used the Volleyball Approach: bump it to the pocket, set it in the jaws, and spike it home for the win that made it 3-3 in the series. Mr. Snowman appeared set to dominate in game 7, attempting the rarest of comebacks, but he got lazy. Two wild card balls and a missed contact later, Pounce connected on his final shot from ball-in-hand to win the game and take the series at 4-3. Pounce, ranked #66 in 12-ball, will host fellow Lighton Prestige teammate Acorn at the Pepsi Arena in the quarterfinals, an absolute thrill for the fans of the team. With the loss, Mr. Snowman is the sixty-seventh player out of the tournament. The Viewpoint Sound Meteors will keep Mr. Snowman next season after his hot start for cricket allowed him to coast over the last six months or so, earning him protection from the draft. Pounce picked up his second kill of the season.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Taylor Swift v. Max. Back in Rotation, we travel quite a distance to see the series in the rural southeast. Eastside's Taylor got off to a rough start in game 1, but Queens' Max struggled once the Sharks' Taylor figured it out, and she cruised to an 8-2 win to go up 1-0 in the series. The Flames' Max stayed in the fight in game 2, even as Taylor reached the brink of victory. Max didn't let her get there, running out four balls to win the game 8-7 and tie the series at 1. Max was struck with bad positioning and unlucky shooting at times, while Taylor got the bulk of the bounces in game 3, helping her to establish her lead early and extend it late en route to an 8-1 win and a 2-1 series lead. Taylor continued to accumulate dominant wins, starting and ending her 8-0 game 4 shutout with three-ball runs to establish the pace of play quickly, going to a 3-1 series lead. Max needed only two turns in game 5, using a five-ball run to build up a lead and a three-ball run-out to ice it off at 8-2 for a win, pulling back to 3-2 in the series. Max rallied from a small deficit early, and had to again hold Taylor off later in the game, just eking out an 8-5 win in the very close but very sloppy game 6, which tied the series at 3 as well. Taylor and Max battled almost evenly throughout game 7, with momentum swinging like a pendulum. In the end, Taylor's decision to attack the 14 soft to the top side, which failed, led to her defeat at an 8-7 score. Max won the series 4-3, and his #123 ranked Rotation campaign will be on the road for the quarterfinals.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Bryant. The next series ends the afternoon with 15-ball. Maplewood's Bryant got on the board in game 1, dominating possession late in the game, and winning when Rainmane of Web City's jam on the 15 left it short, good for a 1-0 lead. The Spiders' Rainmane appeared to get a break when the Lumberjacks' Bryant scratched to end his brilliant five-ball run, but she couldn't corral the 14, and Bryant went up 2-0 in making the last two balls. Rainmane made it a 2-1 series with a much tighter ending in game 3, which prevented Bryant from going on a run of dominance like he had earlier. Rainmane did send the cue ball to the floor for the second time in the series, and she may face a penalty worse than opponent's ball-in-hand should it happen again. Bryant stormed to victory in game 4, using his signature late accuracy with an eight-ball run-out punctuated by a deftly positioned shot on the 15 to the top right that was tough to get on but he made it look easy for a 3-1 lead in the series. Rainmane answered in game 5, keeping things tight to prevent another late breakout by Bryant, and this defensive strategy worked again, as Bryant was stymied late with all the open space but no momentum, and Rainmane iced off the last two balls to make it 3-2. Bryant secured the series at 4-2 with a game 6 win, working a six-ball run-out after Rainmane rattled the 10 out of the bottom right to clinch the series with more impressive long-range work. Bryant took a 5-2 series win with an unusual game 7, a very lazy game that saw him win by just sinking the 15 at the end instead of having a long run. Ranked #108 in 15-ball, Bryant will travel to Lighton to play the Prestige's Spirit at Pepsi Arena in the quarterfinals.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Kiwi v. Shannon. We open the night session with 8-ball, the first of four straight red cue appearances. Southern's Shannon got off to a strong start, but she was tested by a six-ball run from Modernistic's Kiwi that ended with a scratch. After a couple of misses on her last ball, Shannon of the Monarchs buried it and kicked the 8 to the bottom left to go up 1-0. The Union's Kiwi tied the series at 1 with a very close game 2, eventually pulling away for the win with a three-ball run-out. In game 3, Kiwi had a five-ball run answered by a three-ball run from Shannon, but her failure to sink the 8 gave Kiwi the one shot she needed to win the game and take a 2-1 lead. Kiwi didn't quite get the right shot on the 8 on her one chance in game 4, and Shannon's four-ball run-out with good positioning made sure she wouldn't get a second chance, as Shannon tied the series at 2. Shannon pulled to a 3-2 series lead, although it almost didn't happen as she let Kiwi back into the game late, but Kiwi couldn't keep a fast pace going, and Shannon got her shot to take the lead despite Kiwi's best efforts to prevent it. Kiwi had a highlight in game 6, hitting the 5-3 combination to the top left with the carom taking out the 1 in the bottom left, acting as the catalyst to a six-ball run-out she pulled off to shut Shannon out and tie the series at 3. Shannon avoided the late run by Kiwi, as she just missed on the 8 after running six balls, and Shannon made the last two shots to take game 7 and win the series 4-3. Ranked #61 for 8-ball, Shannon will travel to the Ebay Center in Queens to oppose her old best friend and Flames' player Paige in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Kiwi is happy to exit the tournament with a decidedly even record in every way. The current Modernistic Union captain will be granted an unconditional departure at the end of the season, and she will enter the free agent pool while the Union receive a compensatory pick. Kiwi's departure stemmed from an argument with management during the cricket season, where the talented captain got frustrated with the laissez-faire attitude of the team, where success was not demanded. With the win, Shannon earned her first kill, the sixty-eighth of the season overall.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Fluffina v. Twinkie I. The next two series compose a doubleheader for 10-ball, which should be interesting given the slower pace of the games today. Lighton's Twinkie I took a 1-0 series lead after Maplewood's Fluffina scratched, leading to a straight in shot on the 10 in game 1. The Prestige's Twinkie I went up 2-0 in the series when the Lumberjacks' Fluffina left the 10 short at the bottom left in game 2, a second straight game where she's had a problem with the 10. Fluffina made it a 2-1 series with a very clean game 3, answering Twinkie I's three-ball run with a two-ball run-out for the win. Fluffina got stronger in game 4, double-potting the 2 in the bottom side with a carom to get the 9 at the bottom right, and a three-ball run-out in the end to tie the series at 2. Fluffina won a gritty game 5 to take a 3-2 lead, with Twinkie I's very short leave on the 10 at the bottom right acting as the pivotal point in the game. Fluffina secured the series at 4-2 with a tight win in game 6, as both players lacked momentum but played strong defensively. Fluffina iced it at 5-2 with a bit of a sloppy win in game 7, but the game didn't mean anything valuable, so it was okay. Ranked #19 in 10-ball, Fluffina will host Paps of the Pronger Tridents in this venue in the quarterfinals.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Cleo. The second half of the doubleheader is from the southwest for 10-ball. Tysini's Princess dominated game 1 from a possession standpoint, but her scratch while attempting the 10 gave Cleo of Everton plenty of room to work in sinking it for a 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Princess tied the series at 1 by winning game 2, returning to full force in the second half of the game and sinking the last five balls over her last two turns for the equalizing effort. Game 3 started off a little slow, but Princess pulled ahead into a 2-1 series lead on a three-ball run-out, putting the Eagles' Cleo in trouble already. Cleo had a four-ball run around mid-game in game 4, but that ended on a scratch, and Princess jumped on it with a four-ball run-out to win the game and go to 3-1 in the series. Cleo couldn't hold on in game 5, fading late, which allowed Princess to clinch the series with the win, going to 4-1 in the series. Cleo continued to lack a finishing instinct in game 6, falling after she left the 10 short for Princess to tap in again, with Princess taking a 5-1 lead. Cleo had a three-ball run-out in game 7, answering a pair of double-pots by Princess (both brilliant caroms) as part of a six-ball run. The final for the series favored Princess 5-2. Ranked #83 in 10-ball, the leading MVP candidate Princess will be on the road in this event for the quarterfinals round.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Dani v. Ruby. Moving a little northeast, there's a set of 15-ball. Archtown's Ruby struck first in a difficult game 1, taking advantage of a late miss by Capital City's Dani for a short run to make it 1-0 in her favor. The Sharpshooters' Dani lived up to the team name in game 2, finishing off a much cleaner game with a six-ball run-out to tie the series at 1, while the Arrows' Ruby could only watch after previously showing off her own skills. Dani could pick up the nickname of Safecracker after her game 3 performance, a four-ball run-out capped by an 11-15 bank combination to the top side she converted perfectly and with authority to take a 2-1 lead. Ruby retied the series at 2 with a game 4 win, capped by a five-ball run-out with three odd-angle cut shots that all went down as well as a rattling miss on the 15 to the bottom left that popped out parallel to the left rail and went to the top left because of the pace of the shot. Dani entered beast mode late in game 5, running seven balls before a short calm and then a two-ball run-out. Among the shots in the long run was a double pot that really got the crowd going. Ruby had an earlier highlight, caroming the cue off the 5 and the 14 to get the 6 to the top side. Dani's big finish put her up 3-2 in the series. Dani was only getting started, as game 6 is the single most dominant effort ever put forth in a game of 15-ball. Dani began with a four-ball run from the break, and after a single miss by Ruby, Dani ran out the final eleven balls (the longest run in blog history, and certainly up there for a single-game performance) for the win. The positioning was on point, the execution was stunning, and the pace, above all, was what set this apart. Dani's essential shut out of Ruby clinched the series for her at 4-2. Dani wasn't as dominant in game 7, but she did finish with a three-ball run-out after a scratch by Ruby to win the series at 5-2. Dani, ranked #34 in 15-ball, will host her quarterfinals series.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Puff I v. Goldy. We end the day with a casual series of 7-ball, which takes us above and beyond our scheduled allotment. Game 1 ended up being a bit back-and-forth, with Modernistic's Puff I the beneficiary of that as Everton's Goldy missed the 7 late, and the Union's Puff I cut it into the top left for a 1-0 lead. The Eagles' Goldy played a little stronger on the ball in game 2, and the effort was rewarded with a win to tie the series at 1. Puff I had a critical mistake in game 3, leaving the 7 short at the top left, and Goldy buried it easily to take the series lead at 2-1 despite a less enthusiastic course of play. Goldy made it 3-1 with a brilliant break in game 4, shattering the rack and bumping the 7 to the bottom right to keep Puff I away from the table as Goldy developed a stranglehold lead. Goldy clinched the series at 4-1 by mixing things up in game 5, taking the 7 on the break again but to the top right this time. The two wins in two shots routine wiped out any chance Puff I had of getting back in the series. Goldy made it 5-1 with a less dominant but still effective win in game 6, essentially neutralizing Puff I in the series. After Goldy scratched early in game 7, Puff I made it a point to steal the game away, converting a 1-7 combination to the top side for a 5-2 final. Goldy, ranked #55 for 7-ball, is set to host Diddley of the Maplewood Lumberjacks at Chevrolet Center in Everton in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Puff I is the seventieth player eliminated, and the Modernistic Union are officially out as the fifth team be completely knocked out. Puff I has an uncertain future with the Union ahead, as they are unsure if rebuilding or patience is the best plan. Goldy earned her second kill in the win.
That's actually 77 games today. Tomorrow is the all-you-can-eat buffet day, and Thursday will be the end of the fourth round. Cricket will go as planned tomorrow morning and Thursday morning before pool begins.
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