Just 20 games for today before the third round comes to a close. We begin in...
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Shelley. The final Survival series of the round comes from the southwest. Tysini's Princess fell with a scratch at the end of the second rack in game 1, giving Infinity City's Shelley the 1-0 series lead to start. The Torpedoes' Shelley went up 2-0 with a game 2 win, employing a strategic scratch late in the second rack that caused Princess of the Hummingbirds to take and miss a shot from distance on her last life, ceding another game. Shelley clinched the series at 3-0 in game 3, fading late until a carom off the 7 from a missed shot resulted in the 6 going in the top right and the cue bumping the 9 in the bottom right to set her back on track, so she could outlast Princess one more time for the win. Princess, playing lethargically after already taking the series loss, faded rapidly in game 4, blowing out in just one rack to give Shelley a 4-0 series lead. Shelley swept the series after a late miss by Princess in game 5, taking all the games in a 5-0 victory. Ranked #78, Shelley will host Taylor Swift of the Eastside Sharks at Nissan Hall in Infinity City in the fourth round.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Diddley v. Valencia. Heading northeast, we have 7-ball. Golden's Valencia made a late three-ball run in game 1, but it wouldn't be enough when she left the 7 extremely short, allowing Maplewood's Diddley to tap it in the bottom right for a 1-0 lead. The Lumberjacks' Diddley dominated in game 2, ending on a four-ball run-out and looking like the more confident player as he took a 2-0 lead. Diddley clinched the series at 3-0 with a carom off the 4 to lightly brush the 7 into the top left, leaving the Pilots' Valencia at a loss in the series after she couldn't control possession. Valencia avoided the sweep, winning game 4 on a three-ball run-out that displayed the skills she has hidden for much of the season. Beginning the run, Valencia banked the 5 to the top side with a narrow angle. She then cut the 6 to the bottom right and made a cut with spin on the 7 to the top left, avoiding a scratch with good pace to make it 3-1 in the series. Valencia made it quick in game 5, sinking the 7 on the break to the bottom side, giving Diddley only a 3-2 series win. Ranked #89 in 7-ball, Diddley will return to Infinity City as a Lumberjack after the Torpedoes cut him last season, playing against former Lumberjack Gabe, now with the Torpedoes, at Nissan Hall in the fourth round. Valencia is the forty-fourth player to be eliminated, losing four bids in the third round, but her future is secure with the Golden Pilots due to being top-32 in cricket, and a still respectable pool record behind that. Diddley picked up his first kill of the season.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Strawberry. The second-to-last series is a set of 12-ball. Archtown's Ruby took a 1-0 series lead with a game 1 win, displaying high accuracy from the break onward. The balls laid themselves out well for the Arrows' Ruby, and while Pronger's Strawberry also did a good job setting up, Ruby was quicker to execute her shots. The Tridents' Strawberry did a good job of getting set up at the end of game 2, also working to mess up Ruby's shots defensively, which bought her enough time as Ruby did damage control to take care of business and tie the series at 1. Ruby retook the lead at 2-1 in game 3, which started out well on both sides but turned defensive as each had two balls left. Strawberry did herself no favors, with one of her balls near a pocket she already occupied. Ruby took advantage of this, muscling her own ball into that space, since she needed the pocket, while also navigating the defense across the table, eventually gaining the upper hand that led to Strawberry potting one of Ruby's balls before Ruby tapped in the other for the win. Strawberry's illegally potted 3 in game 4 turned out to be the nail in her coffin for the series. Ruby took advantage of the ball-in-hand to take out one ball and work on positioning for her last one, getting it a few shots later when a near-perfect bank left the 10 short at the bottom right, and Strawberry failed to make both of her remaining shots, giving Ruby the series at 3-1. Ruby got a huge break in game 5, as Strawberry illegally contacted the 6 and then caromed to pot the 7 when she was shooting stripes, giving Ruby a wild card ball and two shots lined up after ball-in-hand to win the game and take the series at 4-1. Ranked #80 in 12-ball, Ruby will travel to Pacific to face the Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty at the Verizon Field Events Center in the fourth round. Strawberry became the forty-fifth player eliminated in the tournament, and the last in the third round, as all that preparation time couldn't let her keep pace with stronger opponents. Strawberry will not be cut by the Pronger Tridents, with protection from cricket performance, so she will remain with the only team she's known, and the only team yet to cut a player. Ruby picked up her second kill of the season.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Debby Ryan v. Dani. The round ends as it started, with 8-ball and the blue cue to determine who will play the round's opening series winner. Southridge's Debby overcame a slow start in game 1 to rally back with excellent shot selection, allowing her to catch and pull away from Capital City's Dani to take a 1-0 lead with the patient strategy. The Defenders' Debby went up 2-0 after the Sharpshooters' Dani failed to sink the 8, giving Debby a chance she couldn't pass up for a four-ball run-out to take a win. Dani answered an early four-ball run by Debby with a five-ball run late, but she needed six balls and the 8 just wouldn't go on the bank, allowing Debby to tap in her last ball in the top left and the 8 in the bottom side to take game 3, and clinch the series at 3-0 as well. Debby had a four-ball run-out in game 4, with the positioning taking center stage, especially as Debby bumped a couple of solids away to clear a straight in shot at short distance on the 8 to make it 4-0 in the series. Dani did avoid the sweep in game 5, rallying after a five-ball run from Debby with a five-ball run of her own that ended in a scratch, and then another short run to make it even. At the end, Dani made a strong bank from the left rail to the top right on the 12, which was frozen on the rail, which also set her up to make the 8. Debby won the series 4-1, and her #64 ranked 8-ball campaign will continue to the fourth round, where she will travel to visit Dani's Sharpshooters teammate, Missy, at the Capital City SuperCenter.
That's all for round three. Up next is some equipment maintenance, scheduling, standings updates, and preparations for the next year. As of the end of the round, 84 players remain in the hunt for a medal of some kind, but only as many as 32 can be rewarded. We'll be back with whatever the schedule spits out for fourth round action tomorrow.
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