Pool: Round Three Day 7

Let's assume everything goes right, and that would mean a full day of pool today. We begin, not knowing what the future holds, with...

Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Sprinkles v. B. Chapman. The first series of the day is the last one on the red half of the 7-ball bracket. Capital City's Sprinkles took a 1-0 series lead on a four-ball run-out in game 1, coming after a scratch by Victoria's Chapman. The Spurs' Chapman tied the series at 1 with a much more competitive game 2, taking the 7 after Sprinkles of the Sharpshooters couldn't take it from distance. Chapman made a highlight in game 3, cutting into a 1-6 combination at the bottom right that also saw the 1 carom away to the top right and glance the 5 before falling for the double-pot. Chapman also carried possession during the game, eventually winning it for the 2-1 series lead. Sprinkles answered to tie the series at 2 in game 4 with a five-ball run-out, ending on a bank that sent the 7 from the top rail to the bottom side at an odd angle, but it was good for the win. Chapman had an early three-ball run in game 5, but Sprinkles got in the way later on with a bit of defense, which eventually led her to a 3-2 series win after a modest two-ball run-out for the win. Ranked #19 in 7-ball, Sprinkles will travel to Nestle's Warriors Hall in Central to face the Warriors' Noelle in the fourth round.

Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Stealth v. Acorn. We have a doubleheader from this northeast town, beginning with a 12-ball series. Lighton's Acorn stunned the home crowd and Harrison's Stealth in game 1 with a six-ball run-out, making all of his shots in a row. It began with the 4 to the top side, then the 5 in the bottom side. Following that, the Prestige's Acorn handled the 7 in the top right, the 3 in the top left, the 2 in the bottom left, and finally, deployed a three-rail bank to the bottom right on the 6 to make it a 1-0 series with a virtuoso performance. Acorn overcame giving the Specters' Stealth a wild card ball in game 2, taking his successful shots in pairs over the course of four turns. Stealth was better in this game, but he couldn't keep up with the rapid pace Acorn had on display to go up 2-0. Stealth had a late three-ball run in game 3, but he couldn't extend it nor deploy a defensive technique, so the well-positioned Acorn tapped in the 7 to the bottom right for the clinching victory at 3-0 after having worked the table efficiently early in the game. Stealth got one back with a game 4 win, clustering Acorn's balls together while he sprayed five shots around the table, and then removing Acorn's defense before tapping in for the win to make it 3-1. Stealth made it 3-2 in game 5, using a three-ball run and solid positioning to salvage a more respectable final for the series. Ranked #72 in 12-ball, Acorn will travel in the fourth round to Viewpoint Sound, facing the Meteors' Stripes at Volkswagen Stadium Events Center. With the loss, Stealth is the thirty-second player to be eliminated, and the Harrison Specters "make no promises" when it comes to personnel. Stealth stuck with the team last season after a borderline performance, but they have no such obligations for next year. With the win, Acorn picked up his first kill of the season in a round that's seen it all for him.

Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Leandra v. Paige. After the last host was vanquished here, the next one looks to stake a claim in 15-ball to close the locational doubleheader. Queens' Paige was rewarded in game 1 for dominating possession early and late, as Harrison's Leandra couldn't do anything to prevent the Flames' Paige from taking a 1-0 lead. Paige went up 2-0 in the series after the end of game 2 turned into a scratch fest, none more poorly timed then the Specters' Leandra sinking the cue with the 14. Paige hit the highlight reel in game 3, deftly touching the cue off the bottom rail to cut the 6 into the bottom right at a sharp angle, with the cue caroming and getting just enough of the 8 to take it in the top right for a double-pot. This was part of a four-ball run to answer a five-ball run from Leandra. Paige ended up cruising in the last ten balls, sinking nine of them including the 15 to take the series at 3-0. Paige got tricky in game 4, ending it quick by caroming the cue off the 3 to push the 15 to the bottom left, which worked for a win that put her up 4-0 in the series. Paige ended game 5, appropriately enough, with a five-ball run-out, using a double-pot that involved a cut with spin on the 13 to the top left, with the spin taking the cue to hit the 14 to the bottom left and set up for the 15 in the bottom left, all of which worked perfectly. Paige, ranked #76 in 15-ball, swept the series 5-0 and will move along to Kraft Forum in Royal to visit the Crowns' Jake in the fourth round. With the loss, Leandra became the thirty-third player to be eliminated, and everything above that was said for Stealth applies to Leandra as well. The Specters are facing a very disappointing year, and changes may be on the way in droves. Paige collected her second kill of the season in dealing this knockout.

Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Gizmo v. Mr. Snowman. A little bit north, we have more 12-ball on the schedule. Despite giving Viewpoint Sound's Mr. Snowman a wild card ball off the break, Central's Gizmo cruised through a wonderful start, and his shot luck continued later on to help him earn a 1-0 series lead in a game 1 win. The Warriors' Gizmo overcame another challenge in game 2, dealing with a hot start from the Meteors' Mr. Snowman. Gizmo had all six balls on the table when Mr. Snowman missed contact on the 5, allowing Gizmo to establish defense. From there, Gizmo used two three-ball runs since his shots were mostly set up already, finishing by removing his defense as he took a 2-0 lead over the neutralized Mr. Snowman. Mr. Snowman got on the board with a game 3 win, putting Gizmo on his back foot from the start with a strong four-ball run, and then illegally contact the 11 to pot the 7 in the bottom right after an illegally potted ball was discovered. Gizmo did not make great usage of the ball-in-hand opportunities he had, which is why Mr. Snowman survived multiple fouls in the game to make it a 2-1 series. The finish was the hardest part in game 4, but Mr. Snowman only scratched once before completing his set, as opposed to the self-ruining two scratches Gizmo suffered while trying to get position on his last ball only to watch another one return to the table. Mr. Snowman took game 5 in a silly way. The standoff began as Gizmo and Mr. Snowman jockeyed at the bottom right, with Gizmo in the outside position. Gizmo, after clearing off all other balls, began to intentionally scratch, doing so four times, since Mr. Snowman had to shoot away from the target. On the fourth attempt, Mr. Snowman made contact, but didn't sink his 12, leaving Gizmo with a requirement to shoot the 5 he had continually potted and resurrected. Gizmo couldn't pot it again from distance, and he failed to put up sufficient defense, allowing Mr. Snowman to pull off a grazing shot off the bottom rail to win the game and take the series 3-2. Mr. Snowman is ranked #68 in 12-ball, and will try to avoid such dire trickery in the fourth round.

Intel Center, Diamond: Cassandra v. Valencia. To the southeast, there's a series of 8-ball. Diamond's Cassandra sandwiched four-ball runs around a five-ball run from Valencia of Golden, taking game 1 in quick fashion as both players appeared sharp in their shooting. Game 2 went a little less time efficiently, but Cassandra of the Gems again came out on top, holding off the Pilots' Valencia until she could bank the 8 off the top rail to the bottom side to move to 2-0 in the series. Cassandra freed her 12 off the 6, giving Valencia a free ball with the necessary move, and it ended up costing Cassandra in the end, as Valencia sank the 8 after both players chased it around for a couple shots. The series stands at 2-1 at this point. Cassandra shot right back in game 4, winning the game fairly easily as Valencia displayed almost no survivalist instinct in a very weak attack. Cassandra clinched the series at 3-1. In game 5, Valencia got off to a better start, but stagnated late in the game, allowing Cassandra to complete a three-ball run-out for a 4-1 series win. Cassandra is ranked #14 in 8-ball, and she will host Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds at this venue in the fourth round.

HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Taylor Swift v. Dreamy. We stay in the region for a series of Survival. Game 1 lasted to a third rack, as Eastside's Taylor overcame a bit of a second rack fade to leave Swordpoint's Dreamy at a loss for shots, giving the Sharks' Taylor a 1-0 lead. Taylor took a 2-0 lead over the Blades' Dreamy after the latter's lackluster game 2 effort, falling apart entirely in one rack this time. Dreamy lasted a little longer in game 3, but Taylor was virtually automatic throughout, a pace that Dreamy couldn't match as evidenced by her final miss on the 10 just rattling out of the top right. Taylor clinched the series at 3-0 with that win. Taylor narrowly lost game 4 in the midst of a late rack swoon, while Dreamy held on just slightly, making it a 3-1 series in the process. Dreamy got another one in game 5 as Taylor's rope-a-dope method faltered when Dreamy got a luck shot in, causing Taylor to fold late in the single rack game. Taylor, ranked #96, will advance to the fourth round with a 3-2 series win.

Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Smudge. Another set of 12-ball is up on the coast. Infinity City's Smudge rallied from a deep deficit in game 1, as Pacific's Ms. Kitty blew her one good chance at getting set for victory, with the latter stages of the game being an absolute mess of jockeying for both players. The Torpedoes' Smudge leads 1-0. The Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty bounced back in game 2, getting into position on her last ball quicker in the tight game and executing the tap-in to tie the series at 1. Ms. Kitty needed only four turns with a three-ball run on the first to work her way into a 2-1 series lead, absolutely breezing around Smudge, who received a wild card ball after the wild break. Ms. Kitty again excelled in pace, execution, and positioning in game 4, winning with ease as Smudge again failed to keep up, and clinching the series at 3-1 in the process. Game 5 went pretty slowly, but Ms. Kitty eventually came out on top as Smudge failed to capitalize on having a wild card ball to work with. Ms. Kitty, ranked #60, advances to the fourth round on a 4-1 series win.

Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: Spice v. Snowball. The night session begins with the silver cue subbing in for the blue cue in 9-ball down in the southwest. Swordpoint's Snowball began with a win in game 1, making an impressive kick with spin on the 7 to the bottom left to get set for the 9 in the top side, washing out Spice of Victoria's three-ball run around mid-game. The Spurs' Spice had better timing in game 2, using a three-ball run-out to tie the series at 1 instead of peaking too early as she did before. Spice dominated in possession in game 3, taking a 2-1 series lead on the Blades' Snowball with a three-ball run-out capped by an 8-9 combination to the bottom left. Spice capitalized on Snowball's inability to pot the 8 in game 4, sneaking the cue around the 9 to tap the 8 in before sending a responsible shot to pot the 9 and take the series at 3-1. Snowball got one back in game 5, using a 6-9 combination for the win to make it 3-2 for Spice. Ranked #53 in 9-ball, Spice is set to travel to Royal to face the Crowns' outgoing star Sydnee for a fourth round battle at Kraft Forum.

Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Dani v. Max. Returning to where we started today, we have Rotation to play, this time with the silver cue in for the red cue. Queens' Max got on the board with an 8-6 win in game 1, building a big lead and then striking at the end after Capital City's Dani tied it once. The Flames' Max didn't let her tie it again, taking a 1-0 series lead. Dani of the Sharpshooters made the final five balls over multiple turns, holding on very precariously to take an 8-7 win in game 2 and tie the series at 1 after Max couldn't finish the job. Max shot with high accuracy in game 3, making the final eight balls potted to win 8-2, finishing with a 9-11 combination to the top right for a 2-1 series lead. Max took the series at 3-1, coming from four balls down in game 4 to win 8-7 again for his clinching victory in a very impressive show of resilience in a series that had seen quite a few swings in momentum. Dani picked up an 8-6 victory in game 5, mitigating the damage for the series. Max won the series 3-2, and takes his improbable #123 ranked Rotation bid into the fourth round.

Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Snowball v. Slinks. Survival returns in this series, as does the red cue. Swordpoint's Snowball held her own well early on, but Harrison's Slinks was crafty and resilient, and her ability to get the cue snookered in the jaws of a pocket gave her a 1-0 lead over the course of the two-rack first game. The Blades' Snowball crumbled again in game 2, losing an early lead as the Specters' Slinks got all of her misses out of the way early and held on until the end for a 2-0 lead. Slinks slipped significantly more than usual in game 3, and it cost her when Snowball got a favorable set of balls to fall on the breakup shot in the second rack, putting her in a position of extreme strength that encouraged Slinks to try again next game as the series went to 2-1. The players shot very well in game 4, driving it to a third rack before Slinks lost her grip and her final three lives while Snowball avoided a late fade by maintaining her precise and accurate style. Slinks would have lost earlier, but every bounce within reasonable logic went her way to keep her going and keep the fans excited as the series became tied at 2. Snowball got off to a blistering hot start, and only faded in the second rack, but Slinks couldn't outlast the still strong Snowball, falling away midway through that second rack. Snowball won the series 3-2, and takes her #27 ranked Survival bid into the fourth round to host Chicky Phil of the Westside Rockers at this venue. With the loss, Slinks is the thirty-fourth player eliminated from the tournament, and in a cruel twist of fate for Harrison Specters fans, the third Specter to be eliminated today after previous eliminations of Stealth and Leandra. Snowball earned her first kill with the win.

Chevrolet Center, Everton: Puff III v. Twinkie I. In this series from the northeast, there's 8-ball to be played from the two most common names in the league. Everton's Puff III had a good early run, and managed to leave the cue in bad spots for Lighton's Twinkie I, cruising to a 1-0 lead with good accuracy. The Eagles' Puff III got a bit lucky in game 2, as the Prestige's Twinkie I couldn't land a hit on the 8 when she needed to, surrendering ball-in-hand that saw Puff III sink the 8 and move to 2-0 in the series. Puff III clinched the series at 3-0 in game 3, continuing to just have a slight edge in pace and accuracy over Twinkie I that likely comes from her very solid breaking ability. Twinkie I got on the board in game 4, finishing off an impressive game with a well-positioned three-ball run-out. Puff III did get her fourth ball on her fourth and final break, but the rest of her suit was clustered together and she couldn't free them enough to get any momentum going. Twinkie I chipped closer in game 5, using a six-ball run that began as nutty and got down to just plain good until the last ball was potted by illegal contact. Puff III, with a bevy of targets to shoot at, couldn't get good, clean shots, and Twinkie I easily wrapped up two turns later to make it a 3-2 series. Ranked #38 in 8-ball, Puff III advances to the fourth round.

Ebay Center, Queens: Crystal v. Valencia. Down south a bit, there's 10-ball as the blue cue returns to action. Golden's Valencia asserted herself quickly in game 1, using a six-ball run-out fueled by positioning to top Queens' Crystal for a 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Crystal won a rollercoaster of a game 2, watching her illegal sink of the 6 give the Pilots' Valencia the ball, only for her to botch the 7-8 combination. Crystal later scratched, but Valencia worked herself out of position, and possession returned favorably for Crystal to take the 8 and 10 to win and tie the series at 1. Valencia paid dearly for illegal contact in game 3, as Crystal took the ball-in-hand and made a 4-10 bank combination from the top rail to the bottom left for a 2-1 series lead. Crystal never let Valencia see the table in game 4, scoring the 8 on the break and using the 1 to get set up for a 2-10 combination with the 2 banking off the bottom rail to tap the 10 into the top left, which worked after the 2 double-kissed the 10 to give Crystal a 3-1 lead. Valencia made Crystal pay for a mistake in game 5, taking ball-in-hand after Crystal's scratch and potting a 2-10 combination to the top left. Crystal still won the series 3-2, and her #100 ranked 10-ball bid will be on the road somewhere for the fourth round.

Toyota Arena, Freedom: Stinky v. Princess. The leading MVP candidate is set to get a busy few days for herself going with this 12-ball set. Tysini's Princess continued her absurd run of dominance in the league, working with a wild card ball to take game 1. Freedom's Stinky surrendered the ball after the break, and this allowed the Hummingbirds' Princess to use the 1 in a defense/option role while she worked the rest of the balls into pockets, and eventually the 1 into the top side for a 1-0 lead. The Cascades's Stinky used a brilliant lure shot on Princess in game 2, putting the 11 in line with the top right but leaving her other shots to create a distance for the 11, which caused her to miss. With the play, the cue was left perfectly for Stinky to pot the 2 in the bottom right, tying the series at 1. Princess regained the series lead at 2-1 when Stinky's late wild card ball in game 3 made things all the easier for her with the other two shots she had left set up at the right corners. Princess got extremely lucky in game 4, as Stinky had a chance to win and decided to play it soft on the 3, except the cue never made contact, giving Princess ball-in-hand for a second straight turn, which allowed her to finish the game and secure the series at 3-1. Stinky twice dug out of defense laid by Princess after she gave up a wild card ball, and Princess didn't give an inch until the third attempt, which left the cue in line for the 1 to the top right for Stinky, giving him the win. The final was 3-2 for Princess, and she takes her #71 ranked 12-ball campaign to the fourth round.

Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: B. Chapman v. Starlight. Continuing along, we have a 9-ball doubleheader late in the day. Pacific's Starlight had the run of play late in the game, and squandered it all away with a scratch, allowing Chapman of Victoria to take the 9 and a 1-0 series lead in game 1. The Spurs' Chapman got caroms off the 4, left rail, and 5 before the cue came in on a perfect cut line to sink the 9 in the bottom right, stunning Starlight of the Volcanoes as Chapman pulled to a 2-0 lead in the series. Chapman clinched the series in game 3, driving the course of play throughout and capitalizing on Starlight's scratch for the clincher. Starlight got on the board with a game 4 win, banking the 9 off the top rail at a bad angle to the bottom left to make it 3-1 in the series. Chapman finished the series with a 4-1 win, taking game 5 even though she didn't control much of the play. Chapman will take her #28 ranked 9-ball bid to the fourth round, where she hosts Shaggy of the Southridge Defenders at this venue.

Chevrolet Center, Everton: Puff III v. Citrus. The other half of the 9-ball doubleheader sees the red cue sit for the silver cue up north. Citrus of Diamond dominated possession in game 1, which served her well as she took a 1-0 lead in the series with a win. Everton's Puff III tied the series in game 2 after the Gems' Citrus attempted a kick for a 7-9 combination that left the 9 right on the edge of the top left pocket, an easy tap-in for the equalizer for the Eagles' Puff III. Citrus dodged a 1-9 combination when she received ball-in-hand from a foul by Puff III, opting instead to shoot the 1 to the top right. Three shots later, she had a four-ball run-out when the 4-9 combination got lined up for her, and she converted for a 2-1 series lead. Puff III carried the flow of play in game 4, and she was helped greatly by a late scratch from Citrus, allowing her to make the final two balls to tie the series at 2 games apiece. Game 5 was perfectly even until Puff III cobbled a four-ball run-out, taking the game and winning the series 3-2. The #86 ranked Puff III will travel to Boston in the fourth round, facing the Swifts' Sweetheart at her home table in the Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center.

Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Dusty v. Whiskers. The final series of the night is in Survival, with the blue cue sitting in favor of the silver cue. Infinity City's Whiskers got the best of a quickly-fading Dusty of Golden in game 1, offing her in a single rack to take a 1-0 series lead as she held steady after gaining the extra life. The Pilots' Dusty bounced back in a sloppy game 2, gaining the critical extra life that proved enough to stave off the Torpedoes' Whiskers to tie the series at 1. Dusty returned to a 2-1 series lead with a game 3 win, plucking the 8 on a 13-8 combination to the bottom side that essentially wiped out Whiskers' chance of bouncing back, especially when she missed her next shot to take a loss. Dusty took the series at 3-1, using a little crafty defense at the start of the second rack of game 4. It nearly backfired, as Whiskers' jam shot ended up clustering a large portion of the balls in two areas, but Dusty's lead was strong enough to hold until Whiskers fell. Whiskers took one back in Game 5, watching her six-life lead evaporate to only two, but it held as Dusty's furious comeback fell short. Dusty won the series 3-2, and she takes her #9 ranked Survival bid into the fourth round to host Panda of the Southern Monarchs.

That's 80 today. I plan on two days at 70 games a day, and then a light Thursday with 20. Also, the SCL will remain in mornings indefinitely after today went without a hitch in pool. Expect part 2 of week 4 tomorrow morning around the usual time.