Pool: Round Three Day 8

A slightly lighter slate today, beginning at...

Apple Center, Todavía: Sparkles v. Kiwi. Two well known players are engaging in the first of a doubleheader for 15-ball. Todavía's Sparkles took a sloppy game 1 as Modernistic's Kiwi scratched to end a late three-ball run, giving the Stills' Sparkles ball-in-hand on the 15 for a 1-0 lead after the easy conversion. The Union's Kiwi tied it at 1 under nearly identical circumstances in game 2, except that Sparkles didn't scratch to end a three-ball run. Kiwi took a 2-1 series lead in game 3, using a four-ball run-out to get the win as the players appear to be getting more comfortable after a rocky start. Kiwi handled herself well in game 4, not getting a lot of shots due to Sparkles having a pair of strong runs, but Kiwi worked out fine with a three-ball run-out to move into a 3-1 series lead. The series ended as it started, with Sparkles winning a sloppy game. In game 5, Kiwi appeared to have the run of play but fell apart late and whiffed on the 15, giving Sparkles the win. Kiwi still won the series 3-2, and she takes her #55 ranked 15-ball bid to the fourth round.

Ebay Center, Queens: Crystal v. Ruby. The other half of the 15-ball doubleheader comes from the southeast. Archtown's Ruby took game 1 in a game that saw a bit of luck and a quick pace, taking advantage of Queens' Crystal leaving the 15 short for a tap-in that led to a 1-0 lead. The Arrows' Ruby made it 2-0 in the series in a very back-and-forth game 2, with neither player carrying any pace throughout. The ending saw the Flames' Crystal miss on a kick from the bottom rail on the 15, setting up a left-handed shot that Ruby tapped in to the top left for the win. Crystal took game 3 when Ruby couldn't stay true on a late run, giving Crystal easy shots on the final two balls to earn her a win that made it 2-1 in the series. Ruby did just enough to clinch the series in game 4, holding on as Crystal made quite a few shots in the fast-paced stanza, only to miss on the 14, which Ruby cleaned up and got set up on the 15 for, which then also went down to give Ruby the 3-1 lead. Crystal got one back in game 5, as Ruby couldn't extend her final five-ball run, allowing Crystal a short range shot on the 15 to make it a 3-2 series favoring Ruby. Ranked #82, Ruby will travel in the fourth round to Capital City SuperCenter, where the Sharpshooters' Dani awaits to host her.

Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Tigerette v. Dustin. Up north a bit, there's a series of 10-ball on tap. Game 1 went very quickly, with a three-ball run by Central's Dustin sandwiched between an early four-ball run and a closing two-ball run-out by Commerce's Tigerette, who went up 1-0 in the series. The Tradewinds' Tigerette won a more grueling game 2, where she seemed to come out on top every time the pace slowed, including on the 10 for a 2-0 lead. Tigerette claimed game 3 as well, with tensions rising as the balls failed to be potted quickly. Tigerette took a 3-0 lead on a three-ball run-out, but getting to that point was difficult, with accuracy not being very high for either player, and especially not for a frustrated Dustin of the Warriors. Tigerette made it 4-0 after game 4, taking the end of a late three-ball run by Dustin as the perfect opportunity to end a 10-ball game old-school: by banking the 10 off the top rail to the bottom left. Tigerette completed the sweep in game 5 with a three-ball run-out with excellent positioning, taking a frustrating series 5-0. Tigerette is ranked #41 in 10-ball, and she will play on in the fourth round.

HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Taylor Swift v. Snuggle. For the 100th series of the round, we have Rotation with some star power. Oceanside's Snuggle got out to an early lead in a somewhat messy game 1, but Taylor of Eastside both cleaned up the shooting and pulled ahead later, staving off the Waves' Snuggle until she made the 15 to take the game 8-7 and earn a 1-0 series lead. The Sharks' Taylor didn't let it get that close in game 2, winning 8-1 after getting several bounces to go her way in taking a 2-0 series lead. Snuggle shot back in game 3, charging to an early lead and sealing an 8-3 victory with a three-ball run-out made possible by Taylor missing contact on the 9 to give Snuggle the ball-in-hand for his finishing run-out. The series stood at 2-1 after that game. Taylor took a thrilling game 4 in a somewhat anticlimactic fashion, as the game was tied at 7 with Snuggle shooting the 15. His scratch gave Taylor ball-in-hand and the 8-7 victory to clinch the series at 3-1. Snuggle again started well in game 5, but Taylor refused to go away, sticking with Snuggle shot for shot before pulling ahead at 8-7 in the end, taking the series 4-1. Taylor, ranked #41, will host Max of the Queens Flames at this venue in the fourth round.

Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Mams v. Strut. Next up, a doubleheader of 9-ball. Viewpoint Sound's Mams got very luck when Golden's Strut rattled the 9 out in game 1, allowing Mams of the Meteors to mop it up to take a 1-0 lead in the series. Mams took game 2 as well, moving to a 2-0 in the series with a three-ball run-out after the Pilots' Strut failed to make contact on the 6. Strut had a highlight in game 3, making a sharp cut on the 6 to the bottom left that caromed and took the 7 in the top left for a double-pot as part of a four-ball run. Strut peaked too early in the game, missing the 9, which allowed Mams to tap it in for a 3-0 series lead. Mams took game 4 in a similar way, as Strut again missed the 9 late, allowing another tap-in by Mams to the bottom left to take a 4-0 series lead in the shaky stanza. Mams completed the 5-0 sweep when Strut scratched on his attempt at the 9, giving Mams ball-in-hand. Mams, ranked #42 in 9-ball, will continue to the fourth round. With the loss, Strut's brutal pool season comes to an end as the thirty-fifth player to be eliminated this tournament. Strut will play with the Pilots next season, as his cricket effort has him listed as a protected player. Mams earned her first kill of the tournament.

GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: J. Garcia v. Ruby. The other half of the 9-ball doubleheader comes from the southeast. Southridge's Garcia, well known for her ability to win off the break in the smaller-rack games, struck with the 9 in the bottom left for a game 1 win and 1-0 series lead. Archtown's Ruby showed just how lethal she could be in game 2, tying the series at 1 with a single shot, a carom off the 1 to send the 9 to the top left. The Arrows' Ruby took a 2-1 series lead with a dominant effort in game 3, taking three turns to earn the win. Ruby had a seven-ball run in her second turn, and after the Defenders' Garcia missed on the 8, Ruby took the 8 and 9 with easy positioning for the win. Ruby clinched the series at 3-1 with a game 4 win in an evenly-matched game. Both players had streaks of possession, but Ruby set herself apart at the end, making the 9 from distance to the top right for the clinching shot. Garcia got one back in game 5, taking advantage of Ruby failing to tap the 7 in from ball-in-hand to create a double-pot that sent the 7 to the nearby top side while the 9 cruised to the bottom right. Ruby took the series 3-2, and her #29 ranked 9-ball bid will play host to the Oceanside Waves' Snuggle at Starbucks Arena in Archtown in the fourth round. With the loss, Garcia is the thirty-sixth player to be eliminated from the tournament. The Southridge Defenders have no obligation to retain Garcia's services, but they may be willing to do so anyway under the assumption of a sophomore slump. Ruby, somewhat surprisingly, earned her first kill of the season.

Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Mams. On to 8-ball in the southwest with the leading MVP candidate try to answer a high-character win from Ruby a series ago. Tysini's Princess won a very standard game 1 by making the last two balls, a straight in shot from an odd angle on the 5 to the top side that positioned her for the 8 to go up 1-0. Viewpoint Sound's Mams tied the series with a game 2 win, including a five-ball run that nearly ended the game had the 8 not been left short at the top left. Conveniently, the Hummingbirds' Princess had three of her four remaining balls near that pocket, but she made two before finally surrendering the equalizer to make it 1-1 in the series. Princess held the Meteors' Mams off the board until Princess had only the 8 left, and she played a patient end-game routine, until Mams finally left the cue in line for a simple shot on the 8 that gave Princess a 2-1 series lead. Mams did the rest of the damage herself, squandering a game 4 lead to draw even and then missing a straight shot on the 10 that resulted in the cue driving the 8 prematurely to the top right, giving Princess a 3-1 series win in the process. Princess used a four-ball run-out in game 5 to secure a 4-1 series win, again coming from behind to topple Mams. Princess, ranked #8 in 8-ball, will host her fourth round series on that bracket.

Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Gabe v. A. Charlton. The first series of a doubleheader at this venue is in 7-ball to close the afternoon. Infinity City's Gabe quickly got out to a 1-0 lead, taking game 1 on the break with the 7 falling in the bottom side. The Torpedoes' Gabe dominated possession in game 2, allowing Charlton of Golden to make just one ball. Gabe went to 2-0 in the series, using a three-ball run early and solid defense late to take the game. Gabe clinched the series at 3-0 after both players jockeyed for the 7 a couple of times. Charlton of the Pilots missed the 7 on her second attempt, giving Gabe the ball-in-hand he used to tap it in for the win. Charlton played well in game 4, trying to get at least one game in the series, but she again lost as she left the 7 short at the bottom left, where Gabe tapped it in to go up 4-0 in the series. Charlton did get her game in game 5, a sloppy game but a win nonetheless. Gabe, ranked #43 in 7-ball, won the series 4-1 and will play in the fourth round. With the loss, Charlton is the thirty-seventh player eliminated, ending her rookie season. Charlton is likely to stay with the Pilots as they seek stability for the first time in their existence, and she did reasonably well in both sports to warrant the stay. Charlton is not protected with either performance, but she was essential to the offense in cricket and serviceable as a rookie in pool. Gabe earned his first kill with the win.

Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Smudge v. Kayla. Opening the night shift, there's the second half of the locational doubleheader, the first half of the 15-ball doubleheader, and the silver cue in for the blue cue. Queens' Kayla took a 1-0 lead after a game 1 win, which went very sloppily. The ending in particular was the worst, as both players jockeyed around the 15 without actually getting any real change in position. The Flames' Kayla wasted no time in making it 2-0, winning game 2 by hitting the 2 into a line of balls that sent the 15 spraying out to the bottom left for the victory, putting Infinity City's Smudge into a precarious position for the series. Game 3 was another foul-riddled affair, as both players made illegal contact and scratched frequently. None was worse than Smudge's scratch after she made the 15, giving Kayla the game and the series at 3-0 with one unlucky roll of the cue. The Torpedoes Smudge got herself on the board with a game 4 win, using strong accuracy and positioning to engineer a six-ball run-out to make it 3-1 in the series. Smudge had a three-ball run-out in game 5, another somewhat sloppy game, to make it a 3-2 series win for Kayla. Ranked #80, Kayla will travel to Pearl in the fourth round to play the Surfers' Wings at the Honda Driftwood Coliseum. Smudge became the thirty-eighth player eliminated in the tournament with the loss, and she is questionable to return to the Torpedoes next season. They have had unusual success in pool, but they couldn't get going in cricket, and as captain, Smudge may be going down with the ship here. Kayla collected her second kill of the season.

Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Bear. Out on the coast, the second half of the 15-ball doubleheader sees the silver cue sub in for the red cue. Southern's Shannon lucked into a victory in game 1, as she scratched before the 15, only to watch Whitewater's Bear follow the 15 in the top side with the cue for a game-losing scratch, giving the Monarchs' Shannon the 1-0 lead. The Shores' Bear tied the series at 1 with a five-ball run-out in game 2, using impressive execution of his intended shots to get the equalizer. Bear appeared on track in game 3, getting a late five-ball run, but his miss on the 14 made the last two balls easy for Shannon to pot, taking a 2-1 lead in the process. Shannon kind of stumbled into a three-ball run-out in game 4, not really setting up for it at all and not getting ball-in-hand from Bear, who played a nearly perfect clean game. Shannon's win earned her the series at 3-1. In game 5, the 15 ball got rattled around like a crash test dummy on one of Shannon's shots, eventually falling in the top side to give her a weird win. I'd say what route it took to get there, but I didn't expect it to happen in the first place, and I didn't really see what happened. Shannon won the series 4-1, and her #98 ranked 15-ball campaign will host Marsell of the Tysini Hummingbirds at this venue in the fourth round. Hosting two series on a 51-seeded bid is impressive in and of itself, as Shannon occupies the 51 spot on the red side of the 15-ball bracket.

AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Fluffina. Now, a doubleheader of 8-ball beginning on the coast. Maplewood's Fluffina kept herself competitive for most of game 1, waiting until Oceanside's Snuggle put himself in a bad position to cruise ahead and take the game for a 1-0 lead. The Lumberjacks' Fluffina went to 2-0 in the series with a dominant game 2 effort, running six balls on one turn before taking her final two on the next in a show of positioning and accuracy. Fluffina clinched the series in game 3, as the Waves' Snuggle took a set-up shot on the 8 that only benefited Fluffina in the end when she tapped it in to complete her five-ball run-out. Fluffina proved she is very dangerous to go on extended streaks of hot shooting. Snuggle got on the board with a win in game 4, playing just enough defense to hold Fluffina up long enough to get around her to the 8 and make it a 3-1 series. Snuggle got another game back in game 5, going on a four-ball run-out to stun Fluffina late. Fluffina won the series 3-2, and her #47 ranked 8-ball bid will play on into the fourth round, where she visits Princess of the Hummingbirds at Cisco Arena in Tysini.

Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Gizmo v. Blizzard. The other half of the 8-ball doubleheader sees the return of the red cue after the blue cue came back last series. Everton's Blizzard shot very crisply in game 1, winning with a three-ball run-out in a very calm but strong effort. Central's Gizmo replied with a three-ball run-out of his own in game 2, working around a lot of scratches by himself and by the Eagles' Blizzard to tie the series at 1. Game 3 was a pretty tightly-contested game, which saw Gizmo come out on top after getting a late three-ball run and enough defensive positioning to hold Blizzard off long enough for Gizmo to win, moving to a 2-1 lead in the series. Blizzard made a deep run in game 4, getting ready to take the 8 but missing on the first attempt. Gizmo made sure there wasn't a second try, as he completed a three-ball run-out to take the game and clinch the series at 3-1. Gizmo continued with a strong rally in game 5, a five-ball run that allowed him to shoot patiently en route to a win and a 4-1 series win. Ranked #53 in 8-ball, Gizmo next travels to Everton's Chevrolet Center to face the Eagles' Puff III in the fourth round. With the loss, Blizzard became the thirty-ninth player to be eliminated this season. While her peripheral characteristics looked like a good fit with the Eagles, Everton's team simply needs more offense in both sports that Blizzard has never provided any team in her career. She may be one of the fourth-team-in-four-years players if the Eagles choose to part ways. Gizmo earned his first kill of the season with the win.

Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Panda v. Puff II. Next up, we head to the coast for a series of Rotation. Southern's Panda got off to a hot start in game 1, only to watch his lead evaporate at the hands of Boston's Puff II. He bounced back, eventually taking the game on a mistake by the Swifts' Puff II, with Panda of the Monarchs winning 8-5 to begin with a 1-0 series lead. Puff II bounced back in dominant form in game 2, working the table efficiently while leaving nothing for Panda to work with as she won 8-1 and tied the series at 1. Puff II went up 2-1 in the series with an 8-6 win in game 3, staving off a four-ball run by Panda with a three-ball run of her own, which helped her control the game late until she got the win. Puff II took another 8-6 decision in game 4, a sloppier game that saw numerous misses by both players while the score was tied at 5. With the win, Puff II clinched the series at 3-1. In game 5, Panda pulled out to a nice lead, but Puff II remained pesky, tying the game and then pulling ahead on a three-ball run. One scratch by Panda later gave Puff II an 8-5 win for a 4-1 series win. Ranked #17 in Rotation, Puff II will host Oreo of the Swordpoint Blades at Boston's Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center.

Ebay Center, Queens: Kayla v. Dani. Two of Club Humanity's best go at it in Survival to close the evening out. Queens' Kayla struck first, holding on to make multiple shots with her back against the wall, which then gave her momentum that pushed Capital City's Dani to fall apart in the second rack, giving the Flames' Kayla a 1-0 lead. Kayla charged to a 2-0 lead, again managing to hold on in dire straits, only to see the Sharpshooters' Dani crumble in the same situation. Kayla did this all again in two racks in game 2, nearly copying game 1. In game 3, Dani oscillated between two and five lives over the course of the second and third racks before Kayla finally surrendered her final life, making it 2-1 in the series. Kayla took the series with a quick win in game 4, as Dani never got into a groove and lost her lives very quickly, giving Kayla a 3-1 series lead. Kayla won the series 4-1 in a throwaway game 5, in which Dani and Kayla put on a bit of a show but eventually Kayla cruised and Dani faded. Kayla, ranked #19 for Survival, will host Sierra of the Todavía Stills at this venue in the fourth round.

Just as promised, 70 games today. The shooting was a bit off, especially with the usually top-of-the-line blue cue and noticeably with the silver cue as well. Still, not much to dislike. Two more days this round, unless I somehow wrangle 90 games tomorrow, which is highly unlikely.