UPCL Cricket - Week 5 Part 1

The fifth week of the season starts now, and we lead off with...

Chevrolet Field, Everton: The Eagles play a Northeast Division rival, the struggling Spiders, as the Eagles try to stay undefeated. Shadow started the week with a bang, smashing 1165 for Web City to establish a significant lead early in the game. Goldy seemed to start well, but her bat position slipped and she managed just 112 for Everton at the start. The long layoff for the Spiders didn't do Ted any favors, as his road numbers are still bad after hitting 82 in this game, a weak outing for the rookie. Puff III slugged 1763 to bring the momentum in favor of the Eagles as they now hold a sizeable lead at the midway point. Shiny found the yet-unexplored middle-ground, grinding out 492 for Web City to cut the deficit down a bit. Kirstin drilled another 770 for Everton, extending their lead late in the high-scoring game. Dani swatted 528 more for the Spiders, but they couldn't keep up and lost with 2267. Blizzard kept it simple with 111 for the Eagles, icing their win at 2756. Everton is now 7-0 on the year, pacing themselves to another hot start, while Web City drops to 1-6 with the divisional loss.

Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The Shores leave home well-rested for the first time this year, while the Swifts are about to have a hectic back-and-forth schedule beginning with this home game. Bear poked 239 for Whitewater at the start of this game. Patches took a swing too high a bit too early, as she had only 208 for Boston, putting them slightly behind at first. Twinkie III suffered a similar fate, taking a measly 48 for the Shores as this game features significantly less scoring than the first one of the week. Puff II broke the curse in the game, belting 1755 for the Swifts to give them a massive lead halfway through the game. Marsell charged back with 623 for Whitewater, but they remain far behind. Gradley softened the blow a bit for Boston, picking up 439 to keep their lead firmly intact. Shaggy had only 16 points for the Shores, giving them the loss with 926. Sweetheart put an exclamation point on the Swifts win, knocking 879 more to give them a final of 3281 for their first home win. Boston is still working off their championship hangover at 5-5, while Whitewater is 1-3.

Cisco Tysini Field, Tysini: The Hummingbirds make a quick stop at home to face a Lumberjacks team preparing for a week that could see fatigue set in. Fluffina spiked 870 for Maplewood, twice going to the backhand to prolong her appearance. Princess did okay in her turn, scoring 287 for Tysini in an unimpressive but solid performance. Diddley stumbled at 108 for the Lumberjacks, leaving them a bit vulnerable after the poor outing from the veteran. Leandra cut into the deficit for the Hummingbirds, collecting 499 on her turn to tighten the game at its midway point. Bryant further weakened Maplewood's lead, taking only 96 as he swung too aggressively on the last offering he saw. Charli earned a controversial false start replay, and cashed in with 378 on the second try, putting Tysini in the lead late in the game. Waluigi had 331 for the Lumberjacks, putting them at 1405 overall, which will require a response from the hosts. Brownie was partially bailed out by a technical error replay, but hit a meager 129 the next time out and left the Hummingbirds at a loss with 1293 total. Maplewood makes the jump to 8-4 on the year, while Tysini is down to 2-8 with no sign of a comeback in them.

Sprint Pitch, Victoria: Fresh off their loss, the Hummingbirds make a short jaunt to face the Spurs, who are coming off a bye week. The Spurs are ending a four-game home stand, while the Hummingbirds commence a three-game road trip. Princess was solid in this appearance, scoring 320 for Tysini to begin the game. Spice's home struggles persisted in this game, as she put up only 106 for Victoria, giving them an early deficit. Leandra added a crisp 457 for the Hummingbirds, padding their lead a bit in the process. Yekaterina sliced 663 for the Spurs, getting them very close at the halfway point, but not quite nosing them ahead. Charli slapped 641 for Tysini, restoring a significant lead for the visitors. B. Chapman kept Victoria in range, tallying 463, but they'll play from a deficit as the final players come to bat. Brownie once again put the Hummingbirds in a precarious position, with her 138 leaving them vulnerable at 1556 total. Wario posted 319 for the Spurs, but it was too little for them, and they lost with 1551. Tysini escapes with a division win to go to 3-8, while Victoria drops to 3-5 in the loss.

Nissan Infinity Stadium, Infinity: Two of the league's best this year tangle, with the Rockers embarking on a five-game road trip against the Torpedoes in a one-off at home for them. Misty provided a very solid start for Westside in this game, pounding 631 to stake out a lead. Smudge faltered on her turn, floating her hits back, which messed with her pace and gave her 192 for Infinity's starting attack. Goatee got twisted by a high-arcing ball that found safety, but she wasn't set for the next one, taking a meager 73 for the Rockers. Solaris pulled the Torpedoes into the lead at the halfway mark, slamming 807 on his fantastic turn. Midnight cranked out 1043 for Westside to regain a strong lead for them. Whiskers rallied for 536 for Infinity, keeping them in range as the final players step up to bat. Slinks continued to decline, taking just 66 for the Rockers, which gives them a final of 1813, far from safe in a high-scoring game. Mr. Snowman did enough to steal the win away for the Torpedoes, batting 298 to give them 1833 for the narrow margin of victory. The teams are now tied with a 7-2 record.

Subway Field, Stonebridge: The Torpedoes immediately jet out to the far northeast, facing a Wolves team starting to find its identity. Smudge took an unlucky deflection in this appearance, ending on 248 for Infinity to start off with. Juno drilled 760 for Stonebridge, giving them the initial lead with a very confident performance from the captain. Solaris got 336 back for the Torpedoes, but they remain behind as the quick turnaround is giving them trouble. Frosty countered that with 385 for the Wolves, maintaining their lead effectively at the halfway point. Whiskers poked 312 more for Infinity, but they are still facing a similar deficit as before. Cobalt had only 112 for Stonebridge, providing a bit of an opening for the visitors with a player each to go. Mr. Snowman fell short with 209 for the Torpedoes, giving them a final of 1105 in the loss. Prism struggled with a cluttered pitch, ending at just 269 for the Wolves, but they sealed the win at 1558. Stonebridge is even on the year at 6-6, while Infinity is 7-3.

UPS Ground, Maplewood: The Lumberjacks return home for a pair of games, where they are undefeated, facing a middling Flames team on the road for their next two games. Crystal had a bad game for Queens, taking only 180 to open this match. Fluffina fired back with 640 for Maplewood, showing no signs of fatigue despite her team's heavy schedule recently. Paige couldn't produce a meaningful counter for the Flames, taking just 128 as their deficit grows deeper. Diddley collapsed at 48 for the Lumberjacks, weakening their lead halfway through the game. Violetta managed 277 for Queens, but they remain behind as it wasn't enough to cover the deficit. Bryant flicked 410 for Maplewood, giving them a little more breathing room as the game reaches its close. Max produced 441 for the Flames against his former team, but they fell short at 1026 in the loss, suffering the season sweep to the Lumberjacks. Waluigi tapped just 99 to give the Lumberjacks 1197 in their least confident home win of the year. Maplewood is up to 9-4 on the season, while Queens slides to 4-5.

Samsung Whitewater Stadium, Whitewater: The Shores are back at home for two games, facing a still-winless Specters side in the midst of a five-game road trip. Sydney couldn't pick her bat up off a ball she had nearly saved, ending with 79 as she bumped it into her own wicket, a poor start for Harrison. Bear smacked 694 for Whitewater in response, giving the hosts a very strong lead to begin the game. Twinkie II also took out her own wicket this time, ending with a pathetic 30 points for the Specters. Twinkie III was hardly better, posting a meager 81 for the Shores as the teams appear out of rhythm. Lexi stumbled at 36 for Harrison, giving them virtually no hope of a comeback for this game. Marsell got Whitewater back on track with 504 in his turn, securing their lead a bit more in a prospective win. Sugar saved a bit of face for the Specters with her 457, bringing them to 602 in a brutal loss. Shaggy iced the Shores' win with a poor individual 63 to give them 1342 overall. Whitewater is up to 2-3, while Harrison remains winless at 0-6.

Nissan Infinity Stadium, Infinity: The Torpedoes are back at home, hoping to erase the memory of their recent loss against a hapless Spiders side playing the fourth of six straight on the road. Shadow struggled with his game from the start, taking only 234 for Web City in the opening attack. His daughter, Smudge, answered with a quick 603 for Infinity to stake out their lead at the start. Ted made a backhand save smoothly for the Spiders, and he rode the momentum of his big play to 788, easily covering the deficit. Solaris slipped up at 273 for the Torpedoes, and they'll see themselves trailing at the halfway mark. Shiny tacked on another 571 for Web City in her turn, strengthening their lead. Whiskers grabbed 343 for Infinity, but they still need more and have very little time to get it. Dani proved sturdy for the Spiders, adding 425 to their offense to give them 2018 total. Mr. Snowman couldn't adjust to a ball that flew at him at a fast pace, ending with 362 and sending the Torpedoes to an upset loss at 1581. Web City has finally been rewarded, going to 2-6 with the win, while Infinity drops to 7-4.

Blades Fusion ProGlide Park, Swordpoint: The Blades look to continue their strong start to the year as they host the middling Flames. Crystal was out of position for most of her abbreviated turn, ending on 136 for Queens in a poor effort. Snowball bashed her way to 551 for Swordpoint, establishing the early lead in favor of the hosts. Paige kept the Flames in the game with her 581 for the visitors, a solid outing for the star of the team. Dreamy fired back with a sharp 731 for the Blades, giving them a larger lead halfway through the game. Violetta provided 457 for Queens in another solid game from their rookie. Bandit didn't quite cover that damage, but his 389 sufficed to keep Swordpoint distinctly in the lead late in the game. Max made the comeback rally for the Flames, gathering 578 to give them 1751 total, forcing a response from the hosts. Stealth had no trouble meeting the challenge, flicking 585 to put the Blades at 2256 in the win. Swordpoint moves up to 6-1 for the year, while Queens drops to 4-6.

UPS Ground, Maplewood: The Lumberjacks have their last game before a road trip, while the Prestige will be back at home after this meeting between talented teams. Acorn spiked 566 for Lighton to lead things off. Fluffina got stymied at 16 points for Maplewood, a shocking knockdown for the captain. Spirit didn't gain a lot of new traction for the Prestige, taking only 215 on her turn to keep the lead fairly steady. Diddley made it a close game against with 743 for the Lumberjacks, making it anyone's game halfway through. Twinkie I accidentally backhanded a ball into her wicket, ending with 78 for Lighton as their lead has become quite vulnerable. Bryant continued contributing reliably for Maplewood, driving his way to 519 to give them a late lead with a player each to go. Salmo produced 368 for the Prestige, a solid effort but not enough to keep them from taking a loss with 1227 total. Waluigi tapped another 312 for the Lumberjacks at the end of the game, bringing their winning total to 1590. Maplewood is the first team to 10 wins, at 10-4, while Lighton slides to 4-3 with the loss. Their rematch comes in segment three of this week

Apple Park, Todavía: Two very busy teams clash on the coast, with the Stills ending a four game home stand while the Predators play in the second of two road games in a row. Shawn cranked out 714 for Midland at the start of the game, playing at a blistering pace. Easter replied with as much ferocity, but not as much longevity, producing 467 for Todavía to start off the game slightly behind. Rainmane couldn't manage a high pace, batting 287 for the Predators to pad their lead a little bit. Sierra put in no challenge on the ball that bounced over her bat, and it ended her turn at 241 for the Stills, making the deficit a bit worse. Leonardo deftly handled a series of crazy deflections as his swings bounced into the next offerings, and he navigated his way to 458 for Midland against his former team. Sparkles answered with 448 for Todavía, keeping them somewhat in range. Fuchsia managed only 160 for the Predators, leaving them slightly vulnerable at 1619 overall. Bells couldn't snag the game for the Stills, scoring 416 to give them 1572 in the narrow loss. Midland improves to 7-6, while Todavía dips back to an even 8-8, not bad given the excessively tough schedule for them.

I hope to play the rest of the week over this weekend, but it's been difficult to carve out time for the cricket action.

2017 Qualifiers - Day 11

We're back, and with all good fortune on our side, we'll have the newly-tipped silver cue in action, with a backlog of five games with it to start the day. We begin with...

Group one, the all-silver cue group, as Midnight of the Westside Rockers plays 12-ball first of all. Midnight, and the cue itself, looked just fine, as she shot 20 with one ball on the break and no errors in a fairly standard performance, indicating no drop-off in shooting quality with the new tip. The second player in line is Sugar of the Harrison Specters, who will shoot 10-ball in this game. Sugar had one error after her empty break, but did well after that, only faltering at the end as she needed 18 shots to complete the appearance. Maplewood Lumberjacks captain Fluffina plays the next game, shooting 12-ball. Fluffina made a ball on her break, but the game was a very scattered look for her, and she took one error among the 22 shots she needed to close out the appearance. Following that, Starlight, the Pacific Volcanoes captain, also plays 12-ball. Starlight was robbed on the break, getting nothing, and she had some tight shots early on, but she set herself up well and needed 20 shots with no errors to finish the game. Ending the backlog list, Puff II, Boston Swifts star, shoots 9-ball. Puff II needed only 12 shots with one error and a ball on the break to complete the game, a very strong outing confirming long-term ability for the repaired tip on the silver cue.

Group two will reintroduce the other sticks, beginning with Isabella, the Atlantic Pirates rookie, who has the red cue ready for 12-ball. Isabella had a ball on the break but failed to get good positioning, and was a little too eager to shoot in her two errors, leading her to 25 shots. Next up, Golden Pilots veteran A. Charlton shoots 8-ball with the silver cue. Charlton didn't quite make a ball on the break, but she did shoot well after that, taking no errors in 18 shots to finish a strong second appearance of the season. Moving along, Nightfur, the Royal Crowns captain, shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Nightfur had a ball on the break in her turn, but also illegally potted the 9 early while scratching, giving her two errors and eventually 14 shots after she cleared the rack. The ninth player shooting today is Spot, the Pronger Tridents rookie, who will use the blue cue in his 9-ball game. Spot didn't get a ball on the break, and he took one error for illegal contact later on, but he finished the game with a strong 12 shots. The group closes with Dani of the Web City Spiders shooting 12-ball with the silver cue. Dani made a ball on the break, but it was a very rough rack. Most of the balls stayed clustered, and she needed composure and shooting smarts to get out of the game in just 22 shots without an error, setting herself up admirably.

Batch three gets going with Easter, the Todavía Stills captain, who plays Rotation with the silver cue. Easter felt a bit robbed for not getting a ball on the break, but she pulled off some remarkable deflected shots during the game, helping her finish well at 24 shots with just a single error. Sprinkles, the Capital City Sharpshooters veteran, plays the next game, 9-ball with the blue cue. Sprinkles would have preferred a better break than she got, taking nothing on it but also suffering no errors in her 15 shots, a just slightly off appearance for the usually reliable player. The thirteenth player of the day is Stonebridge Wolves captain Juno, who has the blue cue back at the table for more 9-ball. Juno had a ball on the break but took two errors, the only ones she had, on the shot afterward for missed contact and a scratch. She settled in from there to score 14, a reasonable total. Moving along, Charli XCX, the Tysini Hummingbirds sophomore, shoots 10-ball with the blue cue. Charli had an empty break for the game, and kept getting snookered behind the 6, although she shot out of it all but one time, her only error. In the end, the 6 was the hero, as she double-potted it with the 10 to the top side and top left respectively to end with 15 shots. Wrapping up the group, Southern Monarchs captain Panda plays 15-ball with the blue cue. Panda was frustrated as he left the table, 41 shots and seven errors after an empty break left him chasing impossible shots around the table.

The fourth group will need to start well to avoid a league-wide downward spiral, and the pressure falls on Twinkie III of the Whitewater Shores, who will use the silver cue for her game of 8-ball. Twinkie III didn't get anything on the break, and had one error during the game, but still completed the appearance in 19 shots, a good mark. Stripes plays the next game, shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Stripes had two errors after an empty break, a poor peripheral result to accompany her 15-shot performance in the game, which is just about okay. Continuing along, Rosalina, the Diamond Gems rookie, shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Rosalina got nothing from her break, and took one error early on, but she was dominant after that point, finishing the rack in a spectacular 13 shots. Roxy of the Freedom Cascades was drawn next, playing 10-ball as well but with the silver cue. Roxy did well to salvage a turn that got nothing on the break and an early error, as well as a lot of obstructed shots. Eventually she surrendered potting the target and lined up a chance on the 10, which came off the 4 to the top right for a score of 16. The batch ends with the twentieth shooter of the day, the Swifts' Puff II, who returns to the table to play 10-ball with the red cue. Puff II didn't get anything on her break, although it was pretty sharp. She took two errors later on for illegal contact and an illegally potted ball, but closed the game at 13 shots anyway, undeterred by the penalties.

Group five opens with Midland Predators captain Shawn shooting 9-ball with the red cue. Shawn got a ball on the break, but struggled with a pair of errors early in the game, settling in to take 14 shots total in his third appearance with the expansion team. The 22nd player called to shoot today is Twilight, the Central Warriors captain and star, who will use the silver cue for Rotation. Twilight seemed to have very little control in her game, taking an empty break and then racking up five errors, three of which were not from an intentional play, among her 29 shots to clear an admittedly unfavorable spread. Following that, Puff III of the Everton Eagles is up for 12-ball, using the blue cue. Puff III did manage to make a ball on the break, and then she set herself up for success with her shots, pushing things around the table and then knocking them down in 20 shots, a good total. Continuing along, Marsell of the Whitewater Shores plays 8-ball with the blue cue. Marsell made a ball on the break and then proceeded to have one of the worst outings of the season, missing simple shots many times over the course of his three-error and 27 shot game. The last player before the mid-afternoon break is Smokey, the Diamond Gems captain, who becomes the second player to finish qualifying as he shoots Accuracy with the silver cue, the only event to be pure in one form of the silver cue. Smokey made a ball on the break and didn't take an error for the appearance, but he needed 21 shots to clear the table, an iffy total. Overall, Smokey took 158 shots during qualifiers, a decent mark.

After the break, the sixth batch starts with Slinks of the Westside Rockers using the blue cue to shoot 8-ball. Slinks got a ball on the break, and then backed it up with just one error in 16 shots, a remarkable run of play that will put her very near the top of the list. Going next is Pedey, the Diamond Gems sophomore, who takes his chances with the red cue for 10-ball. Pedey didn't make a ball on the break, and he had an early error for illegal contact, but this allowed him to break out for 15 shots and just the single error to close the game. Following that, Gizmo, the Central Warriors veteran, shoots 8-ball with the silver cue in his second game of the year. Gizmo had nothing on the break and nothing on the shot after that before never missing another shot, taking only 16 of them with no errors to finish the game. The 29th player of the day is Stripes, as the Knights veteran returns to the table to play 10-ball with the silver cue. Stripes made a ball on the break, and then avoided any errors during the appearance, needing only 15 shots to complete the game in good form. Rounding out the group and the afternoon, Queens Flames rookie Violetta plays 12-ball with the red cue. Violetta did pretty well, getting a ball on the break, but she had one error during the game, and her positioning was a bit off, requiring 23 shots to complete the outing.

To lead off the night, group seven's first participant is Niki of the Eastside Sharks, who uses the blue cue for 9-ball. Niki had a ball on the break to start the game, and she shot relatively well overall, needing just 13 shots with no errors to clear the rack off the table. Next up, Dusky, the Arrows veteran, is back for 10-ball with the silver cue. Dusky got a bit bold with her first shot from the run of play, and missed the deflected attempt at the 10, leading to her chasing the game for 20 shots, but she did so without taking an error. Lionel, the Commerce Tradewinds stalwart, gets the next game, shooting 15-ball with the blue cue. Questions of a curse are arising for the cue, as Lionel got nothing on the break and four errors all in the second half of the game, needing 36 total shots to finish the game. After that, Shannon of the Southern Monarchs is up to play Rotation with the red cue. Shannon did as much as she could with a bad break and five errors throughout the game, taking 32 shots to clear the rack. Both forms of heavy rotation games are taking a toll on players this year. Icing the group, North Modernistic Nighthawks veteran Cheddar shoots 9-ball with the silver cue. Cheddar performed well in her game, shooting 14 shots after making a ball on the break, and she had only one error after a difficult position resulted in missed contact.

The eighth bunch gets going with Bells of the Todavía Stills shooting 9-ball with the red cue. Bells didn't have the best of luck with her shots, getting a ball on the break but taking two unnecessary errors to drive up her score to 14 shots when she struck the 9 to the bottom right. The 37th player of the day is Harrison Specters captain Twinkie II, who has the red cue up again for more 9-ball. Twinkie II was a bit disappointing in this game, grabbing a ball on the break and then two-shotting every other ball on the table, mixed with two errors to produce a score of 18 overall. Following that, Nicole of the Capital City Sharpshooters plays 10-ball with the silver cue. Nicole went empty on her break, but the rest of her game was good, as she took 17 shots and ended with a bank combination, 9-10 to the top right off the left rail for the early, error-free finish. Continuing along, Queens Flames star Paige makes her season debut with the blue cue in 7-ball. Paige looked a bit shaky early on, getting nothing from her break, but she didn't take any errors and made the 4-7 combination to the top right for an early finish at 10 shots. Closing this group, Roxy of the Freedom Cascades plays 12-ball with the red cue. Roxy navigated a poorly distributed break shot very well, getting a ball from that and then closing the rest of the game in 20 shots without an error thanks to her precise set-up work.

The ninth batch opens with Victoria Spurs captain Spice, who uses the blue cue for 10-ball. Spice made a ball from the break, but faded in the middle of the game, taking three errors as her score ballooned to 18 shots for the game. Moving along, Missy of the Capital City Sharpshooters plays 8-ball with the blue cue in her second appearance of the year. Missy had the game on lock-down from the break, where she made two balls, but she faltered at the end, taking two errors and a number of shots to chase the 2, which gave her a mediocre score of 23. The 43rd player at the table today is Charli XCX, the Hummingbirds sophomore, who is back in action with the blue cue for 12-ball. Charli managed a ball on the break, and she picked through a tough early going very well. She did scratch late in the game, and the 10 proved difficult to corral to the bottom side, but she ended with a respectable 20 shots. Paige returns to the table for the next game, shooting 8-ball with the silver cue in her second game of the day and of the year. Paige hovered around average once again, needing 22 shots with no errors and an empty break to close out this game. Finishing this batch, Warriors captain Twilight plays her 15-ball game with the red cue. Twilight ended up with nothing on the break, and she took three errors in the game, including illegally potting the 15 with a scratch that forced her to play out the rack. She ended at 29 shots, a decent but unspectacular mark.

The final group begins with Shadow, the Web City Spiders captain, shooting 12-ball with the red cue. Shadow showed absolute mastery of the game in his turn, going empty on the break and still clearing the table in only 18 shots, as he picked his shots very well early on and made good contact for the later attempts. Next up, Central Warriors rookie Mario plays 10-ball with the silver cue. Mario was not discouraged by an empty break, and he avoided taking any errors during the game, showing off some savvy shots and a few misses toward the 10 before closing up with 17 shots. Following that, Freedom Cascades stalwart Stinky shoots 9-ball with the blue cue. Stinky had an error on the break in the form of a scratch, but that was the last of the bad news, as he cruised through 12 shots to complete a very confident outing. The 49th player to shoot today is Pronger Tridents rookie Potter, who will play his 9-ball game with the silver cue. Potter did manage to strike a ball in from the break, and he took a single error later in the game before settling in to score 14 shots in total for the appearance. Lastly, Specters captain Twinkie II plays 10-ball with the silver cue. Twinkie II had one ball on the break and one error in the appearance, closing her score at a solid 16 shots.

This weekend will be the first of the weekend-style game plays. We have already done 230 games this week, and I anticipate playing 50-75 games over the weekend, all in one post. This would bring us to about halfway done with Qualifiers.

2017 Qualifiers - Day 10

It's the tenth day of qualifying, and we've reached a point where three players are yet to start while one is already finished, leaving the whole spectrum of games open. We begin today with...

Mr. Snowman of the Infinity Torpedoes shooting 10-ball with the silver cue to start the first group. Mr. Snowman did make a ball on the break in this game, but he took an early error. He settled in after iffy shooting early on, and closed the game with 17 shots in a good performance. Next up, Central Warriors rookie Mario plays 9-ball with the blue cue in his third career game. Mario made two balls from an excellent break, and then closed the game with one error for a late scratch, giving him 11 shots when he knocked in the 9 for a good outing. Continuing along, Crystal of the Queens Flames shoots Rotation with the red cue after a few days off to recover from deep struggles early in her qualifying campaign. Crystal played a pretty sharp game, not quite making anything on her break, but also knowing when to err, which gave her five errors mixed in over 26 shots, a good outing. The fourth player called today is Sleepy B., the Archtown Arrows veteran, who shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Sleepy B. did well in her game, taking her only error on a scratch at the break, which was otherwise empty. She sealed the game in 13 shots, ending with an 8-10 cut combination to the top right for a good performance. Rounding out the group, Zach of the Pronger Tridents shoots 8-ball with the blue cue. Zach went empty on his break, and also took no errors in the appearance, needing 21 shots to complete the outing in a fairly standard appearance for the sophomore.

The second batch of the day gets going with Charli XCX of the Tysini Hummingbirds playing 9-ball with the silver cue. Charli had a poor break that saw her take her only error, a scratch, and then she recovered with a game-ending glance off the 7 that took the 8 to the top right in combination and the 9 to the bottom side on the carom, for a score of 13 shots somewhat surprisingly. The seventh player called to shoot today is Wings, the Pearl Surfers stalwart, who is up for 10-ball with the red cue in this game. Wings didn't make a ball on the break, but he left the 10 right on the edge of the bottom right, and in a straight line for a 1-10 combination to end his game with 1 shot and no errors. That's a tough act to follow for Leandra, the Tysini Hummingbirds star, who will play 9-ball with the red cue. Leandra had a difficult spread on her shots in this game, taking a ball on the break but also an early error for a scratch. This was the only one, and she ended the game with 15 shots, abusing the bottom side as the target for many of those. Up next, Brownie, another Hummingbird, shoots 10-ball with the blue cue. Brownie couldn't make anything on her break, and then took two errors in the game, but she still had only 16 shots for a strong performance. Ending the group, Twinkie II, captain of the Harrison Specters, shoots 8-ball with the silver cue. Twinkie II went for 21 shots, including a mixed break that saw her pot a ball and also scratch for her only error.

Group three kicks off with Acorn, the Lighton Prestige captain, appearing for 9-ball with the blue cue. Acorn had two balls in on the break, a good performance from the start, and he closed the game with 13 shots and no errors after navigating the table with relative efficiency. The twelfth shooter today is Taylor Swift, star for the Eastside Sharks, who will shoot 8-ball with the blue cue. Taylor was quite inaccurate during her game, requiring 22 shots despite making a ball on the break, and she had only one error to obstruct the flow of her game. Moving along, Patches, the Boston Swifts captain, shoots 15-ball with the red cue. Patches didn't get anything on her break, and the game itself was a struggle, with five errors over 30 shots to complete the rack for a mediocre outing from one of the league's best. Panda, the Southern Monarchs captain, gets the next game, using the blue cue for Rotation. Panda got a ball on the break, and then remarkably limited his errors to only two during the game, cruising through a kind rack to score 23 shots in a league-leading effort for the event. The last player in this group is Isabella, the Atlantic Pirates rookie, who will play 9-ball with the blue cue. Isabella was all over the 9 in this game, failing to make anything on the break but needing only two chances at a 1-9 combination to sink it in the bottom right for a score of 2 with no errors.

Batch four is led off by Citrus of the Diamond Gems, who shoots her third game of qualifiers, 9-ball, with the blue cue. Citrus was dangerously close to an all-time terrible game, getting nothing on the break and three errors as no clear shots developed. Luckily, she double-potted the 3 to the bottom side and 8 to the top left, setting up to convert the 4-9 combination to end the game at 17 shots. The league hopes to see a different game for Strut of the Golden Pilots, and they'll get their wish as he shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Strut was doing just fine in his game, making a ball on the break and shooting accurately, until he had to dig the 7 away from the top right. This produced two errors for him, and forced him to take 27 shots in total to finish the game. Next up, Sydney Sierota of the Harrison Specters plays 9-ball with the silver cue with the hopes of getting that game back in form. Sydney did well early on, making a ball from the break and cruising until the 7 got stuck behind the 9. She would take one error and finish the game with 14 shots, a respectable effort for the young player. The nineteenth player called today is Snuggle, the Oceanside Waves captain, who keeps the silver cue at the table for more 9-ball. Snuggle went empty on his break, and took an early error for missed contact, but he did well from there, closing the game in 11 shots with a 5-9 combination to the bottom side after a gutsy cut to make the 4 in the bottom left. Wrapping up this group, Midland Predators rookie Fuchsia shoots Rotation with the blue cue. Fuchsia couldn't find anything good in this appearance, needing 32 shots and six errors to cover an empty break and continually bad positioning on her shots.

The fifth group opens with Flames captain Crystal shooting 15-ball with the red cue in her second appearance today. Crystal's late-qualifying resurgence continued, as she made nothing on the break but took only one error in a crisp 21 shots to complete a typically difficult event. Next up, Smokey, the Diamond Gems captain, shoots 15-ball as well with the red cue. Smokey made two balls on the break, the first to do so in this event, but also took three errors and had trouble with small space to shoot, requiring 28 total shots to complete the appearance. The 23rd player called to shoot today is Isabella, as the Pirates rookie returns to action to shoot 10-ball with the red cue. Isabella is quickly becoming known as a trick-play seeker, as she kept one eye on the 10 the whole game. She didn't get anything on the break, and she took an error for a scratch, but the persistence paid off with a deflection off the 6 to pot the 10 in the top right, ending her turn at 11 shots. Following that, Web City Spiders veteran Shiny shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Shiny had an empty break, and that was only the beginning of a rough game, as she needed 21 shots with three errors to clear off the table from there, not the best she could have done. The group closes with the last player before the mid-afternoon break. That player is Eastside Sharks captain Chelsea, who plays 9-ball with the red cue. Chelsea took nothing from her break, and did suffer an error on a scratch during the game, her only one, but she finished with a solid 16 shots by the end of the game.

After the break, group six starts with Southridge Defenders rookie Bianca shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Bianca had two balls on the break to start the game, and two errors in the end, needing 18 shots to finish the appearance despite the hot start, leaving the composed rookie frustrated. Going next is Kiwi, the Terrace City Knights superstar captain, who shoots 9-ball with the silver cue in this outing. Kiwi needed 19 shots with four errors during the game, hobbled by the temporary fix no long being a viable option for the stick. Next up, Solaris of the Infinity Torpedoes will shoot 12-ball with the red cue. Also, no more silver cue games will be played today. Any drawn will be allocated for, hopefully, tomorrow's first games. Solaris surprisingly didn't make anything from the break, but he did cruise through the game, needing only 17 shots with no errors to complete a stellar outing. The 29th player called today is Fluffina, the Maplewood Lumberjacks captain, shooting 10-ball with the blue cue. Fluffina had an iffy break, and she also committed two errors during the game as she tried to work in tight spaces, but she closed with 13 shots thanks to a planned carom off the 4 at the bottom left. Finishing this group, Modernistic Union veteran Puff I shoots Rotation with the red cue. Puff I had a ball on the break, and that was just the beginning of the good stuff, as she rallied to take just one error among 24 shots in the game, a very impressive outing.

The seventh group begins with Hughbert, the Southridge Defenders rookie, shooting 9-ball with the red cue. Hughbert saw the 4 fall late on the break, but then took two errors, unable to capitalize on the early gift as his game stretched to a painful 16 shots. Continuing along, Everton Eagles superstar captain Goldy is up for 10-ball with the red cue. Goldy couldn't quite make a ball on the break, but she did get crafty at the end, making a 3-4-10 combination with a deflection of the 4 off the 5 to get the 10 in the bottom right, ending her appearance with only a single error for missed contact earlier in the game. That will be a tough act to follow, and the opportunity comes to Citrus, the Gems star, who plays 10-ball with the red cue as well. Citrus kept it simple this game, getting nothing from the break and no errors during the course of play, and she ended with a classical finish, banking the 10 to the bottom right to end with a strong 16 shots. Dusky, the Archtown Arrows stalwart, plays the next game, keeping the red cue active for 9-ball. Dusky went big for her turn, getting a ball on the break and then hammering brilliant shots without an error for the rest of the game, scoring 11 when it was all said and done. Icing this group, Sierra of the Todavía Stills appears with the red cue for a game of 12-ball. Sierra didn't score anything from the break, and she did take a late error for missed contact, but she closed the game with 20 shots, a score she happily accepts.

The final bunch commences with the new Pacific Volcano, Chicky Phil, playing his 8-ball game with the blue cue. Chicky Phil had a ball on the break to start his game, and he played well from there, taking no errors over the 19 shots he needed to clear off a fairly average distribution. Up next, Dusty, the Golden Pilots veteran, shoots 10-ball with the blue cue. Dusty had a ball on the break for her game, and then took just one error early on before closing the game with nice mid-range shots for a score of 14, very strong in this year's environment for the event. The 38th player drawn to shoot today is Eagles captain Goldy, as she returns to the table for her 12-ball game with the red cue. Goldy had a very sturdy performance, needing only 19 shots after making a ball on the break, and she didn't take any errors, showing control and dominance in the performance. Following that, Maplewood Lumberjacks veteran Diddley shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Diddley went empty on the break, but he also took a productive error that keyed the rest of his game, allowing him to finish in 15 shots with the single error. Finally, Smudge of the Infinity Torpedoes plays 9-ball with the blue cue to end the night. Smudge had nothing on the break and one error during the course of play, with a rough start pushing her to 17 shots overall for the appearance.

An update on the silver cue to end the night: I have removed the old tip and installed the new tip with glue, which is currently being allowed to set. I will do a light amount of shaping and a little bit of reinforcement around the edge between the tip and the ferrule to hope to make this a permanent solution to the problem. The previous tip was a screw-on tip, which likely resulted in the very heavy shots the cue became known for in its first iteration. It should have a different feel going forward if this solution works.

2017 Qualifiers - Day 9

It's a new day of qualifiers. We have not remedied the silver cue issue, but the temporary fix is holding well, so that will be used today. It gets a very early start, as...

Rainmane of the Midland Predators will use that very silver cue for 10-ball to lead off the first group today. It was a rough outing for Rainmane, as she couldn't get anything on the break and took two errors before ending the game with 24 shots, as she failed to get clear sight lines on her attempts. Next up, Marsell of the Whitewater Shores makes his debut for the team, playing 7-ball with the blue cue. Marsell couldn't make anything on his break, and he had one error for a scratch after setting himself up poorly, ending with 12 shots for the game. That takes us to the lunch break, and the first player after that is Lionel, the Commerce Tradewinds veteran, who will use the blue cue for his 12-ball qualifier. Lionel needed only 16 shots after making two balls on the break, and he had no errors in a remarkable outing. Following that, Southern Monarchs captain Panda shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Panda took 27 shots for the game, after making two balls on the break, as his three errors and bad positions on the balls made it a difficult game for the veteran. The group ends with Pacific Volcanoes veteran Leonette shooting 10-ball with the blue cue. Leonette got a ball on the break and took an error for a scratch and still managed to keep her score down at 11 in a remarkable table-clearing effort for the average veteran player.

The second group begins with Valencia of the Golden Pilots shooting 9-ball with the silver cue. Valencia had a ball on the break, and played very well over the next 10 shots, avoiding any errors to record a strong game. The seventh player of the day is Goatee, the Westside Rockers veteran, who will shoot 9-ball with the blue cue. Goatee had two balls on the break, and she kept her game pretty solid, stumbling at the 6 but taking no errors and ending the appearance with only 11 shots. Next up, Isabella, the Atlantic Pirates rookie, makes her second career appearance in 8-ball with the red cue. Isabella made a ball on the break, and then impressively remained poised despite some tough shots, finishing with a score of 18 and no errors. Continuing along, Juno, the Stonebridge Wolves captain, shoots 8-ball with the silver cue in her second qualifier of the year. Juno had a weak break, failing to shatter the rack much, but she showed well in tight spaces, taking no errors and only 18 shots after flubbing her first shot from the course of play. Ending the batch, Sierra of the Todavía Stills plays 10-ball with the silver cue. Sierra played with no regard for the rules of the game, taking six errors including a scratch on her otherwise empty break, and she finished with 23 shots for the game.

Batch three starts with Victoria Spurs rookie Wario, who shoots 9-ball with the blue cue. Wario made a ball on the break, and felt he had enough time to try a trick shot on the 9, which failed, but he rallied to clear the table with no errors in 11 shots, a good score for the inexperienced player. Oreo, the Terrace City Knights veteran, plays the next game, using the red cue for her 8-ball qualifier. Oreo had a difficult start to the game, but rounded into form after an empty break and finished with 20 shots and no errors for the appearance. Moving along, Sprinkles, the Capital City Sharpshooters stalwart, plays 8-ball with the red cue. Sprinkles couldn't get a ball on the break, and she saw her shooting accuracy dip near the end of the turn. She had five errors charged for illegally potting the 8 at the end, giving her 26 shots in a poor outing. The fourteenth player drawn to shoot today is Ted, the Web City Spiders rookie, who will use the blue cue for his 8-ball qualifier. Ted seemed to do well on his turn, despite getting nothing on the break, but he faded late, taking his only error and ending with 21 shots for the game. Wrapping up the batch, Americus of the Atlantic Pirates shoots 8-ball as well, bringing the red cue back to do so. Americus held her own despite another empty break for the league, and she needed 22 shots with one error to complete the game, with her scratch setting up a double-kiss on the 9 off the right rail to the top side.

The fourth group gets going with Acorn, the Lighton Prestige captain, shooting 8-ball with the silver cue. Acorn got a ball on the break, a feat in and of itself, and then rallied through the rack with little opposition, taking the table in 16 shots with no errors for a very good qualifying effort. The next game belongs to Yekaterina Vasilyeva, the Victoria Spurs sophomore, who shoots 10-ball with the red cue this time. Yekaterina didn't quite get anything on the break, and she didn't get very good positions to shoot from either, so her score of 19 with two errors was rather impressive given the challenges. The eighteenth player to shoot today is Ruby, the Archtown Arrows star, who is set to play 9-ball with the silver cue. Ruby had a ball on the break, and then needed only 7 shots before a remarkable double-pot that sent the 6 to the bottom side and the 9 off the right rail to the bottom left to end the game with no errors. Next up, Lorde, the Commerce Tradewinds sophomore, shoots 10-ball with the blue cue. Lorde took a ball on the break and also had two errors for an illegally potted ball via illegal contact, but she was on a roll and closed with 13 shots for the game. Finishing this group, Strut, the Golden Pilots veteran, is up to play 10-ball with the silver cue. Strut wanted a bit more in this performance, and got an empty break and three errors en route to 21 shots that weren't particularly easy for him to accomplish.

Group five opens with Precious, the Pronger Tridents captain, shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Precious needed only 11 shots despite getting just a hanger for her break, and she took no errors in a very solid appearance for the high-expectations veteran. Solaris, the Infinity Torpedoes rookie, gets the next game, shooting 10-ball with the silver cue with the hopes of a good outing. Solaris had two errors after an empty break for this game, but his pacing on cut shots, along with impeccable angling, allowed him to take the game in 18 shots, a very sturdy total for the youngster. Following that, Whitewater Shores captain Bear plays 8-ball with the red cue in his second qualifier of the year. Bear didn't have another stunning game, but played very solidly after his empty break, going for 20 shots and no errors in the game. The 24th player called to shoot today is Smokey of the Diamond Gems, shooting Rotation with the silver cue. Smokey chose to illegally err twice, raising his errors mark to six and his score to 26 shots after making a pair of balls and a scratch from the eventful break. Bringing up the rear for this bunch, Paps, the Eastside Sharks newcomer, wins the speed race as he is the first to finish qualifying, playing Accuracy with the red cue. Paps completed the game in a quick 15 shots, getting two balls on the break to help the cause, and he took no errors. He ended his qualifying session with 165 total shots.

The sixth group kicks off with Infinity Torpedoes captain Smudge shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Smudge struggled to find any clear shots after an empty break that scattered a little too well, and she took no errors in the game, working her way to 22 shots to finish it. The last player before the mid-afternoon break is Twinkie I, the Prestige veteran, who shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Twinkie I had two errors in the game that also saw her frustrated by an empty break. Her shooting was acceptable, leading to 15 shots to finish the appearance. After the downtime, play resumes with Boston Swifts superstar captain Patches shooting Rotation with the red cue. Patches played a decent game for going empty on the break and needing three errors in the middle of the appearance, as she closed with 29 shots for a solid appearance. The 29th player drawn today is Patches' Swifts teammate Sweetheart, who uses the blue cue for her 10-ball game. Sweetheart had an unfortunate three errors on one play, one for illegal contact and two for illegally potted balls, as she needed 20 shots with nothing on the break to complete the outing. The group ends with Nicole of the Capital City Sharpshooters playing 9-ball with the silver cue. Nicole had 17 shots for the game, failing to make anything on the break but also avoiding errors in a sub-standard performance.

Leading off group seven, the Waves' Caitlin is back at the table for 10-ball with the silver cue. Caitlin had one error in her game, going empty on the break as well, and she managed to finish the appearance in a crisp 19 shots, ending strong with good shots at the end. Following that, Midland Predators rookie Fuchsia plays 12-ball with the red cue. Fuchsia had two balls on the break, and she took only one error in a dominant game, navigating unfavorable positions with relative ease. She ended with a vicious spinning kick on the 15 to the bottom side, sealing the game at 19 shots. Next up, Cheddar of the North Modernistic Nighthawks plays 8-ball with the silver cue in her second game with the team. Cheddar struggled in this game, needing 22 shots with one error after making nothing from the break. Moving along, Celestia of the Oceanside Waves plays 12-ball with the red cue. Celestia had a ball on the break, but that wasn't enough to prevent her from struggling, as she took three errors to preserve positioning, giving her 22 shots in the end as she finished a challenging rack. The group ends with the 35th game of the day, belonging to Waluigi, the Maplewood Lumberjacks rookie, who will shoot 12-ball with the blue cue. Waluigi buried three balls on the break, and this game him a lot of open space, which translated to him taking no errors and only 17 shots to complete the appearance.

The eighth bunch gets going with Dusky of the Archtown Arrows making her second appearance of the year, using the blue cue for 8-ball. Dusky had a terrible game, needing 26 shots with one error after getting nothing on her break, and her performance has her near the bottom of the event's standings. The 37th player drawn today is Ted, the Spiders rookie, who is back at the table for 9-ball with the silver cue. Ted had a rough game, getting nothing from the break to help the cause, and then taking two errors among 16 shots to slow down his performance. Fluffina, the Maplewood Lumberjacks captain, gets the next game, shooting 9-ball with the blue cue in this appearance. Fluffina scored 9 for her turn, including an error and a ball on the break, which occurred just about at the same time. Following that is Sparkles of the Todavía Stills, who has the red cue in hand for her 9-ball qualifier. Sparkles did get a ball on the break, and she played a clean game with no errors, ending on 13 shots in a decent game. Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds seals this group with a game of Rotation with the red cue. Lionel took nothing on the break in this game, and had three early errors as he failed to work out of troublesome shots. He settled in well, cruising up until the 15, which pushed his score to 30 with just the three errors.

That'll be all we've got tonight, as we think this is enough for the day. We'll be back tomorrow for likely another 40-game set.

2017 Qualifiers - Day 8

We're jetting through qualifiers at a good pace, and today will see us shoot some morning games too. We begin the short morning with...

Twilight of the Central Warriors playing 12-ball with the silver cue to lead off the first group. Twilight had a ball on her break, but that caused more harm than help, as she couldn't spread her shots well and needed 28 shots with three errors to complete the appearance after numerous set-up attempts. Next up, Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Lionel had a good game, going empty on his break by a slim margin and taking one error over 17 shots in a dominant shooting display. The third player called to shoot today is Hoppy, the Southern Monarchs rookie, who will use the silver cue to play her 10-ball game. Hoppy looked confident in this game, not quite making anything on an iffy break and taking an early error for a scratch, but she settled in and scored 17 in the end with effective shooting and a highlight double deflection of the 5 off the 8 and 9 from a kick to the bottom side. Todavía Stills captain Easter gets the next game, using the red cue for 9-ball in this appearance. Easter made a rare three balls on the break and still managed to take an error in her shooting, but closed with 8 shots on a 4-9 combination to the top right to end the remarkable game. Closing out the group, Easter will shoot again, playing 10-ball with the blue cue. Easter couldn't quite make any magic for this game, ending with 20 shots after an empty break, but she had no errors for the appearance.

Group two leads off the afternoon, and it's headed by the sixth shooter of the day, Swordpoint Blades captain Snowball, who will set the new speed pace with her 15-ball game with the red cue. Snowball had a highlight mid-game, making the 4 and 9 to the top right and the 10 to the bottom right for the triple-pot. Snowball ended with only one error, a scratch, and 19 shots after pinching the 15 on a combination with the 7 at the bottom right. The next game belongs to Shiny of the Web City Spiders, who will use the red cue for 9-ball. Shiny had some tough angles for her shots, and a lot of balls were pinned on the right rail, leading to her only error after an empty break. Shiny finished the game with 17 shots. Following that, Violetta, the Queens Flames rookie, shoots 10-ball with the silver cue. Violetta had some struggles in this appearance, requiring two errors and 19 total shots to finish the game. Freedom Cascades captain Jasmine shoots next, keeping the silver cue at the table for more 10-ball. Jasmine took 18 shots for the game, as well as one error after making a ball on the break for a reasonably strong game. The group ends with Shadow, the Web City Spiders captain, keeping the 10-ball run alive as he'll shoot it with the blue cue. Shadow made a ball on the break but also took two errors to preserve the position of his shots on the table, which sufficed for him to close with 17 shots total.

The third batch kicks off with Nicole of the Capital City Sharpshooters making her second appearance with the team, playing 8-ball with the silver cue. Nicole had a rough break that saw very little scatter, but she calibrated a shot in tight space and went for 19 shots with no errors in the game. Debby Ryan, the Southridge Defenders captain, makes her season debut with the blue cue in 7-ball for the next game, officially restoring her to full playing status in the league. Debby had a ball on the break and needed just 10 shots without an error to finish the appearance in good shape. Next up is Shawn, the Midland Predators captain, shooting 8-ball with the red cue in his second game for the team. Shawn couldn't quite get anything on his break shot, but he did finish the game error-free and in a mark-tying 15 shots. The fourteenth player drawn today is Ice Cream, the Commerce Tradewinds veteran, shooting 12-ball with the red cue in this appearance. Ice Cream got worse in this appearance, needing 30 shots despite making a ball on the break, as she took one error and was generally unable to multi-task with her very difficult shots. Ending the batch, Shannon, the Southern Monarchs veteran, shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Shannon played very well, getting a good break with one ball scored from that, and she had just one error in 18 shots as she quickly navigated the rack for an impressive outing.

Batch four gets going with a game of 15-ball for Paps, who shoots with the silver cue as he rejoins the speed pace. Paps again had a tough game, but better than his more recent effort, as he took 30 shots with four errors after going empty on the break to complete the last hard game of his qualifying season. Moving along, Viewpoint Sound Meteor newcomer Dominic shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Dominic did make a ball on the break, and he charged through the game early on, but his late struggles, including an error, pushed him to take 15 shots to finish the appearance. Mario, the Central Warriors rookie, plays the next game, using the silver cue for 8-ball. Mario got through his game well, going empty on his break but then taking no errors and clearing the table in 19 shots, a very strong outing from the rookie. The nineteenth player called today is Delila, the Atlantic Pirates captain, who will also use the silver cue for 8-ball. Delila had nothing on her break, and she took a late error with the hopes of setting up her last two shots well, but it went awry, and she needed 22 shots with the single error to end the game. Rounding out this group, Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie Nibbles shoots 8-ball with the red cue. It was another game with an empty break, a common theme today, but Nibbles did well to avoid any errors and finish with 19 shots in a strong outing for the rookie.

The fifth group opens with Dani of the Web City Spiders shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Dani has played very impressively so far with her new team, as she completed this game with a ball on the break, two amazing kicks to avoid any errors, and just 11 shots in the end. The 22nd player drawn today is Patches, superstar captain of the Boston Swifts, shooting 12-ball with the blue cue. Patches did alright in this appearance, getting a ball on the break but making two simple errors during the turn, and she ultimately finished with 24 shots in a middling outing. The next game belongs to Easter, as the Stills captain is back in action for 12-ball, also using the blue cue. Easter tried the rarely-used behind the rack break, which did net a ball for her, but she struggled to corral the 12 at the end, avoiding taking an error but needing 26 shots to finish the game as she chased the shot to the top side. Continuing along, Leonette of the Pacific Volcanoes uses the blue cue in her game of 9-ball. Leonette didn't make a ball on the break, but it didn't slow her down, as she had no errors in the game and took only 10 shots before ending with the 9 in the top right after a deflected shot off the 7. The last player in the group is Spice, the Victoria Spurs captain, who shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Spice also had an empty break, and took two errors during the game, but still came out with a reasonable 16 shots for her score this time around.

Group six starts with Oceanside Waves rookie Dewey shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Dewey couldn't pot a ball on the break, and he faltered a bit early before locking in to shoot 19 shots with no errors in a solid performance for his second career game. Princess, the Tysini Hummingbirds superstar captain, gets the next game, as she'll use the silver cue in her 9-ball qualifier. Princess required 18 shots with three errors after an empty break in her appearance, and the oddity of the tip of the silver cue coming partially apart during the game. Roxy will have to make do with the silver cue, as she'll be playing her 9-ball game with it, flaws and all. Roxy didn't have any difficulty with the shooting process, but she did take two errors after an empty break, and needed 17 shots in total to end the appearance. Next up, Jake of the Royal Crowns plays 8-ball with the red cue. Jake didn't seem doomed for a bad game until he got going in it, taking three errors and a massive 29 shots to complete a terrible outing after an empty break that didn't seem all that bad. Going 30th today, the last player before the mid-afternoon break is Panda, the Southern Monarchs captain, who uses the blue cue for 10-ball. Panda couldn't make anything on the break, and took three errors quite unexpectedly for illegally potted balls, but still closed with 17 shots with the productive errors he took.

After the break, the seventh group begins with the Crowns' Jake, who will play 9-ball with the blue cue. Jake needed 16 shots for the game, making a ball on the break and taking no errors in the process of shooting a slightly below-average score. Next up, the Spiders' Dani is back at the table to shoot 10-ball with the red cue. Dani did alright in her appearance, getting a ball on the break and needing 20 shots to finish the game, also taking one error for a late scratch as she faded from the pace established earlier in the event. Following that, Everton Eagles captain Goldy shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Goldy showed off her plethora of skill in the game, using fancy kicks and banks to keep an error-free outing after her empty break. Eventually, she lined up the 5-9 combination to the bottom left and sank it, scoring 13 shots for the game. The 34th player of the day is Leandra of the Tysini Hummingbirds, shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Leandra narrowly missed potting a ball on the break, but she stayed calm, taking no errors in the game. She struggled in the middle with shot placement, which did cause her score to inflate to 22 shots. Ending the batch, Niki of the Eastside Sharks plays 8-ball with the red cue. Niki continued the trend of nose-diving for 8-ball scores, getting nothing on her break and committing two errors via scratches before finishing the difficult rack with 26 shots.

Batch eight is led by Taylor Swift of the Eastside Sharks, as the star player makes her season debut in 7-ball with the red cue. Taylor also went empty on her break, and she ended up with one late error for a scratch, giving her a total of 13 shots in a mediocre start to her qualifying season. Another debut comes next, as Bear, the Whitewater Shores captain, plays the last 7-ball game for the red cue to lead off his own season. Bear made his game count, failing to pot a ball on the break but then ending it at 2 shots with a 2-7 combination to the top left, taking no errors during the appearance. That's a tough act to follow, and it's up to Victoria Spurs rookie Wario to try by shooting 8-ball with the red cue. Wario came up empty on the break, a typical occurrence today, but rallied with a twelve-ball run before fading to 20 shots and no errors late in the game. The 39th player drawn to shoot today is Stealth of the Swordpoint Blades, who keeps the red cue at the table for more 8-ball. Stealth was very efficient in his game, taking a ball on the break and then finishing the game in only 16 shots, with no errors included due to his precision shots. Wrapping up the group, Watermelon, the Pearl Surfers co-captain, is the first to try the temporary fix for the silver cue, playing Rotation. This fix has the former shaft for the red cue that disintegrated at the screw-in part attached, with the hopes that it can hold shape well enough to act as a fix. Watermelon traded early luck, with nothing on the break but fairly favorable shooting positions, and received a tough ending, needing 29 shots and three errors to close out the appearance in still relatively good shape.

The ninth batch starts with Eastside Sharks captain Chelsea shooting 8-ball with the modified silver cue. Chelsea couldn't find any good fortune on her shot, needing 24 shots after an empty break to complete the game, although she took solace in recording no errors for the outing. Up next, Jennifer Livilotti of the Terrace City Knights plays her game of 9-ball with the red cue. Jennifer started the game very strong, not quite making a ball on the break, but the 4 slowed her down and she ended up at 16 shots with no errors in the end after chasing the 8 and the 9. The 43rd player to come to the table today is the Crowns' Jake, who returns to action to play 10-ball with the blue cue in this appearance. Jake looked very comfortable for this game, failing to pot a ball on the break and taking three errors as the sloppy side of scoring a strong 15. Moving along, Spirit, the Lighton Prestige star, shoots 9-ball with the silver cue. Spirit dominated her appearance, recovering from an empty break to conclude the game in 11 shots with no errors, picking her shots very efficiently. At the back of this group, Spirit's Prestige teammate Twinkie I keeps the silver cue at the table for 8-ball. Twinkie I had a very poor break with little shatter and no balls potted, and she had one error on missed contact, but she took only 19 shots for the game, a good score to close things out.

The final group gets going with Caitlin of the Oceanside Waves playing 9-ball with the blue cue. Caitlin had a rough outing this time, getting nothing on the break and committing one error on a late scratch, which caused her to falter to 17 shots to clear the table. The 47th player of the day is Wings of the Pearl Surfers, who will use the red cue for his 9-ball qualifier. Wings had two balls on the break and didn't take any errors in a fairly confident outing, as he needed an average 14 shots to clear the table once he got going. Going next, Prism of the Stonebridge Wolves shoots 9-ball with the red cue in her third appearance of her career. Prism went empty on her break, and she had a single error when she stuck herself in a bad position, but she managed to end the game on 14 shots, a reasonable score. Following that, Boston Swifts star Puff II shoots 8-ball with the blue cue. Puff II had a scratch around midway through the game, after getting no balls to fall on the break. She ultimately needed 23 shots to complete the game, an iffy outing for a player of her caliber. The day ends with Monarchs rookie Hoppy shooting 12-ball with the silver cue. Hoppy had a ball on the break, and shot fairly well during the game, but had two errors and needed 23 shots to complete the outing.

With the cue status as it currently is, I expect qualifiers will come under some fire for not being standardized this year. My apologies to players who have used the previous silver cue shaft that are feeling cheated currently, particularly in 8-ball, 9-ball, and 10-ball. I don't foresee this causing any unusual slowdown, and I'm exploring options for a permanent solution.

2017 Qualifiers - Day 7

We return to action after two days off to celebrate Christmas. The games today begin with...

Twinkie III of the Whitewater Shores playing 7-ball with the blue cue to lead off the day's first group. Twinkie III made two balls on the break in a very confident start, and while she did scratch while shooting the 4, it was her only error in a very quick game of 6 shots. The second player to shoot today is Shannon of the Southern Monarchs, using the blue cue as well for her 10-ball game. Shannon almost got a ball on the break, and she shot effectively in the rest of the game, taking one error for an illegally potted ball and closing with 16 shots for the game. Following that, Sleepy B. of the Archtown Arrows gets the silver cue in action for 9-ball. Sleepy B. made a ball on her break, although she did take a late scratch as her shot betrayed her near the end. She had just one error in 13 shots for a strong outing. Next up, Shaggy, the new Whitewater Shore, plays 7-ball with the red cue in her debut for the team. Shaggy had a bad error, her only one, when she lightly brushed the ball before her shot. This shook her confidence, but she ended with 12 shots and the one error after an empty break. Closing out the batch, Sally of the Archtown Arrows gets her 10-ball game with the silver cue. Sally rallied quickly in the game, getting nothing on the break but taking good shots early on and needing only 14 shots after some productive misses, as she also finished the game without an error.

Group two begins with Luigi, the North Modernistic Nighthawks rookie, shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Luigi got a ball off the break, but struggled slightly at the start and the end. This didn't matter withe fantastic middle, allowing him to have only 17 shots and no errors for his second career appearance. His fellow Nintendo Universe character, Rosalina, gets the next game, as she shoots 9-ball with the silver cue in this appearance. Rosalina was mediocre for this game, missing a couple of carom attempts to take the 9, and she ultimately needed 16 shots and no errors to finish the appearance. The eighth player of the day is Caitlin, the Oceanside Waves player, who has the silver cue up for a game of 8-ball. Caitlin did well in her game, narrowly missing a ball on the break, and then picking through 17 shots with no errors to wrap up her second appearance of the season. Up next, Neopolitan of the Pearl Surfers will shoot 9-ball with the silver cue. Neopolitan had a ball on the break, and received many chances to end the game early, but she mis-positioned herself each time, needing 16 shots with two errors to clear the table. The group ends with Bryant, the Maplewood Lumberjacks stalwart, shooting Rotation with the blue cue to join the pace-setters. Bryant did well, getting a ball on the break and then clearing the table in 25 shots, although he did have three errors for illegal contact, mostly in the early parts of the game.

The third batch is led by another Lumberjack, the rookie Waluigi, who has the red cue ready for his 10-ball appearance. Waluigi was charged with four errors in the game, but he also made a ball on the break. All this resulted in mixed feelings about scoring 19 shots for the game, but those feelings lean positive. Daisy, the Modernistic Union rookie, gets the next game, making her second career appearance in 8-ball with the red cue. Daisy had one error in her game, just missing taking the 8 on the break, and she needed 21 shots to work through the rest of the game. Continuing along, Commerce Tradewinds sophomore Lorde uses the red cue for her 8-ball game as well. Lorde's break was bad, resulting in a scratch that constituted her single error, and she settled in to score 19 the rest of the way on in a reasonably good outing. The fourteenth player to shoot today is Dewey, the Oceanside Waves rookie, who makes his career debut in 7-ball with the blue cue. Dewey shot 12 in the game, going empty on the break but also taking no errors with a few crafty kicks and deflected shooting techniques. Ending this group, Bright of the North Modernistic Nighthawks plays 9-ball with the red cue. Bright had an unlucky break, with nothing going down, and then a cluster gave him some trouble with illegal contact, resulting in him taking two errors among 15 shots before finishing the game.

Group four gets going with Crystal, the Queens Flames captain, who will shoot 9-ball with the blue cue. Crystal couldn't figure her game out at all, making two balls on the break and suffering two errors, then chasing the 8 around the table for half her shots, finally ending with a dead-last 24 shots. The league will be hoping to nip this trend quickly, putting pressure on Crystal herself to jump back on the horse and shoot 10-ball with the blue cue. Crystal was basically reduced to tears after this game, needing four errors after an empty break to just sink the 1. She looked good from 2 to 9, but then chased the 10 as well, ending with 25 shots, about half of which were probably unnecessary, and the knowledge that her career with the Flames may be in jeopardy if her season goes like qualifiers have. Snowball, the Swordpoint Blades captain, hopes to have a better game than Crystal, using the silver cue in Rotation. It's questionable if Snowball got what she wanted, making a ball on the break but also taking six errors to complete the game in 32 shots overall, a middling score. The pitiful performances need to end soon, and it's up to Crystal once again, who's now also facing fatigue as well as bad play. She'll use the red cue to shoot 12-ball in her third appearance in four games. Crystal redeemed herself a bit in this game, making a ball on the break and needing 19 shots, including a late error for missed contact, in a decent performance for the beleaguered veteran. The group finishes with Hughbert, the Southridge Defenders rookie, shooting 8-ball with the silver cue. Hughbert concluded a poor group of games with his own middling performance, getting nothing on the break, taking an error for a scratch, and then chasing at the end to finish on 24 shots for a weak outing.

Batch five starts with Salmo of the Lighton Prestige shooting 9-ball with the red cue in his third career game. Salmo did get a ball on the break, but he had some struggles for the rest of the game, taking one error for a scratch and closing on 16 shots after some poor angle choices for his shots. Next up, Watermelon of the Pearl Surfers has the blue cue ready for some 12-ball. Watermelon made a ball on the break but took two errors, the latter of which was very lazy for an illegally potted ball, and she ended with a decent 23 shots. Lorde, the Tradewinds sophomore, returned to the table for her second game of the day, 9-ball with the blue cue. Lorde came up empty on the break and a few shots after it, and took one error in the game before finding the 7 as a release valve to deflect the cue off of and pot the 9 in the bottom right, ending with a barely-acceptable 15 shots. Following that, Westside Rockers stalwart Goatee shoots 8-ball with the silver cue. Goatee didn't take an error in the game, nor did she make a ball on the break, but she wasn't very accurate, needing 23 shots to finish the appearance. The 25th and final player to shoot before today's mid-afternoon break is Central Warriors superstar Dustin, shooting 9-ball with the silver cue. Dustin couldn't get his shot calibrated at all, taking an empty break and two errors among 17 shots for the outing, a disappointment for a player of his caliber.

The sixth batch keys the post-break portion of the day, opening with Sierra of the Todavía Stills, who will also use the silver cue for 9-ball. Sierra didn't get anything on the break, and she kept her shots down at 15 despite taking two errors, as the silver cue is not performing well today. Next up, Kayla of the Royal Crowns shoots 8-ball with the blue cue in her second appearance with the team. Kayla did see a ball go down late after the break, and she needed 21 shots from there to clear the rack, including an error for a scratch that caused her some trouble on the later shots. Kayla stayed at the table and kept the blue cue in her hand, as she was called again to play her 9-ball qualifier immediately afterward. This game went very well for Kayla, who made the 4 on the break and then converted the 6-9 combination at the end of the game, taking 10 shots with no errors in the abbreviated turn. The 29th player called to shoot today is Smudge, the long-awaited Infinity Torpedoes captain making her season debut with the silver cue in 7-ball. Smudge was shooting just fine despite an empty break, but she took four errors in the appearance, and ended with 13 shots because of the disregard for legality. Rounding out this group, Web City Spiders newcomer Dani shoots 8-ball with the silver cue for her second appearance with the team. Dani made two balls on the break and looked remarkable from then on, needing only 15 shots with no errors (although she almost had one) to complete a very strong game.

The seventh group kicks off with the Crowns' Kayla getting a third appearance in rapid succession, with her 10-ball qualifier using the silver cue in this game. Kayla did the best she could in the game, scoring 18 with a ball on the break and no errors in a fairly decent performance despite some bad shooting positions early on. Moving along, Maplewood Lumberjacks veteran Diddley shoots 9-ball with the silver cue. Diddley made a ball on the break and had a single error for illegal contact around the middle of the game, but he played well and ended with 13 shots in total for the game. Precious, the Pronger Tridents captain, gets the next game, playing 8-ball with the blue cue. Precious had a great break and not much else, taking no errors over a whopping 25 shots, as her shooting accuracy was absolutely miserable despite a well-scattered rack. Following that, Nightfur, the Royal Crowns captain, also will use the blue cue in her 8-ball game. Nightfur had a poor break but showed efficiency in navigating the table, taking only 20 shots with no errors to manage to hold onto a decent performance. Closing out the batch, Kayla returns to the table for her fourth game out of the last nine for the league, shooting 12-ball with the silver cue. Kayla didn't make anything from the break, and struggled initially with the flow of the game before settling it to finish it on 23 shots and no errors.

Bunch eight starts with Missy of the Capital City Sharpshooters making her season debut with the silver cue in a game of 7-ball. Missy maintained a pretty good game, getting a ball on the break and suffering one error for illegal contact in the game, ending on a solid 10 shots. The 37th player called to shoot today is Shadow, the Web City Spiders captain, who uses the red cue in 8-ball for his second game of the year. Shadow had a lot of trouble at the start of the game, failing to get anything on his break, and he buckled down to get it done in 20 shots with no errors to weigh him down. Continuing along, Strut, the Golden Pilots veteran, plays 9-ball with the red cue. Strut came out with guns blazing in his game, shooting a ball off the break and taking a quick three in the next two shots. He did suffer an error at one point, and that threw him off, where he ended with 14 shots. Moving along, one of the two big Stonebridge Wolves acquisitions, Frosty, makes her debut with the team in 7-ball, using the red cue. Frosty had a ball on the break but also suffered three errors due to a scratching propensity, pushing her score to 12 shots despite a solid effort. The final player of the afternoon ends this group, and that player is B. Chapman of the Victoria Spurs, using the blue cue for 9-ball. Chapman continues to be an early front-runner for qualifier of the year, as she took only 8 shots despite an empty break, ending with a 7-9 combination to the top right to finish the game with no errors.

Group nine, the first of the night, is Salmo, the Prestige rookie, who plays 10-ball with the blue cue in this outing. Salmo did his best to stay legal at the end of a game that saw him end with a ball on the break, one error, and 18 shots after softly kicking the 10 into a workable position. Next up, Modernistic Union veteran Puff I shoots 12-ball with the blue cue. Puff I did well to set herself up, although later execution didn't work very well. She did get a ball on the break, but had a couple of mid-game errors for scratches among the 20 shots she needed to finish the appearance. The 43rd player drawn for today is Arrows star Sally, who will also shoot her 12-ball game with the blue cue. Sally fared very well in her game, getting two balls from the break and never looking back, as she rallied to end with 17 shots and just one error for an illegally potted ball. Following that, Spiders captain Shadow returns to action to shoot 9-ball with the red cue. Shadow continued to hover right around the averages, taking 14 shots with two errors and a ball on the break in this appearance that left him a little frustrated given how well he started the game. At the tail end of this group, Terrace City Knights veteran Jennifer Livilotti plays 8-ball with the silver cue. Jennifer didn't get anything on the break, but she kept her nose clean with no errors and played a solid game for 20 shots to clear the table off.

The tenth batch gets going with a game of 7-ball for Pounce, the new Southern Monarch, and he'll use the red cue for this debut. Pounce is not off to a good start on the south coast, shooting 15 shots with two errors after an empty break to finish this game. Hoot, the new Viewpoint Sound Meteor, gets the next game, shooting 10-ball with the blue cue. Hoot had a ball on the break for his game, and while he did take a single error, he completed the outing in a strong 15 shots to pace himself well in the event. Up next, Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds shoots 9-ball with the blue cue. Lionel did very well in this game, shooting in two balls on the break and then taking no errors for the rest of the game, which only last 11 shots and would have been less had he not been forced to use bank set-up shots on the 8 and 9. Moving along, Juno, the Stonebridge Wolves captain, makes her season debut with the team in 7-ball with the red cue. Juno didn't make anything on the break and did suffer an error early on, her only one of the game among the 14 shots it took her to finish the effort. The 50th player called to shoot today is another Wolf, Frosty, who will play her second game of the day, 8-ball with the silver cue. Frosty had a decent effort in her game, needing only 21 shots to complete the game after getting nothing on the break, and five of those were errors from illegally potting the 8 early.

That's it for the games today, as we'll try to play another long session tomorrow.

UPCL Cricket - Week 4 Part 3

We close Week 4 on Christmas, the last segment for this week. We begin with...

Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: The Crowns hope to continue a decent start to the year against a well-traveled Lumberjacks side. Fluffina showed some serious resilience in her turn, going at a low pace at first and then coasting to 1109 for Maplewood to get a larger lead at the start. Nightfur couldn't keep up for Royal, taking a measly 81 for a very weak performance. Diddley pounded 512 more for the Lumberjacks, padding the lead quite significantly. Jake shot back with 992 for the Crowns, keeping them somewhat in the game at the halfway mark. Bryant struggled, taking a technical error replay and failing to outperform the first effort, ending on 90 points and destabilizing Maplewood's lead. Kayla picked up 306 for Royal, gaining a bit of ground for the hosts late in the game. Waluigi choked as well for the Lumberjacks, taking a pathetic 33 to give them 1744 in the end. Hannah gathered 384 for the Crowns, sneaking them into the win at 1763. Royal is now 4-1 on the year, stealing the win away, while Maplewood is 7-4.

Apple Park, Todavía: The Stills, in the third of a four game home stand, host Coastal Division and Purple Derby rivals, the Viewpoint Sound Meteors, as they play the second of fourth straight on the road. Mams collected 509 for Viewpoint Sound, staking out a decent lead for the visitors. Easter replied with 300 for Todavía, regaining some of the early lost ground. Hoot had a mediocre game, scoring only 239 for the Meteors, weakening their lead. Sierra couldn't capitalize for the Stills, taking a meager 130 in her appearance. Nibbles churned out a crisp 830 for Viewpoint Sound, extending their lead to a wide margin. Sparkles snagged 495 for Todavía, trying to keep them respectable if not being able to bring them back into competitive play. Dominic missed a swing late in the game, giving him only 83 for the Meteors, producing their final of 1661. Bells tried to rally for the Stills with 366, but she failed to complete the comeback, ending their offense at 1291. Viewpoint Sound's win carried them to 4-6, while Todavía is 8-7, and both teams are now 2-1 in the Coastal Division.

Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: We return to the southeast, as the Crowns host their second in a game of a quasi-doubleheader, playing the Prestige in their first of two road games in a row. Acorn had an iffy turn, and failed to corral a long and high ball, ending on 255 for Lighton. Nightfur had her best home game of the year, picking up 192 for Royal after a technical error replay. Spirit slugged 1223 for the Prestige, cementing their lead a bit more on her strong turn. Jake had a weak 96 for the Crowns, deepening the deficit at the halfway mark. Twinkie I kept Lighton in good form, slicing 348 for the visitors to keep them well ahead. Kayla's started to enter a slump, with Royal hoping she's bottomed out with 25 in this turn. Salmo ripped 530 for the Prestige, icing their very impressive team effort at 2356. Hannah had just 69 for the Crowns, producing a total clunker from the team as they finish it at 382. Both teams are now 4-2 for the season.

Chevrolet Field, Everton: The undefeated Eagles continue their five-game home stand face the slumping Sharpshooters. Chris couldn't make a backhand save for Capital City, ending very early at 24 points for the team. Goldy hammered 675 for Everton to establish a good lead for the hosts. Missy couldn't make a dent in the deficit at all, taking a pathetic 40 points. Puff III tallied another 294 for the Eagles, keeping their lead in good shape as the game reaches half completion. Sprinkles tried to make a difference for Capital City, earning 339 but leaving them still quite far behind in the game. Kirstin managed 343 for the Eagles, cancelling out the previous damage dealt. Nicole had a sickly 166 for the Sharpshooters, leaving them at a loss with only 569 points in total. Blizzard capped the emphatic Eagles win with 506, giving them 1818 in total. Everton remains undefeated with the impressive win, going to 5-0, while Capital City is down to 5-5.

Verizon Field, Pacific: The Crowns stay busy in this segment, making a trip out to the coast to face the middling Volcanoes. Nightfur had an acceptable 281 for Royal in this appearance, not knocking out the opponents by any means. Starlight swatted 464 for Pacific in response, staking out a lead for the hosts with her strong outing. Jake replied with 479 for the Crowns, paddling his way to a good showing that covered the deficit. Ms. Kitty couldn't get herself set for the Volcanoes, taking one false start and then scoring a measly 20 points on the next turn as they are in trouble. The game seems to be taking a low-scoring turn, with Kayla picking up only 114 after dealing poorly with the cluttered pitch. Leonette capitalized on an opportunity, bashing her way to 959 for Pacific, giving them the lead with a player each to go after the big rally she posted. Hannah had a bit of an early swing for the Crowns, poking a ball out of bounds at 103 points, and leaving them with 977 total in the loss. Chicky Phil had only 96 for the Volcanoes, giving them 1539 for their final score. Pacific's win takes them to 6-5, while Royal is down to 4-3.

Chevrolet Field, Everton: The Eagles put their undefeated status on the line again against a struggling Wolves side. Juno stabbed her way to 152 for Stonebridge, failing to really adapt to the game's offerings. Goldy answered with 345 for Everton in a solid but unimpressive appearance for the captain. Frosty broke out in her turn, smashing 791 for the Wolves in a remarkable turn to flip the game around in favor of the visitors. Puff III churned out 656 for the Eagles, restoring a small lead halfway through the game as things get a bit tighter. Cobalt fell apart at 215 for Stonebridge, taking a ball off the handle of his bat and deflecting it over the wicket and then bouncing another ball out of bounds to confirm the end of his turn. Kirstin did well with 566 for Everton, but got overwhelmed with bad bounces in front of her bat, ending her turn quickly once they started. Prism also had a sub-average turn, taking only 240 to send the Wolves to another loss with 1398 total. Blizzard tacked on 361 for the Eagles finishing their win at 1928 overall. Everton has made it to 6-0, while Stonebridge's inaugural year has dropped again to 3-6.

HP Field, Midland: The Predators make a quick stop at home to welcome the Pirates back to activity after over two weeks of down time. Delila tapped 376 for Atlantic, giving them a decent start to the game. Shawn continued a recent run of solid play with 455 for Midland, staking out a marginal lead after the first attacks. Isabella ripped 487 for the Pirates, regaining a larger lead for them the second time around. Rainmane couldn't quite get it all back for the Predators, hitting 385 to put them very close behind halfway through the game. Americus pounded another 645 for Atlantic, giving them a larger lead in the later stages of the game. Leonardo faded away with 336 for Midland, deepening the deficit with a player each to go. Klaus chipped another 400 to give the Pirates their final of 1908, with the rookie using some advanced moves to keep his turn going. Fuchsia choked at the end, taking a meager 54 for the Predators as they lost with 1230. Atlantic improves to 3-1 on the year, while Midland drops to 6-5.

Cisco Tysini Field, Tysini: The Hummingbirds close out their season-opening five-game home stand, while the Wolves play their last road game for awhile. Juno cranked out 670 for Stonebridge to open the attack, even with a swing-and-miss at the end of her turn. Princess stumbled with 36 for Tysini, putting them in a deep hole from the start of the game. Frosty padded the lead with 536 for the Wolves, strengthening their position in the game. Leandra had her best effort of the year with 535 for the Hummingbirds, trying to bring them back into a competitive stance in the game. Cobalt fired back with 448 for Stonebridge, reaffirming their lead well. Charli slugged 1041 for Tysini, getting them within striking distance before the final players come to bat. Prism tallied 351 for the Wolves, putting them at 2005 overall, with the hope that will be enough for the visitors. Brownie got as close as she could for the Hummingbirds, taking 392, but this put them at 2004, a heartbreaking 1-point loss that will be pinned firmly on the captain Princess. Stonebridge escapes to home with a 4-6 record, while Tysini drops to 2-6.

The Intel Pitch, Diamond: The Gems start a pair of games at home, while the Predators are on the road for their next two. Shawn failed to make a play with his backhand for Midland, ending with 99 when a ball came back over his bat. Smokey answered with 737 for Diamond, establishing a large lead for the hosts after the initial attacks. Rainmane cut into the deficit with 399 for the Predators, but they are still significantly behind. Citrus smashed another 856 for the Gems on her turn, padding their lead even more at the midway point. Leonardo tried to help the Midland cause with 463 on his turn, but they'll need a game-changing outburst to get back in this game. Pedey didn't relent at all for Diamond, whacking 666 on his turn as they are almost assured of a victory this early. Fuchsia had a mild 108 for the Predators, and they folded into a loss with 1069 total. Rosalina let the game end quickly, taking a measly 49 to give the Gems 2308 as their winning total. Diamond's surprise win takes them to 4-4, matching the 6-6 record held by Midland.

Subway Field, Stonebridge: After meeting just two games in Tysini, the Wolves and Hummingbirds duel it out in the second game of their quick series in the Eastern Hills, kicking off a seven-game home stand for the Wolves. Princess struggled again with only 153 for Tysini this time. Juno laid out for a good effort, getting 457 for Stonebridge to give them a noticeable initial lead. Leandra had no pace on her turn, lasting for awhile but ending up with only 291 points, as the Hummingbirds are still trailing. Frosty corralled another 490 for the Wolves on her turn, which is about their leading margin at the halfway mark. Charli couldn't cover the deficit with 281 for Tysini, as they're struggling more on the road than they did at home. As pitch conditions deteriorated in the muggy northeastern stadium, Cobalt did all he could to earn replays, and he gathered 296 for Stonebridge to keep their lead solid. Brownie went on a massive rally with 514 for the Hummingbirds, but their 1239 total fell four points short, another heartbreaking loss for the struggling team. Prism tapped 90 to get out of the game, giving the Wolves a win on 1333. Stonebridge has swept the season series to go to 5-6, while Tysini is 2-7, and may already be too deep in to save this year.

Microsoft Pitch, Del Sur: The Monarchs kick off a five-game home stand against the Sharks, who are ending a five-game road trip. Chelsea seemed to be doing fine until a poor swing ended her offense at 164 for Eastside. Panda didn't get much better, spiking a ball off a dead offering on the pitch and ending with 176 as it bounced out of bounds, giving Southern a tiny lead. Taylor was moderately successful in producing points for the Sharks, taking 328 to add to their lead. Hoppy had an unfortunate bounce end her turn prematurely at 105 for the Monarchs, giving them a deficit at the midway mark. Niki broke out with 799 for Eastside, padding their lead quite a bit at an opportune time to make the lead steeper to challenge. Pounce got nearly all of it back with his 764 for Southern, keeping them in striking distance as the final players come to bat. Paps chipped 289 for the Sharks on his turn, icing their score at 1580 in the hopes that will be enough to stave off the hosts. Shannon tried to keep the Monarchs going with 460, but they fell with 1505 total in the close loss. Eastside looks to have their game back together, going to 2-7 with the win, while Southern drops to an unlucky 1-4.

Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: The Pilots make a short trip north to face Southeast Division rivals in the Crowns, who have returned home after a one-off game on the coast. Valencia wasted no time in reacquainting herself with her rivals, popping 639 for Golden to stake out a nice lead. Nightfur continues to break a little more out of her slump each game, scoring 272 for Royal in this appearance. Dusty slapped another 432 for the Pilots, giving them an even stronger lead. Jake went on a rally for the Crowns, slashing his way to 665 to bring them back to a competitive level halfway through the game. Strut parried some of the attack away, adding 472 to Golden's lead with the hopes that it will hold up. Kayla closed the gap a bit more on her turn, batting 548 for Royal to make it very close nearing the game's end. A. Charlton had a reasonable outing with 345 for the Pilots, putting them at a final score of 1888. Hannah couldn't complete the comeback for the Crowns, with her 279 putting them at a losing total of 1764. Golden battled hard to get the road divisional win and go to 4-2 overall, with a 3-1 division mark. Royal is now 4-4 on the year with the loss in their first divisional game.

That's it for this week. I'll be publishing the new standings sheet shortly, and there will be a pool post in a couple of hours or so.