We're back in action for a day of pool playing. The first series is...
Ebay Center, Queens: Max v. A. Charlton. Things get going with the silver cue playing 9-ball to open the round. After a feeling-out period to open game 1, Queens' Max burst forward with a six-ball run-out to claim the win over a helpless Charlton of Golden, giving the host a 1-0 series lead. The Pilots' Charlton gave away game to, failing to legally contact the 4 by hitting the 8 first and caroming the cue into the 9, which fell in the top right, giving the Flames' Max a win and the 2-0 lead in the series. Both players made their errors in game 3, but it was Charlton's late missed contact toward the 7 that gave Max the ball-in-hand to take the win and seal the series at 3-0. Max kept going, dominating possession in game 4 with a four-ball run and making the last two balls when Charlton failed to pot the 7, making it a 4-0 lead for himself. Max sealed off the series sweep at 5-0 with a sloppy win in game 5, leaving Charlton with nothing to take from the series. Ranked #30 for 9-ball, Max is the first player into the third round.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Shawn. The game is still 9-ball, but the blue cue gets the appearance here. Swordpoint's Shawn caught a lucky break when Oceanside's Snuggle potted the 7 but scratched on a carom off the 9, giving the visitor a free shot at the 9, which he buried for a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Snuggle brought game 2 to an abrupt close, working a rising kick-combination, a 7-9 shot to the bottom left that tied the series at 1 with the Blades' Shawn. Snuggle nearly took the win quickly in game 3, but he had to work a couple more shots before banking the 9 into the top right to defeat Shawn, giving Snuggle a 2-1 series lead. Shawn had a nice three-ball run near the end of game 4, including a kick of the 6 to the top side, but Snuggle potted the 9 when Shawn left it short, sealing the series at 3-1. Shawn saved some face in a lackluster game 5, winning with a sharp shot on the 9 to the top right to make it a 3-2 series win for Snuggle. Ranked #11 for 9-ball, Snuggle advances to the third round.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Zach v. Citrus. The silver cue is back, playing 7-ball in this series. Diamond's Citrus closed well with a three-ball run that included a kick on the 6 to the bottom right, and Viewpoint Sound's Zach missed on the 7, giving Citrus the second chance she needed to win and take a 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Citrus had a hot start in game 2, making three on the break as part of a four-ball run, and then mopping up the Meteors' Zach's miss on the 7, giving her a 2-0 series lead early on. Citrus didn't have her best in game 3, but it worked as Zach played a mostly inefficient game, giving Citrus another win and the series at 3-0. Citrus made it four with another strong finish in game 4, leaving Zach at risk of a sweep as she took a 4-0 series lead. Zach had his best game of the series with a six-ball run in game 5, but he missed the 7, and Citrus tapped it in to sweep the series 5-0. Ranked #34 for 7-ball, Citrus is in the third round.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Slinks v. Smokey. The game is 9-ball again, with the red cue this time. Harrison's Slinks got away with a miss on the 9, as Diamond's Smokey rocketed it in but scratched at the top side to give Slinks the 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Smokey answered with the win in game 2, working a four-ball run-out to keep the Specters' Slinks at bay as he tied the series at 1 game apiece. Slinks rallied back with a four-ball run-out in game 3, retaking a series lead at 2-1 as Smokey missed a 4-9 combination opportunity earlier in the game. Slinks had a crazy final two shots, making the 7 off of two rails to the bottom side, and then scratching at the bottom right as the 9 fell in the bottom left, allowing Smokey to tie the series at 2 and set up a decisive game. Smokey managed to get the win in a close game 5, taking the series 3-2 in the process as he keeps up an improbable bid. His #97 ranked 9-ball campaign is through to the third round. With the loss, Slinks is eliminated from the tournament, the second round's first casualty. Smokey has his first kill of the season.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Panda v. Misty. The red cue stays up for Rotation. Southern's Panda had an odd violation of the rules, as he thought the 11 dropped, but Misty of Westside missed on the 12, and Panda eventually cruised to an 8-6 win for the 1-0 series lead. The Monarchs' Panda grabbed a quick four-ball run from the break in game 2, and weathered a comeback from the Rockers' Misty before burying the 11 on a carom off the 12 to the top side to win 8-4 and lead the series 2-0. Panda buried another four-ball run before struggling late in game 3, but he emerged with the win when Misty missed contact toward the 12, giving him another 8-4 win and a 3-0 series lead. Panda didn't start as well, but a disheartened Misty had even less success, suffering another loss by an 8-3 score that gave Panda a 4-0 lead in the series. Misty held on with a game 5 win, going back and forth with Panda before winning 8-7 as he missed the on the 15. This made it a 4-1 series win to send the #3 ranked Rotation player, Panda, to the third round.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Dreamy v. Diddley. The blue cue returns for a series of 10-ball. Maplewood's Diddley did an excellent job of getting positioning for a four-ball run-out, answering a three-ball run from Swordpoint's Dreamy to take game 1 and claim a 1-0 series lead. The Lumberjacks' Diddley took game 2 as well, but in less dominant fashion, as both he and the Blades' Dreamy played poorly. Diddley owns a 2-0 series lead. Diddley nearly lost it as his late three-ball run ended, but Dreamy had a narrow miss on the 10, and Diddley cut it into the top right to take the game and a 3-0 series lead, clinching advancement. Diddley had an amazing game 4 highlight, shooting a 1-7 combination to the top right that saw the 4 carom off the 1, potting the 2 to the bottom right and the 7 at the top right in a double-pot. Dreamy took the game, dominating the offense after Diddley's remarkable shot, making it a 3-1 series. Diddley and Dreamy battled somewhat ineffectively in game 5, but Diddley came up with the win and took the series 4-1. Diddley is ranked #40 for 10-ball, and will play in the third round.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Alyssa v. Dominic. The blue cue heads north for another 10-ball series. Atlantic's Dominic came on strong in the second half of the game, rallying for a five-ball run-out to beat Oceanside's Alyssa and earn a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Alyssa tried a long bank shot on the 10, but it didn't work, and the Pirates' Dominic mopped up as he did multiple times after Alyssa's misses. The win gave Dominic a 2-0 lead in the series. Alyssa kept herself alive by staving off Dominic's attacks in game 3, working with a 6-10 combination at the end to the bottom right to get the win and make it a 2-1 series. Alyssa had less control in game 4, as Dominic had a lot of the pace of play, but Alyssa did get the win with a distance shot on the 10 to the top left, tying the series at 2. Alyssa completed the comeback with a three-ball run-out to overcome a stiff challenge from Dominic, winning the game and taking the series 3-2. Alyssa is ranked #74 for 10-ball and heads to the third round.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Bells. The red cue is up for 12-ball, with a former Wave hosting a current one. Oceanside's Bells took advantage of receiving a wild card ball from the break, as Atlantic's Americus got set up but couldn't convert, giving Bells the 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Americus likewise thrived with a wild card ball in game 2 from the break by the Waves' Bells, and Americus might have been even better in setting up and tying the series at 1 with her execution. Bells took the left rail stalemate after a few scratches, beating Americus to the final two pockets to retake a 2-1 series lead. Americus returned the favor, putting Bells on the ropes during game 4 after a good shot on the 1 to the top side, and Americus eventually won to tie the series at 2. Bells gave away a wild card ball late in game 5, but Americus couldn't string together the three shots she needed, and Bells iced the win and a 3-2 series win with a tap-in at the bottom right. Ranked #102 for 12-ball, Bells continues an improbably campaign.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Sleepy B. The blue cue returns for more 9-ball. Boston's Puff II drew first blood here, capitalizing on a late scratch by Archtown's Sleepy B., potting the last two balls from ball-in-hand to give the host a 1-0 series lead with the easy win. The Arrows' Sleepy B. thought she had the game wrapped up, but she left the 6 short at the bottom right to end a four-ball run, and the Swifts' Puff II took the game with the last two shots to own a 2-0 series lead. Sleepy B. recovered with the game 3 win, battling with a double-pot of the 6 and 7 to the right corners, and then the 9 on her next turn to stun Puff II and make it a 2-1 series. The series was postponed until March 13, where game 4 went in favor of Sleepy B. after some shaky play by both early on. Sleepy B. had a four-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 2. In game 5, the pair exchanged three-ball runs early in the game, but Sleepy B. couldn't get the last three, making only one to allow Puff II a path to victory with two well-taken shots for the win and a 3-2 series win. Ranked #13 in 9-ball, Puff II heads to the third round now.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Cheddar. The game is still 9-ball, but the silver cue makes an appearance to bring an end to the delayed first day of game action. Archtown's Ruby made game 1 very tough for Whitewater's Cheddar, but the latter did herself no favors with many errors, including scratching on a follow shot for the 9 that gave Ruby the 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Ruby nearly won again in game 2, but her five-ball run ended in a narrow miss on the 9 that the Shores' Cheddar mopped up to the top side to get the win and tie the series at 1. Ruby dazzled with a double-pot of the 1-8 combination to the bottom side and the 1 deflecting to the top left from ball-in-hand early in game 3. Ruby later converted a three-ball run but ended it with a scratch, giving Cheddar a free shot at the 9 to the bottom left that she scored to make it a 2-1 series in her favor. Ruby rallied back with a game 4 win, staving off a strong offense from Cheddar by making the 8 from distance and with good position on the 9, with the win tying the series at 2. Ruby made good on the comeback effort, capitalizing on Cheddar's short leave of the 9 at the bottom right with a tap-in to take the series 3-2. Ruby is ranked #24 for 9-ball as she goes into the third round.
The majority of this post was played in mid-February at the WSU Student Recreation Center's second table. The remainder was played at the UPCL host table. For the next week, the games will be at the latter of those two.
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