We're back with the Spring Break action. There should be about eight total posts, and I'd like to get about 400 games for the second round done. Today, the action starts/continues with...
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Chicky Phil. The silver cue gets the first games with a series of 15-ball. Tysini's Princess took full advantage of an untimely scratch from Westside's Chicky Phil, playing the angles to snag the 7-14-15 combination and a win for a 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Princess didn't have it so easy in game 2, which went very back-and-forth until the Rockers' Chicky Phil missed a cut on the 15 and Princess turned it in at the top left for a 2-0 lead in the series. Things went pretty well in game 3, with both players exchanging decent shots. The 15 proved tricky for both, but Chicky Phil was induced to a scratch from a bad leave by Princess, and she buried it on the second try to get the win and secure the series at 3-0. Princess dropped the hammer on her second turn in game 4, smashing the 2-10-15 combination with some deflections to the top right, while the 2 fell in the bottom right for the double-pot that made it a 4-0 series in her favor. Princess ended the series in great form, besting a good game from Chicky Phil with her four-ball run-out to claim the series in a 5-0 sweep. Princess is the #40 ranked 15-ball player and has a ticket for the third round.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Chelsea. The red cue comes into play with this East Division 8-ball series. Central's Twilight made a four-ball run to get ahead of Eastside's Chelsea, and then maneuvered around the defense with a glancing kick on the 8 at the bottom right to win and take a 1-0 series lead. The Sharks' Chelsea had a better start in game 2, but she couldn't finish, as the Warriors' Twilight charged back on a four-ball run-out to get the win and take a 2-0 series lead. Chelsea made a big five-ball run during game 3 to stake out a nice lead, but Twilight answered with a series of well-positioned shots for a five-ball run-out to clinch the series at 3-0. Chelsea got game 4 with a strong effort that included a five-ball run and a double-pot of the 14 to the bottom left and the 9 on a deflection to the top left, making it a 3-1 series for Twilight. In game 5, Chelsea again found a different gear, working a three-ball run-out with solid consistency to get another win, even though Twilight won the series 3-2. Twilight is ranked #63 for 8-ball and advances to the third round.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Gradley v. Chicky Phil. The Center Division rivals meet for a series of Rotation with the blue cue, with other teammates engaging in a doubleheader next series. Boston's Gradley had a good start but had to hold on against Westside's Chicky Phil before claiming an 8-5 win and 1-0 series lead with the slow finish. The Swifts' Gradley had to play a bit better this game, only pulling away from the Rockers' Chicky Phil at the end to get another 8-5 win and a 2-0 lead in the series. Chicky Phil got on the board with a dominant game 3 effort, eventually taking the win by an 8-4 score to make it a 2-1 series favoring Gradley. In game 4, Gradley bounced back from a tight start to take the game by an 8-3 score, giving him the series win with the current score of 3-1. Gradley finished it off with another spectacular effort in an 8-2 win for game 5, defeating Chicky Phil 4-1 in the series. Ranked #49, Gradley takes this Rotation bid to the third round.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Sweetheart v. Misty. The blue cue remains as other representatives of the teams tangle in 7-ball. This series is incorrectly labeled as a Rivalry series on the schedule. Boston's Sweetheart controlled everything early in the game, but lost it late as Westside's Misty turned in a 6-7 combination to the top left for a 1-0 series lead with the cheap win. The Rockers' Misty saw her fate turn in game 2, playing well with a three-ball run only to watch the Swifts' Sweetheart take the game after she made a couple of mistakes, tying the series at 1. Misty replied with the game 3 win, scoring the last two balls with good cuts after a fairly close game against Sweetheart early on, with Misty now leading 2-1 in the series. Sweetheart blew her chance to tie the series by leaving the 7 jammed in at the bottom left, and Misty tapped it in on her second try to secure the series at 3-1. Misty made the first four balls of game 5 with two pairs of good shots, but Sweetheart iced it on a three-ball run-out. Misty took the series 3-2, and her #91 ranked 7-ball campaign is through to the third round.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Whiskers v. Lorde. The silver cue is back to end the short afternoon portion with 8-ball. Commerce rookie Lorde took game 1 with strong defense, incurring a scratch by Whiskers of Infinity and then burying the 8 from the kitchen to take a 1-0 series lead. The Tradewinds' Lorde doubled down, holding off a three-ball run by the Torpedoes' Whiskers near the end of the game to pot the 8 in the top right and make it a 2-0 series lead for herself. Whiskers made a big 5-3-6-7 combination to the bottom right as a highlight reel shot in game 3. Whiskers would later have to survive a three-ball run from Lorde before running out the last three shots to make it a 2-1 series with her win. Lorde tried defense in game 4 near the end, but she hit a bit too strongly, potting the 4 and giving Whiskers a clean shot at the bottom right on the 8, which she made to tie the series at 2 with another close win. Game 5 lived up to its billing, a thrilling game that had Whiskers run five balls but fall short as Lorde made a three-ball run-out to steal the series 3-2. Lorde is ranked #59 for 8-ball, and she'll play in the third round now.
Ebay Center, Queens: Max v. Fluffina. The red cue kicks off the night with some 12-ball between siblings. Queens' Max did well to keep himself in the game with a four-ball run, and then out-positioned Maplewood's Fluffina to pot his 3 in the bottom side, giving him a 1-0 series lead after game 1. The Lumberjacks' Fluffina capitalized on a wild card ball in game 2, surging to the end to defeat the Flames' Max despite his strong effort, with the series now tied at 1. Max proved quicker in getting his shots lined up in game 3, working his way to the win with strong execution as well while slightly defending Fluffina late in the game, and Max leads the series 2-1. Max secured the series with his win in game 4, avoiding Fluffina's attempts at defense after he pulled ahead and using smart set-up shots to get the win and a 3-1 series lead. Fluffina ended up rallying back for a game 5 win, but she had a tough time doing it as Max stood firm for much of the game before folding. Max took the series 3-2, and his #20 ranked 12-ball campaign heads into the third round.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Shawn v. Rainmane. The silver cue is back in action for this series of Accuracy. Swordpoint's Shawn proved tough to battle with, as Web City's Rainmane played decently but lost 1-3, with the series at 1-0 in favor of the host. The Spiders' Rainmane tied the series at 1 with an unimpressive but effective game 2 victory, as the Blades' Shawn got sloppy and ended up losing 3-5. Rainmane did much better in game 3, playing solid defense and watching as Shawn compounded his errors in losing 3-6, with the biggest snafu on either side being the final ball, giving Rainmane the 2-1 series lead with her win. The shooting deteriorated late in game 4, and the final was 4-6 for Shawn, giving him a win to tie the series at 2 as the quality of play has dropped throughout the series. Game 5 started off pretty close, but Shawn unraveled midway through, and the ending was poor again even as Rainmane finished off a 3-5 win to take the series 3-2. Ranked #91 for Accuracy, Rainmane will make an appearance in the third round.
Ford Forum, Pronger: Hoot v. Chelsea. A pair of Eastern Hills opponents will play 10-ball with the red cue. Eastside's Chelsea pulled away from Pronger's Hoot late in game 1, working a four-ball run-out that culminated in a classic finish with the 10 ball on a bank to the top right for her to take a 1-0 series lead. The Tridents' Hoot fired back with a win in a back-and-forth game 2 over the Sharks' Chelsea, tying the series at 1 in the process. Hoot suffered heartbreak when his 4-10 combination resulted in a scratch after the 10 fell, and then paid for it when Chelsea ran out the last four balls to get the game 3 win for a 2-1 series lead. Chelsea secured the series at 3-1 by bringing game 4 to an early end, working a three-ball run-out that saw the cue use the 7 to get the 10 into the top right from a carom to knock Hoot off the bracket. Chelsea iced off the series at 4-1 with a calm win over Hoot in game 5. Chelsea takes her #74 ranked 10-ball bid to the third round.
Sprint Hall, Victoria: Kavan v. Ms. Puppy. In the southwest, the game is 9-ball and the cue is silver. Modernistic's Ms. Puppy drew first blood with a gutsy game 1 over Victoria's Kavan, getting the 8 on her second try and getting great position on the 9 to take the win and a 1-0 series lead. Ms. Puppy of the Union used the 1 as a wrecking ball in game 2, plowing through it to pot the 5 in the bottom left before sinking it and caroming the cue to take the 9 in the top right, stunning the Spurs' Kavan as Ms. Puppy gains a 2-0 series lead. Kavan kept himself alive with the win in game 3, piecing together a three-ball run-out to make it interesting as Ms. Puppy's series lead is at 2-1. Game 4 pretty much went the same way, as Kavan scored a three-ball run-out after having a slight edge throughout the game, and his win ties the series at 2 with one game to decide it all now. Kavan's break proved fruitless, but it was the shot just after that decided the game, as Ms. Puppy got a small glance off the 1 and the carom sent the 9 into the top right for a stunning, highlight-reel victory. Ms. Puppy took the series by a 3-2 score, and her #42 ranked 9-ball campaign is in the third round now.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Kelly v. Princess. The night ends with 8-ball and the red cue. Tysini's Princess set the tone pretty quickly in game 1, running six balls to put Viewpoint Sound's Kelly on the ropes before taking her out with a bank of the 8 to the top right off the left rail, good for a 1-0 series lead. The Meteors' Kelly had a four-ball run in game 2, but squandered the progress with a scratch and a couple of misses, allowing a steady Princess of the Hummingbirds to take the game calmly and gain a 2-0 series lead. No one's quite sure how Princess lost, but the 8 was either illegally called, didn't receive first contact, or was legal but scratched on, and the end result gives Kelly a win to make it a 2-1 series. Game 4 featured a lot more strategy on both sides, although Kelly proved sloppy at times. Princess' defense ended up failing in the end, as Kelly scored the 8 to the bottom side from the kitchen after a scratch, and the win tied the series at 2. Kelly completed the comeback with a game 5 that served as a microcosm for the series. She was far back, but Princess stalled out as Kelly ran out the last five balls to get the win and a 3-2 series win. Kelly is ranked #22 for 8-ball and heads to the third round.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for the round, with more to come all week long.
No comments:
Post a Comment