Another full day of games kicks off with...
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Leandra v. Midnight. The first series of the day is 15-ball with the red cue. Tysini's Leandra didn't have the best of starts to game 1, and Westside's Midnight had a couple of three-ball runs to pace her attack, but she came up short. Leandra made the last two balls to the bottom side for the win and a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 saw the Hummingbirds' Leandra serve up a bad break. This created a choppy game, and while the Rockers' Midnight made a late press, she scratched on her attempt at the 15. Leandra made it from ball-in-hand, taking a 2-0 series lead with the win. Midnight brought game 3 to an early end, winning with a 7-9 combination attempt that failed to the top right, but with a deflection of the cue off the 7 to drive the 15 into the bottom right. The win made it 2-1 in the series, still favoring Leandra. In game 4, Leandra applied a lot of late pressure, making a five-ball run and eight of the last nine balls, with Midnight missing her only chance on the 15 to take another loss as Leandra buried the scraps for the win and a 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 started off well and with good pace, but things stagnated in the end. Midnight ended up pulling away for the win after Leandra couldn't get going again, cutting the series to 3-2. Leandra did well to keep Midnight at bay in game 6, using Midnight's abrupt end to a three-ball run as the catalyst for a four-ball run-out of her own, snagging the win with well-planned shots to seal the series at 4-2. Midnight had a big finish to game 7 after some flashy shooting on the 5 and 6 from Leandra got her in a wasted good position. Midnight made a five-ball run-out to get the final win, but still lost the series 4-3. Leandra is ranked #81 for 15-ball and will play in the bracket final.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy v. Ice Cream. The silver cue is on now, playing 7-ball. Commerce's Ice Cream won game 1 without ever taking a shot, allowing Everton's Goldy to break at home, where she sank the 3 in the bottom right, the 7 in the top left, and the cue in the top side. Ice Cream leads 1-0 in the series. The Eagles' Goldy got a better chance to show off her skills in game 2, and that she did, owning a possession edge and closing out with a three-ball run-out to win the game, tying the series at 1 with the Tradewinds' Ice Cream, who played a solid effort. Goldy didn't leave herself with good position on the 5 after using it to deflect the 6 into the bottom right, and her three-ball run ended. Ice Cream took over with two good cuts to get the win, regaining the series lead at 2-1. In game 4, Goldy didn't learn the lesson at all, again making the 6 in off the 5, but ending a four-ball run with a missed shot. She missed the 5 a second time, and then Ice Cream made the last two shots to emerge with the win and a 3-1 series lead. Ice Cream again showed a better pace in game 5, winning with a three-ball run-out that clinched her the series when it moved to 4-1 on her win. Goldy got a bit lucky to get the win in game 6, hammering the cue into the 3 and then watching it bump the 5 and the 7, with the latter finding the top side for a win to cut the series to 4-2. In game 7, Goldy only needed two shots to win, making the 3 and 5 on the break, and then a 1-7 combination for the win. The combination saw the 1 drive the 7 off the right rail from about the bottom side pocket, and the 7 came back, glancing off the cue and 1 before finding the bottom side, an amazing finishing shot. Ice Cream took the series 4-3, and the #79 ranked 7-ball shooter will travel to Intel Center in Diamond to face the Gems' Citrus for the bracket final. Goldy is the 66th player to be eliminated, and the Eagles are shockingly the second team to be finished off as well, with Ice Cream winning in a do-or-die situation for her first kill of the year.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Wild Thing v. Max. The silver cue stays up to play some 9-ball. Whitewater's Wild Thing waited for Queens' Max to overplay himself, and that he did, with a scratch on the 7 after Wild Thing left it close. Wild Thing made the last two shots for the win and a 1-0 series lead to erase a good effort from Max in game 1. The Flames' Max showed a bit more poise in game 2, waiting patiently more often. The Shores' Wild Thing played similarly, but made a late mistake in missing the 9. Max kicked it to the bottom right, winning to tie the series at 1. Max made it 2-1 in a very quick three shots in game 3, making the 4 on the break, banking the 1 to the top side, and then kicking the cue around the 7 to glance off the 2, drive the 9 into the top right, and stop dead on the edge of the pocket, leaving Wild Thing stunned. In game 4, Max made another highlight reel shot, with a sharp 1-7-2 kick combination to the top right, but he scratched on the next turn to end a three-ball run. Max got a bit defensive late, missing the 8 narrowly but leaving Wild Thing no room to play off it much. Wild Thing scratched on his missed attempt at the 9, and Max buried it for the win and a 3-1 series lead. Max got a bit overzealous on a three-ball run, scratching after the 8 to give Wild Thing ball-in-hand for the 9. This made it an easy win for the host, who potted it to the top left to make it 3-2 in the series after slightly outplaying Max in game 5. After Max missed on the 5 in game 6, it became very easy for Wild Thing, with a well set up four-ball run-out that he executed fairly easily for the win, tying the series at 3 to set up the big finale. Wild Thing finished the improbable comeback with a perfectly weighted bank of the 9 to the bottom side to end a three-ball run-out after Max missed on the 7. Wild Thing took the series 4-3, and the #10 ranked 9-ball player will host the bracket final.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Roxy v. Smokey. The game is back to 7-ball, but the blue cue starts its day with this series. Freedom's Roxy made two balls on the break in game 1 and barely looked back, although she got a second chance on the 7 when Diamond's Smokey missed it. She made it with a cut to the top right, earning the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Cascades' Roxy wouldn't get so lucky in game 2, scratching on her attempt at the 7 to give the Gems' Smokey ball-in-hand to win the game and tie the series at 1. Smokey dominated possession in game 3, only allowing Roxy one turn at the table before closing things out with a five-ball run-out that saw him execute a couple difficult shots very well to get the win and a 2-1 series lead. The 7 couldn't seem to find any safety after a chaotic start to game 4. Roxy had a couple of missed attempts sandwiched around Smokey's own failed deflection attempt at the 7 off the 1. After a couple of shots, Roxy came back to it and made it, banking the 3 off the left rail to split the 6 and 7, with the latter falling in the bottom side for the win. Roxy tied the series at 2. Roxy had illegal contact on the 7 when she was trying to bend the cue around the 6 late in game 5, and this ended up costing her, as Smokey made the most of his ball-in-hand by potting the 6 and finding the 7, which he made to win and regain the series lead at 3-2. After all his good and intentional play, luck shined down on Smokey in game 6, as he pounded the 5 off the top rail, which caromed into the 7 and banked it off the bottom rail with spin to make it in the top left. This stood for a win to give Smokey the series at 4-2. Roxy again scratched with a soft attempt on the 7 in game 7, and this gave Smokey one more easy shot for a win to make it 5-2 in the series. Smokey is ranked #87 for 7-ball, and advances himself to the bracket final, where he'll be on the road at a venue to be determined.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Kirstin v. Starlight. A strong rookie faces a savvy veteran in 8-ball with the red cue. Southern's Kirstin had game 1 mostly under control, but she couldn't get onto the 15, and Pacific's Starlight charged with a pair of three-ball runs to come from behind and win, taking a 1-0 series lead in the process. The Volcanoes' Starlight exploded for a six-ball run from the start, also making a ball for the Monarchs' Kirstin. Starlight slowed a bit, but Kirstin gave the game away with a heavy touch on the 7 as she tried to pin the 8 and potted it instead. Starlight leads the series 2-0. Starlight had no problems pacing her attack despite a bad break in game 3, making a four-ball run to shut down Kirstin, who couldn't make a second push and eventually fell to give Starlight a 3-0 series lead. Starlight kept going in a fairly balanced game 4, battling with Kirstin evenly before serving up a three-ball run-out for the win to clinch the series at 4-0. Game 5 was a bit more of the same, with Starlight scoring a three-ball run before Kirstin eliminated her defense, and then a couple turns later, Starlight made a three-ball run-out for the win to take a 5-0 series lead. This series is likely squashing Kirstin's Rookie of the Year hopes. Kirstin finally got a win in game 6 to avoid the sweep, requiring a six-ball run-out to counter a five-ball run from the break that Starlight took. This made it a 5-1 series lead for Starlight at this point. Kirstin couldn't sustain the good vibes, losing game 7 after a bad break and a few errant shots allowed Starlight to work around the table with relative ease for the win to take the series 6-1. Ranked #71 in 8-ball, Starlight will be on the road for a bracket final.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Dusky v. Jake. The silver cue's last effort of the day comes in 10-ball. Archtown's Dusky was cruising through the middle of game 1, working to a five-ball run that ended as she left the 10 at the top right. Royal's Jake tapped it in to steal a win and take a 1-0 series lead in easy form. The Arrows' Dusky made another mistake in game 2, scratching late after a miss on the 6, and this set the Crowns' Jake up for a four-ball run-out from ball-in-hand, with the strong conversion giving him a 2-0 series lead. Jake kept going in a game 3 covered in brilliant shots, most notably his perfectly paced kick on the 2 to the bottom right, which he tapped in off the left rail and narrowly missing the 4 and 8. Dusky was solid as well, making an impressive shot on one of her turns, but Jake won with a three-ball run-out after Dusky missed the 8 on a kick. This win made it 3-0 for Jake in the series. Jake didn't have his best effort of the series in game 4, as he battled pretty closely with Dusky for most of it, but her long-distance miss on the 9 left it short at the top left, and Jake buried it before cutting the 10 to the bottom side to nail the series-clinching win, going up 4-0. Dusky finally got one back in game 5 after Jake's first dud break of the series. They matched up pretty evenly, but Jake got erratic late in the game and Dusky was able to pot the balls she needed to pace herself to a win, making it 4-1 in the series. Dusky continued the strong play in game 6 as well, making a five-ball run early on and a four-ball run-out for the win, with Jake just poking one in between the runs. Dusky's dominant win cut the series to 4-2. Jake answered back as Dusky came up just short in game 7. Dusky had a couple short and choppy runs matched by Jake, and as she looked to finish the game, she left the 10 short, with Jake potting it in the bottom left for the win. Jake wins the series 5-2, and the #8 ranked 10-ball player will host Royal Crowns teammate Nightfur at Kraft Forum for the bracket final. This assures one Crowns player will medal in 10-ball. With the loss, Dusky is the 67th player eliminated from the tournament, but she looks to be in good shape to stay with the Arrows. Jake has his second kill of the year.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Citrus. The blue cue comes on again for a series of Rotation. Atlantic's Americus faced virtually no resistance from Diamond's Citrus in game 1, as Americus established a lead and only saw it shrink once before she finished the 8-1 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Citrus put up more of a challenge in game 2, rallying to take the lead after the Pirates' Americus started well. They tangled in the late stages of the game, but Citrus' propensity for defense served her well in picking up the 8-6 win, as Americus rarely got clean shots. Citrus' win tied the series at 1. Americus made a highlight with a 1-10-3 kick combination on her first turn in game 3. Americus ended the game with a well-hit 11-12 combination to the top right, with Citrus lacking in highlights and regular successful shots as well since Americus won 8-4 to retake the series lead at 2-1. Citrus fired back with a confident start in game 4, but slipped late in the game, allowing Americus the illusion of getting back into it. Citrus regained her composure and won 8-5 with the last two shots after Americus missed contact on the 12. This tied the series again at 2. Citrus didn't break well, but she played well in traffic in game 5, which helped her do a four-ball run to build an early lead. Americus didn't challenge it much, but Citrus still made a double-pot of the 7 in the bottom side and the 14 in the top right, and then won on her next turn after some defense by an 8-4 score. Citrus leads the series 3-2. Citrus made Americus regret missing contact with the 8 late in game 6, as Citrus turned this around for a five-ball run-out from ball-in-hand, cutting and poking her way to the 8-7 win to clinch the series at 4-2. Americus previously had an amazing 4-9 bank combination to extend her lead at one point, but it went for nothing. Americus nearly reversed the fortunes on Citrus in game 7, but she blew it by missing contact with the 15 resting near the bottom side, and her four-ball run to tie the game went for a loss as Citrus tapped the 15 home to win 8-7. Citrus took the series 5-2, and the #13 ranked Rotation player is into the bracket final, where she will be the host of the series.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Chimpy. The red cue is back to play some Accuracy now. Game 1 was a disappointment on both sides, but less so for Chimpy of Modernistic, who managed to induce two late misses by Central's Twilight to claim a 6-7 win for himself to gain a 1-0 series lead. The Union's Chimpy fell apart with four straight misses after gaining a lead briefly over the Warriors' Twilight, who helped his spree of missed shots by leaving bad positions as she marched to 4-6 win to tie the series at 1. In game 3, Chimpy turned from sloppy to perfect, buckling down to take the 0-2 win as Twilight messed up early and never had a chance to get it back. The strong effort gave Chimpy a 2-1 series lead. Twilight fired right back with a good game of her own in game 4, playing very well to keep Chimpy from getting back in it, before a pesky final ball inflated the score to 2-4, with the series tied at 2 after Twilight's win. Twilight again came up just short of perfection with a sparkling effort in game 5, missing only once well after the game was in her control to beat Chimpy 1-3 and pull ahead 3-2 in the series. The players returned to their early-series form in game 6, much to the chagrin of the audience in attendance, as it saw Twilight making a mess after a bad break and eventually falling 4-6 to Chimpy, who just kept her from catching up as he won to retie the series again at 3. In game 7, Twilight never had a chance, as she battled closely with Chimpy before two straight misses doomed her to an 0-2 loss, with Chimpy yet again coming up clutch when he needed to. Chimpy claimed the series 4-3, and the #78 ranked Accuracy player will be on the road once again in the bracket final. Twilight has been eliminated from the tournament, the 68th player to bow out. Chimpy has his first kill in the do-or-die scenario.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Zach. The blue cue wraps up its day with a 9-ball series. Viewpoint Sound's Zach had an impressive cut on the 1 in game 1, but followed that with illegal contact, and Boston's Puff II took the 2-9 combination to the top right from ball-in-hand, earning the 1-0 series lead. The Swifts' Puff II handled game 2 very effectively, countering a four-ball run from the Meteors' Zach with a three-ball run-out to get the win after he made illegal contact on the 7. This win gave her a 2-0 series lead. Puff II absolutely dominated in game 3, making the first six balls over three turns and then tapping the 9 in when Zach's attempt went a bit wide at the bottom left, with the win putting Puff II ahead 3-0 in the series. Game 4 did not start well, with the first make taking many turns to come. Once things got going, Zach appeared to have a slight edge, but he wouldn't get the win, as he missed on the 7, and Puff II made it and got position to make the 9, scoring it to secure the series at 4-0. Puff II accelerated her play even more in game 5, working a seven-ball run-out that began with a jump over the 4 to drill the 3 in the bottom right, and also featured an insane deflection off the cue to get the 5, and long shots on the 6 and 8 near the end to close it. Puff II leads the series 5-0 after the clinical effort. Puff II kept up the highlight reel efforts in game 6, pounding a 4-8 bank combination to the top side before taking the 4 on a distance and powerful cut. This was part of a six-ball run, and while she missed the 7 the first time around, Zach couldn't make it, allowing Puff II to hit it and then kick the 9 to the bottom right deftly for the win, giving her a 6-0 series lead. In true Puff II fashion, she ended game 7 in a remarkable way. She made the 5-7 combination to the top right from ball-in-hand after Zach scratched. Then, having lost position on the 5, she effortlessly glanced it off the right rail, where it careened into the 9, which fell in the top right for a win on a low-probability combination shot. Puff II swept the series 7-0, and the #13 ranked 9-ball player will host Midnight of the Westside Rockers at this venue in the bracket final. Zach is out of the tournament with the loss, the 69th player eliminated. Puff II has her second kill of the year.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Gabe v. Acorn. The long day ends with 10-ball and the red cue. Lighton's Acorn showed off a certain amount of authority and confidence in his seven-ball run-out to win game 1, shooting cuts from all ranges, angles, and speeds to keep Infinity's Gabe from the table as he went up 1-0 in the series. The Prestige's Acorn looked well on his way to the victory in game 2, putting up a late five-ball run after doing much of the heavy lifting, but he missed the 10. The Torpedoes' Gabe shot back with a classic finish, banking it to the bottom right for the win, tying this Southwestern Derby at 1. Gabe had a slight edge in possession again in game 3, but got nothing to show for it this time, as he left the 10 short at the top left, and Acorn tapped it in for the win and a 2-1 series lead. Acorn was a bit more deserving of the win that he had in game 4, owning a majority share of the possession as Gabe floundered on even the moderately difficult shots while Acorn made a couple of tougher cuts. Acorn finished with the last two shots, winning to go up 3-1 in the series. An insect infestation delayed game 5 a bit, but when the play resumed, Acorn had lost a bit of his accuracy in shooting, and this allowed Gabe an open door. This became apparent when Acorn's failed attempt to put the 10 into the top right with a deflection off the 4 illegally potted the 9, allowing Gabe to call a traditional 4-10 combination to the top right, which he made for a win. This made it 3-2 in the series, still favoring Acorn. Gabe was driving possession in game 6 until he illegally potted a ball, ending a five-ball run. Acorn failed on the attempt at the 7, but Gabe would surrender the game after missing the 8, as Acorn made the last three balls over two turns, securing the series at 4-2 with the win. Gabe looked in line to get the game 7 win as well, making a five-ball run and pressing late, but his kick on the 10 left it short at the top right, and Acorn made it for the win. Acorn took the series 5-2, and the #33 ranked 10-ball player is into the bracket final. With the loss, Gabe is the 70th player eliminated, and Acorn has his second kill of the year to stay alive himself.
We're halfway through the round now, with the next three days expected to finish it. The round is now projected to end on Friday.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Pool: 2016 A-level Bracket Semifinals - Day 2
The second day of the round should be a bit fuller than the first. We begin with...
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy v. Spirit. This British Derby is in 12-ball with the silver cue to lead things off today. Everton's Goldy came in hot for game 1, making a four-ball run straight from the break, but she took a bad foul on her next turn. Lighton's Spirit turned in a well-positioned four-ball run and got set for her last shot, which she made a turn later for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Prestige's Spirit ended up with the win in game 2 thanks to slightly better positioning and poor defense from the Eagles' Goldy, who left Spirit open for her final shot, which she made to take a 2-0 series lead. Spirit kept going with a smartly played game 3, waiting for Goldy to slip up, which she did on what was going to be her final set up shot. She left Spirit with a good line on her last ball, and Spirit shot it true to get the win and go up 3-0 in the series. Spirit once again established a position of strength and defense in game 4, blocking a pocket for Goldy, and the host couldn't get around the play. Spirit ended with a double-pot of the 3 in the bottom left and a carom to make a 12-5 combination at the top left, sealing the series at 4-0. Spirit had the better of play from the start of game 5, but she had to play recklessly and give up a wild card ball to Goldy before hammering the 4 to the bottom left for the win, making it 5-0 in the series. Goldy finally overcame Spirit in game 6, and that came after Goldy gave a wild card ball away too. Goldy managed to get set up on her last shot before Spirit could, and she double-kissed it in to get the win, cutting the series to 5-1. Spirit just couldn't get the right shots on her last two balls in game 7, allowing Goldy to meticulously align herself for another win. Spirit took the series 5-2 despite losing the last two games, and she advances her #76 ranked 12-ball bid to a road trip for the bracket final at a venue to be determined.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Sugar v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The silver cue is still on for 8-ball. Web City's Sugar performed a shut out in three turns, including a seven-ball run on the second turn that wowed the crowd as she made the 13 with a masse shot around the 7. She missed the 8, but Victoria's Yekaterina left it open, and Sugar made it that time, going ahead 1-0 in the series. The Spiders' Sugar had a much worse game 2, losing as a cluster buster shot ended up taking the 8 illegally at the bottom right, gifting the Spurs' Yekaterina with a win to tie the series at 1. Yekaterina looked well on her way to getting the win in game 3, working very strongly with a four-ball run. Sugar thwarted this effort, winning on a six-ball run-out that saw a double-pot with the 5 at the bottom side and 6 at the bottom left, and great positioning to finish it off as Sugar reclaimed the series lead at 2-1. Yekaterina hit the highlight reel with a long double-pot of the 3 and 7 to the left corners in game 4. Sugar did hold the late lead, but Yekaterina toppled it with a four-ball run-out of mostly simple cuts to grab the win and retie the series at 2. Yekaterina had a good three-ball run getting her close to the finish in game 5, but Sugar snatched it away with smart positioning on her first two shots, and then a bank on the 8 to the top left to win with a three-ball run out and take a 3-2 series lead. Yekaterina hit the highlight reel again in game 6, making the 15-12-14-10 kick combination to the bottom left. It wouldn't be enough, as she scratched two shots later and Sugar pulled away, winning as she made her last two shots a turn later around Yekaterina's defense. Sugar clinched the series at 4-2 with the win. Sugar made a deep run in game 7 after falling behind to Yekaterina, but she ended up taking the loss as her five-ball run left the 8 in good position for Yekaterina to make it. Sugar still won the series 4-3, and her #78 ranked 8-ball bid will be on the road for the bracket final.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Lydia v. Alyssa. The blue cue is in action now for a series of 10-ball. Oceanside's Alyssa rode a lot of pressure from Lighton's Lydia early in game 1, and even Lydia's late three-ball run couldn't buy her the win. Alyssa made the last two shots, winning for a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Alyssa lost game 2 when she couldn't make the 8 on a long shot. The Prestige's Lydia took it from there, getting good position for a three-ball run-out, which gave her the win and tied the series at 1. Alyssa capitalized on Lydia's inability to strike the 10 from distance in game 3, ending a back-and-forth game with a tap-in at the top right to give the visitor a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 went fine until the 10, where each player missed twice after the end of a three-ball run by Lydia. Her second miss left it open for Alyssa to pot it, and that she did, making it on a glancing hit to the top left for the win, giving her a 3-1 lead in the series. Lydia dominated in game 5, leaving no doubt with consecutive turns of a four-ball run and a five-ball run-out separated only by a miss from Alyssa. This strong effort featured crisp shooting as Lydia picked up a win, getting back to being behind 3-2 in the series. Alyssa had the series in the bag in game 6, as Lydia left the 8 and 10 in close proximity to the top right, but Alyssa took a needlessly casual shot on the combination, and scratched. A three-ball run-out later, Lydia stole the win and retied the series at 3. Lydia completed the comeback with a third straight win, snapping up game 7 with the last two balls falling in her favor after playing fairly tightly with Alyssa. Lydia takes the series 4-3, and the #14 ranked 10-ball player will be the host for the bracket final, coming from this venue. Alyssa is the 62nd player knocked out of the tournament, with Lydia staving off her own elimination in her first kill.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Nightfur v. Princess. The silver cue gets this series of 10-ball. Royal's Nightfur had a poor break in game 1, and this led to forced balance in the game, with both players mixing in solid shots with bad ones. Tysini's Princess didn't have enough of the former, and Nightfur made the 10 on a cut to the bottom right from distance, taking the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur transitioned more to a long game strategy in game 2, and this worked out just as well, as she made a five-ball run-out to shut down the Hummingbirds' Princess again for a 2-0 series lead. Nightfur seemed to have the better of possession early in game 3, but this didn't translate to long term success for the game, as Princess came on strong and took the game when Nightfur missed on the 10, making it a 2-1 series. Game 4 went very quickly, with Princess making a three-ball run on her only turn, highlighted by a kick combination of the 1-2 to the top side. Nightfur made sure she never got back, assembling a very well shot seven-ball run-out, highlighted by brilliant positioning as Nightfur snagged a win to go ahead 3-1 in the series. Nightfur continued a fairly dominant series with a win in game 5, securing the series at 4-1 with a four-ball run-out after a scratch from Princess killed her momentum once again. Nightfur seemed a bit disinterested in game 6, and she played a bit sloppy as a result, with a late foul allowing Princess to set herself up for a three-ball run-out, which she converted to win the game and make it a 4-2 series. Nightfur challenged a bit more in game 7, but she ended up with nothing, as Princess pressed late in the game with a four-ball run and left Nighfur with a lousy shot on the 10. Princess tapped in the miss to get the win. Nightfur took the series 4-3, and the #28 ranked 10-ball player will be on the road for the bracket final.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Rainmane. The silver cue continues to be in action with this series of Accuracy. Web City's Rainmane started dominant against a slightly wild Shannon of Southern, but needed Shannon to scratch to get the 2-4 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Rainmane fought hard to gain a lead in game 2 after falling behind early, only to miss the last ball twice and give Shannon the 3-4 win that tied the series again at 1. Rainmane made a mess of game 3 for herself, missing frequently at the start and finish to hand the Monarchs' Shannon a relatively easy 2-6 victory, with Shannon now taking a 2-1 series lead with the win. Rainmane fell into a tie after dominating the early stages of game 4, and then had a terrible spot to break the overtime rack up. She tried a soft break, but Shannon shot the 4 to the top left from distance to get the 2-3 win and move to a 3-1 series lead with the gutsy shot. Game 5 was more of the same, with Rainmane playing well enough to get close and then blow it, as she had Shannon in trouble but scratched to give her an out. Shannon took this win 2-4, and this earned her advancement as the series went to 4-1. Rainmane finally got a win in game 6, but it was one of the ugliest Accuracy wins of the tournament a 7-8 monstrosity that neither player should have won. This made it a 4-2 series favoring Shannon with a game to go. Rainmane snagged the win in game 7 as well, as Shannon played through a bit cautiously and lost 2-5 to Rainmane. Shannon claimed the series at 4-3, and the #84 ranked Accuracy player will be on the road for the bracket final.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Smudge. The blue cue is back for its last series of the day, a set of 15-ball. Game 1 saw not much happen outside of the ordinary, with Royal's Marsell gaining momentum late in the game and translating to a win to beat Infinity's Smudge for a 1-0 series lead. The Torpedoes' Smudge bounced back well, working a five-ball run-out after a tight first half of game 2 to pick up a win over the Crowns' Marsell to tie the series at 1 early on. Marsell seemed to have a lot of momentum late in the game, working with the 11 and 12 efficiently. This disappeared as the players exchanged misses on the 13, and then Smudge came out and made a three-ball run-out, highlight by her bank of the 14 to the bottom side to get position on the 15, which she made for the win. Smudge now leads the series 2-1. Marsell had a misguided jump attempt as an effort to get to the 2 came up dramatically short. This gave Smudge ball-in-hand, and she made the 2 before turning for a 3-15 combination to the top right, which she made to win and take a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 was already going at a quick pace before Smudge settled things quite easily, using a crisp 4-15 kick combination to the top right to clinch the series for herself at 4-1, stunning Marsell and the home Royal crowd. Game 6 had just as much pace, with Marsell making a double-pot of the 6 to the top side and 13 to the bottom right to find the highlight reel. Smudge answered with two crazy shots, making the 14 to the top side after the 8 caromed into it, and then she sent the 8 there and the 11 into the top left on a double-pot that involved bounces off the 10. This started a five-ball run, and two turns later Smudge took the win to take a 5-1 series lead in the process. Marsell got game 7, which didn't mean a whole lot, as the shooting was sporadic and not with much intention throughout. Smudge took the series 5-2, and the #93 ranked 15-ball player continues a Cinderella run in the bracket final, where she'll again be on the road. Marsell is the 63rd player to be eliminated, and Smudge collected her first kill of the year with the knockout.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Juno v. Smokey. The red cue gets a look at 9-ball this time. Modernistic's Juno took the game 1 win with a healthy share of possession and a good two-ball run-out finish after Diamond's Smokey missed on the 6 late in the game. Juno took a 1-0 series lead for her win. The Union's Juno came out flying in game 2, making three balls on the break and parlaying into a five-ball run. Her pace slowed, but the Gems' Smokey couldn't do anything and Juno tapped the 9 in on her second try for the win and a 2-0 series lead. Juno went even bigger with a six-ball run to start game 3, and after Smokey flubbed the 7 at the bottom right, she made the last two shots for the win and a 3-0 lead in the series in another dominant outing. Smokey finally got a win in game 4, even as Juno was bearing down with a five-ball run that started with an insane hit on the 4, bouncing off the edge of the top side to drive into the 5 and pot it in the bottom side. Smokey tapped the 9 that Juno left at the top side home to get the win, making it 3-1 in the series. Smokey stepped up again to further stave off the loss, winning game 5 on a three-ball run-out as Juno battled very closely with him in this stanza before fading to allow him to make it a 3-2 series. Juno has reason to be worried now, as she lost game 6 with a scratch after making the 7 to give a strong Smokey ball-in-hand to make the 9. He led the game off with a five-ball run and finished it with the free shot, tying the series at 3. Smokey completed the reverse sweep with a shot into a cluster, drawing the cue off the 4 to take the 9 in the bottom right, and the 7 also fell for good measure. Smokey took the series 4-3, and the #97 ranked 9-ball player, a Cinderella story in every way, will play on the road for the bracket final.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Shelley v. Nightfur. The silver cue is back with a series of 15-ball. Royal's Nightfur stole game 1 after Infinity's Shelley put on a shooting clinic in the form of two five-ball runs. However, she forgot how to finish a game, missing the 15 twice to set Nightfur up for the win and the 1-0 series lead. The Torpedoes' Shelley took only two shots in game 2, but they worked to sink the Crowns' Nightfur after she made illegal contact. Shelley's first shot was the 1 to the bottom side, and the second buried the 15 as the cue deflected off the 2 to take the winner to the top right, tying the series at 1. Shelley is developing a knack for a patient approach, whereas Nightfur showed a bit more recklessness. Nightfur tried a glancing hit off the 9 to get the 14, but it failed and left Shelley set for the 9-15 combination in the bottom right, which she converted for a win and 2-1 series lead. Nightfur made a big five-ball run and then followed up with a three-ball run-out on the back half of game 4, giving Shelley no chance to be opportunistic this time as Nightfur's win retied the series at 2. Nightfur chose to be the one making the big moves, sending the 8 into a cluster at the top right after Shelley's illegal contact played the 15 into the mess, and after rattling things around, the 15 fell in the that pocket to give Nightfur the win and a 3-2 series lead with the lucky shot. Sensing that the opportunities to steal games away had disappeared, Shelley took control of game 6 late in the proceedings, making a four-ball run-out to snatch it away from Nightfur at the end and get a win to tie the series at 3. Shelley was surprised by how game 7 ended, as she fired the 7 into the 15 and watched it bounce around. While the 7 was getting bumped, the 15 took a flick and headed to the top left, where it landed for a lucky victory. Shelley won the series 4-3 to advance her #48 ranked 15-ball bid into the bracket final.
Apple Center, Todavía: Sierra v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The last series of the night is Rotation with the silver cue. Victoria's Yekaterina didn't as much dominate as did Todavía's Sierra fail to get any offense going. Yekaterina took game 1 in an 8-0 shutout, despite taking her time and not putting up any significant runs to gain the 1-0 series lead. The Stills' Sierra made a big comeback when she awoke from her slumber to start the series. The Spurs' Yekaterina had a nice lead in game 2, but she couldn't close it out, as Sierra twice tied her before going ahead on an 8-6 win to tie the series at 1. Sierra got even better in taking game 3, working a five-ball run from ball-in-hand after an error by Yekaterina, and then holding on to take the game 8-2 to make it a 2-1 lead for herself at the end. Yekaterina bounced back with a strong effort in game 4, coming from behind against Sierra, who pulled away at one point, to win on a four-ball run-out that included the highlight reel double-pot of the 10 to the top left and 15 to the top right to take a late lead with a good leave on the winning shot. Yekaterina's win retied the series at 2. Sierra bounced back very easily, slowly building a lead not unlike the way Yekaterina did in game 1. Sierra ended up getting threatened late in game 5, but she closed it out with a long shot on the 10, winning 8-3 to retake the series lead at 3-2. Sierra needed a couple chances on the 11 to finally close out another strong performance with an 8-4 win in game 6, but she did it on her third try and clinched the series at 4-2, knocking out the rookie wonder. Sierra iced the series at 5-2 with a come-from-behind win in game 7, winning 8-5 with a four-ball run-out to once again stun Yekaterina in the end. Sierra is ranked #38 for Rotation, and she'll play in the bracket final. Yekaterina's glorious rookie campaign is over, the 65th player knocked out of the tournament, and Sierra has her first kill of the year.
Tomorrow, we'll play some more. We're tracking to a finish on Saturday for this round, a rare weekend of games.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy v. Spirit. This British Derby is in 12-ball with the silver cue to lead things off today. Everton's Goldy came in hot for game 1, making a four-ball run straight from the break, but she took a bad foul on her next turn. Lighton's Spirit turned in a well-positioned four-ball run and got set for her last shot, which she made a turn later for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Prestige's Spirit ended up with the win in game 2 thanks to slightly better positioning and poor defense from the Eagles' Goldy, who left Spirit open for her final shot, which she made to take a 2-0 series lead. Spirit kept going with a smartly played game 3, waiting for Goldy to slip up, which she did on what was going to be her final set up shot. She left Spirit with a good line on her last ball, and Spirit shot it true to get the win and go up 3-0 in the series. Spirit once again established a position of strength and defense in game 4, blocking a pocket for Goldy, and the host couldn't get around the play. Spirit ended with a double-pot of the 3 in the bottom left and a carom to make a 12-5 combination at the top left, sealing the series at 4-0. Spirit had the better of play from the start of game 5, but she had to play recklessly and give up a wild card ball to Goldy before hammering the 4 to the bottom left for the win, making it 5-0 in the series. Goldy finally overcame Spirit in game 6, and that came after Goldy gave a wild card ball away too. Goldy managed to get set up on her last shot before Spirit could, and she double-kissed it in to get the win, cutting the series to 5-1. Spirit just couldn't get the right shots on her last two balls in game 7, allowing Goldy to meticulously align herself for another win. Spirit took the series 5-2 despite losing the last two games, and she advances her #76 ranked 12-ball bid to a road trip for the bracket final at a venue to be determined.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Sugar v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The silver cue is still on for 8-ball. Web City's Sugar performed a shut out in three turns, including a seven-ball run on the second turn that wowed the crowd as she made the 13 with a masse shot around the 7. She missed the 8, but Victoria's Yekaterina left it open, and Sugar made it that time, going ahead 1-0 in the series. The Spiders' Sugar had a much worse game 2, losing as a cluster buster shot ended up taking the 8 illegally at the bottom right, gifting the Spurs' Yekaterina with a win to tie the series at 1. Yekaterina looked well on her way to getting the win in game 3, working very strongly with a four-ball run. Sugar thwarted this effort, winning on a six-ball run-out that saw a double-pot with the 5 at the bottom side and 6 at the bottom left, and great positioning to finish it off as Sugar reclaimed the series lead at 2-1. Yekaterina hit the highlight reel with a long double-pot of the 3 and 7 to the left corners in game 4. Sugar did hold the late lead, but Yekaterina toppled it with a four-ball run-out of mostly simple cuts to grab the win and retie the series at 2. Yekaterina had a good three-ball run getting her close to the finish in game 5, but Sugar snatched it away with smart positioning on her first two shots, and then a bank on the 8 to the top left to win with a three-ball run out and take a 3-2 series lead. Yekaterina hit the highlight reel again in game 6, making the 15-12-14-10 kick combination to the bottom left. It wouldn't be enough, as she scratched two shots later and Sugar pulled away, winning as she made her last two shots a turn later around Yekaterina's defense. Sugar clinched the series at 4-2 with the win. Sugar made a deep run in game 7 after falling behind to Yekaterina, but she ended up taking the loss as her five-ball run left the 8 in good position for Yekaterina to make it. Sugar still won the series 4-3, and her #78 ranked 8-ball bid will be on the road for the bracket final.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Lydia v. Alyssa. The blue cue is in action now for a series of 10-ball. Oceanside's Alyssa rode a lot of pressure from Lighton's Lydia early in game 1, and even Lydia's late three-ball run couldn't buy her the win. Alyssa made the last two shots, winning for a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Alyssa lost game 2 when she couldn't make the 8 on a long shot. The Prestige's Lydia took it from there, getting good position for a three-ball run-out, which gave her the win and tied the series at 1. Alyssa capitalized on Lydia's inability to strike the 10 from distance in game 3, ending a back-and-forth game with a tap-in at the top right to give the visitor a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 went fine until the 10, where each player missed twice after the end of a three-ball run by Lydia. Her second miss left it open for Alyssa to pot it, and that she did, making it on a glancing hit to the top left for the win, giving her a 3-1 lead in the series. Lydia dominated in game 5, leaving no doubt with consecutive turns of a four-ball run and a five-ball run-out separated only by a miss from Alyssa. This strong effort featured crisp shooting as Lydia picked up a win, getting back to being behind 3-2 in the series. Alyssa had the series in the bag in game 6, as Lydia left the 8 and 10 in close proximity to the top right, but Alyssa took a needlessly casual shot on the combination, and scratched. A three-ball run-out later, Lydia stole the win and retied the series at 3. Lydia completed the comeback with a third straight win, snapping up game 7 with the last two balls falling in her favor after playing fairly tightly with Alyssa. Lydia takes the series 4-3, and the #14 ranked 10-ball player will be the host for the bracket final, coming from this venue. Alyssa is the 62nd player knocked out of the tournament, with Lydia staving off her own elimination in her first kill.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Nightfur v. Princess. The silver cue gets this series of 10-ball. Royal's Nightfur had a poor break in game 1, and this led to forced balance in the game, with both players mixing in solid shots with bad ones. Tysini's Princess didn't have enough of the former, and Nightfur made the 10 on a cut to the bottom right from distance, taking the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur transitioned more to a long game strategy in game 2, and this worked out just as well, as she made a five-ball run-out to shut down the Hummingbirds' Princess again for a 2-0 series lead. Nightfur seemed to have the better of possession early in game 3, but this didn't translate to long term success for the game, as Princess came on strong and took the game when Nightfur missed on the 10, making it a 2-1 series. Game 4 went very quickly, with Princess making a three-ball run on her only turn, highlighted by a kick combination of the 1-2 to the top side. Nightfur made sure she never got back, assembling a very well shot seven-ball run-out, highlighted by brilliant positioning as Nightfur snagged a win to go ahead 3-1 in the series. Nightfur continued a fairly dominant series with a win in game 5, securing the series at 4-1 with a four-ball run-out after a scratch from Princess killed her momentum once again. Nightfur seemed a bit disinterested in game 6, and she played a bit sloppy as a result, with a late foul allowing Princess to set herself up for a three-ball run-out, which she converted to win the game and make it a 4-2 series. Nightfur challenged a bit more in game 7, but she ended up with nothing, as Princess pressed late in the game with a four-ball run and left Nighfur with a lousy shot on the 10. Princess tapped in the miss to get the win. Nightfur took the series 4-3, and the #28 ranked 10-ball player will be on the road for the bracket final.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Rainmane. The silver cue continues to be in action with this series of Accuracy. Web City's Rainmane started dominant against a slightly wild Shannon of Southern, but needed Shannon to scratch to get the 2-4 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Rainmane fought hard to gain a lead in game 2 after falling behind early, only to miss the last ball twice and give Shannon the 3-4 win that tied the series again at 1. Rainmane made a mess of game 3 for herself, missing frequently at the start and finish to hand the Monarchs' Shannon a relatively easy 2-6 victory, with Shannon now taking a 2-1 series lead with the win. Rainmane fell into a tie after dominating the early stages of game 4, and then had a terrible spot to break the overtime rack up. She tried a soft break, but Shannon shot the 4 to the top left from distance to get the 2-3 win and move to a 3-1 series lead with the gutsy shot. Game 5 was more of the same, with Rainmane playing well enough to get close and then blow it, as she had Shannon in trouble but scratched to give her an out. Shannon took this win 2-4, and this earned her advancement as the series went to 4-1. Rainmane finally got a win in game 6, but it was one of the ugliest Accuracy wins of the tournament a 7-8 monstrosity that neither player should have won. This made it a 4-2 series favoring Shannon with a game to go. Rainmane snagged the win in game 7 as well, as Shannon played through a bit cautiously and lost 2-5 to Rainmane. Shannon claimed the series at 4-3, and the #84 ranked Accuracy player will be on the road for the bracket final.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Smudge. The blue cue is back for its last series of the day, a set of 15-ball. Game 1 saw not much happen outside of the ordinary, with Royal's Marsell gaining momentum late in the game and translating to a win to beat Infinity's Smudge for a 1-0 series lead. The Torpedoes' Smudge bounced back well, working a five-ball run-out after a tight first half of game 2 to pick up a win over the Crowns' Marsell to tie the series at 1 early on. Marsell seemed to have a lot of momentum late in the game, working with the 11 and 12 efficiently. This disappeared as the players exchanged misses on the 13, and then Smudge came out and made a three-ball run-out, highlight by her bank of the 14 to the bottom side to get position on the 15, which she made for the win. Smudge now leads the series 2-1. Marsell had a misguided jump attempt as an effort to get to the 2 came up dramatically short. This gave Smudge ball-in-hand, and she made the 2 before turning for a 3-15 combination to the top right, which she made to win and take a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 was already going at a quick pace before Smudge settled things quite easily, using a crisp 4-15 kick combination to the top right to clinch the series for herself at 4-1, stunning Marsell and the home Royal crowd. Game 6 had just as much pace, with Marsell making a double-pot of the 6 to the top side and 13 to the bottom right to find the highlight reel. Smudge answered with two crazy shots, making the 14 to the top side after the 8 caromed into it, and then she sent the 8 there and the 11 into the top left on a double-pot that involved bounces off the 10. This started a five-ball run, and two turns later Smudge took the win to take a 5-1 series lead in the process. Marsell got game 7, which didn't mean a whole lot, as the shooting was sporadic and not with much intention throughout. Smudge took the series 5-2, and the #93 ranked 15-ball player continues a Cinderella run in the bracket final, where she'll again be on the road. Marsell is the 63rd player to be eliminated, and Smudge collected her first kill of the year with the knockout.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Juno v. Smokey. The red cue gets a look at 9-ball this time. Modernistic's Juno took the game 1 win with a healthy share of possession and a good two-ball run-out finish after Diamond's Smokey missed on the 6 late in the game. Juno took a 1-0 series lead for her win. The Union's Juno came out flying in game 2, making three balls on the break and parlaying into a five-ball run. Her pace slowed, but the Gems' Smokey couldn't do anything and Juno tapped the 9 in on her second try for the win and a 2-0 series lead. Juno went even bigger with a six-ball run to start game 3, and after Smokey flubbed the 7 at the bottom right, she made the last two shots for the win and a 3-0 lead in the series in another dominant outing. Smokey finally got a win in game 4, even as Juno was bearing down with a five-ball run that started with an insane hit on the 4, bouncing off the edge of the top side to drive into the 5 and pot it in the bottom side. Smokey tapped the 9 that Juno left at the top side home to get the win, making it 3-1 in the series. Smokey stepped up again to further stave off the loss, winning game 5 on a three-ball run-out as Juno battled very closely with him in this stanza before fading to allow him to make it a 3-2 series. Juno has reason to be worried now, as she lost game 6 with a scratch after making the 7 to give a strong Smokey ball-in-hand to make the 9. He led the game off with a five-ball run and finished it with the free shot, tying the series at 3. Smokey completed the reverse sweep with a shot into a cluster, drawing the cue off the 4 to take the 9 in the bottom right, and the 7 also fell for good measure. Smokey took the series 4-3, and the #97 ranked 9-ball player, a Cinderella story in every way, will play on the road for the bracket final.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Shelley v. Nightfur. The silver cue is back with a series of 15-ball. Royal's Nightfur stole game 1 after Infinity's Shelley put on a shooting clinic in the form of two five-ball runs. However, she forgot how to finish a game, missing the 15 twice to set Nightfur up for the win and the 1-0 series lead. The Torpedoes' Shelley took only two shots in game 2, but they worked to sink the Crowns' Nightfur after she made illegal contact. Shelley's first shot was the 1 to the bottom side, and the second buried the 15 as the cue deflected off the 2 to take the winner to the top right, tying the series at 1. Shelley is developing a knack for a patient approach, whereas Nightfur showed a bit more recklessness. Nightfur tried a glancing hit off the 9 to get the 14, but it failed and left Shelley set for the 9-15 combination in the bottom right, which she converted for a win and 2-1 series lead. Nightfur made a big five-ball run and then followed up with a three-ball run-out on the back half of game 4, giving Shelley no chance to be opportunistic this time as Nightfur's win retied the series at 2. Nightfur chose to be the one making the big moves, sending the 8 into a cluster at the top right after Shelley's illegal contact played the 15 into the mess, and after rattling things around, the 15 fell in the that pocket to give Nightfur the win and a 3-2 series lead with the lucky shot. Sensing that the opportunities to steal games away had disappeared, Shelley took control of game 6 late in the proceedings, making a four-ball run-out to snatch it away from Nightfur at the end and get a win to tie the series at 3. Shelley was surprised by how game 7 ended, as she fired the 7 into the 15 and watched it bounce around. While the 7 was getting bumped, the 15 took a flick and headed to the top left, where it landed for a lucky victory. Shelley won the series 4-3 to advance her #48 ranked 15-ball bid into the bracket final.
Apple Center, Todavía: Sierra v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The last series of the night is Rotation with the silver cue. Victoria's Yekaterina didn't as much dominate as did Todavía's Sierra fail to get any offense going. Yekaterina took game 1 in an 8-0 shutout, despite taking her time and not putting up any significant runs to gain the 1-0 series lead. The Stills' Sierra made a big comeback when she awoke from her slumber to start the series. The Spurs' Yekaterina had a nice lead in game 2, but she couldn't close it out, as Sierra twice tied her before going ahead on an 8-6 win to tie the series at 1. Sierra got even better in taking game 3, working a five-ball run from ball-in-hand after an error by Yekaterina, and then holding on to take the game 8-2 to make it a 2-1 lead for herself at the end. Yekaterina bounced back with a strong effort in game 4, coming from behind against Sierra, who pulled away at one point, to win on a four-ball run-out that included the highlight reel double-pot of the 10 to the top left and 15 to the top right to take a late lead with a good leave on the winning shot. Yekaterina's win retied the series at 2. Sierra bounced back very easily, slowly building a lead not unlike the way Yekaterina did in game 1. Sierra ended up getting threatened late in game 5, but she closed it out with a long shot on the 10, winning 8-3 to retake the series lead at 3-2. Sierra needed a couple chances on the 11 to finally close out another strong performance with an 8-4 win in game 6, but she did it on her third try and clinched the series at 4-2, knocking out the rookie wonder. Sierra iced the series at 5-2 with a come-from-behind win in game 7, winning 8-5 with a four-ball run-out to once again stun Yekaterina in the end. Sierra is ranked #38 for Rotation, and she'll play in the bracket final. Yekaterina's glorious rookie campaign is over, the 65th player knocked out of the tournament, and Sierra has her first kill of the year.
Tomorrow, we'll play some more. We're tracking to a finish on Saturday for this round, a rare weekend of games.
UPCL Cricket: Playoffs Quarterfinals Day 2
We're back with the second game in each series. Teams have established starting points and look to keep working toward advancement. The first game is...
Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The Swifts started another series really well and look to take care of business at home again. Princess got off to a rocky start with two false starts and a 67% penalty, resulting in a measly 19 points to give Tysini. Patches came up bust again for Boston with only 69 points to produce a small lead. Leandra had to pull up at 248 after a technical error, giving the Hummingbirds a better second effort. Puff II clobbered 656 to get the Swifts into the lead at the halfway mark in good form. Charli couldn't cover the deficit with 250 for Tysini, and they're in a bit of trouble now. Gradley pummeled another 687 for Boston, giving them a lead unlikely to be topped. Bright had only 264 for the Hummingbirds, and again their dynamic offense was stifled into a loss with 781. Sweetheart butchered her turn with a pathetic 8 for the Swifts, but they won with 1420. Boston leads the series 2-0 as they cross the highway west for the two road games.
Blades Fusion ProGlide Park, Swordpoint: The Blades prevailed over a road-warrior Cascades side in the first game. Jasmine has struggled to escape mediocrity, hitting only 233 for Freedom here. Snowball improved slightly from last game, pounding 713 to give Swordpoint a sizable lead early on. Stinky stumbled with 103 for the Cascades, as game 2 is mirroring game 1 quite a bit so far. Dreamy didn't keep up with her previous pace, ending at 239 as the Blades retain a good lead at the halfway point. Roxy carved into the deficit quite a bit, swatting a solid 439 for Freedom to key the comeback effort. Shawn kept Swordpoint in the lead with 239, but their pace has dropped and they might be vulnerable. Nikolai stepped up with 512 for the Cascades, giving them a total of 1287. Stealth collapsed with 24 for the Blades, and they took the loss with 1215. Freedom's shocking win ties the series at 1, and they'll be heading home, where they went without a win against the Knights in the last round.
Chevrolet Field, Everton: The Volcanoes stunned the Eagles last game, beating the dominant home team. Starlight collected 319 for Pacific in a decent appearance, better than the previous showing. Goldy was called for a false start and took a 50% penalty, accumulating only 69 for Everton at the start. Ms. Kitty didn't pull away for the Volcanoes, having only 160 to add to their offense. Puff III also committed a false start, and the Eagles star had only 62 points as the hosts fall farther behind in a messy game. Jack broke out for 472 for Pacific, extending their lead very nicely. Cleo had a meager 90 as Everton looks to be in deep trouble at this point in the game and series. Leonette didn't do well, taking just 33 for the Volcanoes, giving them a final of 984, which should hold up. Blizzard collapsed with 49 for the Eagles, and they lost with 270 in one of the worst playoff performances ever. The Volcanoes head home with a 2-0 series lead over the regular season champions.
Nike Field, Commerce: The Prestige stunned the Tradewinds, and the shaky hosts will have a chip on their shoulder here. Acorn did reasonably well in scoring 371 for Lighton to lead things off. Tigerette answered with 497 for Commerce to give them the initial lead in a critical game. Spirit shot back with a big 518 for the Prestige, making this game very high-pace. Ice Cream couldn't catch up with 296 for the Tradewinds, and they trail at the halfway mark. Twinkie I slipped a bit with a mediocre 240 for Lighton, but they still lead for now. Lionel cranked out 465 for Commerce to put them ahead with a player each to go. Lydia hooked her last hit high, giving the Prestige only 108 to put them in a loss with 1237. Lorde took two penalties and ended at 16, making the Tradewinds win look very narrow at 1274. Commerce has tied the series at 1 before heading south for the next two games in Lighton.
A couple of sweep chances are still intact, while two other series are deadlocked. We'll see what's next as the venues shift for games 3 and 4 over the next couple of days.
Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The Swifts started another series really well and look to take care of business at home again. Princess got off to a rocky start with two false starts and a 67% penalty, resulting in a measly 19 points to give Tysini. Patches came up bust again for Boston with only 69 points to produce a small lead. Leandra had to pull up at 248 after a technical error, giving the Hummingbirds a better second effort. Puff II clobbered 656 to get the Swifts into the lead at the halfway mark in good form. Charli couldn't cover the deficit with 250 for Tysini, and they're in a bit of trouble now. Gradley pummeled another 687 for Boston, giving them a lead unlikely to be topped. Bright had only 264 for the Hummingbirds, and again their dynamic offense was stifled into a loss with 781. Sweetheart butchered her turn with a pathetic 8 for the Swifts, but they won with 1420. Boston leads the series 2-0 as they cross the highway west for the two road games.
Blades Fusion ProGlide Park, Swordpoint: The Blades prevailed over a road-warrior Cascades side in the first game. Jasmine has struggled to escape mediocrity, hitting only 233 for Freedom here. Snowball improved slightly from last game, pounding 713 to give Swordpoint a sizable lead early on. Stinky stumbled with 103 for the Cascades, as game 2 is mirroring game 1 quite a bit so far. Dreamy didn't keep up with her previous pace, ending at 239 as the Blades retain a good lead at the halfway point. Roxy carved into the deficit quite a bit, swatting a solid 439 for Freedom to key the comeback effort. Shawn kept Swordpoint in the lead with 239, but their pace has dropped and they might be vulnerable. Nikolai stepped up with 512 for the Cascades, giving them a total of 1287. Stealth collapsed with 24 for the Blades, and they took the loss with 1215. Freedom's shocking win ties the series at 1, and they'll be heading home, where they went without a win against the Knights in the last round.
Chevrolet Field, Everton: The Volcanoes stunned the Eagles last game, beating the dominant home team. Starlight collected 319 for Pacific in a decent appearance, better than the previous showing. Goldy was called for a false start and took a 50% penalty, accumulating only 69 for Everton at the start. Ms. Kitty didn't pull away for the Volcanoes, having only 160 to add to their offense. Puff III also committed a false start, and the Eagles star had only 62 points as the hosts fall farther behind in a messy game. Jack broke out for 472 for Pacific, extending their lead very nicely. Cleo had a meager 90 as Everton looks to be in deep trouble at this point in the game and series. Leonette didn't do well, taking just 33 for the Volcanoes, giving them a final of 984, which should hold up. Blizzard collapsed with 49 for the Eagles, and they lost with 270 in one of the worst playoff performances ever. The Volcanoes head home with a 2-0 series lead over the regular season champions.
Nike Field, Commerce: The Prestige stunned the Tradewinds, and the shaky hosts will have a chip on their shoulder here. Acorn did reasonably well in scoring 371 for Lighton to lead things off. Tigerette answered with 497 for Commerce to give them the initial lead in a critical game. Spirit shot back with a big 518 for the Prestige, making this game very high-pace. Ice Cream couldn't catch up with 296 for the Tradewinds, and they trail at the halfway mark. Twinkie I slipped a bit with a mediocre 240 for Lighton, but they still lead for now. Lionel cranked out 465 for Commerce to put them ahead with a player each to go. Lydia hooked her last hit high, giving the Prestige only 108 to put them in a loss with 1237. Lorde took two penalties and ended at 16, making the Tradewinds win look very narrow at 1274. Commerce has tied the series at 1 before heading south for the next two games in Lighton.
A couple of sweep chances are still intact, while two other series are deadlocked. We'll see what's next as the venues shift for games 3 and 4 over the next couple of days.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Pool: 2016 A-level Bracket Semifinals - Day 1
For this round and the Bracket Finals, the series will be played in 7-game sets, providing more time for drama between the players as they battle toward high-ranking positions. We begin the round with...
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Bells v. Kavan. The red cue gets a first crack in this round, playing 7-ball. Oceanside's Bells had a good start to the round, winning game 1 with a four-ball run-out after Victoria's Kavan left the 3 in a favorable position to start the run. Bells leads the series 1-0. The Spurs' Kavan got the win in game 2, surviving a three-ball run from the Waves' Bells to battle evenly and end up taking the 7 to tie the series at 1. Kavan made the last two shots after taking a few scares from Bells, and the successful finish to the game gave him a 2-1 series lead. Kavan kept going in a very back-and-forth game 4, with it finally tipping in his favor after Bells missed contact on the 7, and Kavan made it to the bottom side from ball-in-hand to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Bells survived for the first time facing elimination in game 5, making a five-ball run-out to hold off a hungry Kavan, and she cut the series to 3-2. In game 6, Kavan missed his first attempt on the 7, but Bells couldn't make it either, and Kavan took it the second time, securing the series at 4-2. Kavan couldn't quite capitalize on making three balls from the break in game 7, letting it slip away from him with a miss on the 7 that Bells cleaned up for the win. Kavan still took the series 4-3, and the #45 ranked 7-ball player will know where he's traveling for the bracket final at the end of the series after next.
Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v. Pedey. The silver cue gets a shot at 7-ball now in this all-Gems series. Citrus took a somewhat aggressive approach to game 1, but it worked out when Pedey missed his bank attempt on the 7 and Citrus knocked it in, taking a 1-0 series lead with her win. Citrus dazzled again in game 2, making a three-ball run in the middle and then cleaning up Pedey's missed attempt on the 7 again at the end to make it a 2-0 series lead for herself. Pedey did much better for himself in game 3, working on a four-ball run, but he couldn't make the 7, and Citrus pounded it to the top left to earn a commanding 3-0 series lead. Pedey finally got a win by finishing off a strong effort in game 4, assembling a six-ball run-out to keep Citrus away from the table and make it 3-1 in the series with his first win. Pedey pulled closer with the win in game 5, starting with a three-ball run and then making the last two balls from ball-in-hand after Citrus scratched, which cut the series to 3-2. Pedey tied the series at 3 with his win in game 6, capitalizing on more shaky play from Citrus, who has completely collapsed after starting so dominant. Citrus finally got things under control, beating Pedey with a well-paced shot on the 6 to line up and bury the 7 at the top right, earning a 4-3 series win. Citrus is ranked #34 for 7-ball, and will play in the bracket final. Pedey is the 60th player eliminated this year, and the first in this round, while Citrus' third kill of the year is friendly fire.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Shawn v. Gradley. We return to the red cue for the third of three straight 7-ball series. Boston's Gradley had a very efficient three-ball run-out in game 1, finishing on a highlight reel shot that saw the 5 rattle out of the bottom side while the 7 was bumped to the bottom left for the win and a 1-0 series lead over Swordpoint's Shawn. Game 2 was pretty close as well, with the Blades' Shawn having a slightly better edge until he missed the 7, and the Swifts' Gradley calmly banked it to the top side to win for a 2-0 lead in the series. Shawn got one back in game 3, weathering a four-ball run by Gradley until he missed contact on the 6, leaving Shawn to make the last two shots from ball-in-hand, which he did for a win to make it a 2-1 series. Shawn had a chance to tie things up in game 4, but he shot the 7 a bit short, leaving it in an easy position for Gradley to tap it in and take the win for a 3-1 series lead. Gradley bossed possession in game 5 pretty handily, and while Shawn did get a long bank attempt on the 7, it ended up missing and left near the top side for Gradley to cut in, making it to win and secure the series at 4-1. Gradley didn't get anything on the break, but his next turn in game 6 saw him make the 1 and then a 2-7 combination to the top left for the win and a 5-1 lead in the series. Gradley iced the series at 6-1 with a huge finish in game 7, rocking a six-ball run-out to snag the win. Ranked #32 in 7-ball, Gradley will host Kavan of the Victoria Spurs in the bracket final at Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center in Boston.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Midnight. The blue cue comes into action with a series of 9-ball. Westside's Midnight made a big mistake in game 1, leaving the 2 too close to the 9, and Oceanside's Snuggle took full advantage, caroming the cue off the 2 to pot the 9 at the top right for a win and 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Midnight didn't let this early setback get her down, as she turned things around with a four-ball run-out to bring game 2 to a close, battling with the Waves' Snuggle before her big finish led her to tying the series at 1. Midnight kept the momentum going in game 3, using a carom off the 7 to pot the 9 in the top right with Snuggle also putting in a decent effort. Midnight now leads the series 2-1 after this win. Snuggle shot straight back with his only shot in game 4, a 1-9 bank combination that saw the 9 jammed off the 1 and into the top right from the bottom left quadrant of the table. This surprise play tied the series again at 2 for Snuggle, shocking Midnight. Once again, Midnight didn't get down from a previous defeat, bouncing back to take the win in game 5 in a fairly standard game that saw the players battle closely. Midnight took a 3-2 series lead. Snuggle bounced back, taking an edge in possession in game 6. Midnight nearly rallied back on a four-ball run, but she missed a long bank toward the bottom left on the 9, and Snuggle tapped it in, tying the series again at 3. In game 7, Midnight couldn't quite finish a three-ball run near the end of the game, but she left Snuggle without a good shot, and he missed the 9. Midnight made it on the second try, giving herself a 4-3 series win with the decisive victory. Midnight is ranked #18 in 9-ball, and has advanced to the bracket final.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Chelsea v. Dominic. The blue cue stays up for 12-ball. Eastside's Chelsea started game 1 well on the break, and watched Atlantic's Dominic score a three-ball run before gaining position and making her last two balls for a win and a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Dominic made a big five-ball run in game 2, challenging the dominance of the Sharks' Chelsea, but she countered right back with a three-ball run-out to get the win and a 2-0 series lead. Chelsea dominated in game 3, well on her way to victory via a four-ball run when she gave away a wild card ball to Dominic to remove the defense on her last ball. As he tried to kick out of the leave, he potted Chelsea's last ball, handing her the win for a 3-0 lead in the series. Chelsea burst out for another five-ball run in game 4, dominating possession on the turn after her break since Dominic didn't do much on his first turn. Chelsea ended by giving Dominic a wild card ball, but he soon gave it back with a scratch. From the kitchen, Chelsea banked the 9 off the right rail to the top left, sealing the series at 4-0 with her win. Chelsea looked dead to rights after her break left her with the less favorable suit, but she made a highlight reel cut-bank on the 7 off the right rail and deflected off the 15 that defended the bottom side for Dominic, falling in that pocket. Two turns later, Chelsea made her final two balls with Dominic out of position, and she won for a 5-0 lead in the series. Dominic finally stemmed the attack in game 6, getting a win after Chelsea flubbed a shot after he gave her a wild card ball. Dominic took ball-in-hand from the flub, and made his last ball for a win to cut it to 5-1 in the series. Game 7 played pretty tight for not having any implications on the result of the series. It ended with Chelsea giving Dominic a wild card ball but no position, forcing him into missing contact, and then she made her last ball to take the win for a 6-1 series win. Chelsea is ranked #27 for 12-ball, advancing into the bracket final with this campaign.
That's all for the first five series of the round in a half-day of games.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Bells v. Kavan. The red cue gets a first crack in this round, playing 7-ball. Oceanside's Bells had a good start to the round, winning game 1 with a four-ball run-out after Victoria's Kavan left the 3 in a favorable position to start the run. Bells leads the series 1-0. The Spurs' Kavan got the win in game 2, surviving a three-ball run from the Waves' Bells to battle evenly and end up taking the 7 to tie the series at 1. Kavan made the last two shots after taking a few scares from Bells, and the successful finish to the game gave him a 2-1 series lead. Kavan kept going in a very back-and-forth game 4, with it finally tipping in his favor after Bells missed contact on the 7, and Kavan made it to the bottom side from ball-in-hand to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Bells survived for the first time facing elimination in game 5, making a five-ball run-out to hold off a hungry Kavan, and she cut the series to 3-2. In game 6, Kavan missed his first attempt on the 7, but Bells couldn't make it either, and Kavan took it the second time, securing the series at 4-2. Kavan couldn't quite capitalize on making three balls from the break in game 7, letting it slip away from him with a miss on the 7 that Bells cleaned up for the win. Kavan still took the series 4-3, and the #45 ranked 7-ball player will know where he's traveling for the bracket final at the end of the series after next.
Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v. Pedey. The silver cue gets a shot at 7-ball now in this all-Gems series. Citrus took a somewhat aggressive approach to game 1, but it worked out when Pedey missed his bank attempt on the 7 and Citrus knocked it in, taking a 1-0 series lead with her win. Citrus dazzled again in game 2, making a three-ball run in the middle and then cleaning up Pedey's missed attempt on the 7 again at the end to make it a 2-0 series lead for herself. Pedey did much better for himself in game 3, working on a four-ball run, but he couldn't make the 7, and Citrus pounded it to the top left to earn a commanding 3-0 series lead. Pedey finally got a win by finishing off a strong effort in game 4, assembling a six-ball run-out to keep Citrus away from the table and make it 3-1 in the series with his first win. Pedey pulled closer with the win in game 5, starting with a three-ball run and then making the last two balls from ball-in-hand after Citrus scratched, which cut the series to 3-2. Pedey tied the series at 3 with his win in game 6, capitalizing on more shaky play from Citrus, who has completely collapsed after starting so dominant. Citrus finally got things under control, beating Pedey with a well-paced shot on the 6 to line up and bury the 7 at the top right, earning a 4-3 series win. Citrus is ranked #34 for 7-ball, and will play in the bracket final. Pedey is the 60th player eliminated this year, and the first in this round, while Citrus' third kill of the year is friendly fire.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Shawn v. Gradley. We return to the red cue for the third of three straight 7-ball series. Boston's Gradley had a very efficient three-ball run-out in game 1, finishing on a highlight reel shot that saw the 5 rattle out of the bottom side while the 7 was bumped to the bottom left for the win and a 1-0 series lead over Swordpoint's Shawn. Game 2 was pretty close as well, with the Blades' Shawn having a slightly better edge until he missed the 7, and the Swifts' Gradley calmly banked it to the top side to win for a 2-0 lead in the series. Shawn got one back in game 3, weathering a four-ball run by Gradley until he missed contact on the 6, leaving Shawn to make the last two shots from ball-in-hand, which he did for a win to make it a 2-1 series. Shawn had a chance to tie things up in game 4, but he shot the 7 a bit short, leaving it in an easy position for Gradley to tap it in and take the win for a 3-1 series lead. Gradley bossed possession in game 5 pretty handily, and while Shawn did get a long bank attempt on the 7, it ended up missing and left near the top side for Gradley to cut in, making it to win and secure the series at 4-1. Gradley didn't get anything on the break, but his next turn in game 6 saw him make the 1 and then a 2-7 combination to the top left for the win and a 5-1 lead in the series. Gradley iced the series at 6-1 with a huge finish in game 7, rocking a six-ball run-out to snag the win. Ranked #32 in 7-ball, Gradley will host Kavan of the Victoria Spurs in the bracket final at Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center in Boston.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Midnight. The blue cue comes into action with a series of 9-ball. Westside's Midnight made a big mistake in game 1, leaving the 2 too close to the 9, and Oceanside's Snuggle took full advantage, caroming the cue off the 2 to pot the 9 at the top right for a win and 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Midnight didn't let this early setback get her down, as she turned things around with a four-ball run-out to bring game 2 to a close, battling with the Waves' Snuggle before her big finish led her to tying the series at 1. Midnight kept the momentum going in game 3, using a carom off the 7 to pot the 9 in the top right with Snuggle also putting in a decent effort. Midnight now leads the series 2-1 after this win. Snuggle shot straight back with his only shot in game 4, a 1-9 bank combination that saw the 9 jammed off the 1 and into the top right from the bottom left quadrant of the table. This surprise play tied the series again at 2 for Snuggle, shocking Midnight. Once again, Midnight didn't get down from a previous defeat, bouncing back to take the win in game 5 in a fairly standard game that saw the players battle closely. Midnight took a 3-2 series lead. Snuggle bounced back, taking an edge in possession in game 6. Midnight nearly rallied back on a four-ball run, but she missed a long bank toward the bottom left on the 9, and Snuggle tapped it in, tying the series again at 3. In game 7, Midnight couldn't quite finish a three-ball run near the end of the game, but she left Snuggle without a good shot, and he missed the 9. Midnight made it on the second try, giving herself a 4-3 series win with the decisive victory. Midnight is ranked #18 in 9-ball, and has advanced to the bracket final.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Chelsea v. Dominic. The blue cue stays up for 12-ball. Eastside's Chelsea started game 1 well on the break, and watched Atlantic's Dominic score a three-ball run before gaining position and making her last two balls for a win and a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Dominic made a big five-ball run in game 2, challenging the dominance of the Sharks' Chelsea, but she countered right back with a three-ball run-out to get the win and a 2-0 series lead. Chelsea dominated in game 3, well on her way to victory via a four-ball run when she gave away a wild card ball to Dominic to remove the defense on her last ball. As he tried to kick out of the leave, he potted Chelsea's last ball, handing her the win for a 3-0 lead in the series. Chelsea burst out for another five-ball run in game 4, dominating possession on the turn after her break since Dominic didn't do much on his first turn. Chelsea ended by giving Dominic a wild card ball, but he soon gave it back with a scratch. From the kitchen, Chelsea banked the 9 off the right rail to the top left, sealing the series at 4-0 with her win. Chelsea looked dead to rights after her break left her with the less favorable suit, but she made a highlight reel cut-bank on the 7 off the right rail and deflected off the 15 that defended the bottom side for Dominic, falling in that pocket. Two turns later, Chelsea made her final two balls with Dominic out of position, and she won for a 5-0 lead in the series. Dominic finally stemmed the attack in game 6, getting a win after Chelsea flubbed a shot after he gave her a wild card ball. Dominic took ball-in-hand from the flub, and made his last ball for a win to cut it to 5-1 in the series. Game 7 played pretty tight for not having any implications on the result of the series. It ended with Chelsea giving Dominic a wild card ball but no position, forcing him into missing contact, and then she made her last ball to take the win for a 6-1 series win. Chelsea is ranked #27 for 12-ball, advancing into the bracket final with this campaign.
That's all for the first five series of the round in a half-day of games.
UPCL Cricket: Playoffs Quarterfinals Day 1
We're back with brand new series for the second round of the playoffs. We'll have four games per post until we start thinning the herd a bit. First up...
Nike Field, Commerce. The #2 ranked Tradewinds battle the #10 Prestige, after splitting their season series 1-1. Acorn stumbled with 101 for Lighton at the start, not the best of first turns he could have taken. Commerce's Tigerette pounded out 384 in response, giving the hosts an early lead. Spirit just narrowly covered the deficit for the Prestige with her 287, a reasonable output in a defensive game. Ice Cream flipped another 415 to regain a lead for the Tradewinds. Twinkie I countered very effectively with her 560 for Lighton, putting them ahead again as the game goes back and forth. Lionel did his part with 457 for Commerce, reclaiming a noticeable lead as the final players step up to bat. Lydia clobbered 913 for the Prestige at the most critical moments, putting them at a final of 1861. A double deflection and slow pace ruined Lorde's comeback effort at 174 for the Tradewinds, serving them with a loss on 1430 total. Lighton takes a 1-0 series lead as Commerce gets off to a bad start for the second time in a row.
Blades Fusion ProGlide Park, Swordpoint: The #4 Blades and #12 Cascades split their season series previously. Jasmine flicked 220 for Freedom at the start, a middling effort from their longtime captain. Snowball ripped 639 for Swordpoint right off the start, giving them a nice lead. Stinky couldn't catch up for the Cascades, hitting a measly 98 as they trail by a decent margin. Dreamy got a bit tangled up near the end of her turn, but she scored 536 to extend the Blades lead nicely. Roxy got shut down on a deflection with only 42 for Freedom, further hurting their chances in the game. Shawn belted 739 in his turn for Swordpoint, likely putting the game out of reach of the visitors. Nikolai's 144 gave the Cascades only 504 overall in a brutal loss, their worst total of the playoffs. Stealth suffered a 50% penalty after his false start, but he gave the Blades 127 to ice their win at 2041. Swordpoint leads the series 1-0 after a commanding victory.
Chevrolet Field, Everton: The #1 Eagles and #9 Volcanoes split their season series, making the Volcanoes one of few teams to get one on the Eagles. Starlight got shut down very quickly with only 20 points for Pacific. Goldy didn't have much confidence in dealing with a fast ball, unable to block it away from the wicket as she ended at 176 for Everton. Ms. Kitty tapped 225 to cover the deficit for the Volcanoes in this low-scoring game. Puff III finally broke free with 537 for the Eagles, giving them a sizable lead at the halfway point. Jack replied with 635 for Pacific, keeping them in the game with a big performance. Cleo had only 241 for Everton this time, giving them a much smaller lead with a player each to go. Leonette with 359 for the Volcanoes, forcing a response from the hosts as the visitors close at 1239. Blizzard couldn't do it, hitting a meager 96 to give the Eagles a loss on 1050. Pacific has won four straight now in taking a 1-0 series lead, while Everton's sweep last round won't be repeated here.
Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The #3 Swifts and #6 Hummingbirds are the last teams to open a series, and they split their two meetings this year. Princess had a weak 144 for Tysini to open this game. Patches slugged 1153 for Boston, setting the tone in this game, and potentially for the whole series like her last big showing. Leandra didn't offer much in the way of relief, hitting just 147 for the Hummingbirds. Puff II added 304 to strengthen the Swifts lead just a bit at the midway point. Charli had troubles with pace on her turn, posting 110 as Tysini can't find enough points to make this look better. Gradley knocked another 328 for Boston, keeping their lead more than sufficient. Bright bowed out at 28 for the Hummingbirds, giving them a loss on 429 in a brutal defeat. Sweetheart padded the lead with 610, driving home the point that the Swifts will be a tough match as they take game 1 on 2395 total. Boston leads the series 1-0 after the comprehensive victory.
Game 2s will come either on Monday or Tuesday.
Nike Field, Commerce. The #2 ranked Tradewinds battle the #10 Prestige, after splitting their season series 1-1. Acorn stumbled with 101 for Lighton at the start, not the best of first turns he could have taken. Commerce's Tigerette pounded out 384 in response, giving the hosts an early lead. Spirit just narrowly covered the deficit for the Prestige with her 287, a reasonable output in a defensive game. Ice Cream flipped another 415 to regain a lead for the Tradewinds. Twinkie I countered very effectively with her 560 for Lighton, putting them ahead again as the game goes back and forth. Lionel did his part with 457 for Commerce, reclaiming a noticeable lead as the final players step up to bat. Lydia clobbered 913 for the Prestige at the most critical moments, putting them at a final of 1861. A double deflection and slow pace ruined Lorde's comeback effort at 174 for the Tradewinds, serving them with a loss on 1430 total. Lighton takes a 1-0 series lead as Commerce gets off to a bad start for the second time in a row.
Blades Fusion ProGlide Park, Swordpoint: The #4 Blades and #12 Cascades split their season series previously. Jasmine flicked 220 for Freedom at the start, a middling effort from their longtime captain. Snowball ripped 639 for Swordpoint right off the start, giving them a nice lead. Stinky couldn't catch up for the Cascades, hitting a measly 98 as they trail by a decent margin. Dreamy got a bit tangled up near the end of her turn, but she scored 536 to extend the Blades lead nicely. Roxy got shut down on a deflection with only 42 for Freedom, further hurting their chances in the game. Shawn belted 739 in his turn for Swordpoint, likely putting the game out of reach of the visitors. Nikolai's 144 gave the Cascades only 504 overall in a brutal loss, their worst total of the playoffs. Stealth suffered a 50% penalty after his false start, but he gave the Blades 127 to ice their win at 2041. Swordpoint leads the series 1-0 after a commanding victory.
Chevrolet Field, Everton: The #1 Eagles and #9 Volcanoes split their season series, making the Volcanoes one of few teams to get one on the Eagles. Starlight got shut down very quickly with only 20 points for Pacific. Goldy didn't have much confidence in dealing with a fast ball, unable to block it away from the wicket as she ended at 176 for Everton. Ms. Kitty tapped 225 to cover the deficit for the Volcanoes in this low-scoring game. Puff III finally broke free with 537 for the Eagles, giving them a sizable lead at the halfway point. Jack replied with 635 for Pacific, keeping them in the game with a big performance. Cleo had only 241 for Everton this time, giving them a much smaller lead with a player each to go. Leonette with 359 for the Volcanoes, forcing a response from the hosts as the visitors close at 1239. Blizzard couldn't do it, hitting a meager 96 to give the Eagles a loss on 1050. Pacific has won four straight now in taking a 1-0 series lead, while Everton's sweep last round won't be repeated here.
Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The #3 Swifts and #6 Hummingbirds are the last teams to open a series, and they split their two meetings this year. Princess had a weak 144 for Tysini to open this game. Patches slugged 1153 for Boston, setting the tone in this game, and potentially for the whole series like her last big showing. Leandra didn't offer much in the way of relief, hitting just 147 for the Hummingbirds. Puff II added 304 to strengthen the Swifts lead just a bit at the midway point. Charli had troubles with pace on her turn, posting 110 as Tysini can't find enough points to make this look better. Gradley knocked another 328 for Boston, keeping their lead more than sufficient. Bright bowed out at 28 for the Hummingbirds, giving them a loss on 429 in a brutal defeat. Sweetheart padded the lead with 610, driving home the point that the Swifts will be a tough match as they take game 1 on 2395 total. Boston leads the series 1-0 after the comprehensive victory.
Game 2s will come either on Monday or Tuesday.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Pool: 2016 A-level Bracket Quarterfinals (Third Round) - Day 8
This is it for this particular round, with ten series to see who the final four on each bracket are. We begin with...
Audi Hall, Terrace City: Jennifer Livilotti v. A. Charlton. These two tall women are set to battle it out in Rotation with the red cue. Golden's Charlton had to come from far behind, answering a five-ball run from Terrace City's Jennifer with one of her own, and then she got around on the last two shots to win 8-7 and take a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the runs early on were much more contained, creating a choppy exchange. The Pilots' Charlton looked to get the edge late, but missed the 13, allowing the Knights' Jennifer to pound a three-ball run-out, including a 14-15 combination to the bottom right, for an 8-7 win to tie the series at 1. Jennifer made three balls on the break, and established a big lead that Charlton once again wiped out with a five-ball run. The ending to game 3 looked similar to game 1, with Charlton getting the slight edge late for the 8-7 win after Jennifer couldn't finish it, and Charlton leads the series 2-1. Jennifer had the big lead early in game 4, and while Charlton got a bit back, Jennifer closed the game with a 10-15-11 bank combination with pace to the bottom left to take the game 8-3 and tie the series again at 2. Game 5 saw the momentum swing multiple times, and finally favoring Jennifer after Charlton's shot on the 10 ended up illegally potting the 15. Jennifer converted a four-ball run-out, winning the game 8-5 and the series 3-2. Ranked #85 in Rotation, Jennifer will travel to Del Sur's Microsoft Center to face the Monarchs' Panda in the bracket semifinals. Charlton is the 54th player out, and her exit means the Pilots are out of campaigns, while Jennifer stayed alive with her first kill of the year.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Spice. The blue cue is up for 9-ball now, and it will be the busiest cue today. Victoria's Spice controlled possession over most of game 1, and it paid off for her, as Boston's Puff II struggled and missed on the 9, allowing Spice to score it for a win and 1-0 series lead. The Swifts' Puff II had a bit better of a game in game 2, and this worked out well for her, coupled with the Spurs' Spice missing on the 8-9 combination. Puff II made both separately to snag the win, tying the series at 1. Puff II never let Spice get to the table in game 3, using three shots for a five-ball run-out from the break. The break saw her pot the 2 and 3 instantly. She took the 1 in the bottom side, and then turned a 4-9 combination there, with the 4 also finding a home in the bottom right for the win that gave Puff II a 2-1 series lead. Puff II looked reluctant to let Spice get going in game 4, and the caution was well-founded, as Spice ended up winning the game with a five- ball run-out keyed by good positioning, with the win equalizing the series again at 2. Spice made a big five-ball run from the break in game 5 as well, giving Puff II reasons for concern. Spice got derailed at the 6, and the battle ensued until Puff II did a three-ball run-out, with her shot on the 9 sending the cue harmlessly toward the middle of the game. Puff II took the series 3-2, and the #13 ranked 9-ball player will try to avenge her sister by bringing in Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie Zach for the bracket semifinals at this venue.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Puff I v. Lionel. The red cue returns for its final series of the round, Accuracy. Modernistic's Puff I missed one shot early in game 1, but managed to find a way to leave Commerce's Lionel in trouble enough for him to miss twice, giving Puff I a 1-2 win for a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Union's Puff I squandered her lead late to the Tradewinds' Lionel, who couldn't quite hold on, forcing overtime. Puff I left Lionel with a lousy breaking point, but she couldn't make anything on her first shot. Eventually, Puff I got the win 4-5 when Lionel had a miss, giving her a 2-0 lead in the series. Game 3 played out very closely, with Lionel missing first and Puff I tripping up over the middle before settling in and forcing overtime, where Lionel's break again went fruitless, and Puff I took the 12 to the top left. This gave her a 1-2 win, and she clinched the series at 3-0 with the win. Puff I had an easy go of things in game 4, with Lionel providing almost no resistance at all in a fairly brutal loss that saw him miss early and often to the tune of a 1-6 final, giving Puff I a 4-0 lead in the series. Puff I had a highlight reel shot in game 5, a triple-pot that sent the 12 to the top right, the 7 to the top left, and the 1 to the bottom right, all directly. All her fancy shots did nothing to save her from a loss, as Lionel played his best game of the series in winning 2-4, making it a 4-1 series final. Puff I advances her #20 ranked Accuracy bid, and she'll host Bryant of the Maplewood Lumberjacks at this venue in the bracket semifinals. Lionel is the 55th player to be eliminated from the tournament, represented as Puff I's second kill.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Charli XCX v. J. Garcia. The blue cue is the next one to get a series of Accuracy in. Southridge's Garcia managed to gain a nice lead early in game 1 as Tysini's Charli floundered around the table, but she soon focused, and Garcia lost control, losing 3-5 in the end to give Charli the 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Defenders' Garcia buckled down and played perfectly from end to end, winning 0-4 over a shaky Charli of the Hummingbirds, and the series is now tied at 1. Garcia fell off of the gold standard she set in the last game, missing simple shots throughout game 3 and racking up a loss that ended up with a final score of 1-4 favoring Charli, who leads the series 2-1. Game 4 saw the players turn a bit lazy in shooting, including a spate in the middle that saw things become tied at 3 after a series of misses. Garcia got the worst of the latter half of the game, with Charli coming in for a 4-5 win to secure the series at 3-1. Garcia played admirably in game 5, doing fairly well, but Charli kept pace with her pretty fiercely and ended up with the 2-3 win. Charli took the series 3-2, and the #57 ranked Accuracy player will know her opponent after the final series of the round, although she will host whoever advances.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The silver cue is on for 8-ball now. Eastside's Graham controlled the pace of play in game 1 pretty thoroughly, even as Victoria's Yekaterina made a four-ball run to make it close. Graham had control after she scratched, and cruised to the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Yekaterina did better in game 2, working a three-ball run and favorable defensive positioning at the end to shut down the Sharks' Graham on his last two balls. He missed, and Yekaterina tapped the 8 to the bottom side, winning to tie the series at 1. Graham had no one to blame but himself for the loss in game 3. He had Yekaterina dead to rights, needing just one more ball plus the 8, but he left the 8 short, and then failed to kick it in the bottom left, allowing Yekaterina to pot it on her second try after coming back from a bad scratch, giving her the win and a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 started with a racking error, as the rack was for 15-ball, not 8-ball. This was brought to attention when Yekaterina saw the 8 fall in the bottom right, but since the rack was invalid, she had to try again. She shot a good break, but that was it for her in game 4, and Graham took over with a dominant effort, ending on a sharply played three-ball run-out for the win, retying the series at 2. Game 5 went very streaky on both sides, with the players exchanging two or three balls at a time on most turns. This made it a quick game, with Yekaterina getting an edge late and making her last two shots to win and take the series 3-2. Ranked #94 in 8-ball, Yekaterina travels next to Home Depot Forum in Web City, facing the Spiders' Sugar in the bracket semifinals.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Twinkie III. The blue cue is back for a series of 10-ball. Boston's Puff II had a failed attempt to jump the 7 to get to the 4, but Whitewater's Twinkie III couldn't make the 4 after the mistake, and Puff II, before shooting the 5-10 combination to the top right, winning for a 1-0 series lead after game 1. Game 2 was a frustrating one for the Shores' Twinkie III, who was twice caught for illegal contact, helping the Swifts' Puff II pick up the win with the second one. Puff II made the 6 from ball-in-hand, and then buried the 7-10 combination to the bottom right to make it a 2-0 series lead for herself. Twinkie III had her best game of the series in game 3, working a four-ball run and nearly getting the 10 in the end, but she left it short, and Puff II stole the win with a tap-in, sealing the series at 3-0. Twinkie III finally got a win in game 4, making a three-ball run-out after a sub-par effort from Puff II that saw her turn over possession quite a bit as Twinkie III cut the series to 3-1. Game 5 played out about as evenly as possible, right up to the end of the game, where Twinkie III narrowly missed the 10 at the bottom right and Puff II mopped it up for the win and a 4-1 series win. Ranked #14 in 10-ball, Puff II will host Lorde of the Commerce Tradewinds in the bracket semifinals at this venue. Twinkie III is the 56th player to be eliminated from the tournament after this loss, and Puff II finally has her first kill despite being a strong contender for the Players Cup MVP nomination.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Rainmane. The silver cue makes its last appearance of the round in Accuracy. Web City's Rainmane until game 1 was fully under control to miss a shot, the only blemish being on the last ball in her 1-3 win over Eastside's Graham as she took a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Rainmane lost all sense of control in game 2, making a mess of it after holding an early lead, and the Sharks' Graham only half-confidently picked up the 4-5 win to tie the series at 1. Rainmane bounced back well in game 3, getting the win as Graham fell out of a tie late in the game, and Rainmane confidently finished with a kick of the 1 to the bottom right to seal a 3-5 win to earn a 2-1 series lead. Rainmane clinched the series at 3-1 with a win in game 4, losing her early lead as Graham entered a spell of good play, but he missed the 14 on a bank attempt on his last shot, and Rainmane put it in the top left for the 2-3 win. Graham ended up with the win in game 5, winning in overtime with his first shot after Rainmane missed to make it a 2-3 game. Rainmane still took the series 3-2, and the #91 ranked Accuracy player will travel to Del Sur's Microsoft Center to face the Monarchs' Shannon in the bracket semifinals. Graham is the 57th player eliminated from the tournament, and Rainmane has her first kill because of it.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Taylor Swift. The blue cue is in to finish the round with three straight series, beginning in 15-ball. Game 1 saw the players exchange shots almost evenly through the latter half of the game, with Eastside's Taylor lined up to capitalize, making the 15 when Royal's Marsell missed it to take a 1-0 series lead with an unimpressive win. The Crowns' Marsell nearly made a mess out of game 2, receiving ball-in-hand when Taylor of the Sharks scratched late. Marsell made the 14, but got bad position for the 15. Taylor also missed, and Marsell made it the second time, with his win tying the series at 1. Marsell dazzled in game 2 as well, winning with a 4-15 kick combination after Taylor had tried it and left the 15 very short at the bottom right, making Marsell's trick easier after a solid game. Marsell leads the series 2-1 now. Taylor tried a late three-ball run, but when she went for the 15, she left it painfully short, handing the game and series away to Marsell as the host tapped it in to snag a win and secure the series at 3-1. Marsell came on strong to finish off game 5, capitalizing on lazy shooting from Taylor to get the last four balls over two turns for the win and a 4-1 series win. Ranked #65 in 15-ball, Marsell will host Smudge of the Infinity Torpedoes in the bracket semifinals from this venue. Taylor had a terrible sophomore season, eliminated with a poor record but the 58th player to go out, while Marsell has his first kill in a do-or-die situation.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Puff I. The middle set for the blue cue's closing act is 8-ball. Puff I of Modernistic came out hot in game 1, working the stripes set while deftly avoiding the 8 that Oceanside's Snuggle left close to the top right. Snuggle couldn't de-cluster his suit, and Puff I won on a three-ball run-out for a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Snuggle came out with a vengeance in game 2, shooting vigorously on a four-ball run to scare the Union's Puff I, who later answered on a six-ball run. This later looked to be for nothing, but a miss on the 8 by Snuggle gave Puff I all the room she needed to pot it for the win and a 2-0 lead in the series. Game 3 started with the players exchanging four-ball runs in a hot opening pair of turns, but things cooled down a bit later. Snuggle ended up taking the lead in this one, and he eventually won by banking the 8 to the top side after a previous bank to the bottom side failed. This cut the series to 2-1. Puff I had done well in building her game up in game 4, working around the table methodically. Snuggle blew it all apart to pull even with a five-ball run, and he made the 8 on his second try, a long bank to the bottom right, to tie the series at 2. Snuggle burst out of the gate with a big run in game 5, going five balls before working his way through the rest of the game on his later turns. Puff I had a good defensive structure, but it couldn't hold up over time, and Snuggle grabbed the win to complete the 3-2 series win comeback. Ranked #44 in 8-ball, Snuggle travels to Nestle's Warriors Hall in Central to face the Warriors' Dustin in the bracket semifinals.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Starlight v. Smokey. The final series of the round sees the blue cue play Accuracy. Diamond's Smokey played a perfect game 1, and while Pacific's Starlight was close, an early miss came back to haunt her as Smokey won 0-1 and took a 1-0 series lead in his dominant outing. The Gems' Smokey nearly made it back-to-back perfect games, but the Volcanoes' Starlight suckered him into a late miss after missing four straight shots herself, blowing the game wide open as Smokey would win 1-4 and take a 2-0 series lead. Smokey made an encore performance in game 3, playing just as he did in game 1, and he once again 0-1 against a vastly frustrated and strong-shooting Starlight, who has helped keep the series competitive despite being down 3-0. Starlight finally picked up a win, taking game 4 pretty easily by a 1-2 score, forcing Smokey into two quick misses to get the advantage she refused to let go of. Smokey still leads the series 3-1. Smokey fired back with a 2-4 win in a relatively uninteresting game 5 that saw a few good shots and a few misses in a fairly normal balance. Ranked #70 for Accuracy, Smokey will travel to Cisco Arena in Tysini to face the Hummingbirds' Charli in the bracket semifinals.
That's all for the third round. Here's how the weekend looks, in my opinion. We'll have a standings update very soon, and a new schedule will be published tomorrow. The Bracket Semifinals should start on Sunday. Cricket may be played multiple times this weekend, and hopefully at least once. As we look forward, there should be a cricket schedule published when I have time to make one. It will detail every single game to be played this year prior to them being played, so it can be used as a reference. That's about all I have to say for today. We'll be back shortly.
Audi Hall, Terrace City: Jennifer Livilotti v. A. Charlton. These two tall women are set to battle it out in Rotation with the red cue. Golden's Charlton had to come from far behind, answering a five-ball run from Terrace City's Jennifer with one of her own, and then she got around on the last two shots to win 8-7 and take a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the runs early on were much more contained, creating a choppy exchange. The Pilots' Charlton looked to get the edge late, but missed the 13, allowing the Knights' Jennifer to pound a three-ball run-out, including a 14-15 combination to the bottom right, for an 8-7 win to tie the series at 1. Jennifer made three balls on the break, and established a big lead that Charlton once again wiped out with a five-ball run. The ending to game 3 looked similar to game 1, with Charlton getting the slight edge late for the 8-7 win after Jennifer couldn't finish it, and Charlton leads the series 2-1. Jennifer had the big lead early in game 4, and while Charlton got a bit back, Jennifer closed the game with a 10-15-11 bank combination with pace to the bottom left to take the game 8-3 and tie the series again at 2. Game 5 saw the momentum swing multiple times, and finally favoring Jennifer after Charlton's shot on the 10 ended up illegally potting the 15. Jennifer converted a four-ball run-out, winning the game 8-5 and the series 3-2. Ranked #85 in Rotation, Jennifer will travel to Del Sur's Microsoft Center to face the Monarchs' Panda in the bracket semifinals. Charlton is the 54th player out, and her exit means the Pilots are out of campaigns, while Jennifer stayed alive with her first kill of the year.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Spice. The blue cue is up for 9-ball now, and it will be the busiest cue today. Victoria's Spice controlled possession over most of game 1, and it paid off for her, as Boston's Puff II struggled and missed on the 9, allowing Spice to score it for a win and 1-0 series lead. The Swifts' Puff II had a bit better of a game in game 2, and this worked out well for her, coupled with the Spurs' Spice missing on the 8-9 combination. Puff II made both separately to snag the win, tying the series at 1. Puff II never let Spice get to the table in game 3, using three shots for a five-ball run-out from the break. The break saw her pot the 2 and 3 instantly. She took the 1 in the bottom side, and then turned a 4-9 combination there, with the 4 also finding a home in the bottom right for the win that gave Puff II a 2-1 series lead. Puff II looked reluctant to let Spice get going in game 4, and the caution was well-founded, as Spice ended up winning the game with a five- ball run-out keyed by good positioning, with the win equalizing the series again at 2. Spice made a big five-ball run from the break in game 5 as well, giving Puff II reasons for concern. Spice got derailed at the 6, and the battle ensued until Puff II did a three-ball run-out, with her shot on the 9 sending the cue harmlessly toward the middle of the game. Puff II took the series 3-2, and the #13 ranked 9-ball player will try to avenge her sister by bringing in Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie Zach for the bracket semifinals at this venue.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Puff I v. Lionel. The red cue returns for its final series of the round, Accuracy. Modernistic's Puff I missed one shot early in game 1, but managed to find a way to leave Commerce's Lionel in trouble enough for him to miss twice, giving Puff I a 1-2 win for a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Union's Puff I squandered her lead late to the Tradewinds' Lionel, who couldn't quite hold on, forcing overtime. Puff I left Lionel with a lousy breaking point, but she couldn't make anything on her first shot. Eventually, Puff I got the win 4-5 when Lionel had a miss, giving her a 2-0 lead in the series. Game 3 played out very closely, with Lionel missing first and Puff I tripping up over the middle before settling in and forcing overtime, where Lionel's break again went fruitless, and Puff I took the 12 to the top left. This gave her a 1-2 win, and she clinched the series at 3-0 with the win. Puff I had an easy go of things in game 4, with Lionel providing almost no resistance at all in a fairly brutal loss that saw him miss early and often to the tune of a 1-6 final, giving Puff I a 4-0 lead in the series. Puff I had a highlight reel shot in game 5, a triple-pot that sent the 12 to the top right, the 7 to the top left, and the 1 to the bottom right, all directly. All her fancy shots did nothing to save her from a loss, as Lionel played his best game of the series in winning 2-4, making it a 4-1 series final. Puff I advances her #20 ranked Accuracy bid, and she'll host Bryant of the Maplewood Lumberjacks at this venue in the bracket semifinals. Lionel is the 55th player to be eliminated from the tournament, represented as Puff I's second kill.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Charli XCX v. J. Garcia. The blue cue is the next one to get a series of Accuracy in. Southridge's Garcia managed to gain a nice lead early in game 1 as Tysini's Charli floundered around the table, but she soon focused, and Garcia lost control, losing 3-5 in the end to give Charli the 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Defenders' Garcia buckled down and played perfectly from end to end, winning 0-4 over a shaky Charli of the Hummingbirds, and the series is now tied at 1. Garcia fell off of the gold standard she set in the last game, missing simple shots throughout game 3 and racking up a loss that ended up with a final score of 1-4 favoring Charli, who leads the series 2-1. Game 4 saw the players turn a bit lazy in shooting, including a spate in the middle that saw things become tied at 3 after a series of misses. Garcia got the worst of the latter half of the game, with Charli coming in for a 4-5 win to secure the series at 3-1. Garcia played admirably in game 5, doing fairly well, but Charli kept pace with her pretty fiercely and ended up with the 2-3 win. Charli took the series 3-2, and the #57 ranked Accuracy player will know her opponent after the final series of the round, although she will host whoever advances.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The silver cue is on for 8-ball now. Eastside's Graham controlled the pace of play in game 1 pretty thoroughly, even as Victoria's Yekaterina made a four-ball run to make it close. Graham had control after she scratched, and cruised to the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Yekaterina did better in game 2, working a three-ball run and favorable defensive positioning at the end to shut down the Sharks' Graham on his last two balls. He missed, and Yekaterina tapped the 8 to the bottom side, winning to tie the series at 1. Graham had no one to blame but himself for the loss in game 3. He had Yekaterina dead to rights, needing just one more ball plus the 8, but he left the 8 short, and then failed to kick it in the bottom left, allowing Yekaterina to pot it on her second try after coming back from a bad scratch, giving her the win and a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 started with a racking error, as the rack was for 15-ball, not 8-ball. This was brought to attention when Yekaterina saw the 8 fall in the bottom right, but since the rack was invalid, she had to try again. She shot a good break, but that was it for her in game 4, and Graham took over with a dominant effort, ending on a sharply played three-ball run-out for the win, retying the series at 2. Game 5 went very streaky on both sides, with the players exchanging two or three balls at a time on most turns. This made it a quick game, with Yekaterina getting an edge late and making her last two shots to win and take the series 3-2. Ranked #94 in 8-ball, Yekaterina travels next to Home Depot Forum in Web City, facing the Spiders' Sugar in the bracket semifinals.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Twinkie III. The blue cue is back for a series of 10-ball. Boston's Puff II had a failed attempt to jump the 7 to get to the 4, but Whitewater's Twinkie III couldn't make the 4 after the mistake, and Puff II, before shooting the 5-10 combination to the top right, winning for a 1-0 series lead after game 1. Game 2 was a frustrating one for the Shores' Twinkie III, who was twice caught for illegal contact, helping the Swifts' Puff II pick up the win with the second one. Puff II made the 6 from ball-in-hand, and then buried the 7-10 combination to the bottom right to make it a 2-0 series lead for herself. Twinkie III had her best game of the series in game 3, working a four-ball run and nearly getting the 10 in the end, but she left it short, and Puff II stole the win with a tap-in, sealing the series at 3-0. Twinkie III finally got a win in game 4, making a three-ball run-out after a sub-par effort from Puff II that saw her turn over possession quite a bit as Twinkie III cut the series to 3-1. Game 5 played out about as evenly as possible, right up to the end of the game, where Twinkie III narrowly missed the 10 at the bottom right and Puff II mopped it up for the win and a 4-1 series win. Ranked #14 in 10-ball, Puff II will host Lorde of the Commerce Tradewinds in the bracket semifinals at this venue. Twinkie III is the 56th player to be eliminated from the tournament after this loss, and Puff II finally has her first kill despite being a strong contender for the Players Cup MVP nomination.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Rainmane. The silver cue makes its last appearance of the round in Accuracy. Web City's Rainmane until game 1 was fully under control to miss a shot, the only blemish being on the last ball in her 1-3 win over Eastside's Graham as she took a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Rainmane lost all sense of control in game 2, making a mess of it after holding an early lead, and the Sharks' Graham only half-confidently picked up the 4-5 win to tie the series at 1. Rainmane bounced back well in game 3, getting the win as Graham fell out of a tie late in the game, and Rainmane confidently finished with a kick of the 1 to the bottom right to seal a 3-5 win to earn a 2-1 series lead. Rainmane clinched the series at 3-1 with a win in game 4, losing her early lead as Graham entered a spell of good play, but he missed the 14 on a bank attempt on his last shot, and Rainmane put it in the top left for the 2-3 win. Graham ended up with the win in game 5, winning in overtime with his first shot after Rainmane missed to make it a 2-3 game. Rainmane still took the series 3-2, and the #91 ranked Accuracy player will travel to Del Sur's Microsoft Center to face the Monarchs' Shannon in the bracket semifinals. Graham is the 57th player eliminated from the tournament, and Rainmane has her first kill because of it.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Taylor Swift. The blue cue is in to finish the round with three straight series, beginning in 15-ball. Game 1 saw the players exchange shots almost evenly through the latter half of the game, with Eastside's Taylor lined up to capitalize, making the 15 when Royal's Marsell missed it to take a 1-0 series lead with an unimpressive win. The Crowns' Marsell nearly made a mess out of game 2, receiving ball-in-hand when Taylor of the Sharks scratched late. Marsell made the 14, but got bad position for the 15. Taylor also missed, and Marsell made it the second time, with his win tying the series at 1. Marsell dazzled in game 2 as well, winning with a 4-15 kick combination after Taylor had tried it and left the 15 very short at the bottom right, making Marsell's trick easier after a solid game. Marsell leads the series 2-1 now. Taylor tried a late three-ball run, but when she went for the 15, she left it painfully short, handing the game and series away to Marsell as the host tapped it in to snag a win and secure the series at 3-1. Marsell came on strong to finish off game 5, capitalizing on lazy shooting from Taylor to get the last four balls over two turns for the win and a 4-1 series win. Ranked #65 in 15-ball, Marsell will host Smudge of the Infinity Torpedoes in the bracket semifinals from this venue. Taylor had a terrible sophomore season, eliminated with a poor record but the 58th player to go out, while Marsell has his first kill in a do-or-die situation.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Puff I. The middle set for the blue cue's closing act is 8-ball. Puff I of Modernistic came out hot in game 1, working the stripes set while deftly avoiding the 8 that Oceanside's Snuggle left close to the top right. Snuggle couldn't de-cluster his suit, and Puff I won on a three-ball run-out for a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Snuggle came out with a vengeance in game 2, shooting vigorously on a four-ball run to scare the Union's Puff I, who later answered on a six-ball run. This later looked to be for nothing, but a miss on the 8 by Snuggle gave Puff I all the room she needed to pot it for the win and a 2-0 lead in the series. Game 3 started with the players exchanging four-ball runs in a hot opening pair of turns, but things cooled down a bit later. Snuggle ended up taking the lead in this one, and he eventually won by banking the 8 to the top side after a previous bank to the bottom side failed. This cut the series to 2-1. Puff I had done well in building her game up in game 4, working around the table methodically. Snuggle blew it all apart to pull even with a five-ball run, and he made the 8 on his second try, a long bank to the bottom right, to tie the series at 2. Snuggle burst out of the gate with a big run in game 5, going five balls before working his way through the rest of the game on his later turns. Puff I had a good defensive structure, but it couldn't hold up over time, and Snuggle grabbed the win to complete the 3-2 series win comeback. Ranked #44 in 8-ball, Snuggle travels to Nestle's Warriors Hall in Central to face the Warriors' Dustin in the bracket semifinals.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Starlight v. Smokey. The final series of the round sees the blue cue play Accuracy. Diamond's Smokey played a perfect game 1, and while Pacific's Starlight was close, an early miss came back to haunt her as Smokey won 0-1 and took a 1-0 series lead in his dominant outing. The Gems' Smokey nearly made it back-to-back perfect games, but the Volcanoes' Starlight suckered him into a late miss after missing four straight shots herself, blowing the game wide open as Smokey would win 1-4 and take a 2-0 series lead. Smokey made an encore performance in game 3, playing just as he did in game 1, and he once again 0-1 against a vastly frustrated and strong-shooting Starlight, who has helped keep the series competitive despite being down 3-0. Starlight finally picked up a win, taking game 4 pretty easily by a 1-2 score, forcing Smokey into two quick misses to get the advantage she refused to let go of. Smokey still leads the series 3-1. Smokey fired back with a 2-4 win in a relatively uninteresting game 5 that saw a few good shots and a few misses in a fairly normal balance. Ranked #70 for Accuracy, Smokey will travel to Cisco Arena in Tysini to face the Hummingbirds' Charli in the bracket semifinals.
That's all for the third round. Here's how the weekend looks, in my opinion. We'll have a standings update very soon, and a new schedule will be published tomorrow. The Bracket Semifinals should start on Sunday. Cricket may be played multiple times this weekend, and hopefully at least once. As we look forward, there should be a cricket schedule published when I have time to make one. It will detail every single game to be played this year prior to them being played, so it can be used as a reference. That's about all I have to say for today. We'll be back shortly.
UPCL Cricket: Playoffs First Round - Days 6 and 7
We're back, as all five remaining series advanced to a sixth game. Let's see if any teams will be moving along, beginning with...
Verizon Field, Pacific: The Volcanoes are the ones trying to advance in this game 6 situation. Valencia was committed to taking a swing after a deflection, and it caused her to end at 220 for Golden, a middling start. Starlight didn't have a good turn with only 153 for Pacific, and they'll have to make a small comeback from here. Dusty chipped only 160 for the Pilots, barely covering the damage. Ms. Kitty edged the Volcanoes ahead narrowly with her 300, giving them a lead at the midway point. Strut answered with a solid 290 for Golden, keeping this game lower-scoring and tight. Jack unleashed 873 for Pacific in a clutch appearance that almost assuredly will see his team through. A. Charlton had just 64 for the Pilots, and they lose with 734, and are eliminated. Leonette flipped 290 to give the Volcanoes 1616 in the win that advances them. Pacific will face Everton in the quarterfinals after taking this series 4-2.
Toyota Pitch, Freedom: The Cascades pulled themselves ahead yesterday and now look to finish it off. Kiwi's struggles continued with only 129 for Terrace City in this appearance, a weak start for a desperate team. Jasmine went deeper for Freedom, raking in 378 to give them a noticeable lead. Jennifer slugged 1109 for the Knights on her turn, creating a massive lead for the visitors that will be tough to top. Stinky didn't let them get too far away, chopping 538 to keep the Cascades close enough. Oreo faltered with 84 for Terrace City, potentially creating a vulnerability for them. Roxy capitalized in a big way with 407 for Freedom, putting them ahead by a single point with a player each to go, leaving this entire game to the closers. Stripes clubbed 233 for the Knights, a somewhat weak effort that leaves them with 1555. Nikolai was overzealous at the start, and took a 50% penalty on a false start. He had 214 on his turn, leaving the Cascades a bit short at 1537 in a narrow loss. The series heads back to Terrace City one more time, tied at 3 in a series that has seen the home team lose every game.
McDonald's Pitch at Pirates Park, Atlantic: The Pirates have staved off elimination once and look to do so again at home. Tigerette returned to form here, scoring 518 to give Commerce a hefty starting lead. Delila collapsed with 49 for Atlantic, putting them far behind early on. Ice Cream failed to take advantage of the mistake, committing one of her own as a ball slid off her backhand and ended her turn at 28 for the Tradewinds. Amber cut about half of the deficit away with 248 for the Pirates, but they're still in trouble. Lionel cut the threat off completely, smashing 727 for Commerce to boost their lead at a critical time. Americus kept Atlantic somewhat in range with 604, but the deficit grew a bit before the final players took their swings. Lorde tapped 215 to bring the Tradewinds to 1488, which they hope will be enough. Dominic tried too hard, ending early at 115 for the Pirates, and they lost with 1016. Commerce takes the series 4-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Out west, the Blades are trying to finish this difficult series off. Swordpoint's Snowball wouldn't have been penalized for a technical error, but two false starts created a 67% penalty that saw her end at 94 in a bad turn. Watermelon, somewhat surprisingly, still couldn't match it with only 90 after facing a cluttered pitch. Dreamy had only 131 on her turn, failing to separate the Blades in any meaningful way in a game that has so far been painful to watch. Neopolitan had her best game of the series with 386 for the Surfers to give them a lead. Shawn popped 240 for Swordpoint, just falling short of covering the deficit. Wings did okay with 271 for Pearl, restoring their lead with a player each to go in a low-scoring battle. Stealth's 456 put the Blades at 921, forcing a response from the hosts. Cowzart blew it with 162 for the Surfers, giving them a loss with 909. Swordpoint's win sends the into the quarterfinals on a 4-2 series win.
Pepsi Prestige Park, Lighton: The Prestige have their third chance to close the series with this game. Infinity's Smudge showed a bit of regression, providing only 167 to begin the game in poor form. Acorn dominated the game with 733 for Lighton, giving them a big lead for the second game in a row, although he hopes for a different result. Shelley stumbled with 140 for the Torpedoes, making their situation more dire. Spirit accepted 239 for the Prestige after a technical error, adding a slight bit to their lead. Gabe also struggled for Infinity, managing just 164 as it appears more and more likely they'll be heading home empty-handed. Twinkie I essentially secured things with a strong 639 for Lighton. Whiskers made a valiant effort with 527 to try to keep the Torpedoes alive, but they lost and bow out on 998. Lydia had 169 to ice the Prestige win at 1780. Lighton took the series 4-2, and they'll face Commerce in the quarterfinals.
Audi Knights Pitch, Terrace City: The only Game 7 of the round is in this series, the road-leaning series. Jasmine had a bit of an overcooked backhand attempt to lead things off with 232 for Freedom, a mediocre beginning. Kiwi did better for Terrace City, batting 438 to give the hosts the early lead. Stinky fired back with 471 for the Cascades, covering the deficit in his strong performance. Jennifer took the lead back for the Knights, swatting 433 as the game has tightened up a bit. Roxy slipped up at 120 for Freedom, failing to cover the deficit as the visitors are now in a panic. Oreo didn't do any better for Terrace City, adding a meager 133 to their score as the game is still up for grabs with a player each to go. Nikolai provided 277 for the Cascades, ending their game at 1100 and forcing a small response from the hosts. Stripes failed to provide it, hitting a pathetic 69 to give the Knights a losing final of 1073. Freedom will get the upset again, advancing to face the Swordpoint Blades in the quarterfinals on a 4-3 series win.
Quarterfinals are expected to begin over the weekend, and may only take a week to complete. The series for the Quarterfinals are 1) Everton v. 9) Pacific, 4) Swordpoint v. 12) Freedom, 3) Boston v. 6) Tysini, and 2) Commerce v. 10) Lighton.
Verizon Field, Pacific: The Volcanoes are the ones trying to advance in this game 6 situation. Valencia was committed to taking a swing after a deflection, and it caused her to end at 220 for Golden, a middling start. Starlight didn't have a good turn with only 153 for Pacific, and they'll have to make a small comeback from here. Dusty chipped only 160 for the Pilots, barely covering the damage. Ms. Kitty edged the Volcanoes ahead narrowly with her 300, giving them a lead at the midway point. Strut answered with a solid 290 for Golden, keeping this game lower-scoring and tight. Jack unleashed 873 for Pacific in a clutch appearance that almost assuredly will see his team through. A. Charlton had just 64 for the Pilots, and they lose with 734, and are eliminated. Leonette flipped 290 to give the Volcanoes 1616 in the win that advances them. Pacific will face Everton in the quarterfinals after taking this series 4-2.
Toyota Pitch, Freedom: The Cascades pulled themselves ahead yesterday and now look to finish it off. Kiwi's struggles continued with only 129 for Terrace City in this appearance, a weak start for a desperate team. Jasmine went deeper for Freedom, raking in 378 to give them a noticeable lead. Jennifer slugged 1109 for the Knights on her turn, creating a massive lead for the visitors that will be tough to top. Stinky didn't let them get too far away, chopping 538 to keep the Cascades close enough. Oreo faltered with 84 for Terrace City, potentially creating a vulnerability for them. Roxy capitalized in a big way with 407 for Freedom, putting them ahead by a single point with a player each to go, leaving this entire game to the closers. Stripes clubbed 233 for the Knights, a somewhat weak effort that leaves them with 1555. Nikolai was overzealous at the start, and took a 50% penalty on a false start. He had 214 on his turn, leaving the Cascades a bit short at 1537 in a narrow loss. The series heads back to Terrace City one more time, tied at 3 in a series that has seen the home team lose every game.
McDonald's Pitch at Pirates Park, Atlantic: The Pirates have staved off elimination once and look to do so again at home. Tigerette returned to form here, scoring 518 to give Commerce a hefty starting lead. Delila collapsed with 49 for Atlantic, putting them far behind early on. Ice Cream failed to take advantage of the mistake, committing one of her own as a ball slid off her backhand and ended her turn at 28 for the Tradewinds. Amber cut about half of the deficit away with 248 for the Pirates, but they're still in trouble. Lionel cut the threat off completely, smashing 727 for Commerce to boost their lead at a critical time. Americus kept Atlantic somewhat in range with 604, but the deficit grew a bit before the final players took their swings. Lorde tapped 215 to bring the Tradewinds to 1488, which they hope will be enough. Dominic tried too hard, ending early at 115 for the Pirates, and they lost with 1016. Commerce takes the series 4-2 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Out west, the Blades are trying to finish this difficult series off. Swordpoint's Snowball wouldn't have been penalized for a technical error, but two false starts created a 67% penalty that saw her end at 94 in a bad turn. Watermelon, somewhat surprisingly, still couldn't match it with only 90 after facing a cluttered pitch. Dreamy had only 131 on her turn, failing to separate the Blades in any meaningful way in a game that has so far been painful to watch. Neopolitan had her best game of the series with 386 for the Surfers to give them a lead. Shawn popped 240 for Swordpoint, just falling short of covering the deficit. Wings did okay with 271 for Pearl, restoring their lead with a player each to go in a low-scoring battle. Stealth's 456 put the Blades at 921, forcing a response from the hosts. Cowzart blew it with 162 for the Surfers, giving them a loss with 909. Swordpoint's win sends the into the quarterfinals on a 4-2 series win.
Pepsi Prestige Park, Lighton: The Prestige have their third chance to close the series with this game. Infinity's Smudge showed a bit of regression, providing only 167 to begin the game in poor form. Acorn dominated the game with 733 for Lighton, giving them a big lead for the second game in a row, although he hopes for a different result. Shelley stumbled with 140 for the Torpedoes, making their situation more dire. Spirit accepted 239 for the Prestige after a technical error, adding a slight bit to their lead. Gabe also struggled for Infinity, managing just 164 as it appears more and more likely they'll be heading home empty-handed. Twinkie I essentially secured things with a strong 639 for Lighton. Whiskers made a valiant effort with 527 to try to keep the Torpedoes alive, but they lost and bow out on 998. Lydia had 169 to ice the Prestige win at 1780. Lighton took the series 4-2, and they'll face Commerce in the quarterfinals.
Audi Knights Pitch, Terrace City: The only Game 7 of the round is in this series, the road-leaning series. Jasmine had a bit of an overcooked backhand attempt to lead things off with 232 for Freedom, a mediocre beginning. Kiwi did better for Terrace City, batting 438 to give the hosts the early lead. Stinky fired back with 471 for the Cascades, covering the deficit in his strong performance. Jennifer took the lead back for the Knights, swatting 433 as the game has tightened up a bit. Roxy slipped up at 120 for Freedom, failing to cover the deficit as the visitors are now in a panic. Oreo didn't do any better for Terrace City, adding a meager 133 to their score as the game is still up for grabs with a player each to go. Nikolai provided 277 for the Cascades, ending their game at 1100 and forcing a small response from the hosts. Stripes failed to provide it, hitting a pathetic 69 to give the Knights a losing final of 1073. Freedom will get the upset again, advancing to face the Swordpoint Blades in the quarterfinals on a 4-3 series win.
Quarterfinals are expected to begin over the weekend, and may only take a week to complete. The series for the Quarterfinals are 1) Everton v. 9) Pacific, 4) Swordpoint v. 12) Freedom, 3) Boston v. 6) Tysini, and 2) Commerce v. 10) Lighton.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Pool: 2016 A-level Bracket Quarterfinals (Third Round) - Day 7
We're about two days away from completing the round, and one of those begins now, with...
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Patches. The blue cue gets the first look today, playing Rotation. Game 1 saw the players go back and forth, with Atlantic's Americus starting well but watching Boston's Patches come back for a lead before Americus did a three-ball run-out to take the game 8-6 for a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Americus dazzled with highlights in game 2. First was a cut on the 5 to the top side, followed directly by the 6-11 kick-combination to the bottom right as part of a four-ball run. The defense was also good, and Americus took over for a three-ball run-out, ending by making the 8 on a kick from the left rail to the top side with force for an 8-1 win to take a 2-0 series lead over the Swifts' Patches, who never had a chance in this game. Patches got a measure of revenge in game 3, dominating with a crafty five-ball run early. Americus took two turns to retie the game, only to go fruitless after that as Patches closed out an 8-5 win to make it 2-1 in the series. Game 4 started off electric, with Patches hammering in the 15 from the break, a rarity play to establish a nice early lead. Americus answered with a five-ball run, and while Patches pulled back on a three-ball run, things tightened from here. Patches made two late mistakes, and Americus scored on both of them to claim an 8-4 win and a 3-1 series lead. Americus dominated at the start of game 5, and while she slipped a bit, she still took the win 8-4, making it a 4-1 series win. Ranked #1 in Rotation, Americus will host Citrus of the Diamond Gems from this venue in the bracket quarterfinals. Patches finds herself the 51st player eliminated from the tournament, while Americus earns her first kill of the year.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Roxy v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The silver cue gets this Rotation series, with the hotshot rookie looking to continue her mastery of this event. Victoria's Yekaterina had to battle to earn the game 1 after a strong start didn't discourage Freedom's Roxy. In the end, Yekaterina cut the 15 to the bottom side for the 8-7 win and 1-0 series lead. The Cascades' Roxy had a highlight reel shot in game 2, caroming the 3 off the 11-9 cluster to pot it in the bottom side, while the 11 fell in the top side for the double-pot as part of a five-ball run. Roxy eventually picked up the win by an 8-3 score, tying the series at 1. The Spurs' Yekaterina countered in a strong game 3 performance, staking out a lead with an early four-ball run, and then battling evenly with Roxy until she could close it out at 8-5, giving Yekaterina a 2-1 series lead after a solid effort. Roxy bounced back in a defensively-tilted game 4. Both players struggled at the start, and then Roxy broke free to gain a big lead. Yekaterina never got back in the game, losing 8-3, and the series is tied again at 2. Yekaterina did her best to build up a lead in game 5, but saw a three-ball run from Roxy take it away. Roxy missed the 14, and Yekaterina buried it and the 15 to recover for an 8-7 win and 3-2 series win. Yekaterina is ranked #96 in Rotation, and travels to Todavía's Apple Center to face the Stills' Sierra in the bracket semifinals.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Kavan. We return north for another series in Atlantic, with the red cue up for 15-ball. Americus paced her attack in game 1, with the Atlantic shooter scoring a five-ball run early. Victoria's Kavan tried to answer, but Americus used defense to eventually earn a 14-15 combination to the bottom right, which she converted to win and take a 1-0 series lead on. The Spurs' Kavan answered in a fairly choppy game 2, scoring the 15 a few shots after a scratch by the Pirates' Americus to get the win that tied the series at 1. Americus had to weather Kavan bearing down with an eight-ball run in game 3, but he faltered on the 12, and Americus was able to take the win two turns later with the last two shots to regain the series lead at 2-1. Americus had a five-ball run early in game 4 that ultimately meant very little. The play was shoddy after that point, and it took Kavan's scratch for Americus to make the 13 and 15 at the top left for a win and 3-1 series lead. Kavan ended up with the win in game 5, working from ball-in-hand on the 15 after a scratch by Americus officially ended one of her worse games in the series. Americus still took the series 3-2, and the #6 ranked 15-ball player will host Cowzart of the Pearl Surfers at this venue in the bracket semifinals.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Chimpy v. Alyssa. The blue cue comes back to play 10-ball. Oceanside's Alyssa did the bulk of the work in game 1, including two separate three-ball runs, and she was rewarded with Modernistic's Chimpy missing the 10 for her to tap-in for a win and a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 saw both players do well. The Waves' Alyssa had a three-ball run at one point, but a miss on the 8 left the Union's Chimpy lined up pretty nicely to work a three-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 1 with his bold win. Alyssa seemed to have a late edge in game 3, kicking the 8 to the top side, but she missed on the bank attempt for the 10. This lined Chimpy up to strike it to the top left, and he was true, burying it for the win and a 2-1 series lead. Chimpy absolutely dominated game 4, running from 2 to 9 with an eight-ball run. However, he couldn't cut the 10 at the bottom right, and his hard attempt resulted in a scratch. Alyssa made the 10 from ball-in-hand for the win, tying the series at 2. Chimpy tried a bit of defense early in game 5, but couldn't make it stand in the end, as Alyssa broke free with a four-ball run-out to finish with a win and take the series 3-2 overall. Alyssa is ranked #75 for 10-ball, and will travel to Pepsi Arena in Lighton to face the Prestige's Lydia in the bracket semifinals.
Sprint Hall, Victoria: Kavan v. Stinky. A former Cascade hosts a current one for a series of 12-ball with the red cue. Freedom's Stinky capitalized on Victoria's Kavan scratching from the break. This did enough to help Stinky claim a suit and then set himself up nicely, staving off Kavan's three-ball run to get the win with the last two shots for a 1-0 series lead for the visitor. The Cascades' Stinky played a very strong break, running three balls from it. The Spurs' Kavan had a wild card ball and did a four-ball run, but Stinky pulled back with three precise shots in a row to end it and take a 2-0 series lead. Kavan had to deal with a sharp break from Stinky in game 3, but Kavan also put up a five-ball run and nearly took the sixth at the top left. Stinky had a bit of defense, but Kavan finished it two turns later, grabbing a win to cut the series to 2-1. Stinky had the better start in game 4, picking his corners well, but he had no lines at the side pockets. Kavan took his time and set himself up better, pulling away to a win late in the game once he was able to execute his shots. Kavan's win tied the series at 2. Stinky was ready to walk away from the table when he cut the 1 into the top side and banked the 4 off the carom to the bottom right, but the cue found the bottom side for a scratch, delaying celebrations and pulling him even to Kavan, who had a wild card ball and a four-ball run to get this far. Kavan also scratched, disrupting his efforts, and Stinky took the 4 back to that pocket to win for real on his next shot. Ranked #105 for 12-ball, Stinky's Cinderella story faces a big challenge in the bracket semifinals, as he'll play the Flames' Max in Queens' Ebay Center.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lorde v. Precious. The red cue stays on for 9-ball a bit to the north. Commerce's Lorde made enough mistakes to lose game 1, but Pronger's Precious seemed unable to take advantage most of the time, and Lorde was able to sneak off with the win for a 1-0 series lead after Precious missed on the 8. Game 2 started off sloppy for the players, but when the Tradewinds' Lorde got going, she had a four-ball run and made the last two shots after a scratch from the Tridents' Precious. Lorde took a 2-0 series lead with the strong finish. Game 3 also leaned in favor of Lorde, to the tune of a three-ball run-out after holding an edge at the start. The win secured the series at 3-0 for Lorde, giving Precious no hope to advance. Precious had her best sequence in game 4, going on a three-ball run over the middle, but she faded on the 8, and Lorde made the last two shots to take a 4-0 series lead. Lorde made a late rally after Precious stuttered and stumbled again in game 5, winning the game with a four-ball run-out to seal off a 5-0 series sweep. Ranked #32 in 9-ball, Lorde will host Watermelon of the Pearl Surfers in the bracket semifinals.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Acorn v. Oreo. The first great pair of leaders for the Solid Core club battle in 10-ball with the red cue. Terrace City's Oreo had control for much of game 1, working possession a bit cautiously. Her weak shot on the 9 gave Lighton's Acorn enough daylight to make a pair of shots and win for a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the roles reversed a bit, with the Prestige's Acorn committing a scratch on the 8, allowing the Knights' Oreo to come up big for the last two shots, turning them in for a win that tied the series at 1. Oreo looked to be in the driver's seat in game 3, piecing together a pretty substantial five-ball run, but her scratch after she rattled the 9 out of the bottom left gave Acorn the ball-in-hand he needed to finish it off for a 2-1 series lead with the win. Oreo had game 4 in her grips, but a casual shot ended her five-ball run as she missed the 10 wide from short range. Acorn buried the leftovers with a nice tap-in to seal the series at 3-1 after Oreo's colossal mistake. Acorn needed only three shots in game 5, winning with the 8 on the break, a simple shot on the 1, and a carom off the 2 to bury the 10 in the bottom right. Ranked #33 in 10-ball, Acorn won the series 4-1, and will travel to Nissan Hall in Infinity to meet with the Torpedoes' Gabe in the bracket semifinals.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Sprinkles. The blue cue is up for 12-ball now. Capital City's Sprinkels began game 1 with a five-ball run on her first turn, but she couldn't make the 12 in the top right. Harrison's Twinkie II spent two turns playing defense and setting herself up, and then made a five-ball run-out of almost all tap-ins to win and take a 1-0 series lead in thrilling form. The Sharpshooters' Sprinkles again had the better play early on, only to see a pair of three-ball runs destroy her efforts, as the Specters' Twinkie II again lined herself up well and executed quickly to get the 2-0 series lead with a win. Sprinkles got one back with a game 3 win, having to work from behind but not meeting much resistance, as Twinkie II struggled to get set at the side pockets, allowing Sprinkles to pick her shots pretty effectively. This made it a 2-1 series. Sprinkles fell behind early to a bold attack by Twinkie II in game 4, who pressed very effectively. Twinkie II ran out of well-set shots, and Sprinkles hammered a four-ball run to level the game bit. Sprinkles had to battle, and on her second try, she made the 5 at the top left, giving her the win to tie the series at 2. Sprinkles had to come from behind again in game 5, working with a pair of three-ball runs to get the win around a strong start and weak finish from Twinkie II. Ranked #15, Sprinkles took the series 3-2, and she'll host her cousin and best friend Citrus, the Diamond Gems star, at Capital City SuperCenter in the bracket semifinals.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Dustin. A big rematch between league stars is taking place in 9-ball with the silver cue. Central's Dustin had the first big run, going for a three-ball stretch early in game 1. Both players took swipes at a 9 located near the top right, but Archtown's Ruby buried it with a slight carom off the 8 near the end to get the 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Ruby played a strong game 2, working around the table in short runs and defense that threw off the Warriors' Dustin until her failed bank on the 9. This didn't get a good angle, but it left Dustin lined up for an easy shot that he made to win the game and tie the series at 1. Game 3 also showed off the skills of the players well, as they battled evenly again until the end, where Ruby went on a four-ball run-out, surging forward for the victory to retake a series lead at 2-1. Game 4 was not as good as the others, as both were evenly bad as opposed to good. The ending showed the basic flaws, as Dustin set Ruby up for the 7, which she made with good position earned on the 9, only to miss it and Dustin cut it in the top side for the win, tying the series again at 2. Game 5 returned to the established quality of play expected between these two players. Dustin made a late three-ball run, but missed the 9 narrowly at the top left, conceding everything to Ruby when she tapped it in for a win and a 3-2 series win. The #24 ranked 9-ball player, Ruby will host Ms. Puppy of the Modernistic Union at this venue in the bracket semifinals.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Twinkie III v. Jasmine. The blue cue has a series of Rotation to end its day. Whitewater's Twinkie III had magical looking cuts early in game 1 to stake out a lead that Freedom's Jasmine erased with a four-ball run-out. Twinkie III tried to hold on in the end, but rattled her last shot out, and Jasmine buried it and the next one for the 8-7 win and 1-0 series lead. Game 2 started in much the same way, with the Cascades' Jasmine taking an early lead and the Shores' Twinkie III pulling even. This one differed in finishing, as Jasmine took a few turns to slowly build her lead until she won 8-3, taking a 2-0 series lead in the process. In game 3, Jasmine again collected an early lead, but she couldn't make it hold, as Twinkie III took over around the middle of the game. Jasmine got a few back when Twinkie III struggled finishing, but the host ultimately won 8-6 when Jasmine couldn't slide the 14 into the bottom left. This cut the series to 2-1. Jasmine didn't let this get her down at all, establishing a lead in game 4 and then having to hold onto it for awhile before getting clear and then emerging with the 8-3 win to secure the series at 3-1. Twinkie III had a nice four-ball run to gain the lead early in game 5, and she made it work all the way to the end, chipping along to an 8-4 win that made it a 3-2 series final for Jasmine. Ranked #85 in Rotation, Jasmine will travel to Todavía's Apple Center to face Stills captain Easter in the bracket semifinals.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Blizzard v. Midnight. The red cue finishes its day with 15-ball. Everton's Blizzard deserved a better fate after a four-ball opening run and a three-ball run late in the game that saw her double-pot the 9 and 13 to the right corners and then double-kiss the 12 into the bottom side on a bank. Westside's Midnight won because Blizzard missed the 15, and Midnight banked it to the bottom right for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The players exchanged three-ball runs early and engaged in a mostly streaky game. This game to a halt at the end, when the Eagles' Blizzard again left the 15 short, and the Rockers' Midnight cashed in on the tap-in to win and take a 2-0 series lead. Blizzard couldn't handle a cluster that had the 15 in it early in game 3, and her mistake with the 3 allowed Midnight to send the cue off the 3 and 14 to tap the 15 to the top right for another win, clinching the series at 3-0. Midnight dazzled in making three balls off the break and a handful of other multi-pots, but it was Blizzard on the four-ball run-out at the end getting the win, finally turning the tides even if a bit too late as the series goes to 3-1. Midnight staged a big rally in game 5, grabbing the win early after a bad break left things cluttered on the right side of the table. Blizzard had an egregious missed contact, and Midnight turned in the 8-15 combination to the top right to secure a 4-1 series win. Midnight is ranked #95 for 15-ball, and will travel to Tysini's Cisco Arena to face the Hummingbirds' Leandra in the bracket semifinals. Blizzard has been eliminated from the tournament as Midnight's first kill of the year with this particular series loss.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Jake v. Leonette. The silver cue ends the day with a 10-ball series. Royal's Jake had an impressive three-ball run early in game 1, double-potting the 2 in the top left and 6 in the top side. Pacific's Leonette never let him back to the table, making a five-ball run-out with good planning and execution to get the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Jake bounced right back in game 2, hardly letting the Volcanoes' Leonette get comfortable. Jake ended the game by converting a pair of three-ball runs, the latter being the winner with three beautiful cut shots to tie the series at 1. Jake further asserted himself with a dominant finish in game 3, making a seven-ball run-out and ending the game early with a tough 8-10 combination to the top right after performing a set of well-planned shots to earn a 2-1 series lead over a stunned Leonette. In game 4, Leonette looked to be making a big answer, but she botched things twice late, missing the 8 and 10 and leaving them in line for Jake, who made both on separate turns to get the win and a 3-1 lead in the series. Leonette again made a late press in game 5, working a three-ball run to scare Jake, but her classical finish attempt toward the top side failed. Jake buried the 10 on the leftovers, and took the win for a 4-1 series win. Jake is ranked #8 for 10-ball, and he'll travel to Starbucks Arena in Archtown to face the Arrows' Dusky in the bracket semifinals.
The round should end tomorrow evening, with administrative tasks completed on Saturday and potentially the beginning of the new round on Sunday. Also, the first round of the cricket playoffs should also end tomorrow, and the games should be posted more regularly. All of this sets up an exciting championship month in June for the league, and then the process of expansion can begin in earnest.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Patches. The blue cue gets the first look today, playing Rotation. Game 1 saw the players go back and forth, with Atlantic's Americus starting well but watching Boston's Patches come back for a lead before Americus did a three-ball run-out to take the game 8-6 for a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Americus dazzled with highlights in game 2. First was a cut on the 5 to the top side, followed directly by the 6-11 kick-combination to the bottom right as part of a four-ball run. The defense was also good, and Americus took over for a three-ball run-out, ending by making the 8 on a kick from the left rail to the top side with force for an 8-1 win to take a 2-0 series lead over the Swifts' Patches, who never had a chance in this game. Patches got a measure of revenge in game 3, dominating with a crafty five-ball run early. Americus took two turns to retie the game, only to go fruitless after that as Patches closed out an 8-5 win to make it 2-1 in the series. Game 4 started off electric, with Patches hammering in the 15 from the break, a rarity play to establish a nice early lead. Americus answered with a five-ball run, and while Patches pulled back on a three-ball run, things tightened from here. Patches made two late mistakes, and Americus scored on both of them to claim an 8-4 win and a 3-1 series lead. Americus dominated at the start of game 5, and while she slipped a bit, she still took the win 8-4, making it a 4-1 series win. Ranked #1 in Rotation, Americus will host Citrus of the Diamond Gems from this venue in the bracket quarterfinals. Patches finds herself the 51st player eliminated from the tournament, while Americus earns her first kill of the year.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Roxy v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The silver cue gets this Rotation series, with the hotshot rookie looking to continue her mastery of this event. Victoria's Yekaterina had to battle to earn the game 1 after a strong start didn't discourage Freedom's Roxy. In the end, Yekaterina cut the 15 to the bottom side for the 8-7 win and 1-0 series lead. The Cascades' Roxy had a highlight reel shot in game 2, caroming the 3 off the 11-9 cluster to pot it in the bottom side, while the 11 fell in the top side for the double-pot as part of a five-ball run. Roxy eventually picked up the win by an 8-3 score, tying the series at 1. The Spurs' Yekaterina countered in a strong game 3 performance, staking out a lead with an early four-ball run, and then battling evenly with Roxy until she could close it out at 8-5, giving Yekaterina a 2-1 series lead after a solid effort. Roxy bounced back in a defensively-tilted game 4. Both players struggled at the start, and then Roxy broke free to gain a big lead. Yekaterina never got back in the game, losing 8-3, and the series is tied again at 2. Yekaterina did her best to build up a lead in game 5, but saw a three-ball run from Roxy take it away. Roxy missed the 14, and Yekaterina buried it and the 15 to recover for an 8-7 win and 3-2 series win. Yekaterina is ranked #96 in Rotation, and travels to Todavía's Apple Center to face the Stills' Sierra in the bracket semifinals.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Kavan. We return north for another series in Atlantic, with the red cue up for 15-ball. Americus paced her attack in game 1, with the Atlantic shooter scoring a five-ball run early. Victoria's Kavan tried to answer, but Americus used defense to eventually earn a 14-15 combination to the bottom right, which she converted to win and take a 1-0 series lead on. The Spurs' Kavan answered in a fairly choppy game 2, scoring the 15 a few shots after a scratch by the Pirates' Americus to get the win that tied the series at 1. Americus had to weather Kavan bearing down with an eight-ball run in game 3, but he faltered on the 12, and Americus was able to take the win two turns later with the last two shots to regain the series lead at 2-1. Americus had a five-ball run early in game 4 that ultimately meant very little. The play was shoddy after that point, and it took Kavan's scratch for Americus to make the 13 and 15 at the top left for a win and 3-1 series lead. Kavan ended up with the win in game 5, working from ball-in-hand on the 15 after a scratch by Americus officially ended one of her worse games in the series. Americus still took the series 3-2, and the #6 ranked 15-ball player will host Cowzart of the Pearl Surfers at this venue in the bracket semifinals.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Chimpy v. Alyssa. The blue cue comes back to play 10-ball. Oceanside's Alyssa did the bulk of the work in game 1, including two separate three-ball runs, and she was rewarded with Modernistic's Chimpy missing the 10 for her to tap-in for a win and a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 saw both players do well. The Waves' Alyssa had a three-ball run at one point, but a miss on the 8 left the Union's Chimpy lined up pretty nicely to work a three-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 1 with his bold win. Alyssa seemed to have a late edge in game 3, kicking the 8 to the top side, but she missed on the bank attempt for the 10. This lined Chimpy up to strike it to the top left, and he was true, burying it for the win and a 2-1 series lead. Chimpy absolutely dominated game 4, running from 2 to 9 with an eight-ball run. However, he couldn't cut the 10 at the bottom right, and his hard attempt resulted in a scratch. Alyssa made the 10 from ball-in-hand for the win, tying the series at 2. Chimpy tried a bit of defense early in game 5, but couldn't make it stand in the end, as Alyssa broke free with a four-ball run-out to finish with a win and take the series 3-2 overall. Alyssa is ranked #75 for 10-ball, and will travel to Pepsi Arena in Lighton to face the Prestige's Lydia in the bracket semifinals.
Sprint Hall, Victoria: Kavan v. Stinky. A former Cascade hosts a current one for a series of 12-ball with the red cue. Freedom's Stinky capitalized on Victoria's Kavan scratching from the break. This did enough to help Stinky claim a suit and then set himself up nicely, staving off Kavan's three-ball run to get the win with the last two shots for a 1-0 series lead for the visitor. The Cascades' Stinky played a very strong break, running three balls from it. The Spurs' Kavan had a wild card ball and did a four-ball run, but Stinky pulled back with three precise shots in a row to end it and take a 2-0 series lead. Kavan had to deal with a sharp break from Stinky in game 3, but Kavan also put up a five-ball run and nearly took the sixth at the top left. Stinky had a bit of defense, but Kavan finished it two turns later, grabbing a win to cut the series to 2-1. Stinky had the better start in game 4, picking his corners well, but he had no lines at the side pockets. Kavan took his time and set himself up better, pulling away to a win late in the game once he was able to execute his shots. Kavan's win tied the series at 2. Stinky was ready to walk away from the table when he cut the 1 into the top side and banked the 4 off the carom to the bottom right, but the cue found the bottom side for a scratch, delaying celebrations and pulling him even to Kavan, who had a wild card ball and a four-ball run to get this far. Kavan also scratched, disrupting his efforts, and Stinky took the 4 back to that pocket to win for real on his next shot. Ranked #105 for 12-ball, Stinky's Cinderella story faces a big challenge in the bracket semifinals, as he'll play the Flames' Max in Queens' Ebay Center.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lorde v. Precious. The red cue stays on for 9-ball a bit to the north. Commerce's Lorde made enough mistakes to lose game 1, but Pronger's Precious seemed unable to take advantage most of the time, and Lorde was able to sneak off with the win for a 1-0 series lead after Precious missed on the 8. Game 2 started off sloppy for the players, but when the Tradewinds' Lorde got going, she had a four-ball run and made the last two shots after a scratch from the Tridents' Precious. Lorde took a 2-0 series lead with the strong finish. Game 3 also leaned in favor of Lorde, to the tune of a three-ball run-out after holding an edge at the start. The win secured the series at 3-0 for Lorde, giving Precious no hope to advance. Precious had her best sequence in game 4, going on a three-ball run over the middle, but she faded on the 8, and Lorde made the last two shots to take a 4-0 series lead. Lorde made a late rally after Precious stuttered and stumbled again in game 5, winning the game with a four-ball run-out to seal off a 5-0 series sweep. Ranked #32 in 9-ball, Lorde will host Watermelon of the Pearl Surfers in the bracket semifinals.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Acorn v. Oreo. The first great pair of leaders for the Solid Core club battle in 10-ball with the red cue. Terrace City's Oreo had control for much of game 1, working possession a bit cautiously. Her weak shot on the 9 gave Lighton's Acorn enough daylight to make a pair of shots and win for a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the roles reversed a bit, with the Prestige's Acorn committing a scratch on the 8, allowing the Knights' Oreo to come up big for the last two shots, turning them in for a win that tied the series at 1. Oreo looked to be in the driver's seat in game 3, piecing together a pretty substantial five-ball run, but her scratch after she rattled the 9 out of the bottom left gave Acorn the ball-in-hand he needed to finish it off for a 2-1 series lead with the win. Oreo had game 4 in her grips, but a casual shot ended her five-ball run as she missed the 10 wide from short range. Acorn buried the leftovers with a nice tap-in to seal the series at 3-1 after Oreo's colossal mistake. Acorn needed only three shots in game 5, winning with the 8 on the break, a simple shot on the 1, and a carom off the 2 to bury the 10 in the bottom right. Ranked #33 in 10-ball, Acorn won the series 4-1, and will travel to Nissan Hall in Infinity to meet with the Torpedoes' Gabe in the bracket semifinals.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Sprinkles. The blue cue is up for 12-ball now. Capital City's Sprinkels began game 1 with a five-ball run on her first turn, but she couldn't make the 12 in the top right. Harrison's Twinkie II spent two turns playing defense and setting herself up, and then made a five-ball run-out of almost all tap-ins to win and take a 1-0 series lead in thrilling form. The Sharpshooters' Sprinkles again had the better play early on, only to see a pair of three-ball runs destroy her efforts, as the Specters' Twinkie II again lined herself up well and executed quickly to get the 2-0 series lead with a win. Sprinkles got one back with a game 3 win, having to work from behind but not meeting much resistance, as Twinkie II struggled to get set at the side pockets, allowing Sprinkles to pick her shots pretty effectively. This made it a 2-1 series. Sprinkles fell behind early to a bold attack by Twinkie II in game 4, who pressed very effectively. Twinkie II ran out of well-set shots, and Sprinkles hammered a four-ball run to level the game bit. Sprinkles had to battle, and on her second try, she made the 5 at the top left, giving her the win to tie the series at 2. Sprinkles had to come from behind again in game 5, working with a pair of three-ball runs to get the win around a strong start and weak finish from Twinkie II. Ranked #15, Sprinkles took the series 3-2, and she'll host her cousin and best friend Citrus, the Diamond Gems star, at Capital City SuperCenter in the bracket semifinals.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Dustin. A big rematch between league stars is taking place in 9-ball with the silver cue. Central's Dustin had the first big run, going for a three-ball stretch early in game 1. Both players took swipes at a 9 located near the top right, but Archtown's Ruby buried it with a slight carom off the 8 near the end to get the 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Ruby played a strong game 2, working around the table in short runs and defense that threw off the Warriors' Dustin until her failed bank on the 9. This didn't get a good angle, but it left Dustin lined up for an easy shot that he made to win the game and tie the series at 1. Game 3 also showed off the skills of the players well, as they battled evenly again until the end, where Ruby went on a four-ball run-out, surging forward for the victory to retake a series lead at 2-1. Game 4 was not as good as the others, as both were evenly bad as opposed to good. The ending showed the basic flaws, as Dustin set Ruby up for the 7, which she made with good position earned on the 9, only to miss it and Dustin cut it in the top side for the win, tying the series again at 2. Game 5 returned to the established quality of play expected between these two players. Dustin made a late three-ball run, but missed the 9 narrowly at the top left, conceding everything to Ruby when she tapped it in for a win and a 3-2 series win. The #24 ranked 9-ball player, Ruby will host Ms. Puppy of the Modernistic Union at this venue in the bracket semifinals.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Twinkie III v. Jasmine. The blue cue has a series of Rotation to end its day. Whitewater's Twinkie III had magical looking cuts early in game 1 to stake out a lead that Freedom's Jasmine erased with a four-ball run-out. Twinkie III tried to hold on in the end, but rattled her last shot out, and Jasmine buried it and the next one for the 8-7 win and 1-0 series lead. Game 2 started in much the same way, with the Cascades' Jasmine taking an early lead and the Shores' Twinkie III pulling even. This one differed in finishing, as Jasmine took a few turns to slowly build her lead until she won 8-3, taking a 2-0 series lead in the process. In game 3, Jasmine again collected an early lead, but she couldn't make it hold, as Twinkie III took over around the middle of the game. Jasmine got a few back when Twinkie III struggled finishing, but the host ultimately won 8-6 when Jasmine couldn't slide the 14 into the bottom left. This cut the series to 2-1. Jasmine didn't let this get her down at all, establishing a lead in game 4 and then having to hold onto it for awhile before getting clear and then emerging with the 8-3 win to secure the series at 3-1. Twinkie III had a nice four-ball run to gain the lead early in game 5, and she made it work all the way to the end, chipping along to an 8-4 win that made it a 3-2 series final for Jasmine. Ranked #85 in Rotation, Jasmine will travel to Todavía's Apple Center to face Stills captain Easter in the bracket semifinals.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Blizzard v. Midnight. The red cue finishes its day with 15-ball. Everton's Blizzard deserved a better fate after a four-ball opening run and a three-ball run late in the game that saw her double-pot the 9 and 13 to the right corners and then double-kiss the 12 into the bottom side on a bank. Westside's Midnight won because Blizzard missed the 15, and Midnight banked it to the bottom right for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The players exchanged three-ball runs early and engaged in a mostly streaky game. This game to a halt at the end, when the Eagles' Blizzard again left the 15 short, and the Rockers' Midnight cashed in on the tap-in to win and take a 2-0 series lead. Blizzard couldn't handle a cluster that had the 15 in it early in game 3, and her mistake with the 3 allowed Midnight to send the cue off the 3 and 14 to tap the 15 to the top right for another win, clinching the series at 3-0. Midnight dazzled in making three balls off the break and a handful of other multi-pots, but it was Blizzard on the four-ball run-out at the end getting the win, finally turning the tides even if a bit too late as the series goes to 3-1. Midnight staged a big rally in game 5, grabbing the win early after a bad break left things cluttered on the right side of the table. Blizzard had an egregious missed contact, and Midnight turned in the 8-15 combination to the top right to secure a 4-1 series win. Midnight is ranked #95 for 15-ball, and will travel to Tysini's Cisco Arena to face the Hummingbirds' Leandra in the bracket semifinals. Blizzard has been eliminated from the tournament as Midnight's first kill of the year with this particular series loss.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Jake v. Leonette. The silver cue ends the day with a 10-ball series. Royal's Jake had an impressive three-ball run early in game 1, double-potting the 2 in the top left and 6 in the top side. Pacific's Leonette never let him back to the table, making a five-ball run-out with good planning and execution to get the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Jake bounced right back in game 2, hardly letting the Volcanoes' Leonette get comfortable. Jake ended the game by converting a pair of three-ball runs, the latter being the winner with three beautiful cut shots to tie the series at 1. Jake further asserted himself with a dominant finish in game 3, making a seven-ball run-out and ending the game early with a tough 8-10 combination to the top right after performing a set of well-planned shots to earn a 2-1 series lead over a stunned Leonette. In game 4, Leonette looked to be making a big answer, but she botched things twice late, missing the 8 and 10 and leaving them in line for Jake, who made both on separate turns to get the win and a 3-1 lead in the series. Leonette again made a late press in game 5, working a three-ball run to scare Jake, but her classical finish attempt toward the top side failed. Jake buried the 10 on the leftovers, and took the win for a 4-1 series win. Jake is ranked #8 for 10-ball, and he'll travel to Starbucks Arena in Archtown to face the Arrows' Dusky in the bracket semifinals.
The round should end tomorrow evening, with administrative tasks completed on Saturday and potentially the beginning of the new round on Sunday. Also, the first round of the cricket playoffs should also end tomorrow, and the games should be posted more regularly. All of this sets up an exciting championship month in June for the league, and then the process of expansion can begin in earnest.
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