Audi Hall, Terrace City: Oreo v.
Diddley. The red cue starts us off again with three straight series, the first
in Rotation. Terrace City’s Oreo had a good start in game 1 before Maplewood’s
Diddley rallied ahead. Oreo ended up retying the game and winning 8-5 in the
end, good for a 1-0 series lead. The Knights’ Oreo went on the brink of taking
game 2 before making two huge mistakes, allowing the Lumberjacks’ Diddley a
four-ball run to get close and then the last two shots on his next turn to
complete the comeback in his 8-7 win, tying the series at 1. Diddley made a
massive comeback again in game 3, going from three down to three up in two
turns, winning 8-5 on a five-ball run-out that left Oreo wondering why she
can’t keep control after the start of games. Diddley leads the series 2-1. Oreo
didn’t put together a swift finish to game 4, but she held her ground as
Diddley pressed her late, eventually staving him off for an 8-6 win that tied
the series again at 2. Oreo got off to a great start on a four-ball run, but
Diddley immediately answered with his own four-ball run. Oreo was stunted from
here on, and Diddley won game 5 by an 8-5 score with a stronger finish. Diddley
claimed the series at 3-2, and the #18 ranked Rotation player will host Shiny
of the Web City Spiders in a Northeastern Derby at Maplewood’s UPS Hall.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside:
Chelsea v. Smokey. The red cue continues with a 9-ball series. Diamond’s Smokey
did what he needed to in game 1, allowing Eastside’s Chelsea to dominate
possession before he swooped in on her missed shot on the 9, tapping in the
scraps for a win and a 1-0 series lead. The Gems’ Smokey did far more to earn
his game 2 win, going on a seven-ball run-out after a simple miss from the
Sharks’ Chelsea, and she never saw the table again as Smokey made his charge to
grab a win and a 2-0 series lead. Chelsea had an amazing, highlight-reel shot
in game 3, missing the 5 at the top right with another power to carom the cue
into the 6, which went to the top left, and the 5 bounced over to the bottom
side for a double-pot. Smokey nearly took the 9 from her after he made the 8
thanks to her miss, but Smokey missed the 9 and Chelsea cut it to the bottom
left for a win that made it 2-1 in the series. Smokey sniped the win in game 4
despite a lackluster effort, banking the 9 diagonally to the top left corner
off the bottom rail to stymie Chelsea and earn the series win at 3-1. Smokey
wrapped the series up at 4-1 with a win in game 5, ending on a three-ball
run-out after he took time between games to rearrange the space in the top
right corner of the playing facility. Smokey, ranked #97 for 9-ball, continues
his Cinderella-esque run into the bracket semifinals, where he’ll face the
Union’s Juno at Modernistic’s Google Hall.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Cleo
v. Cowzart. The red cue is still on for 15-ball. Game 1 saw Everton’s Cleo open
with a four-ball run that Pearl’s Cowzart countered with a three-ball run
before things settled down. Cleo heated up again late, rallying at the end to
get the win and take a 1-0 series lead. The Surfers’ Cowzart took game 2 a bit
early, running a 7-15 combination with a slight deflection off the 8 to get the
win, coming a few shots after the Eagles’ Cleo missed the 6-15 combination
opportunity. Cowzart’s win tied the series at 1. Cleo was in good position to
get the win in game 3, but she missed on the 15 when she had a chance, and this
miss meant her four-ball run was for nothing. Cowzart made the 15 and won the
game, going up 2-1 in the series. Cowzart did not do well at the end of game 4,
quickly collapsing under the heavy pressure Cleo applied with two separate
three-ball runs, the latter used to win the game and retie the series at 2. Game
5 saw a tight battle, with both players taking half-swipes at the 15 before
exchanging shots at the end. Cowzart came up with the winner, potting the 15
calmly to the top left to win the series 3-2. Cowzart is ranked #94 in 15-ball,
and will be on the road for the bracket semifinals round. Cleo has played her
last pool series, the 41st player eliminated this year. Fellow
future retiree Cowzart earned his first kill as his season continues.
Nike Field Events Center,
Commerce: Tigerette v. Pedey. A savvy veteran hosts a sharp rookie in Accuracy
with the blue cue. Diamond’s Pedey held on for about half of game 1 before
missing a shot, and that was all Commerce’s Tigerette needed, taking a 1-0
series lead on what became a 0-3 victory that she played perfectly in. The
Gems’ Pedey was doing well, and even had the Tradewinds’ Tigerette tied at one
point, but three scratches late in the game doomed Pedey to taking the 2-5
loss, with Tigerette now up 2-0 in the series after a solid performance. Pedey
took a stand in game 3, not missing a single shot, and Tigerette was just a bit
off the mark early, leading to her taking an 0-2 loss as Pedey cut the series
to 2-1. Game 4 saw both players enter tailspins at different times, with Pedey
falling apart and just behind near the end. He made it difficult on Tigerette,
leaving her with a tough bank on the 7 for the final shot, but she made it to
the bottom side and won 4-5 to clinch the series at 3-1. Pedey made a mess of
the start, but he got Tigerette on her back foot in game 5, winning 2-4 to make
it a 3-2 series. Tigerette is ranked #8 for Accuracy, and will host Roxy of the
Freedom Cascades in the bracket semifinals from this venue.
Nestle’s Warriors Hall, Central:
Twilight v. Gizmo. The Warriors showcase two of their players head-to-head in
an Accuracy series with the red cue. Twilight started off well and put Gizmo in
an early hole, but he nearly got out, only giving in when Twilight scratched at
the end with a sizable lead to prevent his comeback. She won 3-4, going up 1-0
in the series. Twilight had a small slip-up in the middle of game 2, but it
prover critical in her loss. She did double-pot the 5 to the top left and the 4
to the top right, but Gizmo made a big cut on the 10 to the bottom right to
seal a perfect 0-1 win to tie the series at 1. Game 3 was nearly a repeat of
game 2, but it went against Gizmo this time, as his late scratch on a shot
toward the top left set Twilight up nicely to make her shot and leave him in
position to finish an 0-1 win by Twilight, who leads the series 2-1. The
quality of play slipped a bit in game 4 on both sides, with the players racking
up early misses. Twilight managed to keep herself ahead of Gizmo for most of
the game, and made it a bit worse with a long shot that fell late to make it a
3-5 win, securing her series win at 3-1. Twilight butchered game 5, missing
three times in overtime to let an erratic Gizmo take the game 5-6 and make it a
3-2 series win by Twilight. Ranked #11 for Accuracy, Twilight will host Chimpy
of the Modernistic Union at this venue in the bracket semifinals in a battle of
stars.
Ford Forum, Pronger: Hoot v.
Kavan. The red cue wraps up its work for the day with a series of 7-ball. Victoria’s
Kavan had no troubles in wrapping up game 1 once he got going. He had a
four-ball run, and then made the last two as Pronger’s Hoot proved unable to.
Kavan leads the series 1-0 after his win. The Tridents’ Hoot was in a good
position to make something happen after the Spurs’ Kavan scratched to end a
three-ball run, but Hoot botched his final shot, and Kavan banked the 7 to the
bottom side for the win, giving himself a 2-0 series lead. Kavan did all the
work to clinch the series in game 3, making two balls early and then burying a
five-ball run-out after Hoot missed the 2, making it 3-0 in the series favoring
Kavan. In game 4, Kavan made some ridiculous kicks, most notably the top rail
to the 2, poking it to the bottom right to extend a five-ball run. Hoot hasn’t
had enough shots to get comfortable, and he missed his only one here, allowing
Kavan to make the last two shots for a 4-0 series lead on the win. Kavan kind
of took game 5 off, it seemed, as Hoot had his best performance and took the
win, making it a 4-1 series win for Kavan. Ranked #45 in 7-ball, Kavan next
travels to Oceanside’s AT&T Hall to face the Waves’ Bells. Hoot is
eliminated, the 41st player to reach that fate, while Kavan has his
first kill of the year.
Apple Center, Todavía: Leonardo
v. Spice. The blue cue is on for some 8-ball. Victoria’s Spice had to be
careful at the end of game 1, as Todavía’s Leonardo charged with a five-ball
run but just missed the 5. Spice made a three-ball run-out to get the win and
take a 1-0 series lead in a quick game. The Stills’ Leonardo didn’t see his
confidence waver at all, as he stormed back to take game 2 on a four-ball
run-out when the Spurs’ Spice proved inefficient in shooting. Leonardo’s
shooting was impressive in the win, which tied the series at 1. Leonardo had a
pair of four-ball runs in game 3, the latter being enough to get the win over
Spice, who was well set for her last shots but never got the chance to take
them. Leonardo took a 2-1 series lead on the win. Spice saw her first run, a
six-ball stretch, called for illegal contact on its final shot, giving Leonardo
a chance to make an impact, but he fell short and took the loss as Spice made
her last shot, tying the series at 2. Spice was behind for much of game 5, but
rallied back with a four-ball run-out as Leonardo had trouble corralling his
last ball, and this win gave her the series at 3-2. Ranked #86 in 8-ball, Spice
will play at Capital City SuperCenter in the bracket semifinals, matching with
Sprinkles of the Sharpshooters. Leonardo’s loss made him the 42nd
player eliminated from the tournament, while the win by Spice means another
Spur has their first kill of the year.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl:
Cowzart v. Dustin. The silver cue is on now, playing Rotation. Central's Dustin
made a monster five-ball run in game 1, pacing his attack well until Pearl’s
Cowzart threatened to tie it. He came up short, as Dustin tapped in the 14 for
an 8-6 win to take a 1-0 series lead. The Surfers’ Cowzart established himself
early with a three-ball run, and when he made the 8, he took a commanding lead.
Things got sloppy for the middle of game 2, and when the smoke cleared, the
Warriors’ Dustin came all the way back for a six-ball run-out, winning the game
8-7 to take a 2-0 series lead in epic form. His parading and antics peeved the
Pearl crowd, who rained down boos upon the boisterous visitor. Cowzart made an
impressive kick to pot the 1 in the top side from the right rail in game 3,
shots after he danced between two balls to contact the 1. Dustin proved
merciless, as the above mentioned highlight was Cowzart’s only point in an 8-1
loss to Dustin, who had two three-ball runs pacing his attack as well as
stifling defense. Dustin clinched the series at 3-0 with his smothering play. Dustin
was overwhelmed for much of game 4, but he figured it all out late, making
seven of the last eight balls, chipping cautiously at the deficit until he made
it 8-7 and a win for himself. Cowzart was stunned by the loss that saw him fall
behind 4-0 in the series. Cowzart finally got a game in game 5, winning 8-4 as
Dustin had no magic left in the tank for a comeback. Dustin won the series 4-1,
and the #45 ranked Rotation player will be on the road again in the bracket
semifinals.
Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v.
Chimpy. The extended afternoon ends with the blue cue playing Rotation.
Diamond’s Citrus had a huge run in game 1, winning 8-2 on a five-ball run-out
that ended with a three-rail kick on the 8, which glanced off the 9 and 15 to
tap the 13 in at the top right. Modernistic’s Chimpy was speechless, and Citrus
earned her 1-0 series lead. The Union’s Chimpy didn’t let the bewilderment get
him down, shooting back with a good game 2 that he won 8-5 over the Gems’
Citrus, who occasionally threatened but without much intent. The series is tied
at 1. Citrus did well to keep up with Chimpy early in game 3, but that traction
failed in the later stages, and Chimpy pulled away to eventually win 8-4,
creating a 2-1 series lead in his favor. Citrus stormed right back on an 8-1
win in game 4, using a four-ball run to establish herself, and then watching
Chimpy botch a shot on the 5. Citrus had a four-ball run-out to quickly end the
game and retie the series at 2. Chimpy never really got going in game 5, losing
8-3 as he allowed Citrus to pull away late on a four-ball run, and then left
her a good shot to end it. Citrus claimed the series at 3-2, and the #13 ranked
Rotation player heads to the bracket semifinals.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Wild
Thing v. Kiwi. The silver cue starts the night with 9-ball. Game 1 ended with a
four-ball run by Terrace City’s Kiwi, a late emergence in the game that saw
Whitewater’s Wild Thing hold pretty even until Kiwi had her breakout, which
gave her a 1-0 series lead. The Shores’ Wild Thing came up with the win in game
2, capitalizing on the Knights’ Kiwi missing the 8 on a kick after making the 7
in similar fashion. Wild Thing made the last two shots, tying the series at 1
with the win. Wild Thing got himself into a fortunate position with how he made
the 5, converting the 6-9 combination to the top right on the next shot as Kiwi
had no chance to prevent it, and Wild Thing went up 2-1 in the series. Kiwi did
about the next best thing other than making the 5 to end a mid-game run in game
4, and that was leave it well defended against Wild Thing. He missed contact,
and Kiwi took a three-ball run-out from ball-in-hand for the win, tying the
series again at 2. Game 5 was pretty closely contested by both players, with
Wild Thing getting the upper hand in the end with a three-ball run-out to take
the series 3-2 with a win. Ranked #10 in 9-ball, Wild Thing will host Max of
the Queens Flames at this venue in the bracket semifinals.
Apple Center, Todavía: Easter v.
Gradley. The blue cue gets a series of Rotation. Todavía’s Easter dominated
throughout game 1, starting with two balls on the break and ending in a
three-ball run-out to cap her 8-1 victory over Boston’s Gradley, who never got
a truly good shot in as Easter took a 1-0 series lead handily. The Swifts’
Gradley pulled out to a nice lead in game 2, but it wouldn’t hold, as the
Stills’ Easter took a couple of turns to wipe it out. Gradley briefly retied
it, but Easter’s cut on the 15 gave her an 8-7 win and a 2-0 series lead. Gradley
took an early lead again in game 3, and he held onto it this time, staving off
a late swarming attack from the periphery of the table by Easter to pick up an
8-4 win and make it 2-1 in the series. Easter had to make a five-ball run to
gain the lead in game 4, but it proved to be for naught when Gradley pulled
back to take the game 8-7 over his last two turns, tying the series at 2.
Easter seemed to have the edge in possession for all of game 5, but needed
multiple mistakes from Gradley before she could cap the 8-4 win necessary to
take the series 3-2. Easter is ranked #28 in Rotation, heading somewhat
haphazardly into the bracket semifinals.
That's it for today's games. We'll be playing a very low amount of games over the course of the weekend.
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