We're back with a brand new day of games. Today should take up a regular amount of time, with approximately 60 games on the schedule unless the pace is good. We begin with...
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Blizzard v. Jake. After a light day yesterday, the red cue is back to lead things off with 15-ball. Everton's Blizzard got lucky on two of her three shots in game 1, making the 8 on the break and then firing toward the 2, causing the 15 to bounce into the bottom side for a stunning win and 1-0 series lead over Royal's Jake, who didn't take a shot. The Eagles' Blizzard had a highlight in game 1, kicking into the 4, which sent the 13 to the top side and the 9 to the top left for a double-pot. The Crowns' Jake answered with a spectacular kick on the 8 to the bottom left and a glancing shot off the 10 to make the 12 in the bottom right, all part of his six-ball run-out in a win that tied the series at 1. Jake stayed on the highlight reel in game 3, potting the 11 by caroming the cue off the 8 toward the top left, with the 8 banking back to the bottom side in a double-pot as part of a five-ball run. Blizzard nearly extended a late three-ball run, but she set Jake up to scratch, and he did, allowing her a tap in on the 15 to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead. Blizzard had total control in game 4, especially during an eight-ball run, but she lost her grip when she missed the 15, allowing Jake to strike it from distance for the win, retying the series at 2. The players exchanged three-ball runs late in a competitive game 5, but Jake had a narrow miss on the 15, setting Blizzard up for the tap-in, the win, and the 3-2 series win. Ranked #40 in 15-ball, Blizzard will host the Westside Rockers' Midnight in the third round from this venue.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Cheddar v. Roxy. The blue cue is up now for a series of Accuracy. Whitewater's Cheddar had problems making some shots in the middle of the game, and these added up over time, as Freedom's Roxy pulled away with a 1-5 victory, earning a 1-0 lead in the series. For awhile in game 2, the Shores' Cheddar looked to be pushing back against the Cascades' Roxy, but she eventually fell behind again and fell apart at the end, losing 2-5 as Roxy takes a 2-0 series lead with the win. Game 3 was even closer, as the two battled fiercely in the late stages, where Cheddar missed twice but couldn't get enough defensive positioning to stymie Roxy, who won 3-4, sealing the series at 3-0. Game 4 had to be settled in overtime after Cheddar blew a late lead with a narrow miss, but Roxy got nothing on the overtime break, and Cheddar tapped a shot in to win 3-4 and make it a 3-1 series. Roxy thought she had a chance in game 5, but missed her last two shots and gave the game away 3-4 to Cheddar. Roxy still won the series 3-2, and takes the #62 ranked Accuracy campaign to the third round.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Mams v. Lionel. The red cue returns in this 10-ball series. Defense featured prominently on both sides for game 1, with neither player getting great looks. Commerce' Lionel had a chance to win, but ended a three-ball run by leaving the 10 at the top right, where Viewpoint Sound's Mams tapped it in to take a 1-0 series lead. The Meteors' Mams made a good play with a three-ball run, but the Tradewinds' Lionel put on a snipe show, making a five-ball run-out on mostly long shots to win the game and tie the series at 1. Mams showed her poise, caroming the cue off the 4 to make a 7-5-8 combination at the top right in game 3. Mams later had a four-ball run, but missing the 10 twice led to Lionel potting it on his second try and stealing the win in a game where he was outplayed, and he also gained a 2-1 series lead. Lionel had Mams on the ropes in game 4, bearing down with a four-ball run that ended when he shot the 10 just wide of the top right. Mams tapped it in and won the game, retying the series at 2. Mams thought she had a good chance to make a long run in game 5, but her four-ball run ended when she missed the 9. Lionel buried the last two shots to win the game and take the series 3-2. Ranked #46 for 10-ball, Lionel will be on the road again for his third round series, with the opponent to be determined.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Neopolitan v. Jake. The silver cue is up for this 12-ball series. Royal's Jake had a three-ball run in the middle of game 1, putting Pearl's Neopolitan into a defensive posture that held for awhile but buckled under two straight scratches, allowing Jake to convert his final shot to win and take a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Jake had another well-timed run in game 2, stringing five straight and good position on the last ball, forcing the Surfers' Neopolitan to set up and defend, which she nearly executed. Jake snuck his last ball behind the defense to win, giving him a 2-0 lead in the series. Neopolitan dominated game 3, needing only two turns, as her shot selection and accuracy impressed the crowd during a five-ball run, and she set up nicely for her final shot, which she made around Jake's attempt at defense. The series still favors Jake 2-1. Game 4 saw both players make a quick start and then engage in a race to the finish, striking a balance between offense and defense to make for good pool. In the end, Neopolitan was just a step faster in setting up and executing than Jake, who had a chance to kick in his last ball but failed to make contact. Neopolitan's win ties the series at 2. In game 5, Neopolitan made a big rally at the start over two turns before Jake had a ball in. Jake replied with a five-ball run, setting them up for a next shot wins situation, but Jake's flawed defense gave Neopolitan an easy win, and she took the series 3-2. Ranked #21 in 12-ball, Neopolitan will host Amber of the Atlantic Pirates at this venue in the third round.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Shawn v. Dusky. The game is now 8-ball, and the red cue will come on for the series. Game 1 saw a lot of back and forth play between the players, especially at the end, where Archtown's Dusky missed the 8, allowing Swordpoint's Shawn to make the last two shots for a 1-0 series lead. Things looked bad for the Arrows' Dusky in game 2 after a late scratch, but the Blades' Shawn squandered a chance to win, and Dusky took a four-ball run-out to win it and tie the series at1. Game 3 saw Shawn do pretty well at the start, but a miss a few shots late. Dusky tried to rally back and looked clear when she got a straight shot at the 12 to the bottom side, but it rattled out, potted Shawn's last ball, and gave him an easy look at the 8, which he buried to win and retake the series lead at 2-1. Shawn never got going in game 4, and Dusky managed to navigate better, getting a bit of luck on her last ball before the 8, and then tapping the 8 in for a win to retie the series at 2. Dusky had the early advantage in game 5, but watched it melt away as Shawn came on strong with the pressure, eventually pulling ahead and winning, while taking the series 3-2. Shawn is ranked #4 for 8-ball, and will host Kelly of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors in the third round.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Shaggy v. Rainmane. The silver cue comes back to play 15-ball. Southridge's Shaggy didn't have a great break in game 1, and Web City's Rainmane struggled to deal with the shots available. Shaggy dominated with a six-ball run, and made the last two shots as well to win and take a 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Shaggy looked better in game 2, hardly allowing the Spiders' Rainmane a clean shot, and Shaggy eventually won the game and went up 2-0 in the series with a five-ball run-out. Rainmane thought she was clear when she had a three-ball run late in game 3, but she missed the 13. Shaggy then tricked her into a seemingly easy shot on the 14, which caused a scratch, and Shaggy took the 15 to the top side from ball-in-hand to clinch the series at 3-0. Rainmane didn't suffer a brutal loss in game 4, taking care of business with a six-ball run-out instead of having a late miss, and this served to make it a 3-1 series as Shaggy was left to watch her sweep chances die. Game 5 saw a relaxed course of play until the end, where the players exchanged shots pretty intensely. Shaggy ended up with the win when Rainmane missed the 15 with the short shaft, and Shaggy used it to pot it on the other side. Shaggy took the series 4-1, and the #33 ranked 15-ball player will host Nightfur of the Royal Crowns in the third round from this venue.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Ice Cream v. A. Charlton. The red cue comes back for the first of two Rotation series. Golden's Charlton had a decent first game, occasionally a bit spotty with her shooting, but more than enough to defeat an erratic Ice Cream of Commerce 8-4, taking a 1-0 series lead in the process. The Pilots' Charlton twice scratched when she was trying to tie the game, once at 3-3, and the other at 7-7, allowing the Tradewinds' Ice Cream to get safety, and in the final instance, to win 8-6 to tie the series at 1. Charlton answered back after falling behind early in game 3, rallying for a four-ball run to take the lead, and eventually taking the win 8-4 when Ice Cream scratched, allowing Charlton to work from ball-in-hand as she took a 2-1 series lead. In game 4, Charlton left no doubt early, building up a five-ball lead and then quickly cruising to an 8-2 win to seal the series at 3-1, as Ice Cream provided no challenge this game. Ice Cream offered no answer to a disjointed Charlton attack in game 5, losing in an 8-0 shutout as Charlton took the series 4-1. Ranked #95 in Rotation, Charlton will next visit Audi Hall in Terrace City to oppose the Knights' Jennifer Livilotti.
Ebay Center, Queens: Paige v. Dustin. The game is still Rotation, but this one's with the silver cue. Queens' Paige had a very strong game 1, capitalizing on the mistakes made by Central's Dustin before finishing on an 11-15 combination to win 8-5 and take a 1-0 series lead, mostly due to Dustin's scratch. Using the short shaft in game 2, the Flames' Paige potted the 1 in the top side and the 4 in the bottom right for a stunning double-pot early on. The Warriors' Dustin was working on catching up when he scratched again, and Paige made the last two shots for an 8-2 win and 2-0 series lead. Dustin had a highlight in game 3, making the 2 and 8 to the left corners in a double-pot. Paige had multiple fouls in the game, and Dustin capitalized each time, eventually caroming the cue off the 9 to pot the 10 for an 8-1 win to cut the series to 2-1. Dustin was on his likely last turn, but he answered a three-ball run from Paige with a three-ball run-out for an 8-7 win, tying the series at 2 in thrilling fashion, setting up a grand finale. Dustin pulled ahead late in game 5 after battling evenly with Paige, but he had to earn a bank on the 14 to the top left to win 8-6 and take the series 3-2. Ranked #45 for Rotation, Dustin will travel to Pearl's Honda Driftwood Coliseum for a third round series against the Surfers' Cowzart.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Charli XCX v. Neopolitan. The blue cue is back for Accuracy in this series. Tysini's Charli had a terrible start to game 1, but Pearl's Neopolitan faltered at the end and on both of her shots in overtime, allowing Charli to take a 5-6 win for a 1-0 lead in the series in sloppy form. The Hummingbirds' Charli was far less dominant in game 2, and the Surfers' Neopolitan took advantage of that, using defense to propel her to a 1-4 win that tied the series at 1. Neopolitan nearly held on for a win in game 3, but missed a shot and forced overtime, where her break produced nothing but a good shot for Charli, who won 2-3 and took a 2-1 series lead with another extra time victory. Neopolitan played a nearly flawless game 4, only faltering on her last shot, but the win was secure at 1-5, with Charli mustering nothing to avoid the series being tied at 2. Charli finally played a perfect game in game 5, giving Neopolitan no margin for error in the 0-2 win by Charli that sealed the series at 3-2 in a thrilling finish. Charli is ranked #57 for Accuracy and advances to the third round with the emphatic victory.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Diddley v. Kavan. The red cue returns to play for the first half of a 15-ball doubleheader. Victoria's Kavan ended up getting the win in game 1, applying late pressure against Maplewood's Diddley with a three-ball run and assorted other shots that helped Kavan to earn a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Kavan put up a three-ball run late again, but he missed on the 15, jamming it at the top left to allow the Lumberjacks' Diddley an easy tap-in to win game 2, tying the series at 1 in an unremarkable shooting show. Diddley thought he was in the clear in game 3 after a scratch by Kavan, but Diddley missed on the 15, and Kavan mopped it up after another mediocre battle to gain a 2-1 series lead. Kavan had a brilliant finish in game 4, using ball-in-hand from Diddley's illegal contact on a shot toward the 2 that clipped the 10 on the way. Kavan potted the 2, and the angle he shot caromed the cue off the 6, straight into the 15 at the top left to create a double-pot and the win, clinching the series at 3-1. Diddley came up with the win in game 5 in one of the most boring series ever, potting the 15 after Kavan missed it to make it 3-2 overall. Kavan, ranked #80 in 15-ball, will travel to Atlantic's McDonald's Hall to face the Pirates' Americus in the third round.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Sleepy B. The blue cue gets its final appearance of the day in 15-ball. Royal's Marsell made the last two balls in game 1 after Archtown's Sleepy B. missed on the 14, paving the way for the host to own a 1-0 lead in the series in a decent performance on both sides. In game 2, Sleepy B. of the Arrows had a five-ball run late, and nearly lost the game when she missed the 15, but the Crowns' Marsell couldn't convert either, and Sleepy B. made it on her second try for the win to tie the series at 1. Marsell capitalized on an early scratch by Sleepy B., potting the 1 and using the position to convert a 2-15 combination to the top right for the win, regaining the series lead at 2-1. Marsell missed his shot on the 15 in game 4 after a fairly even battle, and Sleepy B. shot it in straight to retie the series at 2. Marsell finally made a big run, taking a five-ball run-out in game 5 that ended on a 14-15 combination to the bottom right to defeat Sleepy B. once and for all with the 3-2 series win. Ranked #65 in 15-ball, Marsell will host Taylor Swift of the Eastside Sharks at this venue in the third round.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Chicky Phil v. Oreo. The final series of the night is 10-ball with the red cue. Terrace City's Oreo had two brutal misses late in game 1 of this Suburban Derby series, and they led to Westside's Chicky Phil tapping in the 9 and 10 on separate turns to give him a win and a 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Chicky Phil had two chances to end the game after his five-ball run got him to the 10, but he missed it twice, and the Knights' Oreo was more than happy to eventually bury it for the win, tying the series at 1 in the process. Chicky Phil had more problems with finishing in game 3, and this was compounded by the pace brought by Oreo, who began with a three-ball run and shot dangerously throughout before taking the 10 straight to the top left for the win, giving her a 2-1 series lead. Oreo went white-hot in game 4, pulling off a seven-ball run-out with excellent positioning and execution of her shots, including the classical finish on the 10, banked into the bottom side from the top rail. Oreo secured the series at 3-1. Oreo dazzled again in game 5, avoiding a long run but stuffing Chicky Phil early before a three-ball run-out sealed another win to give her a 4-1 series win. Ranked #88 in 10-ball, Oreo will visit her brother Acorn of the Prestige at Lighton's Pepsi Arena in the third round. The loss means that Chicky Phil is the seventeenth player eliminated this year, and Oreo earns her first kill.
It took some time today, but we made it. Tomorrow may be a reduced schedule due to the recording of the pilot episode of my podcast project, which is mostly unrelated to this. Saturday will also be a short day, due to soccer watching/blogging. Sunday will be an off day altogether, but full action will return on Monday. This is an odd weekend, given Mother's Day, so expect Saturdays to generally be the off days in the future.
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