Today may feature a shortened schedule due to podcast obligations. We begin the day as any other with afternoon games, the first series from...
Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Dreamy. The red cue steps up for a series of 8-ball to get us going. Swordpoint's Dreamy had a four-ball run in game 1, pulling ahead of Royal's Marsell mid-game and holding on to the end after he couldn't cut the 4 into the top side, allowing Dreamy to pot the 8 for a win and a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 saw poor efforts on both sides, but the Blades' Dreamy won after a failed kick from the Crowns' Marsell keyed her four-ball run-out, including a follow shot that double-potted the 10 and 12 at the top right to pace her to a 2-0 lead in the series. Marsell saved his season with a nice run in game 3, keeping pace with a much-improved Dreamy. At the end, Dreamy had a late miss, allowing Marsell to pound the 6 to the bottom left and gain position to take the 8 in the top right, winning to make it 2-1 in the series. Marsell took what was an even game 4 and brought it to a quick end, running out the final five balls himself to surge toward a victory with good positioning, and this tied the series at 2 as well. Dreamy had a five-ball run to put the pressure on Marsell in game 5, but he shot back with a five-ball run of his own that ended with him potting Dreamy's last ball. She took advantage, striking the 8 to the bottom left to win the game and take the series 3-2. Ranked #95 in 8-ball, Dreamy will next play at Verizon Field Events Center against the Volcanoes' Starlight in the third round.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Sally v. Citrus. The blue cue will be at the table for awhile, playing 12-ball here. Archtown's Sally was doing fine until Diamond's Citrus gave her a wild card ball, as Citrus applied defense and kept Sally out of position long enough to make her last two shots and steal a win for a 1-0 series lead for the visitor. The Gems' Citrus gave up a wild card ball on the break in game 2, and again successfully negotiated it, quickly depositing her side while the Arrows' Sally was stuck trying to use break-up shots, allowing Citrus an easy path to a 2-0 series lead. Sally had a brilliant shot to cap her four-ball run, bank-jumping off the bottom rail for the 1-2 combination in the bottom side. The only problem was that Citrus had solids, and the play resulted in a wild card ball for Citrus, plus ball-in-hand, late in game 3. Citrus later gave the wild card ball up after a scratch, and Sally got positioned and finished the game, winning to make it 2-1 for Citrus in the series. Citrus didn't waste the gift Sally gave her in game 4, as another wild card ball late in the game allowed Citrus to pick which left corner to put the 13 in, and while Sally made a nice three-ball run to put the pressure on, her defense failed, with Citrus winning and taking the series 3-1. Citrus won a frenetic game 5 after running three balls and giving up a wild card ball on the break, only to see Sally pull off a four-ball run and a good set-up shot. Citrus did enough to set herself up and defend, and it worked, allowing her to make the last two shots from ball-in-hand to win the game and the series 4-1. Ranked #67 in 12-ball, Citrus heads to Oceanside's AT&T Hall to face the Waves' Pounce in the third round.
Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v. Spirit. The blue cue travels home with Citrus for a Rotation series in the Eastern Hills. Diamond's Citrus scored the first two on the break, but Lighton's Spirit took it from there, scoring two pairs and then a four-ball run-out in an 8-2 win to take an early 1-0 series lead in dominant form. The Gems' Citrus kept pace early in game 2 with the Prestige's Spirit, neither holding much of a lead until the end, where Citrus pulled away to win 8-5 on a bank of the 13 to the top left that tied the series at 1. Spirit looked to adopt a hesitant approach in game 3, and it backfired, as Citrus' chaotic shooting produced a lot of lucky makes, allowing her to rally to an 8-1 win and pull ahead 2-1 in the series as well with the good fortune. Spirit pushed Citrus pretty hard in game 4, but Citrus pushed back with a go-ahead three-ball run, sinking the 9-13-10 combination double-pot in the bottom right before taking the 9 cleanly, and then shooting the 14 from ball-in-hand after Spirit scratched to claim an 8-6 win and 3-1 series lead. Citrus looked to try the same tactic in game 5, but Spirit shut it down before Citrus could really get on a run in the balanced game. Spirit won 8-5, but lost the series 3-2. Ranked #13 in Rotation, Citrus advances into the third round after a thrilling set of games.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Kavan. Two very good players tangle in 10-ball with the blue cue here. Boston's Puff II had the slight edge in game 1 over Victoria's Kavan, and this showed when she got the chance to cut the 9 into the top right and then bury the 10 for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Kavan had a nice three-ball run in game 2, but he left the 4-10 combination lined up just nicely enough for the Swifts' Puff II to pot it in the top right, giving her a 2-0 series lead with the opportunistic shot. Kavan had a breath of life, needing just one shot in game 3 to carom the 1 off the 9-10 cluster to the top right, which sent the 10 to the bottom right in a double-pot that counted as a win, making it a 2-1 series with the highlight-reel shot. In game 4, Puff II shut him right back down, as Kavan missed the 2 and Puff II used it for a 2-10 bank combination to the top side to clinch the series at 3-1 with a perfectly executed shot. Kavan looked to be gearing up for a run in game 5, but he missed the 7 at the bottom right, and Puff II used it in a 7-10 kick combination up the right rail to the top right for the win, as she won the series 4-1. Puff II is ranked #16 in 10-ball, and will host Twinkie III of the Whitewater Shores at this venue in the third round.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Paige. The blue cue gets this 8-ball series, which will finally resolve a typo on the written bracket documents. Queens' Paige was doing fine in game 1 until she had to shoot at the 1, which wouldn't fall legally for her, and gave Oceanside's Snuggle enough time to catch up and win for a 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Paige got derailed in a strong performance in game 2 near the end, missing the 8 narrowly, and the Waves' Snuggle cashed in to take the game and move to 2-0 in the series. Paige had to try to come back from a four-ball run that Snuggle served up in game 3, but as she rallied, she ended up illegally potting the 8, giving the series away to Snuggle as he reaches a 3-0 lead. Paige had a four-ball run to get herself back into game 4 after a strong opening surge from Snuggle, and she managed to stave him off in the end to get the win, avoiding the sweep as she cut Snuggle's series lead to 3-1. Both players had six-ball runs during game 5, but Snuggle's featured a scratch at the end, while Paige set herself up to make the 8 after Snuggle's missed contact, scoring it to get a win. Snuggle took the series 3-2, and the #44 ranked 8-ball player is set to host Puff I of the Modernistic Union in the third round.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Smokey. The blue cue's tour ends with 7-ball. Atlantic's Americus needed only three shots to make four balls, potting the 2 and 3 on the break, and then using a 4-7 combination to the bottom right to gain a 1-0 series lead over Eastern Hills rival Diamond's Smokey. The Pirates' Americus finally let the Gems' Smokey get a shot deep into game 2, and they battled pretty evenly from that point, with Smokey burying his second chance on the 7 after a narrow miss by both of them on their first tries. This tied the series at 1. Americus had a good four-ball run come to an end with a scratch in game 3, and Smokey took a three-ball run-out from ball-in-hand after that, gaining a 2-1 series lead with the accurate play. Americus had another four-ball run in game 4, but the ending was more muddled with misses. Smokey did eventually emerge as the winner, securing the series at 3-1 as well. Smokey had a crazy start to game 5, and while Americus challenged throughout, she couldn't steal the win, allowing Smokey to take the series 4-1. Ranked #87 in 7-ball, Smokey will be on the road for his third round series.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Cleo v. Niki. The red cue is back on after a layoff for some 15-ball. Everton's Cleo served up a strong break and battled pretty closely with Eastside's Niki in a competitive game 1 that saw Cleo win and take a 1-0 series lead with a four-ball run-out to close the game. The Eagles' Cleo had another strong game in game 2, playing a five-ball run to add pressure for the Sharks' Niki. She nearly matched it, but after making the 14, Niki missed the 15, and Cleo tapped it in for the win to take a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 proved to be a bit more perplexing on both sides, but Niki eventually broke down the puzzle and put up a five-ball run-out after Cleo made a bit of space, making it 2-1 in the series, still favoring Cleo. Game 4 could be called nothing other than a shooting disaster, as neither player had anything resembling a good effort this time. The finale of the game came with Niki scratching on the 14, allowing Cleo the last shot to win and clinch the series at 3-1. Game 5 saw an interesting ending, where Cleo put up a five-ball run, and then the players exchanged misses before Niki did a four-ball run-out for the win. Cleo won the series 3-2, and the #63 ranked 15-ball player heads into the third round. The series was do-or-die, so Niki's loss makes her the eighteenth player eliminated this year, and Cleo's first kill of the year gives her another round to play.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Gabe v. Ms. Puppy. The afternoon ends with the red cue up for 10-ball. Infinity's Gabe had no trouble snagging the game 1 win, working a three-ball run-out after illegal contact from Modernistic's Ms. Puppy. The final shot saw the cue deflect off the 8 to take the 10 in the bottom right, putting Gabe up 1-0 in the series. The Union's Ms. Puppy didn't handle the Torpedoes' Gabe having a poor break all that well, struggling to get any momentum. Gabe drove possession and won game 2 with a four-ball run-out to extend his series lead to 2-0. Gabe continued to be in charge during game 3, but when he made illegal contact on the 8, the 5-10 combination to the top right cleared up for Ms. Puppy to pot, making it a 2-1 series after she converted. Ms. Puppy narrowly missed on a game 4 combination attempt on the 10, but she left it vulnerable. It stayed at the bottom right until the end, where Gabe potted it for the win, sealing the series at 3-1 for himself with the victory. Gabe had no trouble in game 5 either, continuing his strong runs in possession, and taking the win for a 4-1 series win. Ranked #19 in 10-ball, Gabe advances to the third round, where he'll host Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Midnight v. Precious. The red cue is up for 12-ball to lead off the night session. Pronger's Precious had no issues in taking game 1, using a pair of three-ball runs to quickly navigate the game, while Westside's Midnight barely had time to make any shots at all. Precious leads 1-0 in the series. The Tridents' Precious overcame giving a wild card ball to the Rockers' Midnight in game 2, mostly because Midnight missed contact that allowed Precious to pot two balls and set up her last shot, burying it on the next turn to make it a 2-0 series lead. Precious thought she was doing well in game 3, but Midnight came out of nowhere in the end and had one ball left, which Precious accidentally potted to give Midnight the game and cut the series to 2-1. Precious had a good start but lulled in the middle of game 4. Midnight looked set to win it when she ran four balls and set herself up for the last one, but she scratched and missed on the same shot, and Precious closed the game with a three-ball run-out to secure the series at 3-1. Game 5 saw Precious establish herself very early, and while Midnight charged back and played a bit of defense, Precious used the defending ball at the bottom left to make her last shot with a carom, making it a 4-1 series win. Ranked #83 for 12-ball, Precious advances to the third round.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Wings v. J. Garcia. The blue cue will wrap up its day with Accuracy. Pearl's Wings did not do well in shooting in game 1, missing a few easy shots early on that made it easier for Southridge's Garcia to pull ahead and eventually win 2-5 for a 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Garcia played very well at the start, and it proved to be just enough to stave off a stumbling Wings of the Surfers, who lost 4-5, but was far behind before Garcia started struggling late in the game. Garcia leads the series 2-0. Game 3 saw both players play perfectly for an entire rack, without a shot being missed. Garcia's luck ran out with the overtime break, and Wings shot into the cluster to get the 3 to the top right for an 0-1 win that made it a 2-1 series. Garcia didn't change her pace in game 4, playing perfectly again, and this time it counted for a win when Wings had a pair of late misses, falling 0-2, and losing any hope for the series as Garcia pulled ahead 3-1. Wings held on pretty well, matching Garcia in the early stages of game 5, but fell behind in the end as Garcia's shooting overwhelmed him in a 2-3 loss. Garcia took the series 4-1, and the #73 ranked Accuracy player travels next to Tysini's Cisco Arena to face Hummingbirds rookie Charli XCX.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Noelle v. Misty. The silver cue's only appearance of the day is for some 12-ball. Westside's Misty had a four-ball run over the middle of game 1, while Central's Noelle just couldn't get things set up in time, and Misty kicked the 9 into the top side to win for a 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Misty finally broke through the defensive stalemate in game 2 with a tap-in for the 5 at the bottom right, ending a standoff against the Warriors' Noelle that saw them tweak position more than attack directly. Misty leads 2-0 in the series. Misty blitzed in game 3, running five balls on her second turn and then setting things up quite nicely for her last shot, the 13, which she cut into the top side from a bad angle to clinch the series at 3-0 against Noelle, who was left shocked. Misty surrendered a wild card ball as part of a more aggressive attack in game 4, and this one cost her, as Noelle induced missed contact by Misty and used the ball-in-hand to pick the top left corner for her last shot, making it to win and move the series to 3-1. Noelle had a pretty sharp break in game 5, but it wasn't enough, as her positioning required more work than Misty allowed time for. Misty made a four-ball run-out after burying two shots very quickly, and this paced her win to give her a 4-1 series win. Misty, ranked #68 for 12-ball, will travel next to Everton's Chevrolet Center to face the Eagles' Goldy in the third round.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Stealth v. Cowzart. The red cue will end the day with some 15-ball. After Pearl's Cowzart missed on the 10 in game 1, Swordpoint's Stealth made it and the cue ricocheted the 15 to the bottom right pocket's edge, where Stealth then converted a 12-15 combination to win and take a 1-0 series lead after a solid game. The Blades' Stealth came out hot in game 2, working a four-ball run early on, and dominating play until a kick on the 10 to the bottom side led to a scratch. From there, the Surfers' Cowzart had his chances, but narrowly missed the 15 at the bottom right, where Stealth tapped it in and went up 2-0 in the series. In game 3, things went pretty smoothly and evenly between the players in the early stages, but Cowzart started taking a larger share in the end, and he won with a three-ball run-out to make it a 2-1 series. Things were a bit frantic early in game 4, but cooled off as the players exchanged short and chippy runs in the later stages, ending when Cowzart made the 15 after a miss by Stealth, tying the series at 2. Stealth did himself in with a bad scratch in game 5, and Cowzart made it interesting, potting the 9 behind the 15 before a 10-15 combination at the bottom right to get the win and the 3-2 series win. Ranked #94 in 15-ball, Cowzart will travel to Everton's Chevrolet Center to face Cleo of the Eagles in the third round.
That's it for now. Full-time action returns on Monday.
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