We're about three full game days out from completing the second round. However, I have an obligation on Wednesday that will shorten the day, so instead, we should finish the round on Thursday. I am undecided on whether Friday will be an administrative/cricket day or a game day. I will keep you posted on these plans. Today, the blue cue will star for the first half of the action, beginning with...
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Smudge. The first of six straight blue cue series is in 15-ball. Infinity's Smudge came on strong late in game 1, putting up a three-ball run and then making the 15 on her second effort as Southern's Shannon failed to shut her down, with Smudge going up 1-0 in the series. The Torpedoes' Smudge again seemed to take control of the game late, scoring a four-ball run and then battling and bettering the Monarchs' Shannon at the end to win game 2 and take a 2-0 series lead with a bit strong play. Smudge brought game 3 to an early end with a six-ball run-out after an opening run from Shannon. Smudge ended with a failed 8-10 combination attempt that saw the cue carom to drive the 15 off the left rail and into the top right, with the 8 providing insurance. Smudge secured the series at 3-0. Smudge annihilated Shannon in game 4, inducing three scratches from Shannon and putting up a six-ball run among many other good shots. In the ending, Smudge had ball-in-hand, and her positioning off the 14 gave her a straight line on the 15 to win, making it a 4-0 series. Smudge didn't show up in game 5, scratching and floundering around to allow Shannon a spell of possession long enough to earn a win with a three-ball run-out. Smudge took the series 4-1, and the #93 ranked 15-ball player will host Sprinkles of the Capital City Sharpshooters in the third round at Infinity's Nissan Hall.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Twinkie III v. Pounce. The Aquatic Derby kicks off with a blue cue Rotation series. Oceanside's Pounce had the first and last leads in game 1, winning 8-7 but battling neck and neck with Whitewater Twinkie III in a grueling opening game for the series, with Pounce ahead 1-0. Game 2 saw the players open up a bit, with the Shores' Twinkie III staking a small lead early on before a five-ball run by the Waves' Pounce. This ended in a scratch, and Twinkie III ripped a six-ball run-out to win 8-5 and tie the series at 1. The Shores' Twinkie III had a three-ball run to solidify her lead in game 3, and then won it 8-3 on a precise kick off the left rail to poke the 10 over to the top right, giving her a 2-1 series lead over Pounce. Game 4 got off to a similar start from game 1, gritty and back-and-forth play. However, once Twinkie III established a lead, she sloppily navigated to an 8-2 win, helped by many errors from Pounce as she clinched the series at 3-1. Twinkie III thought she was clear to win game 5 as well, but Pounce made an incredible six-ball run-out to rally for the 8-7 win through brilliant positioning. Twinkie III, #17 ranked Rotation player, won the series 3-2 and will bring in Jasmine of the Freedom Cascades to this venue in the third round.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Easter. The blue cue will hit the halfway mark of this tour, playing Rotation again. Royal's Marsell had Todavía's Easter down and out at one point, but she rallied with a six-ball run to gain the lead, and he scratched on the 13, allowing her ball-in-hand for the 8-5 and 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Marsell reversed his fortunes in game 2, twice catching up with a strong Easter of the Stills to tie the game, and the second time he went for a three-ball run-out to win it 8-6, tying the series at 1. Easter stumbled a bit over the middle of game 3, but held off a stern challenge from Marsell, as he tied that game but then surrendered Easter's four-ball run-out to lose 8-4, giving Easter a 2-1 series lead. Marsell had the early lead in game 4, but again proved vulnerable to a comeback, as Easter took the lead with a three-ball run late in the game and then won a turn later by an 8-6 margin as she took the series at 3-1. Easter again came from behind in game 5, winning 8-3 with a three-ball run-out after overcoming a stingy start from Marsell. Ranked #28 for Rotation, Easter's 4-1 series win sees her hosting Gradley of the Boston Swifts in the third round from Apple Center in Todavía.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Pounce v. Sally. Rotation is off for a series, with 7-ball being played in the interim. Archtown's Sally dominated possession in game 1 as Oceanside's Pounce didn't really have any accuracy on his shots, allowing Sally to navigate the table calmly and win for a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Pounce had a chance to make an impact in game 2 after the Arrows' Sally scratched, but he shot the 6 with the cue following it in to scratch, and Sally made the 7 from ball-in-hand to win and make it a 2-0 series. Pounce barely avoided disaster in game 3, cutting the 7 into the bottom side from a sharp angle after Sally missed on it, with Pounce taking a win to make it a 2-1 series as he's holding on with a loose grip. Sally answered back with a big rally in game 4, starting with a five-ball run on her first turn, and then cutting the 7 to the top right after Pounce couldn't bury it, giving her a 3-1 series lead with the nice shot. Pounce did get one back in game 5, capitalizing on a couple of misses from Sally to pace the game and eventually pick a win to give her a 3-2 series win. Ranked #13 in 7-ball, Sally will host Diamond Gems captain Smokey at Archtown's Starbucks Arena in the third round.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Juno v. Chimpy. For the second time this round, these Union players clash, this time playing Rotation. Juno had a jump from the start, and Chimpy was of two minds, nearly catching up and then falling away until he lost 8-5, giving his captain Juno the 1-0 series lead. Chimpy was more decisive in attack in game 2, rushing out to a lead and using defense to block Juno, and then closing with a four-ball run-out for a firm 8-2 win to tie the series at 1 with some masterful shooting. Juno reserved herself the latest copy of the highlight that never gets old, kicking off the left rail to pot the 14 in the bottom side, tying the game with a ball to go after battling back from Chimpy's strong start. Juno struck the 15 from the leave off her 14, and won 8-7, taking the series lead back at 2-1. Chimpy built up a massive lead in game 4, lost all of it and fell behind as Juno chipped away over a series of strong turns, and then Juno scratched and Chimpy rallied with a three-ball run-out to win 8-6 and retie the series at 2. Game 5 went down to the last ball, and it took quite awhile for Chimpy to score the 15, as Juno's bank toward the top left finally left it in position. Chimpy took the game 8-7, the series 3-2, and advances his #53 ranked Rotation bid to the third round, where a road series at Diamond's Intel Center against the Gems' Citrus is on the docket.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Puff I. The blue cue ends its tour with its final Rotation series of the round. Game 1 saw a lot of struggles from both players, but Atlantic's Americus fixed hers just as Modernistic's Puff I had hers start, and Americus rallied back to win 8-6 and take a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Americus is showing a ton of resiliency so far, surrendering a five-ball to the Union's Puff I very early in game 2, and then letting her chip another ball in after that. In response, Americus rattled off a seven-ball run-out to win 8-6 and gain the stranglehold 2-0 series lead. In game 3, Puff I turned the tables a bit, falling behind to an early blitz from Americus, and then steadily pulling back while Americus failed to reply, allowing Puff I to take the 8-5 win and make it a 2-1 series with the confident win. Americus only needed two big runs in game 4, both from ball-in-hand situations after Puff I scratched. The first was a lead-establishing five-ball run, while the second was a three-ball run-out to seal off an 8-1 win and secure the series at 3-1. Americus nearly made a mess of game 5, but managed to hold off Puff I long enough to make a three-ball run-out, coming from behind to win 8-7 and take the series 4-1. Ranked #1 for Rotation, Americus will host her third round series against Boston Swifts captain Patches at this venue.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Stealth. The silver cue breaks the stretch of blue, playing Accuracy this time. Eastside's Graham provided Swordpoint's Stealth with absolutely no leeway in game 1, playing perfectly and winning 0-2 as Stealth couldn't match him. Graham takes a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 didn't go nearly as well for the players, as both missed many shots throughout the game. It did go to overtime, where the Sharks' Graham won 7-8 after he missed one chance to win before burying the second after a miss by the Blades' Stealth to gain a 2-0 series lead. The play returned to excellence in game 3, with Graham potting three balls on the break and continuing to be sharp in a 1-2 victory that saw Stealth pull level late but lose it on his second-to-last shot. Graham sealed the series at 3-0 with this win. Game 4 was a bit of a mixed bag, and it ended worse than it was actually played, as the last two balls gave the players trouble. Graham fell behind early and never could catch up, losing 3-5 to Stealth, who cut the series to 3-1 with his win. Stealth struck again with an iffy game 5 win, but he did take it 5-7. Graham still won the series 3-2 despite his late fade, and his #21 ranked Accuracy campaign will host a third round series at this venue against Web City Spiders star Rainmane. With the loss, Stealth is the 22nd player eliminated, meaning one of every six players is now out. Graham's kill puts him in a tie for first with Starlight for the league lead with two.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Juno v. Leonardo. The blue cue is back for 8-ball as the hosting rookie is trying to salvage the wreck of her second round. Game 1 started pretty slowly, as neither player could really navigate Juno of Modernistic's break. Eventually, Todavía's Leonardo got going, and he kept that extra pace throughout, winning on a three-ball run-out for a 1-0 series lead. The Union's Juno made things interesting, just barely outpacing the Stills' Leonardo in game 2 as they pretty much worked separately, with the balls divided by suit on each side of the table. Juno was a step quicker and got the win to tie the series at 1. Leonardo played very well in game 3, allowing Juno to clear a lot of her defense before he ripped a five-ball run-out to snatch the win and regain a series lead at 2-1. In game 4, Leonardo didn't even wait for Juno to clear the defense, as he maneuvered brilliantly around it and shoved Juno around as necessary, rumbling with another five-ball run-out to secure the series at 3-1 with his bold win. Juno had the upper hand in game 5, but with an unfavorable position to shoot the 8. She potted it, but also scratched, giving the game to Leonardo, who won the series 4-1. Leonardo is ranked #37 in 8-ball, and will host Spice of the Victoria Spurs in the third round from Apple Center in Todavía.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Snuggle. This battle of captains will be played with the red cue in a series of Accuracy. Central's Twilight had a pretty good game 1, while Oceanside's Snuggle seemed doomed from the start, missing a couple early and faltering at the end to lose 2-7 as Twilight takes a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Twilight played even better in game 2, missing only once late, while the Waves' Snuggle couldn't keep up and lost 1-4, giving Twilight a 2-0 series lead. Snuggle played pretty well for game 3, finally forcing Twilight into some misses early on to pace himself to a 2-4 win, and Twilight didn't have any answer as her series lead was cut to 2-1. Snuggle tried to make things tough on Twilight in game 4, but when she navigated the challenge successfully, she turned it around and put Snuggle in trouble. He wilted, falling behind and eventually losing 2-3. Twilight secured the series at 3-1. Twilight kept the strong play up in game 5, winning handily with a 1-4 score to make it a 4-1 series win over Snuggle. Twilight, ranked #11 for Accuracy, will host Warriors teammate Gizmo in the third round at this venue.
Ebay Center, Queens: Crystal v. Jennifer Livilotti. The blue cue comes back in for 9-ball. Terrace City's Jennifer had a three-ball run in the middle of game 1, which helped pace her attack. Queens' Crystal nearly won, but came up short on her shot at the 9, allowing Jennifer to tap it in, win, and take a 1-0 series lead. The Knights' Jennifer ran the table in eight shots in game 2, with the highlight being a kick of the 6 to the top side that also sent the 7 to the top right. Her positioning never allowed the Flames' Crystal to shoot, and Jennifer leads the series 2-0 after the virtuosa effort. Crystal, when she finally got a shot, imposed her will as she's now playing catch up, dealing with Jennifer's defense cleanly and finishing the game after Jennifer couldn't extend a three-ball run. The series favors Jennifer 2-1 at this point. Game 4 saw one of the most even runs of play in the series, with the players chipping back and forth throughout. Crystal had a fatal flaw, attempting to kick the 9 anywhere on her last shot, which resulted in a scratch. Jennifer made the 9 from ball-in-hand, clinching the series at 3-1. Crystal seemed to do pretty well in game 5, but narrow misses on both the 6 and 9 on her final shot allowed Jennifer a simple three-ball run-out that was already well set-up, giving her a 4-1 series win. Ranked #53 in 9-ball, Jennifer is headed to the third round, where she'll head to Oceanside's AT&T Hall to oppose Snuggle of the Waves.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Kirstin v. Kayla. The red cue is back for its last series of the day in Rotation. Southern's Kirstin came out of the game 1 gate on fire, running four balls from the break. Queens' Kayla did catch her eventually, but Kirstin came out of the game with an 8-6 win and a 1-0 series lead. The Monarchs' Kirstin had to fight a bit more at the start of game 2, but she eventually got the upper hand after the Flames' Kayla scratched, and cruised her way to an 8-4 win to make it 2-0 in the series. Kirstin found another gear in game 3, never letting Kayla make a clean shot. Kirstin won 8-0, winning on a four-ball run-out that was capped by her driving the cue off the 7 to deflect and pot the 14-13 combination at the top right, which gave her the win to clinch the series at 3-0. Kayla stood firm in game 4, undeterred by the fact that the series is out of reach. Instead, she built up a lead, watched Kirstin rally back to be on the brink of a win, and then made the last two shots to steal the game 8-7 and make it a 3-1 series. Kirstin did well to finish off game 5, burying a five-ball run-out from ball-in-hand after a poorly timed scratch by Kayla, winning 8-5 and taking the series 4-1 as well. Kirstin, ranked #2 in Rotation, will host her third round series against an opponent to be determined. Kayla's series loss made her the 23rd player eliminated this season, and Kirstin picked up her first kill of the year with the knockout.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Amber v. A. Charlton. The night ends with the blue cue playing Accuracy. Golden's Charlton played just a bit better in game 1 than did Atlantic's Amber, who had a few untimely misses that allowed Charlton to eke out a 3-4 win and take a 1-0 series lead despite not playing perfectly herself. In game 2, the play was nearly perfect, save for a single miss from the Pilots' Charlton that proved to be enough for the Pirates' Amber to win 0-1 and tie the series at 1. Charlton held on for about the first ten balls potted in game 3, only trailing by one, but then the wheels fell off as Amber dominated the finish, winning 2-6 to take a 2-1 series lead as Charlton missed frequently. Charlton fought back pretty well in game 4, inducing a couple of Amber misses to gain the lead, and then shooting with precision to protect that lead, leading to a 3-4 win that retied the series at 2 and set up one final and decisive game. Game 5 went to overtime after Charlton used defense to force Amber to miss, but then missed herself. Charlton kept going to the trick bag, using a soft break in overtime. Amber also missed, but she missed on her second turn after a Charlton make, giving Charlton the 4-5 win and 3-2 series win. Ranked #72 for Accuracy, Charlton will head to Freedom's Toyota Arena in the third round, facing the Cascades' Roxy.
That's all for today. Tomorrow is a full day. I don't know if Wednesday and Thursday will be combined in one post or split among two.
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