We're very close to the end of the round, and we have a full slate of 60 games for today. The first series is...
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Sweetheart. The blue cue leads off with 12-ball. Harrison's Twinkie II dominated from the break, potting two on that shot and using a couple of errors from Boston's Sweetheart to pace her way to a win and a 1-0 series lead in an easy game 1. The Specters' Twinkie II had a bit more of a challenge in game 2, having to position herself against the Swifts' Sweetheart, who nearly caught up to her with a late push, only for Twinkie II to make her final shot and win, going up 2-0 in the series. Twinkie II got even closer to losing in game 3, trailing Sweetheart for much of the game, but Sweetheart couldn't set up the 14 at the bottom left, and Twinkie II had enough time to patiently cut the 5 into the bottom side to win and clinch the series at 3-0. Twinkie II again struggled with navigating the table, but Sweetheart has lacked the ability to finish games, and did so again, missing her final shot multiple times to allow Twinkie II to swoop in and win, going up 4-0 in the series. Sweetheart finally got one after Twinkie II's chaotic game 5 break that saw her legally pot two balls, illegally pot one, and give a wild card ball away. Sweetheart surrendered the gift, but was faster in making her final shots, winning to make it a 4-1 series. Ranked #3 for 12-ball, Twinkie II hosts Sprinkles of the Capital City Sharpshooters at this venue in the third round. With the loss, Sweetheart blew a five-bid second round and is the 24th player eliminated, with her Swifts future very much in doubt. Twinkie II had her first kill of the year.
Audi Hall, Terrace City: Stripes v. Dustin. The silver cue comes on for a series of 9-ball. Terrace City's Stripes did a lot right after a choppy start to the game, scoring a four-ball run and narrowly missing the 9 at the top left. Central's Dustin potted it for the win, giving him a bit of a cheap 1-0 series lead. The Knights' Stripes didn't make the same mistake in game 2, burying the 9 to end a six-ball run-out in another dominant effort against the Warriors' Dustin, good enough to tie the series at 1. Stripes did not foresee trouble in game 3, but Dustin had an incredibly lucky shot to win. He banged the cue into the 3-9 cluster, driving the 9 off three rails and then getting a fortunate kiss off the caroming cue before diving into the top side, giving Dustin the 2-1 series lead with an unbelievable bounce. Stripes finally had some luck go in her favor in game 4, watching Dustin bury three balls on the break and get a ridiculous bounce off the corner of the bottom side to drive the 8 to the top side as part of his opening eight-ball run. Stripes was able to mop up the 9 Dustin missed, retying the series at 2. The player who has played the best has only won about half of the games in this series. Dustin definitely earned his game 5 win, dominating possession against an erratic Stripes, and then making the 6-7-9 bank combination to the top side on a brilliant play to win the game. Dustin took the series 3-2, and advances his #46 ranked 9-ball bid to the third round, where he travels to rival Archtown to face the Arrows' Ruby at Starbucks Arena. Stripes is out of the tournament with the loss, the 25th player ousted. Dustin has his first kill of the season.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Wild Thing v. Dominic. The blue cue comes back into action for more 12-ball. Atlantic's Dominic struck the perfect balance between defense and offense in game 1, selectively removing defense and ceding ground to Whitewater's Wild Thing until one of his mistakes allowed Dominic to finish the game from ball-in-hand to take a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Dominic impressed everyone when he gave the Shores' Wild Thing two wild card balls on the break, electing to choose the less favorable solids suit, and then sank his five remaining balls before Wild Thing could make his last four, giving Dominic a bold 2-0 series lead. Dominic gave away two wild card balls in game 3, but this time the generosity was not rewarded, and Wild Thing made quick work of Dominic after the second error, handily winning to cut his deficit to 2-1 as the host still has work to do. Wild Thing dominated in game 4 as well, applying defense in places and leaving Dominic's shots mostly along the perimeter, making it hard to get around obstacles. In the end, Dominic's defense was no match for Wild Thing using a follow shot to drive the 15 into the top right just behind the 7 for the win, tying the series at 2. Dominic had a four-ball run to set the tone in game 5, and while Wild Thing tried to hold on, his scratch assured his defeat when Dominic made his last shot. Ranked #55 in 12-ball, Dominic travels to Royal's Kraft Forum to face the Crowns' Nightfur in the third round.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Shiny. This is the first and only red cue series today, played in Rotation. Southern's Shannon had a tough game 1 battle with Web City's Shiny, fighting for the first ten balls evenly before Shannon emerged on a three-ball run-out with an 8-5 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Monarchs' Shannon paced game 2 at the front end instead of the back, scoring an early five-ball run and weathering the three-ball run by the Spiders' Shiny before sealing up an 8-4 win to make it 2-0 in the series. Shannon looked to be going on another deep run in game 3, but stalled a bit after a four-ball run. Shiny came back to tie, and the two jockeyed around until the end, where Shiny's second shot at 15 went in for an 8-7 win, making it a 2-1 series lead in Shannon's favor. Shiny staked out a pretty large lead in game 4, making it difficult for a fractured rally by Shannon to be effective. Shiny kept her pace at a decent level and came away with an 8-5 win, tying the series at 2 and making the last game decisive. Shiny came out flying in a difficult game 5, grinding away at the rack while Shannon nipped at her heels. Shiny eventually broke free and won 8-6, taking the series 3-2. Ranked #29 in Rotation, Shiny will next oppose Shannon's Monarchs teammate Kirstin at this same venue in the third round.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Wings v. Precious. The blue cue has its last games of the day in 15-ball. Game 1 was a trying game on both sides, with tensions boiling over around the 7. Pearl's Wings eventually bested Pronger's Precious, hammering the 15 into the top right to take a 1-0 series lead with a sloppy win. The Surfers' Wings had a slightly more confident performance in taking game 2, while the Tridents' Precious wasn't really any better than before, allowing Wings to pound out the last two shots for the win and a 2-0 series lead. Wings and Precious both had their share of easy misses in game 3, making it a long and protracted game. Precious had the most costly, missing on the 14, allowing Wings to blast it in and drill the 15 out onto a straight line shot at the top left, which he buried for the winning, securing the series at 3-0. As has been the case for the whole series, Wings didn't as much outperform Precious as he did end up with the right shots at the right times, this time converting the 12-15 combination to the top right for the win to go ahead 4-0 in the series. Wings actually did look pretty good in game 5, shooting pretty firmly against Precious, and winning with a 10-15 combination struck to the top right to make it a 5-0 sweep for the series. Wings is ranked #30 in 15-ball, and will host Ruby of the Archtown Arrows in the third round from this venue.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Boots v. Wild Thing. The silver cue begins a seven-stop tour with a series of Accuracy in the southeast. Southridge's Boots fought like crazy to make up for mistakes in a well-played game 1, and she did force Whitewater's Wild Thing to let the game slip to a tie. Boots lost when she missed a kick on the 12, and Wild Thing took a 1-0 series lead with a 2-3 win. The Shores' Wild Thing made no such failures in game 2, never letting the Defenders' Boots back in after she missed, as Wild Thing charged his way confidently to a 1-3 win to make it 2-0 in the series. The two battled well in game 3 as well, playing evenly and watching the game need overtime to break the 1-all tie. In overtime, Wild Thing's break didn't produce a potted ball, making it easy for Boots to score a ball and win 1-2, making it a 2-1 series. Wild Thing responded well in game 4, playing a solid game against Boots, who fell apart when she needed to stick together, and Wild Thing won 2-6, sealing the series at 3-1. Wild Thing put up a flawless game 5, winning 0-3 over a punchless Boots, and taking the series 4-1 as well. Ranked #59 in Accuracy, Wild Thing will host Shannon of the Southern Monarchs for a third round series at Samsung Arena in Whitewater.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy v. Jasmine. In the northeast, the silver cue plays 8-ball. Everton's Goldy scratched on her game 1 break, allowing Freedom's Jasmine to do a bit of damage. Goldy was patient, and rallied back late with a five-ball run-out to swipe the win for a 1-0 series lead in good form. The Eagles' Goldy didn't mess around with antics at the start of game 2, running four balls from the break, and then burying a four-ball run-out after the Cascades' Jasmine had a short turn, giving Goldy another win for a 2-0 series lead. Goldy had a massive break in game 3, scoring two on the break. She stalled a bit from there, allowing Jasmine to play with pace and nearly wrap up before Goldy roared back, winning again with a four-ball run-out to secure the series at 3-0. Goldy groaned audibly when she realized her game 4 break produced a stripe and not a solid, but she still rallied for a seven-ball run and nearly got the 8 at the top side anyway, despite playing the unfavorable suit. Jasmine did try to counter with defense and heady play, but Goldy was too much for her, winning and making it a 4-0 series. Jasmine finally got one back, winning game 5 as Goldy couldn't manage to pot her last two balls, and Jasmine took the time to set up patiently before executing. Goldy, ranked #29 for 8-ball, will host Sugar of the Web City Spiders at this venue in the third round.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Lydia v. Spirit. The next series is in the southwest, where the game is 12-ball for stop #3 of 7 in the silver cue tour. Lydia had the initial burst in game 1, but when it came down to each player on the last ball, her failure to kick the 3 in allowed Spirit to pot the 12 at the top left for the win, giving Spirit a 1-0 series lead. Spirit had a lapse in judgement during game 2, shooting at a pocket she already covered, and when she potted it, Lydia received ball-in-hand for her last two shots, giving her an easy path to victory. Lydia's win tied the series at 1. Both players had nearly miraculous victories in game 3, as Spirit's breakup of the 5-7 cluster saw both narrowly miss, and Lydia's shot on the 12 found the top left but scratch, setting her back. Spirit ultimately benefited from that scratch, making her remaining shots to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead. Spirit was forced into defensive form after a scratch, and she just kept scratching, eventually seeing Lydia shoot from the kitchen to kick the 13 in for the win, tying the series again at 2. Spirit had a wild card ball from Lydia's wild break, and she used this in the end, as Lydia did come roaring back but came up a tad short. Ranked #76 in 12-ball, Spirit won the series 3-2 and will host Goatee of the Westside Rockers at this venue in the third round.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Cubby v. Shadow. The silver cue's tour heads into the night with this Accuracy series. Maplewood's Cubby played very strong early in game 1, pressuring Web City's Shadow into a few poor angle misses, which paced Cubby's 3-4 win, and he went ahead 1-0 in the series. The Spiders' Shadow looked absolutely confident during game 2, watching the Lumberjacks' Cubby bury himself early in the game and feebly attempt to hold on in what became a 2-6 loss that saw Shadow tie the series at 1. Game 3 went to overtime after some poor play on both sides. In overtime, Shadow missed on his first two shots, and a 7-13 combination by Cubby earned him a 6-7 win to regain the series lead at 2-1 in a low point for the series. The players again exchanged roles in game 4, with Shadow playing dominantly and Cubby collapsing to the tune of a 1-4 loss, allowing Shadow back in as the series is now tied at 2. Cubby took the early advantage in game 5, but blew it with five straight misses, losing 2-5 to Shadow, who claimed the series at 3-2 with another big win. Shadow is ranked #68 in Accuracy, and he'll play host to Victoria Spurs captain Spice in the third round at Web City's Home Depot Forum.
Ford Forum, Pronger: Paps v. Cheddar. Heading into the Eastern Hills, the silver cue plays 12-ball. Whitewater's Cheddar received a late gift from Pronger's Paps, who knew as soon as he shot to set up that he made a mistake, as his defense couldn't contain Cheddar and she made her final two shots with ease for a 1-0 series lead on the win. The Tridents' Paps did a better job of setting up his shots in game 2, and this provided both offense and defense against the Shores' Cheddar, who lost it late because she was out of position, allowing Paps' win to tie the series at 1. In game 3, Cheddar made a late mistake in surrendering a wild card ball, but she nearly overcame it, seeing her 4 teeter but stay up at the top side. Paps still had to make his kick on the 14 at the top left, but the shot was true and he buried it for the win and a 2-1 series lead. Paps had Cheddar dead to rights in game 4, but he had to illegally pot his 13. He failed to scratch on it, giving Cheddar unrestricted ball-in-hand, and she banged out a four-ball run-out, ending with an impressively deft bank of the 4 to the bottom right to win it, tying the series at 2. Once again, in game 5, Cheddar made an impressive series of set-up shots that she got a chance to execute under pressure, as Paps was very close to a win. Cheddar made her three-ball run-out, advancing her #78 ranked Accuracy bid to the third round, where she'll meet Blades captain Snowball in Swordpoint's Gillette Center.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Diddley v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. Returning to the northeast, the silver cue plays 8-ball with a rookie trending upward visiting a stalwart veteran. Victoria's Yekaterina had to carefully battle in game 1 with Maplewood's Diddley, as both players stagnated late. A scratch by Diddley tipped the scales to Yekaterina, who won for a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Yekaterina fell behind pretty bad in game 2, but caught up with a three-ball run, only to fall to the Lumberjacks' Diddley when he was able to get better position on the 8 after making his last ball. This tied the series at 1. Yekaterina made a late push with a four-ball run in game 4, breaking a bit of a deadlock stemming from Diddley's dodgy break, and Yekaterina did get the 8 after Diddley couldn't make a shot from distance. Yekaterina is up 2-1 in the series. In game 4, it was Diddley doing the comeback late in the game, rallying after a decent start from Yekaterina to get close to the finish, and then making the final two shots for the win that tied the series at 2. Diddley had game 5 under control, and even got ball-in-hand after Yekaterina missed contact on the 4. What happened after was a result of bad planning, allowing Yekaterina another turn in which she won the game and stole the series 3-2. Ranked #94 for 8-ball, Yekaterina will travel to HP Field Events Center in Eastside to face the Sharks' Graham in the third round.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Bright v. Mams. The final series of the silver cue tour is in the southwest for 15-ball. Viewpoint Sound's Mams ended up with the win in a fairly even game 1, as Tysini's Bright couldn't poke it along the bottom rail and Mams kicked it into the bottom right to win and take a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 saw a bit more battling and a bit of fatigue from the late break time, but the Meteors' Mams converted a 14-15 kick combination to the bottom side on the shot after the Hummingbirds' Bright failed the same toward the top side. Mams' clutch win made it 2-0 in the series. Bright put up a good fight in game 3, even pushing a three-ball run late in the game, but his scratch derailed all that progress, and Mams pounded out the last two shots easily to clinch the series at 3-0. Mams showed a bit of frustration with her inability to make the 12 in game 4, and this boiling over allowed Bright a pretty easy path to victory from there, as he made the last two balls to win the game and make it a 3-1 series. Bright had an easy win in game 5, as Mams scratched while trying to get fancy with her shot, and Bright converted the 5-15 combination to win and make it a 3-2 series. Ranked #52 in 15-ball, Mams will host Stinky of the Freedom Cascades in the third round at Viewpoint Sound's Volkswagen Stadium Events Center. With the loss, Bright is the 26th player eliminated from the tournament. Mams has her first kill of the year.
Tomorrow will probably be lumped in with a post on Thursday as we will complete the second round very soon.
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