This is it. After the Boston Swifts took the Hutton Cup, these eight series decided the participants for the Champions Cup. The winners of the regular season awards will be announced at the end of post. As stated on the schedule, the Tournament of Champions begins on Monday. Without any more delay, we begin with...
Intel Center Diamond: Citrus v. Twinkie II. The 7-ball title will be decided by the silver and blue cues. The only good thing about game 1 is that the rest of the day couldn't possibly be much worse, with both players missing plenty of chances. Diamond's Citrus had the worst of it, missing the 7 short to give Harrison's Twinkie II a tap-in for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Citrus saw her scratching issue pop up again in game 2, and the Specters' Twinkie II made her pay for it, using the ball-in-hand to ignite a six-ball run-out for the win, earning a 2-0 series lead. Citrus tried to play off the 1 in a rocky game 3, but she missed contact with the 7. From a more difficult angle, Twinkie II succeeded on the same play, winning as the 7 fell in the top right off the deflection that gave her a 3-0 series lead. Citrus finally had a good game, and deserved to win in game 4, but her four-ball run come to an abrupt end when the 7 rattled out of the bottom right. Twinkie II sliced it to the top right, making it 4-0 in the series and all but assuring her title. Twinkie II made sure Citrus never had a chance to get back into the series, making both the 3 and 7 to the top right off the game 5 break, clinching the series at 5-0. Citrus lost only 5 games on her trip through the bracket, and will lose at least that many here. Citrus finally put all her skill together in game 6, winning after the second time Twinkie II rattled the 3 out of a pocket. Citrus went on a five-ball run-out, using precision and strong finishing ability to cut the series to 5-1. Game 7 was far less dominant of an effort from Citrus, but since Twinkie II scratched on her second failed attempt at the 7, Citrus made it from ball-in-hand on her third try to earn the win and make it 5-2 in the series. Citrus continued the face-saving campaign in game 8, getting the last four balls over two turns to steal another win away from Twinkie II, which leaves the audience wondering why she couldn't do it when it mattered as the series moves to 5-3. Twinkie II iced the series at 6-3 with a quiet but dominant five-ball run-out after one more Citrus scratch in game 9, and Twinkie II advances into the postseason individually. The #9 ranked 7-ball player is the champion of the sport. Citrus is the 118th player eliminated this year, and Twinkie II has her sixth and final kill of the tournament. Twinkie II's victory song is Saturday in the Park by Chicago.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Diddley v. Dustin. The silver cue stays in action, now the road opponent against the red cue in the Rotation championship. Maplewood's Diddley gave the home faithful and Delila Enterprises fans a treat with a five-ball run to liven the place up. Central's Dustin got a couple back, but Diddley finished the game with an 8-3 win and 1-0 series lead in a confident showing. The Lumberjacks' Diddley is barely letting the Warriors' Dustin to the table, winning game 2 by an 8-1 score with a mix of brilliant defense and pinpoint shooting as Diddley takes a 2-0 series lead over his Northeastern rival. Game 3 saw Dustin finally get a grip, battling evenly back and forth throughout the game with Diddley. The game seemed to be tied more often than not, and this was critical when Diddley scratched to make the 15. Dustin got a free shot at it and buried it for the 8-7 win, getting back into the now 2-1 series. Diddley was holding his own pretty well until Dustin went for a four-ball run from ball-in-hand in game 4, giving Dustin total control over the game. Diddley didn't mount a comeback, scratching instead to give Dustin the last shot he needed for an 8-2 win to tie the series at 2, bringing a quiet to the crowd. Dustin played pretty well in game 5, bursting out for a six-ball run to take a commanding lead. Diddley fired back with a three-ball run to make it close, and he later tied the game after finally potting the tricky 12, but Dustin got the 14 to take the 8-7 win and pull ahead 3-2 in the series. Dustin made sure game 6 was significantly faster than the last one, ripping off a seven-ball run from the break. Diddley got a couple back, but Dustin wasted no time on his second turn, making the 8 for an 8-2 win to give himself a 4-2 series lead with no signs of slowing down. Dustin came out strong in game 7 again, but Diddley finally struck back after absorbing Dustin's offense for games on end. Diddley rallied for the lead, and then staved off Dustin's late offensive surge to get the 8-5 win in the end, pulling back to 4-3 in the series. Diddley had a poor break in game 8, but he made it work for him pretty effectively, limiting Dustin's chances at clean shots. Diddley made pairs of balls sandwiched around a four-ball run, and Dustin only got two of those back in the 8-2 win for Diddley that helped him retie the series at 4 and set up one big finale. Game 9 was just as thrilling as it should be, with Diddley carrying a lead late into the game before a defensive standoff ensued. At the end of it all, Dustin broke free on a four-ball run-out, taking the win 8-6 and the series 5-4. Dustin was ranked #45 in Rotation as he charged to the championship. Diddley is the 119th player to be knocked out, and Dustin has his eighth kill, with a chance for one more later today. Dustin won the series to Walk Away (Maybe) by Good Charlotte.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Charli XCX v. Bryant. The Accuracy final is one of five series to be contested between the blue cue and red cue, with the blue hosting this one, as well as three others. Maplewood's Bryant didn't have a lot of fans in the building, but he put on a show in enemy territory, playing a strong game that ended 1-4 in his favor to top a shaky Charli of Tysini for the 1-0 series lead. Game 2 was much closer and much less visually appealing, as both players missed quite a few shots. The Hummingbirds' Charli was the worst off, and the Lumberjacks' Bryant capitalized on this, buckling down late for a 5-6 win to make it a 2-0 series lead. Bryant returned to a more confident and dominant form in game 3, losing his lead once but holding on when it came back around to him on another Charli miss, and he finished the game ahead 1-2 for the win, moving to 3-0 in the series with the effort. Charli finally got herself on track in game 4, playing a near perfect game until her second-to-last shot went in the books as a miss, but she already had Bryant beat and ended up on the right side of the 1-4 game as she cut the series to 3-1, giving herself a chance to keep going. Charli excelled at simply doing her job in game 5, navigating a horrendous break she started the game with and coming out unscathed, while Bryant was far from as lucky. Bryant struggled to pick the shots off that he wanted, and he lost the game 0-4, while his series lead shrunk to 3-2 after such a great start to the series. Game 6 required overtime to be decided, as Bryant tricked Charli into a miss on the last ball with a good defensive position. Charli shot a soft break in overtime, and it worked, as Bryant couldn't make anything. Charli also did a cluster buster to score one, but two turns later, she missed, and Bryant made the 8 for a 3-4 win to take a 4-2 series lead in the pivotal game. Charli stood tall in game 7, facing elimination from here on out. She didn't let it get to her, and Bryant was unable to keep pace around halfway through the game, taking a couple of misses. Charli's perfect game meant Bryant's misses didn't matter all that much, as she won 0-3 and regained some ground in the 4-3 series that still favors Bryant. Charli had to play from behind through all of game 8, and just when she tied it late as the 4 proved tricky, she missed her last shot, falling behind and eventually losing 2-3 to Bryant, who secured the series at 5-3 with the win. Charli took game 9 in a similar to fashion to how she lost game 8, with Bryant just catching her at the end only to blow it apart with a miss that gave Charli the 2-3 win. Bryant won the series 5-4, and the #74 ranked Accuracy player is the champion of the sport. Charli is the 120th player to be eliminated, and Bryant has his sixth kill. Out of the Wood by Taylor Swift is Bryant's victory song for the series.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Mams v. Leandra. The silver cue has its last series, hosting the red in 15-ball. The silver cue will conduct the Tournament of Champions on Monday. Once again, the visitor struck first without much fan support. Tysini's Leandra broke the monotony of game 1 with a six-ball run-out to fell Viewpoint Sound's Mams and get a 1-0 series lead. The Meteors' Mams promised to make the series a bit more interesting, pulling off a six-ball run and then making the 15 on her next turn when the Hummingbirds' Leandra missed it, tying the series at 1. Leandra countered right back in game 3, dealing with a mediocre break by Mams. Once Leandra got out to the open end of the table, she made a three-ball run-out, knocking the 15 in with a deflection off the 7 to the bottom left, earning her a win and a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 returned to a more cautious approach, and that lasted the whole game. The shots were exchanged fairly evenly, up to Leandra missing and Mams making the 15 to retie the series at 2. Mams set the tone in game 5 pretty easily, pounding the 1 into a cluster and depositing the 6 into the bottom right. Leandra has been the better player at ending games early, and that's what she did in a directionless game 5. Mams had a scratch on the 7, setting Leandra up to make the 8-15 combination to the bottom right to get the win and a 3-2 series lead. Mams made a sick double-pot in game 6, burying the 9 on a cut with the right pace and angle for the cue to come back and take the 12 as well, going to the left corners. Mams had all the momentum late in the game, but missed the 15 by cutting too much on it. Leandra shot it into the top right from distance, moving to a 4-2 series lead in the process. Leandra and Mams combined for a much faster paced game 7, but the result was the same as before, as Leandra took the game away from Mams, who couldn't make a late cut shot to save her life or her series. Leandra's win clinched the series for her at 5-2. Mams shot back in the meaningless game 8, making the last two balls after Leandra's late scratch in a game that saw the players adopt a decent pace of play throughout. Leandra still leads the series 5-3. Mams iced the series at 5-4 in Leandra's favor, getting the game 9 win after Leandra illegally hit the 9. Mams shot the 6-15-14 to the top right, and followed it with a 6-15 combination to the same spot to win. Leandra was ranked #81 in 15-ball at the start of the year, but made it all the way to be the champion. Mams, however valiant in her comeback, is the 121st player eliminated, and Leandra took her third kill. Leandra officially won to the tune of Me and the Devil by the Fratellis.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Chelsea v. Precious. The blue cue will host the red cue in the next three series, not that hosting has been a benefit so far today. This series is 12-ball. Eastside's Chelsea gave very little regard to Precious of Pronger using defense to slow down game 1. When Chelsea got onto her last ball, she put the defense away, and then won the game on her next turn when Precious couldn't finish the game, giving Chelsea the 1-0 series lead. After a wild start that saw three wild card balls exchanged in the first four shots, the Tridents' Precious used her two-ball advantage to work a four-ball run-out to all the corners for the win, punishing the poor tactics from the Sharks' Chelsea as the series moved to a 1-all tie. Chelsea went bold in game 3, surrendering a wild card ball to Precious while she was behind. Precious couldn't find position on her shots, and Chelsea ignited for a four-ball run-out, overcoming the disadvantage to win for a 2-1 series lead. Chelsea caught a lucky break in game 4, as Precious gave her a wild card ball because it was in her way. Precious wasn't counting on amazing late defense by Chelsea, which prevented Precious from making the 1 from distance. Chelsea took the ball-in-hand and went on a three-ball run-out to win and make it 3-1 in the series, disheartening the Delila Enterprises faithful. Chelsea got a bit behind in game 5, battling with Precious a little more than she would have liked thanks to a scratch. Precious was unable to dig herself out of bad positions, while Chelsea made the most, and the scratch ended up helping her as she made a three-ball run-out along the top pockets for the win, pushing the series to 4-1. Chelsea pummeled her way through game 6, making eight balls in total. She started with a big three-ball run while also giving away two wild card balls to Precious. However, Precious gave one of those up on a later turn, and Chelsea had an easy route to victory with Precious out of position. Chelsea secured the series at 5-1. In game 7, Chelsea again gave a wild card ball in reckless fashion, unwavering in her solid shoot as she put up another tone-setting three-ball run. Precious came close to threatening at times, but Chelsea made her last two balls before Precious could make the final strike, moving the series to 6-1. Chelsea didn't give away a wild card ball in game 8, but she still found a way to make things more difficult for herself, scratching a couple of times when she was set up to go on a long run. Precious made strides to get herself set, but Chelsea swooped in with a three-ball run and then a final shot from Precious' leave to take the game and go ahead 7-1 in the series. Chelsea was well-defended by Precious in game 9, but Chelsea found a way yet again, picking through the table and waiting until she could clearly pot the 15 to the bottom side for the win. Chelsea won the series in big form with an 8-1 final. Ranked #27, Chelsea is crowned the 12-ball champion. Precious is the 122nd player to get knocked out, and goes as Chelsea's fourth kill.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Acorn. We're into the second blue versus red series, and the first of the big three, as we play 10-ball. The remaining series are all the high-profile professional styles of pool. Game 1 got off to a shaky start, but Lighton's Acorn fixed that very early in this Cola Wars Derby match. When Boston's Puff II missed the 1, Acorn saw his chance to pot it and then make the 2-10 combination from a good position, which he did to earn a 1-0 series lead with his win. The Prestige's Acorn fell apart early in game 2, and the Swifts' Puff II waited patiently for the right moment, eventually attacking full-out with a five-ball run-out to get the win and tie the series at 1. Acorn was a bit too enthusiastic in game 3, double-potting the 9 to the top left with the 7 he used as a carom going in the top right. This left him no shot on the 10, and Puff II was able to capitalize on his miss to make it herself after a five-ball run early on. Puff II won to take a 2-1 series lead. Acorn managed to keep the series tight, making sure Puff II couldn't get off on another long run during game 4, and then Acorn closed things out with a three-ball run-out to pick up the win, retying the series at 2 with the nice finish. Game 5 was a tale of two halves for the players, with Puff II getting an early five-ball run. The middle segment of the game played out slowly, with neither player gaining momentum until Acorn stepped up with a four-ball run-out to grab another win and take a 3-2 series lead with his dominant stretch. Game 6 was going perfectly normal throughout before an exciting finish that saw Acorn cut the 9 in and then make the 10, but also scratch, allowing Puff II a free shot that she made for the win, tying the series again at 3. Acorn had a three-ball run of illegally potted plays before Puff II took over the possession. The players got stuck on the 3, but Acorn got out of it. However, his miss on the 6 would cost him the game, as Puff II exploded for a five-ball run-out to get the win, regaining the series lead at 4-3 and putting the extra pressure on her visitor. Acorn got the 10 dangerously close to the edge of the bottom right pocket, and while both players had attempts to deflect onto it, Acorn went direct a handful of turns later to make the 6-10 combination and get the win, tying the series for the last time at 4 and setting up a big finale. Game 9 started well with a good break by Acorn, and the players each took halfhearted swipes at the 10 when they could. When it got to the end of the game, Puff II couldn't cut the 10 in. Acorn had it from a bad angle, and used the rare bridge shot (maybe used 1 in 100,000 times) to cut the 10 into the top right for the win and 5-4 series win. Acorn was ranked #33 for 10-ball, but became the champion with the gutsy shot, winning to Who Wrote Holden Coulfield? by Green Day. Puff II's great season will end short of a gold medal and likely short of the MVP title as well, but she is the 123rd eliminated player, and Acorn took his fifth kill.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Leonette. The final blue-hosts-red series is in 8-ball, and this is also the last club Rivalry series. Delila Enterprises has already won, but lower places are up for grabs. Pacific's Leonette had the better of play in game 1, even as Central's Dustin applied a ton of pressure with his six-ball run. He couldn't get past that point, and Leonette cut the 8 to the top side for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin fired back in a sloppy game 2, finally breaking free with a four-ball run that saw him cut the 12 to the top side and take the 13 in the top left on a double-pot. His next turn saw him make the last two balls to defeat the Volcanoes' Leonette to tie the series at 1. Leonette had just deftly made the 3 and 6 along the left rail, and went to turn back for a 2-4 combination when disaster struck. Leonette's shot caught the corner of the bottom side, poking back across the table and taking the 8 to the top side, while also scratching to compound the pain of handing a win and 2-1 series lead to Dustin. In game 4, Dustin kept the good times rolling for himself, scoring a three-ball run as the big portion of his steady but not flashy effort. In the end, Dustin made the last two balls when Leonette's defense was porous enough for him to do so, and he made it 3-1 in the series. Leonette took a defensive stance again in game 5, even going to the length of scratching a couple of times to keep Dustin away from a good shooting position. Dustin never got a clean look at the 8 or his last ball after he scratched it back onto the table. Leonette eventually won with a three-ball run-out to cut the series to 3-2. Dustin stagnated a bit more in game 6, developing a bit of a scratching problem that prevented him from breaking out effectively. Leonette wasn't that good either, but she was able to work her shots a bit quicker and get the win to tie the series again at 3. Leonette kept up the surge in game 7, working an early five-ball run before battling back-and-forth with Dustin for much of the rest of the game. Dustin played decent defense, but Leonette found a way to make her last two shots to snag the win and pull ahead 4-3 in the series. Dustin had a four-ball run to pace his attack in game 8, but it was the finish that made the crowd cheer and rise as one. Dustin kicked the 15 hard from the left rail, and it plucked the corner of the bottom side, coming across in front of the cue to fall in the top side, while the cue set the 8 up for a straight shot at the top right. Dustin converted, tying the series at 4 as he is renewed to battle one more time. Dustin had a five-ball run come out of nowhere in game 9, pacing his attack as he tried to keep Leonette at bay. Despite a multitude of balls near pockets, Leonette couldn't find a shot, and Dustin was able to both set up and knock in the 8 at the bottom right without a challenge, taking the series 5-4. Ranked #10 in 8-ball, Dustin sends a second campaign into the Tournament of Champions as 8-ball's best player. Leonette is the 124th player knocked out, and Dustin will finish the regular season with nine kills out of the 125 players that will be eliminated. Dustin won to Below My Feet by Mumford & Sons.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lorde v. Midnight. Finally, the red cue hosts the blue cue for 9-ball, in which Lorde hosts the player she replaced on the Tradewinds roster. Commerce's Lorde started hot with two balls on the break, but was quick to cool, allowing Westside's Midnight to take over from there, making the last six balls over three turns for the win and a 1-0 series lead against her former team. Game 2 was not played with any urgency from either side, although the Tradewinds' Lorde did show a bit more liveliness at the end, making the last two balls with pace to top the Rockers' Midnight to tie the series at 1 with her win. Lorde played much more confidently in game 3, running five balls at the start from the break and then making the last two to control possession over Midnight and get another win for a 2-1 series lead. Lorde kept the crowd on their feet, roaring with excitement as she buried the 9 to the bottom right from the break, and the 5 also fell in the top left. Midnight never saw the table in game 4, falling behind 3-1 in the series. Lorde's break didn't do anything impressive in game 5, but her second turn was stunning. A sharp cut on the 1 to the bottom left, and then the 2-8 combination to the top right followed by the 2-9 combination to the bottom right earner her another win and put her on the brink of advancing with a 4-1 series lead. Midnight went all-in on her one and only shot of game 6, and it failed ever so narrowly, as she missed the 1-9 combination in such a way to leave it open for Lorde to convert, which was the series-clinching shot as Lorde took the 5-1 lead in the series. Midnight saved some face with her game 7 win, weathering a four-ball run by Lorde and the doldrums at the end of the game to make a very long distance cut shot on the 9 to the top left for the win that made it a 5-2 series. Lorde started to get a bit lazy during game 8, not shooting with any real urgency or authority. Midnight wasn't a lot better, but it was obvious she was trying harder. Midnight was reward for the effort, as Lorde left the 9 short at the top side, one of many such poor leaves, and Midnight scored it for the game 8 to make it 5-3 in the series. Game 9 featured a bit more casual play for both sides, ending when Midnight scratched on the 9, giving Lorde ball-in-hand for the final shot of the regular season. Lorde buried it, winning the series 6-3 to the tune of English Town by Matchbox Twenty. Midnight is the 125th and final eliminated player of the year, and the #32 ranked 9-ball player Lorde collected her second kill.
Here's the awards that I promised to mention.
Player's Cup for MVP: Dustin, Central Warriors. Dustin went 83-51 in games, 20-6 in series, and advances two bids to the Tournament of Champions while also recording a league-high nine kills.
Rookie of the Year: Charli XCX, Tysini Hummingbirds. Favored to win after taking the cricket version of this award, Charli went 44-33 in games and 11-8 in series, making it to the finals and placing second in Accuracy.
President's Cup: Reality. Another dominant sporting season from Reality saw them start slow but then hold the first place slot down for many rounds to earn another piece of hardware as a club.
Governor's Cup: Boston Swifts. The Swifts ended up on top at the end of the season, earning the #1 seed in the City Cup playoffs after holding off a strong Gems team during the finals.
I will post a standings update shortly, and a pre-draft guide will also be published either tonight or tomorrow morning with the protected players, the likely saves, and the likely cuts. The next three days are administrative days for me, as I work to be prepared for the start of the playoff season.
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