2017 Qualifiers - Day 13

We're back to a standard day for the league, with 40-50 games set to be played as we open the third week of qualifying. Leading us off is...

Goatee of the Westside Rockers, who will start group one with the red cue playing 12-ball. Goatee had an odd game, making a ball on the break but then taking three errors and really struggling for her last ball, ending with 22 shots for the game. Next up, Stonebridge Wolves captain Juno plays 12-ball with the red cue as well. Juno had a ball on her break, and she played very confidently in the game, setting herself up meticulously before ending in 21 shots, including one error for an unlucky scratch. Moving along, Westside Rockers veteran Midnight plays Rotation with the blue cue. Midnight struggled to pinpoint her aim for the game, going empty on the break and taking three errors in a somewhat difficult appearance that needed 35 shots to end. The fourth player called to shoot today is Oreo of the Terrace City Knights, playing 10-ball with the blue cue. Oreo was very close to falling apart in this game, having made a ball on the break but failing to corral the 2 quickly. She corrected this by making the 2-10 combination to the top right, ending with 7 shots and no errors. Finishing this group, Dusky of the Archtown Arrows shoots 12-ball with the blue cue. Dusky did well in this game, taking a ball on the break and then closing it out in 19 shots, taking no errors, although her finish could have been sharper.

The second group begins with the last player of the first half of qualifying. That player is Commerce Tradewinds captain Tigerette, who has the silver cue up for 8-ball. Tigerette beat the average again, getting nothing on the break but also avoiding any errors in her 19 shots, a good total for the captain. The second half of qualifying sees Max, the Queens Flames veteran, shoot 8-ball with the silver cue, starting just like the first half ended. Max had a terrible game, going empty on the break and then shooting shakily throughout the game, needing 32 shots, including seven errors, to finish it. Five of those errors were assessed for illegally potting the 8. The eighth player of the day is Lighton Prestige veteran Twinkie I, who will shoot Rotation with the red cue. Twinkie I got through the appearance mostly unscathed, needing 30 shots after making a ball on the break, and with only three errors, all accidental. Continuing along, Neopolitan, co-captain of the Pearl Surfers, plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Neopolitan made a ball on the break, and built off of that to take the game in 21 shots with just one error, which helped her finish a three-ball run-out to close the game. Wrapping up the group, Neopolitan stays at the table to shoot Rotation, switching sticks to the red cue. Neopolitan made the best of a terrible rack, needing 29 shots with four errors to clear the table. It could have been much worse, as her empty break left her with no clear shot for about the first ten shots of the game, and she only took one error in that stretch.

Batch three gets going with Shiny of the Web City Spiders playing 12-ball with the red cue. Shiny made two balls on the break, but her post-break distribution was very favorable, and she had just one late game error that pushed her score up to 21 shots, still reasonable enough for the event. The twelfth shooter today is Shiny's Spiders teammate, Ted, who has the red cue up for 10-ball. Ted dominated every facet of his game, needing only 13 shots with one error after making a ball on the break to clear the table in a wonderful game for the rookie. Next up, Valencia of the Golden Pilots plays 10-ball with the blue cue. Valencia had a rough game, taking nothing on the break, and then taking two early errors, eventually requiring 21 shots to finish the appearance, a poor total. Following that, Southridge Defenders captain Debby Ryan shoots 8-ball with the red cue. Debby needed a better break, as the poor spread from the rack led to her taking 22 shots, although the bright side to her game was a lack of errors even as her precision faltered. Icing this group, Ms. Kitty, the longtime Pacific Volcano, has the silver cue up for 8-ball. Ms. Kitty saw her break go empty, but she only needed 18 shots, as she had no errors in the game, and she looked very confident in her shots throughout the game, working well in tight spaces.

The fourth group starts with Infinity Torpedoes rookie Solaris playing Rotation with the blue cue. Solaris looked very strong in this appearance, making a ball on the break and then picking through the rack with only one error in his 27 shots, showing control of his shots all game. Strawberry of the Modernistic Union gets the next game, using the red cue for a game of 9-ball. Strawberry had a ball on the break, but it didn't make a difference in the end, as she had so few clear shots, she needed two errors and 20 shots to complete the game. She was also held back by failing to bury the clear shots she did see. Continuing along, Cheddar of the North Modernistic Nighthawks plays 12-ball with the silver cue. Cheddar did not make a ball on the break in this appearance, but she also didn't take any errors during the game, closing with a respectable 21 shots. The nineteenth player called to shoot today is Dewey, the Oceanside Waves rookie, who will use the blue cue for his third career appearance in 9-ball. Dewey did get a ball on the break, but he took an error that disrupted the flow of his game, and he needed 14 shots to finish the appearance, an acceptable effort. The group ends with Maplewood Lumberjacks rookie Waluigi playing Rotation with the blue cue. Waluigi was charged with four errors after making a ball on the break, but still managed to clear the table in 21 shots, a remarkably quick effort from the star-in-the-making.

The fifth batch opens with a game of 15-ball for Todavía Stills captain Easter, and she'll use the blue cue in this appearance. That combination of game and cue has not gone well this year, and Easter has the best of it, taking nothing on the break and six errors for 31 shots total, a workable performance that could be good on the bracket. Moving on to Easter's Stills teammate Sierra, who also plays 15-ball but with the red cue. Sierra proved quite opportunistic in this game, taking nothing on the break and two errors during the course of play, but then lining up the 5-15 combination and burying it to the bottom right to end with 13 shots for a great score. Victoria Spurs veteran B. Chapman gets the next game, using the red cue in 10-ball. Chapman had her toughest game of the qualifying season so far, making two balls on the break but also taking an error and needing 18 shots before sinking the 10 on a double-pot with the 6. Up next, the Flames' Max returns to the table with the silver cue for his 9-ball qualifier. Max overcame his recent embarrassment to post a game in which he had no errors and a ball potted on the break, all in 12 shots for a very crisp appearance. Rounding out the group, Pounce, the Southern Monarchs newcomer, plays 8-ball with the silver cue. Pounce played about as well as he could in this game, getting two balls on the break and taking no errors, finishing with only 15 shots in a spectacular, league-topping effort.

Group six gets going with Swordpoint Blades rookie Bandit shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Bandit's struggles in rotation-style games returned in this one, as he had nothing on the break, two errors during play, and needed a long and drifting 8-9 combination off of three rails into the top side to end at 18 shots. Following that, Lighton Prestige captain Acorn shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Acorn was disappointed by the end of his game, needing 20 shots with three errors after an empty break left him with little room to shoot a valid shot. Moving along, Freedom Cascades sophomore Nikolai plays 9-ball with the red cue in his third game of qualifiers. Nikolai didn't get anything out of his break, and he also had a single error on a failed jump shot, but he played well and closed the game out at 15 shots, a decent score. Nightfur, the Royal Crowns captain, gets the next game, using the silver cue for 10-ball in this appearance. Nightfur couldn't lock her shot in at all for the game, going empty on the break and taking one error in 23 shots as she chased almost every ball on the table. Ending the afternoon portion of the games, Atlantic Pirates rookie Isabella plays Rotation with the silver cue. Isabella was erratic all game, getting almost no spread from her break and then needing six errors, mostly intentional, to get through 32 shots in the game.

The evening begins with Harrison Specters newcomer Lexi playing 9-ball with the blue cue. Lexi had one error and no balls on the break for this appearance, needing 17 shots to clear the table as her struggles persisted a bit with the precision factor. Lexi was drawn again to play 10-ball with the silver cue immediately after that game. Lexi had slightly better luck in this appearance, finishing the rack in 18 shots, while taking one error after making a ball on the break. She still could have been a bit better, as she was chasing the 10 in the end. Following that, Pacific Volcanoes newcomer Chicky Phil plays 9-ball with the silver cue. Chicky Phil had a ball on the break, but he took no errors during the game, plodding his way to 16 shots in a middling performance. Next up, Boston Swifts veteran Sweetheart plays Rotation with the blue cue. Sweetheart's peripheral numbers didn't impress, with an empty break and four errors in the game, but her 25 shots made for a very solid game for the veteran. The batch ends with the 35th player of the day, the Union's Strawberry, who has the red cue up for 10-ball. Strawberry played well despite a poor break, which saw her make nothing. She did take an early error, but she ended with 18 shots, and it could have been quicker with a better line on her combination attempts.

Group eight is led off by Stinky of the Freedom Cascades, who will use the blue cue in his 10-ball game. Scores for 10-ball continue to inflate dramatically, as Stinky took four errors after a break saw him have nothing to shoot at, and he needed 23 shots to complete the game. Moving along, Dusty of the Golden Pilots plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Dusty had a great game, making a ball on the break and then picking easy shots as she cruised to a score of 17 with no errors thanks to her smart play. The 38th player to shoot today is Pirates rookie Isabella, who returns to the table to play 15-ball with the blue cue. Isabella breezed through the game, making a ball very late on the break and then taking only two errors over an amazingly fast 19 shots, recording an excellent game in the process. That's a tough act to follow, and it's Commerce Tradewinds sophomore Lorde tasked with doing so as she plays Rotation with the red cue. Lorde couldn't match the performance, taking a terrible break and then six errors during the game due to a lack of free shots, and she needed 33 shots to finish the game, an embarrassing outing. At the back of this group, Volcanoes star Ms. Kitty plays 9-ball with the silver cue. Ms. Kitty made two balls on the break, and she was doing well until a scratch, her single error in the game, which forced her to take 10 shots to complete the appearance.

The ninth bunch starts with Harrison Specters captain Twinkie II, who is up for Rotation with the blue cue. Twinkie II didn't like her break much, but she didn't let it get in her way at all, taking four errors after going empty at the start, and she finished with 26 shots in a very clean finish to the game. Shadow, the Web City Spiders captain, plays 15-ball with the silver cue in the next game. Shadow went empty on his break, and he wasn't pleased with the scatter, so he took six error shots, with the intentional violations inflating his score a bit. He still settled in well, and took the game in 23 shots, very near the top of the board so far. Continuing along, Shannon, the Southern Monarchs veteran, plays 15-ball with the red cue. Shannon didn't do too bad in this appearance, going empty on the break, but playing a smart game and taking only three errors among a reasonable 26 shots. Going 44th today, Viewpoint Sound Meteors captain Mams shoots 8-ball with the silver cue. Mams failed to make anything on the break, and she scuffled early before bursting out to take the game in 18 shots with no errors. The group closes with Brownie of the Tysini Hummingbirds playing 12-ball with the blue cue. Brownie had two balls on the break, making the rest of the game much easier for her, as she needed only 19 shots with no errors to complete the appearance without much challenge.

The last group of the day opens with Everton Eagles superstar captain Goldy shooting Rotation with the blue cue. Goldy made a pair of balls from the break and appeared to be ready to dominate the game, but she lost her grip late, fading with three errors and ending up at 30 shots for the outing. Following that, Oceanside Waves rookie Celestia plays Rotation with the blue cue as well. Celestia couldn't get anything going at the start from an empty break, so she turned to intentionally erring, which gave her six errors over 27 shots when the game ended. The 48th player drawn to shoot today is Potter, the Pronger Tridents rookie, who has the silver cue ready for 12-ball. Free-shooting games have been unkind to Potter, as he made two balls on the break but had a ton of trouble getting set up, taking two errors and ending with 25 shots before the rack was cleared. Next up, Citrus of the Diamond Gems uses the blue cue in her 12-ball game. Citrus played very well in the game, making a lot of shots in one go and taking just one error after making a ball on the break, leading her to 19 shots for the performance. Finally, the day ends with Lexi of the Specters playing her third game of the day, 12-ball with the silver cue. Lexi had only 17 shots in the game, making two balls on the break and taking no errors in a spectacular finale to what could be called a mixed day at times.

I apologize for the lack of cricket to be posted tonight. I won't have the time to play any games of it. I'm considering altering my daily schedule a bit to accommodate cricket better into the order of things.