2017 Qualifiers - Day 19

It's looking like another day for 40 games. We begin with a short morning session...

Led off by group one's first player, Freedom Cascades captain Jasmine, who shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Jasmine had a good game, making two balls on the break and suffering only one unfortunate error in her 15 shots, completing the game with flair. Next up, Ruby of the Archtown Arrows is the 36th player to finish qualifying as she plays Accuracy with the silver cue. Ruby couldn't calibrate her shot at all in this appearance, faltering her way to an empty break and 25 shots without an error. Despite the poor finish, Ruby had 143 shots in all of qualifiers, a very strong mark. Continuing along, Hughbert, the Southridge Defenders rookie, plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Hughbert did not have much resistance to a good game, taking two balls on the break and closing the game in 18 shots, with one error for a scratch. The fourth player of the day ends the morning, and that player is Blizzard of the Everton Eagles, who shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Blizzard's dream game went to absolute disaster with three balls left, as she accumulated seven errors and needed 41 shots to finish the appearance, all while making a ball on the break. The league will hope for a quick rebound at the start of the afternoon, Bright of the North Modernistic Nighthawks plays 10-ball with the red cue. Bright went empty on his break, and he needed four errors over 21 shots to complete the game. As the group finishes, the league announces monitoring for the next group.

The second, monitored, group begins with Terrace City Knights veteran Stripes playing 15-ball with the blue cue. Stripes had a good game, playing easily early on with a ball on the break and a couple of looks at the 15. She did take an error, but quickly ended with 8 shots on a 4-15 combination to the top right. Up next, Infinity Torpedoes captain Smudge plays Accuracy with the red cue, the 37th player to complete qualifiers. Smudge required 21 shots with one error after playing with an empty break in an underwhelming game. Her total score for qualifiers was 173 shots, a poor series of games. Southern Monarchs rookie Hoppy was drawn to play Rotation with the silver cue in the next game. Hoppy went rogue in this game, taking eight errors after an empty break, and most had pure intent behind them as she navigated a cruel rack to 29 shots. The ninth player called to shoot today is Maplewood Lumberjacks veteran Diddley, who has the red cue up for Rotation. Diddley needed 35 shots for the game, making a ball on the break, but he also added seven errors in the game. The league suspended play at this time, effective for the whole day. Play resumed with the final player of the batch on Wednesday, and that player is Kirstin of the Everton Eagles, who will use the silver cue for Rotation. Kirstin did well in the appearance, going empty on the break but taking only 24 shots, and only one error in a triumphant return to action for the league.

The third group will be under re-entry evaluation, starting with Peach of the North Modernistic Nighthawks shooting 15-ball with the blue cue. Peach drew the ire of some competitors when she ended with 4 shots after an empty break and one error, but it was a clean 2-15 bank combination to the bottom side that ended her game. Next up, Waluigi of the Maplewood Lumberjacks plays 15-ball with the silver cue. Waluigi did not do well in this game, throwing the league's recovery into danger as he took three errors over 35 shots in the game, and all after a very poor break. The thirteenth player for the collective qualifying day is Oreo of the Terrace City Knights, who has the red cue in hand for Rotation. Oreo also struggled in this game, with another empty break for the league, four errors, and a total of 33 shots to get through the outing. Continuing along, Southridge Defenders captain Debby Ryan plays 10-ball with the blue cue. Debby didn't do too poorly in the outing, taking an empty break and an early error, but recovering to finish with an 8-10 combination for 17 shots. Finishing this group, Acorn of the Lighton Prestige plays Rotation with the red cue. Acorn played to a score of 24 shots with three errors in the appearance after yet another empty break. The league requested to continue evaluation.

Batch four opens with Pacific Volcanoes veteran Leonette playing Accuracy with the silver cue, the 38th player to finish qualifying. Leonette had quite a good game, making nothing on the break but then rallying for thirteen straight successful shots. She ended on 17 shots with no errors, and overall, she had 141 shots to set herself up well for the Tournament ahead. Following that, Stinky of the Freedom Cascades plays Accuracy with the red cue as the 39th player to complete his qualifiers. Stinky had a terrible break with little scatter on the shots, and this led to him taking 21 shots with no errors to finish the game. On the whole, Stinky had 162 shots in qualifying, hovering around average. Lexi of the Harrison Specters is next, shooting Accuracy with the blue cue, and becoming the 40th player to finish qualifying. Lexi struggled with pinpointing her shot in the game, needing 24 shots and two errors to get through the appearance after narrowly missing a ball on the break. Lexi had 171 shots throughout qualifying, not exactly an endearing total to the Specters fans. The nineteenth player of the day is Yekaterina Vasilyeva, who shoots 15-ball with the red cue for the Victoria Spurs. Yekaterina was fuming by the end of the game, getting another poor break with no balls sunk and hardly any spread, and then she accumulated six errors in 38 shots, a very lousy game. Closing out the group, Whitewater Shores veteran Twinkie III plays Rotation with the red cue. Twinkie III was also left frustrated by her empty break, and she needed three errors mixed in over 29 shots to finish the game. Once again, the league would like to continue evaluations.

Group five gets going under the microscope with Tysini Hummingbirds newcomer Brownie playing Accuracy with the blue cue, the 41st player to finish qualifying. Brownie made a ball on the break, bringing hope to the league, and while she did take one error, she still finished in 19 shots. Brownie had 148 shots overall for qualifiers, a good total for her new team. The 22nd player to shoot is Goatee of the Westside Rockers, who will use the red cue for Rotation. Goatee did fairly well in this game, not quite getting a ball on the break and adding three errors during the game, but she closed it with 27 shots. After that, Solaris of the Infinity Torpedoes plays Accuracy with the blue cue, becoming the 42nd player to complete qualifiers. Solaris had his struggles in this game, needing 23 shots with nothing on the break and no errors, as his shooting was just insufficient for the game. Overall, Solaris did well with 141 shots in all his games. Next up, Rainmane of the Midland Predators plays 15-ball with the blue cue. Rainmane performed well enough, getting nothing on her break in a bit of a rough start, but she had only two errors over 28 shots, which is passable for today. The group ends with Paige of the Queens Flames shooting 12-ball with the blue cue. Paige's only issue in the game was at the end, as she made a ball on the break and just had one error for missed contact as she chased her last shot. She ended the game with a very solid 19 shots.

The sixth group sees the Knights' Oreo return with the red cue for 15-ball as the league will relax its supervision for this group. Just as they do that, Oreo performed another bad break, and she would take four errors and 29 shots to complete the game, illegally potting the 15 for her last error (scratch) that forced her to clear the table. The league will pay attention again as Mario of the Central Warriors plays 15-ball with the red cue as well. Mario did not do well, taking an empty break and then racking up six errors, mostly with intent as the game didn't distribute well for him. He ended with 31 shots for the appearance, another in a long line of poor efforts league-wide. The 28th player called to shoot is Pronger Tridents rookie Spot, who will use the silver cue for 10-ball. Spot had a ball on the break, but it was downhill from there, with two errors, 21 shots, and many narrow misses frustrating the newcomer. Moving along, Caitlin of the Oceanside Waves shoots Rotation with the silver cue. Caitlin showed a poise unfamiliar to other players in the league, making a ball on the break and taking only three errors in the game, two of them on the first shot from play for intentionally potting a ball illegally. She closed at 25 shots for the performance, one of the afternoon's best in a full-rack game. The mid-afternoon break will commence after Diamond Gems sophomore Pedey plays 15-ball with the blue cue. Pedey had three errors in the game, all coming early, but he was very effective in his shooting, and finished with the cue driven off the 9 to take the 15 in the bottom right, ending his turn with 17 shots.

After the break, Chris of the Capital City Sharpshooters is up to play 15-ball with the blue cue. Chris got through this game better than a lot of his recent efforts, shooting to a score of 28 shots with four errors, and he also had a ball potted on the break. Continuing along, the Gems' Pedey returns with the silver cue in Accuracy, as he'll be the 43rd player finished with qualifying. Pedey had virtually no issues in the game, taking nothing on the break but also not taking any errors. His 21 shots clocked in a bit high, but it was acceptable, and he closed all of qualifiers with only 136 shots, one of the better performances thus far. The 33rd player of the day is Sprinkles, the Capital City Sharpshooters veteran, who will use the blue cue for 15-ball. Sprinkles had a very composed game, taking a ball on the break and only suffering one error for the whole appearance, which resulted in her ending at 25 shots. Mr. Snowman got the next game, becoming the 44th player to finish qualifying as he plays Accuracy with the blue cue. Mr. Snowman got through the rack in 19 shots, but he had nothing on the break and one error for a scratch despite his accurate shooting. Overall, he had his ups and downs in producing a score of 156 for his qualifying sessions. The batch finishes with Blizzard of the Everton Eagles, who will play Rotation with the blue cue. Blizzard did what she had to for a favorable result to emerge, making nothing on the break and taking four errors in the appearance while finishing a strong 23 shots.

The eighth group kicks off with Puff III playing Accuracy with the red cue, the 45th player to finish her qualifier. Puff III had another excellent game, shooting the rack down in 16 shots with no errors and one ball potted on the break. This was par for the course for her, as she finished with 128 shots in qualifying, placing third so far. Following that, Pacific Volcanoes veteran Ms. Kitty shoots 15-ball with the red cue. Ms. Kitty dominated the game, taking a ball on the break to establish herself, and then taking only two errors with intent en route to a score of 15 achieved with a 9-15 combination banked off of two rails to the bottom right. Moving along, the Eagles' Blizzard returns to the table for 15-ball with the blue cue. Blizzard had to be patient with this game, getting nothing on the break and taking two errors in an honest performance that saw her end with 31 shots total. Up next, Modernistic Union captain Ms. Puppy ends her long hiatus with 8-ball and the silver cue. She showed no signs of rust in the appearance, ending with 20 shots, including a ball on the break, as well as a single error for a scratch. The 40th player of the day ends this group, and that player is Missy of the Capital City Sharpshooters, who is up for 12-ball with the blue cue. Missy, in a somewhat creative manner, turned a mistake into a set-up shot, and this prevented an extended finish, as she closed with 18 shots, taking no balls on the break and no errors during play.

Group nine starts with Diamond Gems rookie Rosalina playing Accuracy with the blue cue, finishing 46th for qualifying speed. Rosalina had a slow start, going empty on her break, and she narrowly avoided taking any errors over her 20 shots. Overall, Rosalina took 160 shots for qualifiers. Going 42nd today is Queens Flames star Paige, who has the red cue in hand for Rotation. Paige couldn't get many good lucks at her shots, so she intentionally erred a lot, taking nothing on the break and five errors for 28 shots in the appearance. Next up, Shiny is the 47th player to finish qualifying as she plays Accuracy with the silver cue. Shiny dazzled her way to 17 shots for the game, making a ball on the break and taking no errors in the appearance. Overall, Shiny had a fairly average run in qualifiers, with 153 total shots charged. Moving along, Nikolai of the Freedom Cascades shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Nikolai had a ball on the break, but three errors and 30 shots later was when he finished the game, another tough appearance with the silver cue in 12-ball, as many players are not liking that combination. Closing out the group, Jake of the Royal Crowns plays 12-ball with the red cue. Jake didn't get anything on his break, but he also didn't take any errors in the game, ending with a fairly solid 21 shots.

Today's last group begins with Spot, the Pronger Tridents rookie, who will continue the recent 12-ball run with the red cue. Spot started hot with two balls on the break, but he had three errors on simple blunders during the game, and he would finish at a reasonable 20 shots for the game. Continuing along, Freedom Cascades captain Jasmine plays Rotation with the silver cue. Jasmine didn't make a ball on her poor break, with very little scatter. A cluster buster shot later, she had begun her string of productive errors, which totaled five among her 21 shots during the game. The 48th player of the day is Boston Swifts star Puff II, who shoots Rotation with the blue cue. Puff II went empty on the break, and then took five errors, slowly losing her shot and her cool as she needed 31 shots to escape the game, chasing many balls around the table late in the appearance. Next up, Whitewater Shores captain Bear plays Rotation with the red cue. Bear was moderately successful in this game, taking a ball on the break (nearly two) and limiting his errors to two as he closed out with 25 shots, fading marginally at the end of the game. The last turn of the day belongs to Bear as well, as he now plays 15-ball with the red cue. Bear finished the day on a high note, making a ball on the break and then double-potting the 1 and 8 to the bottom side on his first shot. He would take only 3 shots, ending with a 3-15 combination to the top side, and he took no errors in this miracle effort.

We're a little behind where we want to be, but catching up over the weekend is possible. Players starting off tomorrow are not expected to be closely monitored by the league.