After a typical Saturday off, we're back for Sunday pool. The first series of the day is...
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Watermelon v. Ms. Puppy. The blue cue will open things up in 12-ball. Pearl's Watermelon came out of the gate with a three-ball run to start game 1, but she was never in position at the end, and when the time came, Modernistic's Ms. Puppy closed out with her final shot for the win and a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Union's Ms. Puppy did not have a good break, allowing the Surfers' Watermelon to gain the early lead. This margin held up until the end, where both struggled until Ms. Puppy scratched and Watermelon won to tie the series at 1. Game 3 was the quickest of them all, as Watermelon made one of each on the break and chose stripes. Ms. Puppy applied a little pressure but couldn't develop a run, and Watermelon answered on a four-ball run. Ms. Puppy had a three-ball run after that, nearly winning with a wide shot at the top side, and Watermelon took the win on a kick to the bottom left, sealing the series at 2-1. Watermelon will host Boston Swifts captain Patches at this venue in the second round.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Caitlin v. Gizmo. The red cue gets a turn at 12-ball in the next series. Game 1 went fairly standard, with Oceanside's Caitlin taking the early advantage over Central's Gizmo, and never letting up, as she ended with a three-ball run-out with fortunate positioning to take the 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Warriors' Gizmo seemed to have an advantage, but a long shot by the Waves' Caitlin on the 10 to the top left allowed to jostle Gizmo's last shot out of position. He then missed from ball-in-hand. Caitlin had a late contact play that forced Gizmo to miss again, and Caitlin would win with a bank of the 14 diagonally to the bottom left, securing her the series at 2-0. Game 3 started in a blaze, as Caitlin made two balls on the break and had set shots on the rest. She missed a few times, keeping it interesting enough for Gizmo to compete, but ultimately earned the win anyway. Caitlin's 3-0 series sweep takes her into the second round.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Valencia v. Chris. The blue cue is back as 12-ball continues to be the theme today in this battle between captains. Capital City's Chris had the early advantage in game 1, working a five-ball run after Golden's Valencia scratched on the break. They exchanged shots for a bit before Chris ended it at the bottom side for a win and 1-0 series lead. Each player had a three-ball run in game 2, but the Sharpshooters' Chris did little to build on his from the start, and the Pilots' Valencia won the game with hers, overtaking the stronger Chris with the late burst to tie the series at 1. Game 3 was a strategists' game, an idealized version of 12-ball. Valencia gave Chris a wild-card ball on the break, and he held it until a deadlock emerged at the bottom side. He surrendered it, and even gave Valencia one as the position changed to the bottom left, where Chris eventually earned the win by rope-a-doping Valencia until she gave him an easy shot. Chris took the series 2-1, and he heads to Apple Center in Todavía to face Easter of the Stills in the next round.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Kayla v. Panda. The silver cue gets its crack at 12-ball, with the newest Crown facing the Monarchs' captain. Southern's Panda overcame a two-ball break from Royal's Kayla to get the win, working a three-ball run early and then biding time before he struck. Panda's win puts him ahead 1-0 in the series. The Crowns' Kayla held on in game 2 despite a strong break from the Monarchs' Panda. After early runs for each, they tangled as they were shooting in opposite directions. The stalemate broke when Panda scratched, allowing Kayla to make her last two shots for the win, which tied the series at 1. Game 3 saw Panda give up two wild-card balls after Kayla's opening play went awry. Despite the generosity, Panda still took the win, as his defense held off Kayla long enough to make his final shot for the 2-1 series win. Panda heads to the second round with the impressive play.
Ford Forum, Pronger: Precious v. Chris. The game finally changes, as these two veterans play 10-ball with the red cue. Pronger's Precious did practically everything in game 1, making 8 of 10 balls and illegally potting the 10 on the break, only to see Capital City's Chris tap in the 10 after she missed a bank shot, giving the visitor a cheap 1-0 series lead. The Tridents' Precious kept up the high-possession style, but she made sure to get the win this time, using a four-ball run-out at the end to take the game away from the Sharpshooters' Chris, tying the series at 1. Game 3 played out much more balanced, with a very sloppy finish. Neither player wanted to make the 9 for fear of a bad position on the 10. This changed when Chris left the 9 at the top left, which Precious tapped in, and she made the 10 as well to win the game and the series 2-1. Precious hosts Victoria Spurs rookie Wario at this venue in the second round.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Patches v. Bright. The red cue stays up for a series of Rotation. Game 1 saw Boston's Patches sour after a fruitless break, which North Modernistic's Bright cashed in on for the early lead. Patches would catch up temporarily, but Bright won 8-5 on a three-ball run-out to take the 1-0 series lead. The Swifts' Patches had seemingly no problems in game 2, using ball-in-hand from the Nighthawks' Bright scratching on the break to work an early run. Bright was unable to get many clear shots, while Patches had free roam of the table, working her way to an 8-0 shutout win to tie the series at 1. Game 3 started very slowly, with a terrible break by Patches making shooting difficult. Once it got going, Patches held the early lead, but Bright had a four-ball run to pull ahead. He wouldn't let it go, eventually winning 8-5 after nearly surrendering a run to Patches late. Bright took the series 2-1, and travels to UPS Hall in Maplewood to face the Lumberjacks' captain Fluffina in the second round.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Americus. It's a venue doubleheader in Rotation, but the blue cue is in this series. Boston's Puff II started and ended on three-ball runs in her 8-6 win, and while Atlantic's Americus had a mostly quiet game, she did take the lead once with a four-ball run just before the finish. Puff II leads the series 1-0. Game 2 saw a very slow start, with the Pirates' Americus leading for awhile before the Swifts' Puff II broke out on a run. This was the only lead change, as Puff II held on from here and ended with the last two balls potted, including deflecting the cue off the 8 to sink the 11 at the bottom side for the winner by an 8-3 score. Puff II clinched the series at 2-0. Puff II thought she had game 3 under control early on, but a remarkable six-ball run-out changed that for Americus' benefit, as she would take the win 8-3. In the run, she had a double-pot of the 10 to the top right and 14 to the top side, all off a shot on the 6. Puff II took the series 2-1 to advance to the second round.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Watermelon v. Leandra. Two very strong players meet in a series of Accuracy with the silver cue. Pearl's Watermelon kept things close to begin with, and when Tysini's Leandra put her in a hole, she came back to force overtime. Both players missed their first shots in the extra session, but Watermelon's next miss lost her the game, as Leandra converted for a 4-5 win and 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Leandra seemed to have an advantage throughout game 2, but it took until near the end for it to materialize, when the Surfers' Watermelon missed an odd-angle combination to make it 1-3, the final, that gave Leandra the 2-0 series lead. Game 3 saw Watermelon take a lead she'd never relinquish rather early in the game. Leandra was left to chase the game, losing 1-4 eventually as her sweep was foiled. Leandra advances to face Gems captain Smokey at Diamond's Intel Center in the second round.
Sprint Hall, Victoria: Wario v. Twinkie III. We'll stick with Accuracy, as the red cue administers this series. Victoria's Wario shot well, but it was a lack of command of the ball that hurt him in game 1, as his three scratches were the difference. Whitewater's Twinkie III had no such errors, and she was able to take the win 3-4, good for a 1-0 lead in the series. Game 2 came down to the wire, as the Spurs' Wario had forced the Shores' Twinkie III into a miss to take the lead. Twinkie III fired back with her own bad leave on Wario, which he missed from. The game went to overtime, where Wario converted off the break, and Twinkie III was left with a miss to lose 3-4, making it a 1-all series. Wario showed a remarkable determination in game 3, burying Twinkie III early and making it last in a tense finish to the 1-2 game that gave him the 2-1 series win. Wario advances to the second round, where a meeting with his brother is possible.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Smudge v. Dusky. After the evening break, games return with 8-ball and the blue cue in this series. The series actually moved to Monday after plans changed. Infinity's Smudge charged out of the game with a five-ball run, burying her opposition before Archtown's Dusky even had a chance. Her shooting was poor, paving the way for Smudge to cruise to the finish for a 1-0 series lead. The Torpedoes' Smudge had a similar, but less dominant, showing in game 2, working smaller runs throughout the game to capitalize on more shaky shooting from the Arrows' Dusky to secure the series at 2-0. Game 3 saw Dusky break out with an early six-ball run to help her cause, and while Smudge pulled even at the 8 with a four-ball run, Dusky made the 8 to get the win. Smudge advances to the second round on a 2-1 series win.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Acorn v. Shawn. The blue cue stays in action for 7-ball in this series between captains. Midland's Shawn thought he could run the table in game 1, but his miss on the 5 at the bottom right said otherwise. Lighton's Acorn answered with the three-ball run-out to win for a 1-0 series lead in response to the earlier four-ball run. The Prestige's Acorn was willing to risk an empty break in hopes of getting the game back late again, but the Predators' Shawn went on a five-ball run-out in his only turn, ending with the 5-7 combination to the bottom right to tie the series at 1 with his win. Game 3 was far tighter than the previous two, with no runs until Acorn ended the game on a three-ball run-out sealed with a 6-7 combination to the top right. Acorn won the series 2-1, and he will host Kirstin of the Everton Eagles in the second round at this venue.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Brownie v. Pounce. The silver cue gets a turn now as a niece and uncle do battle in Rotation. Tysini's Brownie made quick work of Southern's Pounce in game 1, getting a three-ball run from the break and a five-ball run-out on her next turn for an 8-0 shutout to go ahead 1-0 in the series. In game 2, the start was very congested, with both players trading shots evenly for quite awhile. The Monarchs' Pounce pulled ahead for a bit and held the lead in the middle of the game, but lost control at the end, and the Hummingbirds' Brownie rallied on a five-ball run-out to take the win 8-6, clinching the series at 2-0. Brownie had to count on an early lead to hold her up in game 3, as Pounce charged hard near the end. He got close, but ultimately fell short when he weakly hit a combination shot. Brownie ended the game at 8-5 to grab the win and a 3-0 series sweep. Brownie advances to the second round, set to host the Southridge Defenders' Hughbert at this venue.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Jake. A former Crown still holding a grudge against his former team comes to town to take on the Warriors' captain in Rotation with the silver cue. Central's Twilight failed to get a good run from the start, allowing Royal's Jake to linger in game 1 early on. He took a big lead at one point, and was a scratch away from winning. From ball-in-hand, Twilight went on a four-ball run-out with excellent execution to take the 8-7 result and 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Warriors' Twilight had the early advantage again, and had the Crowns' Jake not rattled the 9 out of the top right, it might have ended differently. This missed tying opportunity allowed Twilight to burst out a little bit, leading her to an 8-6 win that made it 2-0 in the series for her. Game 3 had a bit of a slow start until Twilight broke out on a run. Jake rallied to tie the game late, but the chase for the 13 ended when he missed a bank on it, and Twilight tapped it in for the 8-7 win. Twilight swept the series 3-0, earning the chance to host the Atlantic Pirates' Isabella in the second round at this venue.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Neopolitan v. Dustin. The red cue gets a crack at Rotation now, its last such series of the round. Pearl's Neopolitan broke out with a four-ball run in game 1, and she made that stand almost until the end, when her bank on the 11 to the top right was a miss. Central's Dustin went from here, taking the 8-7 win in a four-ball run-out for the 1-0 series lead in a spectacular comeback win for the superstar. Game 2 saw the Warriors' Dustin procure a terrible break. Once the pieces fell in line, the Surfers' Neopolitan broke out for the early lead, but Dustin tracked her down and nearly had a win on the 12. He scratched on the tap-in, but Neopolitan couldn't make it from ball-in-hand, and Dustin still won 8-6 to secure the series at 2-0. Game 3 also took awhile to get going, and once again, Neopolitan was unable to hold her lead. She even had a winning shot in the game, but a scratch gifted Dustin the 8-7 result in a series that always felt like doom was near for the host. Dustin's 3-0 sweep takes him down the coast to Del Sur's House of 10 Windows, where he will face the Southern Monarchs' Shannon in the second round.
House of 10 Windows, Del Sur: Hoppy v. Twilight. The Warriors captain is back to play 12-ball with the silver cue against a Monarchs rookie. Central's Twilight seemingly played her host in this game, as Southern's Hoppy took the tougher suit after Twilight shot at it. Twilight was pleased with the results, quickly setting herself up and getting good lines to make it a quick win for the 1-0 series lead. In game 2, Twilight had a rough break, and the Warriors' captain had to play from behind after a scratch. The Monarchs' Hoppy didn't make this game easy, making two savvy plays late to disrupt Twilight's position while improving her own. The latter led to her win, working Hoppy out of defense to make her final two shots, which tied the series at 1. In game 3, Hoppy gave away a wild-card ball on the break to Twilight, but Twilight would return the favor later in the game, untangling a mess of shots for Hoppy that led to her taking the win two turns later. Hoppy also took the series 2-1, and she will "host" teammate Panda in the next round.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Sprinkles v. A. Charlton. The blue cue is back for a series of 10-ball. Capital City's Sprinkles made good work at the start and end of game 1, taking three balls apiece in those turns, which led to her getting the win over Golden's Charlton, who couldn't keep up. Sprinkles leads the series 1-0. Game 2 was forgettable for all involved, although the finish was nice for the Sharpshooters' Sprinkles. She clinched the series at 2-0 after the Pilots' Charlton left the 6 and 10 very close to the bottom right, allowing Sprinkles to play a deflection to get the win that will send her through. Game 3 was brought to a quick end thanks to Charlton scratching, Sprinkles missing the 1-10 combination after trying to be fancy, and Charlton converting to make it a 2-1 series. The game may have stretched on for awhile had the end not come early. Sprinkles will host another Pilot, Youth Movement companion Valencia, in the second round.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Snowball v. Gradley. We'll stick with the blue cue in 10-ball for the last series before the mid-afternoon break. Boston's Gradley never got a shot in game 1, as Swordpoint's Snowball ran out seven straight shots to get the win, ending on a 4-10 combination to the top right for the victory and 1-0 series lead. The Swifts' Gradley had a shot in game 2, and he kept a fairly even game with the Blades' Snowball, exchanging shots back and forth until Snowball's run was cut short late. Gradley converted on the final two balls to grab the win, tying the series at 1 and setting up a nice showdown. Swordpoint's Snowball had to hold on tight in game 3, as Gradley pushed the envelope with his shots and both players deserved a win for their play, but it was Snowball who emerged with the final two shots to clinch the series at 2-1. Snowball will host the Queens Flames' Max at this venue in the second round.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Twinkie III v. Blizzard. After the break, the blue cue is still up in 15-ball between these veterans. Game 1 showed promise early on for Whitewater's Twinkie III, but she squandered some early shots and ended up on the wrong end of Blizzard's five-ball run-out when shot clarity emerged. Blizzard took the win for a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 turned out to be something special, as a slow start turned into a remarkable twelve-ball run by the Eagles Blizzard. It started with a double-pot on the 2 and 9 at the top left, and a few lucky bounces early in the run gave way to brilliant positioning and execution to snag the win over the Shores' Twinkie III, while also securing the series at 2-0. Game 3 didn't feature a long game-ending run, as both players seemed balanced this time, but Twinkie III couldn't catch a break as Blizzard closed on a four-ball run-out to take the series in a 3-0 sweep. Blizzard will play in the second round.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Spirit v. Fluffina. Two of the top players in the game meet in Accuracy, using the red cue. Lighton's Spirit was near perfect in game 1, getting a ball on the break and only missing one shot, a cluster-buster that didn't produce. Maplewood's Fluffina was better, playing a perfect game to take the win 0-1 and the 1-0 lead in the series. Game 2 was close, but in a completely different way, as misses ran rampant all over the game. The Prestige's Spirit likely would have had the win, but she accidentally touched the cue assuming illegal contact in an event that doesn't have that rule. The Lumberjacks' Fluffina was able to force overtime from this, and a miss by Spirit on the first show completed her fall, with Fluffina's 5-6 win serving to clinch the series for her at 2-0. Game 3 was much more like the first, except Fluffina fell behind early and Spirit would not break her shot, taking the win 1-2 to make it a 2-1 series win to Fluffina. Fluffina will advance to the second round.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Ted v. Pounce. The last series of the day is 9-ball with the silver cue. Southern's Pounce had a good start to the game, working a four-ball run and only getting a bit cheated by the pocket as he tried to continue. After a jumbled middle, Web City's Ted emerged with a four-ball run-out for the win, swiping a 1-0 series lead for himself. The Monarchs' Pounce had a slight possession edge in game 2, but it went to waste, as his late four-ball run was ceased with a scratch after he made the 8, leaving the Spiders' Ted a clear shot on the 9 from ball-in-hand. Ted converted, clinching the series at 2-0. Game 3 saw Ted on an early three-ball run and a late three-ball run, which had him leave the 9 at the top left after a crazy kick-combination attempt with the 7. Pounce couldn't convert on the 8-9 combination, and Ted did to get the win, earning a 3-0 series sweep. Ted will host Princess of the Tysini Hummingbirds in the second round at this venue.
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