We're back for a likely standard day of pool, with an outside chance of extra series. We begin the day with...
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Marsell v. Salmo. The blue cue gets its last 10-ball series of the round to start this day off. Game 1 featured fairly even play from both sides, although Lighton's Salmo was a bit shakier on some shots. Salmo had a three-ball run over the middle, but Whitewater's Marsell answered with a three-ball run-out after Salmo had illegal contact. Marsell leads the series 1-0. In game 2, the Prestige's Salmo had a much stronger effort. He had a pair of three-ball runs during the game, the latter earning him the win after the Shores' Marsell couldn't do the 7-10 kick combination. Salmo's strong play tied the series at 1 with pinpoint shooting accuracy. Salmo had an excellent break in game 3, but his shooting precision dropped throughout the game. Marsell was a bit better owning the possession advantage and making the final two balls to get the win and a 2-1 series win. Marsell will host the Golden Pilots' Dusty in the second round at this venue.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Strut. Club-mates meet in 8-ball with the blue cue for today's second series. Tysini's Princess only had one shot in game 1, the opening break, but it was enough to win. Golden's Strut was on a three-ball run when he shot a cluster-buster, and this led to the 8 falling prematurely in the bottom side, giving Princess an unearned 1-0 series lead. Game 2 saw a similar pattern, as the Hummingbirds' Princess got nothing on the break, but still won three shots later when the Pilots' Strut double-potted the 4 to the bottom right and the 8 to the bottom side, another premature finish. Princess clinched the series at 2-0 despite not making a single shot in either game. In game 3, Strut managed to avoid the 8, drawing some sarcastic applause from the crowd as he defeated Princess with a three-ball run-out in the end, including a legal finish. Princess didn't have to do much for the 2-1 series win that sees her set to host the Royal Crowns captain Nightfur in the second round.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Bryant v. Misty. The silver cue gets its first series of the day in 10-ball. Maplewood's Bryant seemed to have the better play in game 1, with a couple of early balls and a three-ball run, but his sickly hit on the 8 allowed Westside's Misty to step in and make the final two balls for the win and a 1-0 series lead. Both players were noticeably shakier in game 2, especially the Lumberjacks' Bryant, who had just cleared up his shot when he scratched after making the 7. Once again, the Rockers' Misty had an easy route to the win, making the 9 and 10 from ball-in-hand and short range to secure the series for herself at 2-0. Misty had nothing in game 3, not that she had an opportunity to do anything anyway, as Bryant had two five-ball runs to win the game very quickly. Misty still took the series 2-1, advancing to the second round, where she visits the Specters' Sugar in Mercedes-Benz Forum in Harrison.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Sprinkles v. Strut. The silver cue finishes its Rotation obligations for the round in this last series before lunch. Capital City's Sprinkles started off trailing Golden's Strut for a few turns, but once she grabbed the lead, Sprinkles refused to let go. Strut tried to make a late rally, but his shooting was off-target, and Sprinkles sealed an 8-5 win with a lucky shot that saw the 15 fall in the top side after a deflected shot off the 13. Sprinkles leads the series 1-0. Game 2 started with a similar intense battle early on. The Pilots' Strut made sure to never let the Sharpshooters' Sprinkles take the lead, aided by a late three-ball run that made Sprinkles desperate. Strut later sealed the deal with a cut on the 11 to the top side to win 8-5, tying the series at 1. Capital City's Sprinkles had to fend off multiple attacks from Strut in game 3, using a three-ball run at one point to gain a big lead. Strut countered with a four-ball run, but failed to win the game on a missed shot at the 14. Sprinkles made that ball and the 15 to win 8-7, taking the tight series 2-1. Sprinkles will host the Oceanside Waves' Caitlin in the second round at this venue.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Waluigi v. Pedey. The Lumberjacks rookie and Gems sophomore bring us out of break with 8-ball and the blue cue. Diamond's Pedey didn't have the easiest game 1, but a late four-ball run provided quite a bit of help. Maplewood's Waluigi got back into the game, but the battle on the 8 favored Pedey, whose win puts him ahead 1-0 in the series. The Gems' Pedey saw improvement on a personal level in game 2, coupled neatly with a drop-off from the Lumberjacks' Waluigi. Pedey started slow, but ended the game on a five-ball run-out for the win, clinching the series at 2-0 in the process. Game 3 saw improvements for both players, leading to a back-and-forth battle that swung in favor of Pedey. Each player's last turn was a three-ball run, with Pedey pulling back into the lead just in time to make the 8 and sweep the series 3-0. Pedey will oppose another Maplewood Lumberjack at this venue, playing visitor to Diddley in the second round.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Jasmine v. Stealth. The silver cue takes a look at 12-ball in this series. Freedom's Jasmine had a rough game 1, unable to position herself very well. Swordpoint's Stealth made it harder by playing quick with a three-ball run at the start. Stealth did surrender a wild-card ball, but a turn later, he took the win with his last two shots, including a diagonal bank to the top left for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Cascades' Jasmine positively reacted in game 2 to the fast pace of play the Blades' Stealth seems to prefer. Jasmine had a four-ball run and good positioning on her last two balls all in one turn, and when Stealth couldn't make his run connect, Jasmine cashed her last two shots in to win, tying the series at 1. Jasmine kept things going positively in game 3, keeping a fast pace as Stealth struggled to get his shots aligned. Jasmine had a nice three-ball run and a good set-up at the bottom side, which made it possible for her to make her last two shots a turn later, winning the series 2-1 with the game. Jasmine will host Whiskers of the Infinity Torpedoes in the second round at this venue.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Puff III v. Paige. The red cue is set to make its first appearance today in Rotation. Game 1 saw Queens' Paige break out for an early lead, but she couldn't sustain it. Everton's Puff III caught her, only to see Paige pull away again late. Again, she failed to get the win, and Puff III cashed in a three-ball run-out for the 8-7 win and a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Flames' Paige had a much bigger breakout with a five-ball run, but she plateaued after this, slowly watching the Eagles' Puff III pull herself back into the game. Puff III's comeback died with a scratch, and Paige made the 13 to win 8-6, tying the close series at 1. Puff III had a very odd run in game 3, stunning Paige for a bit. It netted five balls, with a scratch at the end denying Puff III a win temporarily. Paige tried to come back from this, but Puff III shut the door on an 8-4 win to take the series 2-1. Puff III is set to host the Whitewater Shores' Marsell in the second round at this venue.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Solaris v. Celestia. Twin rookies have their first meeting in 9-ball with the blue cue. Oceanside's Celestia showed a devious side in game 1, allowing Infinity's Solaris to dominate possession, and even giving him ball-in-hand late with her failed jump shot on the 6. Solaris missed the 9 wide, and Celestia tapped it in for the win, taking a 1-0 series lead despite being outplayed. The Waves' Celestia had a much better performance in game 2, taking a great share of possession against a more wary effort from the Torpedoes' Solaris. In the end, Celestia had control over the 9, leaving Solaris with two long shots before Celestia made it on her third try, a cut to the top right, to clinch the series at 2-0. Celestia had a decent game 3 effort as well, but she left the 9 short at the top right, allowing Solaris to take a win in the 2-1 series. Celestia advances to the second round, with a trip to Victoria's Sprint Hall awaiting as she will face the Spurs' Yekaterina.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lionel v. Rosalina. A veteran hosts a rookie in Accuracy with the blue cue. Commerce's Lionel was deadlocked in a battle of perfection in game 1, until he tried and failed a one-handed shot. This opened the door for Diamond's Rosalina to lock the game up, and she did so effectively, getting the 0-2 win for a 1-0 series lead after her hosts' boneheaded mistake. The Tradewinds' Lionel couldn't correct his mistakes in game 2, instead watching his game spiral with a sequence of misses. The Gems' Rosalina had no such panic, missing once early and once late but no more than that to earn the 2-5 win, which secured the series at 2-0. Rosalina showed up well again in game 3, watching as Lionel had some unlucky misses early on. Rosalina clamped down on the 1-3 win, only making a late mistake on a soft bank shot, but she was good enough to earn the 3-0 series sweep. Rosalina heads north to Atlantic's McDonald's Hall in the second round, facing the Pirates rookie Isabella.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Sierra. Two talented veterans bring the silver cue back for some 9-ball. Pacific's Ms. Kitty clearly had the better of play in game 1, as Todavía's Sierra struggled with easier shots at times. In the end, Ms. Kitty needed a second try to sink the 9, but only after a short-range miss by Sierra. Ms. Kitty has a 1-0 series lead after the win. The Stills' Sierra had a decent game 2, making a couple of long runs, but she missed on a long-range shot at the 9, and the Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty atoned for her mistakes with a cut on the 9 to the bottom side for the win, clinching the series at 2-0. Ms. Kitty had a massive seven-ball run over the middle of game 3, but it all went to waste when she missed on the 9 with a bank shot. Sierra took the game with a tap-in, making it a 2-1 series win for Ms. Kitty, who advances to face Peach of the North Modernistic Nighthawks in the second round.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: A. Charlton v. Luigi. The blue cue is back for Accuracy, its last series in the event this round. North Modernistic's Luigi held on for much of game 1, but he faded just at the end, allowing Golden's Charlton to shut things down with a 2-4 win after Luigi's scratch. The strong finish gave Charlton a 1-0 series lead for her effort. The Nighthawks' Luigi took a strategic approach to game 2, but he fell behind around the middle of the game. Undeterred, Luigi pressed on, eventually inducing two late misses by the Pilots' Charlton, which served as Luigi's ticket to a 2-3 win to tie the series at 1. In game 3, one of the worst Accuracy efforts ever seen ensued. Luigi fell apart throughout the game, but Charlton also began to struggle in the middle of it, leading to a 5-9 final score favoring Charlton for the 2-1 series win. Charlton will have to be better in the second round when she hosts the Boston Swifts' Gradley.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Sally v. Solaris. We end the day with 10-ball and the silver cue between a veteran and a rookie. Infinity's Solaris came out on the right end of a back-and-forth finish in game 1, but he was lucky enough to get the win based on the strength of play from Archtown's Sally early on. Solaris leads the series 1-0 currently. The Arrows' Sally kept her attack squarely focused on the 10 in game 2, and it was under siege early on as well. The Torpedoes' Solaris took an awkward combination attempt at it after Sally's first try failed, and then Sally replied with the 2-10 combination from the remnants of Solaris' shot. Sally's successful combination tied the series at 1. Game 3 saw Sally leave the 10 very close to the top right on the break, and every shot seemingly had that location in mind. Solaris converted the 2-10 combination when it was clear, earning the win and a 2-1 series win. Solaris will visit GE Stadium Events Center in Southridge to face the Defenders rookie Stephanie in the second round.
That's all we have for today, a standard set of series. We'll be back with more games tomorrow.
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