Audi Hall, Terrace City: Stripes v. Chicky Phil. The blue cue is up for 15-ball in what might be Stripes' last stand this year. Terrace City's Stripes had a great effort in game 1, pacing play early on before kicking into a higher gear in the late game. She made a four-ball run, then saw Pacific's Chicky Phil counter with two of his own before Stripes made the last two to win, going ahead 1-0 in the series. The Knights' Stripes had a shakier appearance in game 2, taking a number of errors in the early part of the game. The Volcanoes' Chicky Phil had the advantage late, but he couldn't piece a run together and left the 15 short at the bottom right, where Stripes' tap-in clinched the series for her at 2-0. Stripes dominated in game 3, with multiple short runs smothering Chicky Phil, but Stripes left the 15 short at the bottom right, and Chicky Phil converted the 12-15 combination for the win. Stripes took the series 2-1, and will host the Boston Swifts' Gradley at this venue in the second round.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Boots v. Frosty. Former captains of Southeastern teams meet as regular players in 7-ball with the red cue. Pearl's Boots started off slow in game 1, and even had a couple of minor mistakes. Stonebridge's Frosty was a bit slow to challenge, and Boots made the last five balls over two turns to grab the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Surfers' Boots definitely played the better game 2, but her one mistake was a wide miss on the 7. The Wolves' Frosty made no mistake, capitalizing on her chance to tie the series by potting the 7 to the bottom right, setting up a decisive game despite Frosty lacking quality play thus far. Frosty made two balls on the break and a three-ball run later in the game, but a scratch allowed Boots to get back into game 3, making the final two balls for the win and a 2-1 series win. Boots hosts the Southern Monarchs' Shannon for a second round Coastal Division battle.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Midnight. The red cue gets its crack at 15-ball between former teammates. Pacific's Ms. Kitty had a nice break in game 1, but this really just allowed Westside's Midnight free roaming for the early going. Midnight got greedy and missed the 6-15 combination to the bottom right, allowing Ms. Kitty to convert the same shot for a 1-0 series lead with the opportunistic win. The Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty had a surge in game 2 after the break, dominating the first half of the game. The Rockers' Midnight made it a bit closer later on, with Ms. Kitty still surging until she missed on the 15. Midnight tapped it in for the win to tie the series at 1. Game 3 went a bit slower for both sides, until things opened up at the end. Midnight had a three-ball run, with a vicious kick on the 12 to the bottom side, but she missed the 14, and Ms. Kitty made it and the 15 for the win and a 2-1 series win. Ms. Kitty hosts the Web City Spiders' Ted in the second round.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Bryant v. Shaggy. The red cue ends all of 7-ball for the round with this first series after lunch. Maplewood's Bryant didn't start off all that well in game 1, but after a close exchange with Whitewater's Shaggy, Bryant shaped his game up with a five-ball run-out, earning the win to go ahead 1-0 in the series. The Lumberjacks' Bryant made a ball off the break in game 2, but his try on the 1-7 combination didn't work. The Shores' Shaggy played the cue off the 1 to take the 7 at the bottom right with a deflection, and her win tied the series at 1. In game 3, Bryant pulled off a quick five-ball run early on, but a scratch as he made the 5 led Shaggy to taking the final two balls from ball-in-hand, earning the win and a 2-1 series win for Shaggy. She will next head to Diamond's Intel Center, facing the Gems' Citrus in the second round.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Wings v. Goldy. The blue cue gets back in play with 8-ball between veterans. Pearl's Wings had a decent start in game 1, but he couldn't recover after a five-ball run from Everton's Goldy. Wings made a few shots later, but Goldy closed the door just before he caught up, giving Goldy the 1-0 series lead with her win. The Surfers' Wings came dangerously close to losing game 2 despite playing well, as his shot left the 8 on the very edge of the top side. This realization dawned on the Eagles' Goldy too late, as her shot on the 14 caused enough vibration to drop the 8, handing her the loss while Wings' stolen win tied the series at 1. Game 3 went much better for Goldy, as her six-ball run put Wings on high alert, and he couldn't recover in time, making a four-ball run that saw him double-pot the 11 to the bottom side and 15 to the bottom right, but also miss the 8 at the end. Goldy made her last two shots, taking the game for a 2-1 series win. Goldy will travel to Northeastern rival Archtown to visit the Arrows' Sleepy B. at Starbucks Arena in the second round.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Taylor Swift. The blue cue brings an end to first round 8-ball with this star-studded series. Archtown's Ruby had a decent game 1, although Eastside's Taylor thought it was hers to win. Ruby did well to defend in a cluster along the bottom rail, which favored her when Taylor broke it up. Ruby patiently picked up the win over two turns, going ahead 1-0 in the series. Both players struggled to produce high-paced play in game 2, as the Arrows' Ruby left two balls short and the Sharks' Taylor had one such play after her four-ball run to start the game. Ruby and Taylor both engaged in defense late in the game, further slowing play until Ruby got ball-in-hand off of Taylor's missed contact play. Ruby clinched the series two shots later, winning for a 2-0 series lead. Taylor had another early surge in game 3, only to see Ruby almost get the win through her patient play. Instead, Taylor made a four-ball run-out at the end to snag this win. Ruby won the series 2-1, and will host the Viewpoint Sound Meteors' Dominic in the second round.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Kirstin v. Sydney Sierota. Sophomores in the league meet in 10-ball with the silver cue. Harrison's Sydney had the first good run of this Northeastern battle, scoring four in a row, but things got tense as the 10 rested near the top side. In the end, Everton's Kirstin came through with a 9-10 combination to get the win after Sydney missed on the 7. Kirstin has a 1-0 series lead. The Eagles' Kirstin had a steady start to game 2, battling closely with the Specters' Sydney. Then, Kirstin revved up her game with a three-ball run, and Sydney wouldn't make another shot in the game as Kirstin took two more turns to clear the table for the win and a 2-0 series lead. Kirstin completed the sweep with a quick finish in game 3, as she overpowered Sydney and then rattled off a 5-10 bank combination to the top side just two shots after earning ball-in-hand from Sydney's poorly taken shot. Kirstin's 3-0 series win will see her host another young Northeastern rival, the Central Warriors' Mario, in the second round.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy v. Dreamy. Stars collide in 10-ball, this time with the red cue, in a big-name series. Swordpoint's Dreamy seemed to have most of the possession in game 1, but she had an unfortunate miss late, and Everton's Goldy capitalized with a deflection off the 7 to drill the 10 to the top right for the win and a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Eagles' Goldy tried to pull away a number of times, but her aggressive shots missed and ended her runs a bit shorter than expected. The Blades' Dreamy made sure to be strong in the end, working a three-ball run-out to nab the win and tie the series at 1 to force the final game to have meaning. Dreamy continued her momentum in game 3, still outplaying Goldy throughout the series, and she made it count this time with a three-ball run and a four-ball run-out on consecutive turns. Dreamy sealed off a 2-1 series win, advancing to visit Boston's Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center to face the Swifts' Puff II in the second round.
IBM Cathedral, North Modernistic: Peach v. Ms. Puppy. One of the bitterest rivalries comes to 15-ball with the blue cue, featuring the two team captains, no less. Game 1 featured a very stagnant start, before Modernistic's Ms. Puppy had a three-ball run that North Modernistic's Peach answered shot for shot. In the end, Peach took the win with a five-ball run-out, putting her ahead 1-0 in the series. Game 2 was a tale of two shots after a stunning break by the Nighthawks' Peach. The Union's Ms. Puppy took a shot at the 1-15 combination, but it didn't fall, and Peach made the 1 at the top right. Peach then made the 2-15 combination at distance along the top rail to the top left for the win and a 2-0 series lead, defeating her rival captain. Peach kept the pace stable at the start of game 3, and Ms. Puppy played along well, but Peach broke free in the end with a seven-ball run-out, good for the win and a 3-0 series sweep. Peach will host the Maplewood Lumberjacks' Diddley in the second round at this venue.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Nikolai v. Kayla. One of the league's best in B-level play hosts a newcomer to a struggling team for 10-ball with the silver cue. Freedom's Nikolai needed a couple of turns to find his shot, but with no pressure from Royal's Kayla, he did, and he ran out the final eight balls in a remarkable stretch of play to take the 1-0 series lead with a well-earned win. The Cascades' Nikolai played a similar style in game 2, although this was due to him nearly making the 10 on an early combination. The Crowns' Kayla tried to line herself up for a combination as well, but couldn't make the 3, and Nikolai surged with a seven-ball run-out to win on the 9-10 combination to the top right. Nikolai secured the series at 2-0 with another dominant run. Kayla managed to hold off a big run from Nikolai in game 3 through a bit of defense. He did make a three-ball run, but Kayla took over on the last two balls, earning a win to give Nikolai just a 2-1 series win. Nikolai will host the Infinity Torpedoes' Mr. Snowman in the second round.
HP Field Events Center, Midland: Leonardo v. Pounce. The red cue is back for 10-ball now between these quiet veterans. Midland's Leonardo had an awful break in game 1, but he didn't let it slow him down too much. Southern's Pounce wasted a couple of chances to make an impact, and Leonardo made him pay at the end, winning on a four-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead on the good stretch of play. The Predators' Leonardo had another terrible break in game 2, and this time, it had a major impact on the game. Frustrations rose as he struggled, and the Monarchs' Pounce was no better, growing quickly tired of missing his shots repetitively. Leonardo eventually got the clinching with with his last two shots, taking the series at 2-0 after a long battle. Leonardo had a better break in game 3, and it kept Pounce at bay for awhile. Leonardo tried to do a long run to finish, but ended after three in a row, and Pounce won two shots later with a deflected shot off the 8 to score the 10 in the bottom right. Leonardo won the series 2-1, and will host the Web City Spiders' Ted in the second round.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Marsell. An unexpectedly good series awaits with the silver cue in 9-ball. Archtown's Ruby came out on the right end of a tough finish in game 1, despite Whitewater's Marsell dominating possession for the game. Marsell just chipped his shot on the 9 at the bottom left, and the veteran Ruby tapped it in for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Shores' Marsell could only watch for most of game 2, as the Arrows' Ruby went on a six-ball run on her second turn, but she missed on the 6. Marsell took over from here, staying composed under pressure to make a three-ball run-out and earn the win, tying the series at 1 and setting up a big final game. In game 3, the pace was fast and both players got their shots in. Ruby had a chance to win it, cutting the 9 wide of the top right and scratching to give Marsell the final shot and the win. Marsell's 2-1 series win sends him to the second round, where a trip to McDonald's Hall in Atlantic sees him facing Ruby's mother and the Pirates' captain Delila.
We'll call it a day from here. There are just two days of games left. Tomorrow will be one of those days. The other could be split between Saturday and Monday, or all Monday, or Tuesday. Nonetheless, in any off time presented, the focus will be on cricket, which can be followed along with live on Twitter
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