We're back for the second-to-last day of the round, likely featuring 50 games today. The plan is to take tomorrow off and wrap things up on Sunday. After that, Monday would likely be an off day, and the Bracket Semifinals would be ready to go starting on Tuesday. We begin today with...
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Klaus v. Chicky Phil. The red cue makes the start today in Rotation. Atlantic's Klaus had a good start in game 1, keeping even with Pacific's Chicky Phil over the first half of the game. At the end, Klaus left the 9 too close to the bottom side, and Chicky Phil jumped at the chance for a four-ball run-out and the 8-4 to give him a 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Chicky Phil struck a ball in on the break in game 2, and he kept up with the Pirates' Klaus fairly easily. Klaus did take a lead later in the game, but Chicky Phil countered with a three-ball run-out to win 8-6, earning a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 saw Chicky Phil pick up a four-ball run on his second turn of the game. Klaus fired back with a couple of shots, but Chicky Phil soon added a three-ball run, and nearly got more if it weren't for illegal contact. Klaus did get one more shot to fall, but Chicky Phil iced it at 8-3 when Klaus scratched. Chicky Phil clinched the series at 3-0. Game 4 had a little bit of everything, with Chicky Phil taking a weak break to create some chaos. He built up a small lead around the middle, but Klaus made a 6-8-15-14-12-7 combination to the top right as part of a tying run. Chicky Phil would make a couple more to get close, and win after Klaus scratched, the 8-5 result making it a 4-0 series. Game 5 was slow to develop in offense for either player, but Chicky Phil eventually made a three-ball run to pace his attack. He would win 8-3 in the end, taking the series in a 5-0 sweep. Chicky Phil returns home to Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific to host the Freedom Cascades' Stinky in the bracket semifinals. Klaus' solid rookie season ends with him the 67th player eliminated, and Chicky Phil gained his first kill of the season.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: A. Charlton v. Boots. Two veterans meet for Rotation, this one with the silver cue. Pearl's Boots didn't strike immediately in game 1, but a five-ball run in the middle of the game did her well. Golden's Charlton couldn't get her shot calibrated at all, falling easily to Boots, whose big 8-1 win set the tone with a 1-0 series lead for the visitor. The Surfers' Boots didn't have much offense early in the game, seeing the Pilots' Charlton take a large lead instead. Boots fired back to tie it with a late three-ball run, double-potting the 13 to the top right and the 15 to the bottom right. Boots left Charlton in a poor position on the 14 as well, and then Boots made it on her next turn for the 8-7 win to move to a 2-0 series lead. Charlton and Boots battled well in game 3, with Charlton holding the early lead, but a four-ball run-out by Boots leading her to the 8-4 win. Boots' final shot was a decoy play, as she shot toward the 12, but spun the cue off the right rail to pot the 13 in the bottom side as the winning ball for a 3-0 series lead. Game 4 went back and forth between the two players, with Charlton striking first and even holding a late lead before Boots got a second chance on the 14 after Charlton's brutal cut miss. Boots won 8-7, pushing the series to 4-0 in her favor. Boots came out flat in game 5, allowing Charlton to build up a big lead. Boots fired back with a four-ball run to make it close later, but Charlton held on long enough to get the 8-6 win. Boots took the series 4-1, and will return to Pearl's Honda Driftwood Coliseum to host the Terrace City Knights captain Kiwi in the bracket semifinals. Charlton is surprisingly eliminated, the 68th player knocked out, while Boots earns her third kill of the year to join the league lead in that stat.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Goldy. Wrapped around lunch is a 7-ball series with the blue cue featuring the Northeast Division's two most feared captains, which says a lot. Central's Twilight needed only two shots to get the win in game 1, getting the 3 to fall on the break before she took the 1-7 combination to the top right to win and take a 1-0 series lead over Everton's Goldy. The Eagles' Goldy lacked much intent with her shots in game 2, struggling despite making a pair of balls in the middle. The Warriors' Twilight also had some issues, but she cut the 7 in when Goldy couldn't to take a 2-0 series lead with the win. Twilight thought a four-ball run in game 3 would go to waste after she missed on the 6, but Goldy left the 7 short on a poor cut to the bottom left, and Twilight tapped it in to secure the series at 3-0 with another win. Twilight made a ball on the break but missed the 1, which proved to be a good thing when Goldy missed contact on the 1 and sank the 6 illegally. Twilight made the 1 from ball-in-hand, and then turned in a 3-7 combination to the bottom right for the win and a 4-0 series lead. Twilight capped her 5-0 series sweep the same way she started it, winning game 5 on the break as the 7 rolled decisively into the top side. Twilight's big series win sends her to the bracket semifinals, where she will host the Pearl Surfers' Neopolitan. Goldy finds herself as the 69th player eliminated so far this year, and Twilight picked up her first kill in the due-or-die series.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Dreamy v. Sugar. A couple of solid veterans meet with the red cue for 8-ball. Swordpoint's Dreamy had a modestly good start to game 1, but Harrison's Sugar quickly took over with a four-ball run. Dreamy struck a couple of shots from distance to get back in the game, and then outplayed Sugar at the end for the win and a 1-0 series lead in a close game. The Blades' Dreamy scratched on each of her first two turns in game 2, negating two well-taken shots and allowing the Specters' Sugar to gain a lead. Sugar couldn't make her final striped ball late in the game, allowing a late push from Dreamy to continue as she made her last solid and the 8 for the comeback win and a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 saw Dreamy play well at the start, and while Sugar had a three-ball run pressure Dreamy a bit, it was more about Dreamy's difficulties in making her later shots. Sugar got very close to the 8, making a defensive play that Dreamy ran through on a collateral damage double-pot to make the 8 and secure the series at 3-0. Dreamy continued to play at a good pace in game 4, doing her part to attack early. Sugar was locked in a loose defense against Dreamy and failed to counter her host's late attack, allowing Dreamy another win and a 4-0 lead in the series. Dreamy had a five-ball run near the start of game 5, setting the tone, but Sugar stayed close once again, and this time she had enough in the tank at the end for a five-ball run-out to nab a win. Dreamy still won the series 4-1, earning a road trip for her bracket semifinals series. Dreamy picked up her first kill of the year to keep her season going, while Sugar is the 70th player eliminated after a good showing.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Puff III v. Crystal. The red cue remains in action as these sturdy veterans clash in Rotation. Everton's Puff III didn't do very well in the start of game 1, allowing Queens' Crystal to build up a huge lead. Puff III cut back on a four-ball run to stay competitive, but after a scuffle around the 12, Crystal tapped it home to win 8-5 and take a 1-0 series lead. The Eagles' Puff III struck first in game 2, but got into quite the protracted battle with the Flames' Crystal in the early going. Both players tried to do too much without the proper shooting angles, and things cleared up later on, with Puff III eventually winning 8-4 on a 10-14 combination to the top right to tie the series at 1. Game 3 saw Crystal surge ahead once again with a three-ball run, and while she nearly got the win quickly, Puff III had enough time to counter with a three-ball run that double-potted the 7 to the bottom right and the 8 to the bottom side. This slowed the game down, with Puff III tying the game twice, but Crystal ultimately winning 8-7 for a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 saw a bad break from Crystal, which once again brought the pace of play down. Crystal held on for quite awhile in the game, but Puff III made a late break with a four-ball run-out to take the win 8-3, retying the series at 2 with her sudden stretch of successful play. Puff III didn't have much of a chance to put up a fight in game 5, as her break left a congested table, and Crystal showed more efficiency in striking from ball-in-hand. Puff III made a feeble comeback attempt, but Crystal took the win 8-4 and the series 3-2. Crystal heads home to Queens' Ebay Center to host her most recent opponent's sister, the Whitewater Shores' Twinkie III, in the bracket semifinals.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Chris v. Sweetheart. The red cue gets another series, returning to 8-ball this time. Boston's Sweetheart took no time to make an attack in game 1, striking a three-ball run early on. Capital City's Chris made one ball, but Sweetheart stormed back with a five-ball run-out for a very fast win and a 1-0 series lead. The Swifts' Sweetheart tried to play fast again in game 2, starting with her four-ball run, but her offense stagnated as the Sharpshooters' Chris made some shots. As the game progressed, Chris pulled ahead, and he held that late lead until the end, where he drilled the 8 to the top left for the win to tie the series at 1. Chris had a surge early in game 3 as well, pacing the attack with a nice four-ball run. Sweetheart got back into the battle with a later four-ball run, but Chris held onto the lead quite well. Sweetheart had a chance to put Chris in trouble, but she couldn't make her final ball, and Chris tapped in the 8 at the bottom right for the win to take a 2-1 series lead. Chris was frustrated to take solids at the start of game 4, and it showed early on, with Sweetheart getting a four-ball run on her first turn. Chris helped Sweetheart when he made illegal contact with the stick on her 15, freeing it from a cluster, but she couldn't get on the 14 three shots later. Chris would charge forward with a five-ball run-out to get the win, sealing the series at 3-1 with the comeback. In game 5, Sweetheart took a big lead early on, and Chris, not needing another win, let the game go quietly. Sweetheart kept her pace up until she tapped the 8 to the bottom side, easily winning to make it a 3-2 series win for Chris. In the bracket semifinals, Chris heads to Atlantic's McDonald's Hall, to visit the Pirates rookie Isabella.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Shaggy v. Starlight. Two feisty veterans clash in Accuracy next, as the red cue ends its obligations for the day. Whitewater's Shaggy paced a quick attack in game 1, and when she first missed, Pacific's Starlight followed. Each player had two misses when Starlight slipped behind, and Shaggy held on from here, earning the 3-4 win at the end for a 1-0 series lead. The Shores' Shaggy had a nearly perfect game 2, waiting until the Volcanoes' Starlight missed once on her own accord before piling on. Starlight stayed in it until nearly the end, but Shaggy pinned her down and managed to win 1-4, with only the last ball causing the host trouble. Shaggy leads the series 2-0. Starlight fell behind early in game 3 thanks to a bad break by Shaggy, but Starlight showed incredibly well late in the game. Still, the damage was already done, and while Shaggy faded toward the end of the game, she made a ball on her last shot to prevent Starlight's comeback. Shaggy won this one 3-4 and clinched the series at 3-0 with the win. Shaggy didn't have her best performance in game 4, allowing Starlight to control the play. The game took a sloppy turn around the middle, and Starlight lost her lead, but Shaggy couldn't capitalize, and eventually Starlight claimed the win at 4-5 to cut the series to 3-1. Shaggy also struggled in game 5, wasting an early lead against Starlight and then compounding the issue with a lot of missed shots late. Starlight took the win 2-5, but Shaggy won the series 3-2. Shaggy will visit Chevrolet Center in Everton to face the Eagles' Puff III in the bracket semifinals. Starlight is the 71st player to be eliminated, and Shaggy picked up her first kill in this series.
House of 10 Windows, Del Sur: Panda v. Sydney Sierota. This will be our last series as we abbreviate today to 40 games, ending with the blue cue in Rotation. Southern's Panda came up with the win in a terrible game 1, and while he showed a lot of frustration and sent the 13 two feet off the table, Harrison's Sydney was unable to keep up with him. Panda won 8-6 for a sloppy 1-0 series lead. Game 2 saw the Monarchs' Panda fall behind to the Specters' Sydney after she made a double-pot in the middle of the game. Sydney would be stymied by the 2, which she launched off the table in this testy game, and Panda slowly built his way back into the game, taking the win at 8-7 to move into a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 saw Panda evolve quite a bit, going from senseless and successful rage to a potent and powerful channeled anger that left Sydney with virtually no shot for most of the game. Sydney would make a ball to avoid the shutout, but Panda struck twice with accurate distance shots to seal an 8-1 win and clinch the series at 3-0. Panda showed more growth in game 4, using a similar strategy as before and even making a ball on the break. Panda didn't have a big run to aid his process, but Sydney couldn't keep the cue on the table at the end, and Panda won 8-3 to make it a 4-0 lead in the series. Game 5 saw a bit of a reversion back to the early part of the series, with Sydney scrabbling along and Panda shooting blind, but he did get enough shots to fall to win 8-3. Panda took the series in a 5-0 sweep and will travel to Diamond's Intel Center in the bracket semifinals to face the Gems' Citrus. Neither player is expected to face supplemental discipline, as the series was heated from the start and both simmered down later.
That's all for an abbreviated session today. Sunday will feature the last 50 games of the round, guaranteed.
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