We've got fewer games today than yesterday, but by the end, a City Cup champion will be crowned. We begin with the quarterfinals, the first being...
Intel Center: Capital City Sharpshooters v. Atlantic Pirates. Missy looked comfortable at the start of 7-ball for Capital City, making a pair on the break, but her shot on the 1 failed her. Atlantic's Klaus picked up the offense with a five-ball run-out on his first and only turn, giving his team a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Americus dominated in 8-ball from start to finish, as the Sharpshooters' Missy gave up collateral damage before making a shot for herself, and she couldn't pull back into the game. Americus also had one turn of collateral damage, but her choppy runs did enough to put the Pirates ahead 2-0 in the series. Capital City's Sprinkles had a great start in 9-ball, but it appeared that it might not be enough when Atlantic's Klaus rallied back with a four-ball run. Klaus was stalled on the 6, and Sprinkles got the win a turn later, making the last two balls to cut the series to 2-1. Sprinkles and Klaus battled again in 10-ball, a game in which the Sharpshooters' Sprinkles twice illegally potted the 10. Klaus took over in possession both times for the Pirates, but he couldn't complete a run at the end of the game, leaving Sprinkles to pot the 10 a third time, this one legal to tie the series at 2 with her win. Missy and Americus returned for their teams in 12-ball, and neither player looked to have a grip on the game after Missy's rough break. Americus had the first burst of offense, but it wouldn't hold up, as Missy did well late in the game with positioning, setting up a nice bank on the 13 for her final shot at the top side to get the win and a 3-2 series lead for Capital City over Atlantic. The Sharpshooters' saw Nicole struggle at the start of Rotation against a patient attack from the Pirates' Isabella, who worked her way to a lead, only to see Nicole chip away at it. When Nicole got closer, she stalled, then burst with a four-ball run for the lead, and Isabella's counterattack came up short. Nicole won 8-6, putting her side ahead 4-2 in the series. Sprinkles put a lot of offense in for 15-ball for Capital City, including a late four-ball run, but Atlantic's Isabella held her up just enough to make the last two shots for the win. Isabella's critical intervention against Sprinkles cut the series back to 4-3, setting up an entertaining finish. Nicole and Isbaella combined for another big battle in Accuracy, with the Pirates' Isabella falling behind early on. Nicole slipped up a couple of times with a stick foul and a scratch for the Sharpshooters, but she drilled the 13 to the bottom right to secure the 2-3 win and 5-3 series win. Capital City is the first team through to the semifinals.
The Intel Pitch: Pronger Tridents v. Boston Swifts. A young team, with some local support in their rivals' building, takes on a veteran team capable of championships. Pronger's Spot had a decent effort in 7-ball, but he probably should have lost to Boston's Sweetheart, who had two pairs of shots and a near-miss on the 7. Spot tapped this in at the bottom left for the win and a 1-0 series lead. Potter had a good start with a three-ball run in 8-ball for the Tridents. He didn't count on the Swifts' Gradley replying with a three-ball run as well, and then Potter had a double-whammy of gifting Gradley a ball and scratching. Gradley would later make a three-ball run-out to win the game, tying the series at 1. Pronger saw Zach debut pretty well in 9-ball, making a four-ball run at one point against Boston's Sweetheart. The game evened out toward the end, and Sweetheart wound up pretty lucky when she missed the 9 at the top left, but it went off two rails and into the bottom side to give her the win and Boston a 2-1 series lead. The two met again in 10-ball, and this time, it was the Tridents' Zach creating a bit of luck after a slow start. The Swifts' Sweetheart had just hit the 1 into a loose cluster, and Zach came up with the 1-8-10 combination, deflecting the 10 off the 6 to the bottom right for the win to tie the series at 2 with the amazing shot. Boston's Gradley made a nice impact in 12-ball, striking all of the bottom pockets first. This put Pronger's Zach on alert, and he played defense at what would be Gradley's last pocket, the top right. Gradley ignored the defense, giving away the wild-card ball before winning on the next turn to restore his team's series lead at 3-2. Spot got the best of his first meeting with Patches, as the Tridents rookie took the early lead against the veteran. The Swifts' Patches pulled back into the game initially, but Spot locked things down from there, winning 8-2 to retie the series at 3. Patches gave Boston the inside edge with her 15-ball performance, rebounding from the loss to Pronger's Spot the game before. Spot broke the offense open in this game with a three-ball run, but Patches soon answered on an eight-ball run-out for the win, pulling her team ahead 4-3. The Tridents' Potter held the early lead in Accuracy against the Swifts' Gradley, only to see that lead disappear in the middle of the game, and then re-emerge as Gradley missed twice late in the game. Potter won 2-4, tying the series at 4 and sending himself into a tiebreak against Patches, playing left-handed 8-ball. Patches had the game on her stick for Boston at the end of the tiebreaker, and she made the 8 from distance, but scratched on the shot, gifting the win and the series to Pronger and Potter after a competitive battle. The Tridents advance to face the Sharpshooters in the semifinals with a 5-4 series win.
Intel Center: Freedom Cascades v. Southridge Defenders. The third quarterfinal is set to go between these teams. Freedom's Nikolai seemed to be toying with Southridge's Bianca in 7-ball, and it took Bianca scratching for Nikolai to get serious. He won with a four-ball run-out from ball-in-hand, giving his side a 1-0 series lead. The Cascades' Roxy picked up where her teammate left off, playing quite well in her 8-ball appearance. The Defenders' Stephanie, frequently lost for a shot in the game, played a bit recklessly, making Roxy's life easier as she picked off clean shots from Stephanie's poor defense before wrapping up the game with a pair of cuts to make it 2-0 Cascades. Nikolai and Bianca returned for 9-ball, with each player making a pair of shots relatively early in the game before a bit of a slow offense. Freedom's Nikolai would break it up, as Southridge's Bianca left the 5 and 9 too close together, and Nikolai deflected the cue off the 5 to take the 9 at the bottom right, advancing the series lead to 3-0. The Cascades' Jasmine didn't have the best break in 10-ball, leading the Defenders' Hughbert to a three-ball run, which Jasmine quickly answered with a three-ball run herself. Jasmine's run ended in a foul, and Hughbert took over to make a four-ball run-out, getting his team on the board in the 3-1 series. Roxy had the first burst of offense in 12-ball for Freedom, and her positioning was strong enough to draw a wild-card ball when Southridge's Stephanie tried to keep up. Stephanie played better after this, showing up quite dangerous on her third turn after the play, but she missed the 15 to the top side, and Roxy made her last ball at the top left just in time, winning to give her team a 4-1 series lead. Jasmine had one of the worst breaks of the year in Rotation, but she made the best of it, emerging from the early stages with a lead. Hughbert challenged her for much of the game, but the Defenders rookie ultimately fell 8-6 to the Cascades captain, who secured the series at 5-1 for her team. Jasmine kept up her performance in 15-ball for Freedom, taking on Southridge's Bianca this time. The first half of the game was a bit slow for both sides, but Jasmine erupted at the finish with a six-ball run-out for the win and a 6-1 series lead. Stephanie made a good effort for posterity for the Defenders in Accuracy, missing just one shot late in the game against a more relaxed effort from the Cascades' Roxy. The final score was 1-4, but the Cascades won the series 6-2 to advance to the semifinals.
The Intel Pitch: Central Warriors v. Pacific Volcanoes. The last quarterfinal is set to go between these longtime rivals. Central's Twilight had an impressive run in 7-ball after a slow start, taking four in a row before ceding possession to Pacific's Ms. Kitty, who cleaned up with the last two shots for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Chicky Phil made the first impact with a three-ball run early in 8-ball, but he wasn't prepared for a pair of four-ball runs by the Warriors' Mario. The first included a bit of collateral damage, but the second was a pure run to finish the game, tying the series at 1 with the big win. Central's Dustin had a dominant game of 9-ball, beginning with a four-ball run from the break and adding a late three-ball run. Pacific's Leonette had a chance to steal the win, but her long shot on the 9 went wide, and Dustin tapped in his second try for the win and a 2-1 series lead for his team. The Warriors' Twilight played a similar style in 10-ball against the Volcanoes' Leonette, working a four-ball run to establish herself as the dominant shooter. Twilight got a bit greedy going for the 8-10 combination to the bottom right, and she missed, with Leonette tapping the same shot in to get the win, retying the series at 2. Central's Mario and Pacific's Ms. Kitty engaged in a brilliant 12-ball battle, neither player getting a big run, but using brilliant defense. Both players needed the left pockets by the end, and they had deadlocked each other. Here, Mario got the better of Ms. Kitty, who had to make contact to keep herself going, and while she had a strategic scratch, the plan failed when Mario kicked his last ball in for the win. Central leads 3-2 after the close game. The Warriors' Dustin scratched on the break in Rotation, allowing the Volcanoes' Chicky Phil to make a couple of early shots. On his next turn, Chicky Phil turned juggernaut, stretching a six-ball run-out to get the 8-0 shutout win to retie the series at 3 in a stunning reversal of momentum. Dustin did well for Central in a redemptive 15-ball effort. He had a tough break, leading to short shots in clusters, but he held off Pacific's Ms. Kitty with his late play, including a three-ball run and making the 15 after she missed it on a cut. Dustin put Central ahead 4-3 heading into the last regulation game. Accuracy put both teams on edge, as Twilight slipped behind late in the game, but managed to force overtime against Chicky Phil. They both missed their first shots, but Chicky Phil's second miss was answered by Twilight, who won 6-7 to take the series 5-3 for the Warriors. Central's close win takes them to the semifinals against the Freedom Cascades.
Intel Center: Pronger Tridents v. Capital City Sharpshooters. The semifinals and finals will be indoors, beginning with this first semifinal series. Pronger's Spot made the first two shots in 7-ball, but he couldn't get a second chance when he missed on the 2, and Capital City's Missy burst ahead with a five-ball run-out, putting her side up 1-0 in the series. The Tridents' Potter played better for his team in 8-ball this time, making a five-ball run early in the game. The Sharpshooters got a four-ball run from Missy on the counterattack, but she stalled out, and Potter chipped his way to the win to tie the series at 1. Pronger's Zach picked up a big run near the start of the 9-ball game, making five in a row before things slowed down. Capital City's Sprinkles tried to make a counterattack, but it fell short, and Zach made the last two balls after Sprinkles scratched. Pronger leads the series now at 2-1. Zach attacked 10-ball in a much different way, allowing the Sharpshooters' Sprinkles to get a few shots in early. Sprinkles would have been on a finishing run had she made the 6 in the bottom left, but her miss allowed the Tridents' Zach to charge forward with a four-ball run-out for the win, putting his side up 3-1. Capital City's Missy put a dent in that series lead with a great game of 12-ball. She had an early three-ball run to put Pronger's Zach on alert, and he then gave up a wild-card ball on illegal contact. From ball-in-hand, Missy made the 4 to the bottom side, then banked the 7 to the top side to win, cutting the series to 3-2. The Tridents' Spot made up for his early loss with a great performance this time. The Sharpshooters' Nicole had built an early lead in the game, but Spot stayed close and tied the game before igniting with a four-ball run-out for the 8-4 win. He ended on a deflected shot off the 12 to pot the 15 to the bottom right, and his team now leads 4-2 in the series. Spot pushed hard in his 15-ball appearance, but the Pronger rookie couldn't get much beyond a three-ball run. This was in response to an earlier three-ball run from Capital City's Sprinkles, and she soon won, making the last two shots. Sprinkles' last shot was an 11-15 combination to the top side to keep her team alive in the now 4-3 series. Potter put everything on the line for the Tridents in Accuracy, going well into the game without a miss. The Sharpshooters' Nicole did get Potter to miss once, but her second miss at the top side doomed her in the 1-2 final, as Potter clinched the series at 5-3 for the Tridents. Pronger awaits the next series winner for the City Cup Final.
Intel Center: Freedom Cascades v. Central Warriors. The other semifinal features the best team against the team with the player with the highest winning percentage. Freedom's Nikolai had a slow start in 7-ball, but Central's Twilight didn't tear down the door either, and it would be Nikolai bursting forward with a four-ball run-out for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Mario controlled the middle of the 8-ball game, using short runs to do so, but the Cascades' Roxy followed up her strong start with a five-ball run-out at the end for the win, making up for her collateral damage shot earlier in the game by putting the Cascades ahead 2-0 in the series. Central had a great start in 9-ball with a four-ball run from Dustin that looked like it could have gone deeper. His offense stalled out at this point, and Freedom's Nikolai picked up the slack with a big three-ball run-out to get the win for a 3-0 series lead. The Cascades' Jasmine couldn't get a big run going in 10-ball, but she held up the Warriors' Twilight with smart defensive shooting and chipped away at the rack with pairs of shots, including the last two balls to give her the win. The Cascades have a stranglehold 4-0 series lead now. Mario gave Central a glimmer of hope with his 12-ball, even giving up a wild-card ball that sparked a three-ball run from Freedom's Roxy. Mario settled down after his mistake, and got himself in good positions to finish the game, making his two balls over two turns while Roxy struggled with positioning to grab the win and make it a 4-1 series. The Cascades' Jasmine tried to keep her play positive in Rotation, but the Warriors' Dustin made things quite difficult for her in the clear shots department. Dustin did fall behind in the middle of the game, but used a three-ball run to get ahead before winning with the 13 on the next turn for an 8-5 victory. The series is at 4-2 now, but the Warriors are on the rise. Jasmine and Dustin battled hard again in 15-ball, with the Cascades captain striking a four-ball run at one point, only to see Dustin answer with a shorter run. At the end, Jasmine missed the 15 twice, and Dustin made it on his second try, pulling Central closer in the 4-3 series. The Warriors' Twilight faltered first in Accuracy, but did well enough near the end of the game to force Freedom's Roxy into another miss to tie the game. Twilight then missed her chance to force overtime, and Roxy won 2-3 with a tap-in, clinching the series at 5-3 for the Cascades. The thriller finish sees the Cascades head on to the City Cup Final.
Intel Center: Freedom Cascades v. Pronger Tridents. The City Cup Final series is set between Eastern Hills rivals, not to mention the two biggest rivals of the host city Diamond. Freedom's Nikolai blasted in two balls on the break in 7-ball, but it took until the end, when he made the 6 and 7 for the win to get his offense going. Pronger's Spot had little impact on the game as Freedom takes another 1-0 series lead. The Cascades' Roxy seemed to have a bit of scattered offense syndrome in 8-ball, unable to find a run despite plenty of options to start one. The Tridents' Potter kept his shooting steady and simple, chipping his way to the win to tie the series at 1. Pronger's Zach couldn't strike the right balance for his intensity on his shots, scratching twice due to heavy shots but missing the 9 because of a light kick. Freedom's Nikolai found much more success in the game, carrying a bulk of the offense for the win and a 2-1 series lead. The 10-ball went much faster than expected, with the Tridents' Zach belting a five-ball run only to miss narrowly on the 6 on a bank attempt, and the Cascades' Jasmine fired back to win with a four-ball run-out, putting her side up 3-1 at the halfway mark. Roxy had a quick three-ball run for Freedom in 12-ball, immediately putting Zach on edge. Pronger's Zach responded with a late three-ball run, but he needed twice as many as that, and Roxy tapped in her last ball to get the win for a 4-1 series lead that has her team a win away from the double trophy glory. The Cascades' Jasmine had another rough break in Rotation, a sore spot for her in this playoff season, and she paid for it this time. The Tridents' Spot went on a nutty run of play to build up his lead, and while Jasmine made a good attempt to mitigate the damage, her late scratch allowed Spot to make the last two shots for an 8-3 win to cut the series back to 4-2. Pronger's Spot again got the better of Freedom's Jasmine in 15-ball, as another bad break denied the top seed from the title once again. Jasmine's poor break was Spot's greatest strength, and he turned in a six-ball run and a five-ball run-out on consecutive turns to make it a 4-3 series with his amazing win. Roxy and Potter engaged in an epic game of Accuracy. Potter bent first, but Roxy soon followed with a miss of her own. Near the end, Potter missed again, and lost 1-2 when Roxy made the 10 to the bottom right, clinching the City Cup at 5-3.
That's it. At least for awhile with pool, there's no tomorrow. Next week, evenings will be spent on getting administrative tasks done, while cricket will move into the currently vacant afternoon time slot for the remainder of the season. When the cricket season is fully finished, there will be a bit more administrative work before the draft, including a two-day trading window. After the draft, the work of getting continuity within the documents, final set-up work, and jersey editing will be done, and then the league will shift to a Heart of the Game Tournament and some time off before preseason cricket for next year. All in all, the hardest year the league has seen is almost done, and we're stronger for it, but a break is on the way and changes are coming. Keep posted for the rest of the cricket season, and pool will be back before you know it.
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