2017 Clan Cup

Today, we are playing the Clan Cup playoffs, featuring the eight qualifying clubs. Consolations to Delila Enterprises and Celebrity for their failure to qualify for this tournament. We begin these eight-game series, hosted by the Atlantic Pirates at McDonald's Hall, with...

Reality v. Youth Movement. The better ranked club will break each game. In 7-ball, Reality's Spice had a lot of early errors, and Youth Movement's Watermelon tried but failed to impose herself. Spice bounced back on a three-ball run later in the game, but Watermelon made the 7 on a cut to the bottom left for the win and the 1-0 series lead. Reality's Starlight had an excellent five-ball run in the 8-ball battle, but the steady offense of Youth Movement's Celestia proved just a bit better. Starlight began to collapse after a scratch, and Celestia had two good cuts at the end to give Youth Movement another win for a 2-0 series lead. Spice took revenge against Watermelon in 9-ball, dominating the game thoroughly. Spice had a ball on the break, and then her second turn saw a five-ball run-out, ending with a 6-9 combination to the top side after Watermelon couldn't control possession. Spice's win draws Reality back into a 2-1 series. Youth Movement appeared to have the upper hand in 10-ball, as Solaris controlled possession and worked his way to a late four-ball run, but a miss on the 10 denied them the win. Reality's Boots made her shot when necessary, tying the series at 2. Boots had an edge for part of the 12-ball rematch against Solaris, but her advantage faded with a scratch at one point. Solaris had a three-ball run, and outlasted Boots as they raced to pot their final balls, with Solaris striking at the top side first to restore a 3-2 series lead to Youth Movement. Rotation proved to go back and forth, with Youth Movement's Sierra countering two attacks from Reality's Stinky. The second was a dangerous five-ball run, which Sierra staved off with a pair of shots, but Stinky made the 15 to win 8-7, retying the series at 3. Sierra had gotten on a small run in the 15-ball rematch with Stinky, but she couldn't keep the cue on the table. Her scratch proved especially costly, as Stinky took the 4-15 combination from ball-in-hand to the bottom right to get the win. Reality holds the advantage heading into the final game of regulation, leading 4-3. Twinkie I never put Reality's lead in danger in her appearance in Accuracy, successfully outplaying her Lighton Prestige teammate, Youth Movement's Spirit, in a 1-5 win. Twinkie I's solid play gave Reality the 5-3 series win to advance to the Clan Cup Semifinals.

Outcast v. Oriental United. The series begins with Outcast's Hoppy taking on Oriental United's Bells in 7-ball. Hoppy had a decent performance, but she struggled toward the end of the game, and Bells picked up the slack, making three of the last four balls to take the win, giving Oriental United a 1-0 series lead. Oriental United's Shiny struck with a four-ball run after Outcast's Violetta scratched on the 8-ball break. Violetta roared back into the game at a quick pace on her next turn, with a five-ball run, but Shiny held her grip on the game, winning two turns later to extend the Oriental United series lead to 2-0. Hoppy didn't let her previous defeat to Bells deter her from playing a risky game of 9-ball, and Bells had no problems competing. Hoppy just got the upper hand after Bells missed on the 5 at the right, allowing Hoppy to engage with a five-ball run-out to grab the win, cutting the series to 2-1 as Outcast is on the board. Dewey had enough possession to easily win 10-ball for Outcast, but despite all of the errors from Oriental United's Hoot, it was Dewey scratching as he made the 10 that left the game as an easy shot for Hoot. Oriental United moved to a 3-1 series lead as Hoot buried the 10 to the top right. Violetta found herself trailing Shiny again in 12-ball, even after a three-ball run that ended in a scratch. Violetta elected to give Shiny a wild-card ball while the Oriental United player was out of position, but she quickly corrected her game, taking the 13 to the top left to change the tide. Violetta got into position for a big run at the end, but left Shiny a clear shot on the 10 to the bottom side for the win, which put Oriental United on the brink of advancing at 4-1. Panda had a dream start with a four-ball run for Oriental United in Rotation, and while Outcast's Prism eventually rallied to tie the game on a three-ball run, Panda countered it perfectly with a three-ball run-out for the 8-5 win that secures the series at 5-1 for Oriental United. Panda eased up a bit in a rematch with Prism in 15-ball, although he competed pretty evenly with the Outcast rookie in the late stages of the game, and only his miss on the 15 prevented him from the sweep of his opponent. Instead, Prism tapped it in to get the win, cutting the series to a 5-2 Oriental United lead. Paps represented well in the Accuracy finale for Oriental United, falling behind at first but letting his experience carry him over a shaky effort from Outcast's Salmo. Paps emerged from the series with a 1-4 win, making it 6-2 overall for Oriental United as they'll play on into the Clan Cup Semifinals.

Solid Core v. Humanity: The third quarterfinal begins with Solid Core's Shaggy facing Humanity's Jennifer in 7-ball. Shaggy had more solid shots, but Jennifer's luck was very strong during a good three-ball run that saw her make the 2 off the 6 and the 5 off the 4 despite no intentions to. Shaggy recovered to make the last two shots for the win, giving Solid Core a hard-earned 1-0 series lead. Acorn did alright on the 8-ball break for Solid Core, but Humanity's Bryant was a man on a mission this time. Bryant made a four-ball run on his first turn before cooling off, allowing Acorn to make a few shots. Bryant then closed the game with a three-ball run-out, including a swerving cut on the 8 to the bottom right to tie the series at 1 brilliantly. Jennifer again showed a flair for the dramatic in 9-ball, making a few fancy shots, but Shaggy's insistence on keeping her game simple proved a more resilient method for the game. Shaggy closed this win out on a three-ball run-out, restoring the series lead at 2-1 for Solid Core. Shadow dominated in 10-ball for Solid Core, getting a crisp break and some early offense before his highlight three-ball run that included the 7-9 combination to the bottom side. Humanity's Chris fired back with the 9, but miscued on his attempt on the 10, and Shadow soon tapped it in to the bottom left for the win, pushing Solid Core to the 3-1 series lead. Acorn struck first in his second battle with Bryant in 12-ball, but Bryant did have a three-ball run later on to make it interesting. The players were level as they each attacked a side pocket for their final shots, and Acorn was first to get there when he got the 10 in position, gave Bryant no direct angle, and then made his final ball on the next try. Acorn splitting with Bryant put Solid Core ahead 4-1 in the series. Captains collide in Rotation, and it was Solid Core's Shadow who dominated. Shadow played a smart game, with his bad break leaving Humanity's Shannon a lot of bad angles. Shannon erred at least three times, and on the last one, Shadow erupted for a three-ball run-out, including a 7-8-9 combination to the bottom right, to get the win at 8-2. Shadow's win gave Solid Core a dominant 5-1 series lead, enough to clinch advancement. Oreo took over for 15-ball for Solid Core, and she gave Shannon a completely different but equally frustrating battle. Oreo took more risks than Shadow, and played an open game, but also got plenty of offense, and forced Shannon into a tough shot on the 13 late that ended in a scratch. Oreo completed the game on the 15 from ball-in-hand after Shannon's scratch, putting Solid Core at a 6-1 series lead. Caitlin didn't simply pack it in for Humanity in her Accuracy appearance, battling hard with a fierce Crystal of Solid Core, who would get a couple of nice long shots to stay in the lead throughout the game, keeping Caitlin narrowly behind in the 1-2 result. Crystal's win made it 7-1 for Solid Core as they advance easily to the Clan Cup Semifinals.

Brute Force v. Empyre: The two most vicious clubs clash in the final quarterfinal series. Leading off, Brute Force's Wings needed just two shots in 7-ball to get the win. He made a ball on the break, and then used the 1 to deflect the cue into the 7, potting in the bottom right to keep Empyre's Sally from taking a shot in her first appearance. Brute Force established a 1-0 series lead. Empyre seemed to have a better chance in 8-ball with Marsell opening strong on a three-ball run. Brute Force didn't bend that much though, and Bright soon brought them level. A tight battle lasted for a turn, and then Bright exploded forward on a great five-ball run-out to put Brute Force ahead 2-0 with the win. Brute Force likes the position they're in entering 9-ball, and Nightfur made it even better on the other side of this game. She started with a three-ball run, putting immediate pressure on Sally, who did have a couple of turns this time. The second ended in missed contact, and Nightfur made the 6 and the 7-9 combination to get the win at the top right for a 3-0 lead in the series. Rainmane took 10-ball for Brute Force, and quickly put Empyre's Cheddar on the ropes. Rainmane had a solid start, but it was no match for her finish, as Cheddar's failed jump shot led Rainmane to a four-ball run-out from ball-in-hand to push the series lead to a stranglehold 4-0. Bright and Marsell had their rematch in 12-ball, with Brute Force getting a hot start from Bright as he picked out the corners. Marsell showed a bit more creativity for Empyre, making the 11 on a kick-combination to the bottom side, and he slowly gained control, until Bright was out of position. Marsell tapped in his 13 at the top right for the win, saving his club as they're on the board in a 4-1 series. Tigerette beat Rainmane at her own game, as the Empyre founder and legend took Rotation very seriously. Rainmane made the first two shots, but Tigerette slowly pulled herself ahead, then surged forward on a four-ball run-out to beat the squad captain for Brute Force by an 8-2 score. Brute Force still has a 4-2 series lead, but they are feeling less comfortable. Nightfur started off an aggressive effort for Brute Force in 15-ball, but Tigerette was more than up to meeting the challenge with offense for Empyre. As the game progressed it slowed, until a scratch by Tigerette prompted Nightfur to try a 12-15 combination that failed. Tigerette was steamed, and got the best revenge when Nightfur scratched and Tigerette made two shots to win from ball-in-hand, cutting the series once again to 4-3 as she takes out the top two players for Brute Force. Accuracy saw quite the battle between Brute Force's Lionel and Empyre's Stripes. The latter held a lead for most of the game, but slipped up at the end, and gifted Lionel a chance to push it to overtime. Stripes got nothing on the overtime break, and Lionel luckily saw the 5 fall in the bottom left to win 2-3 and clinch the series at 5-3. Brute Force eventually made their way to the Clan Cup Semifinals.

Solid Core v. Oriental United. The first Semifinal begins with 7-ball between Solid Core's Shaggy and Oriental United's Bells. Shaggy had the better of play, but probably should have lost when she missed on the 6. Instead, Bells made the 6 but missed the 7 short at the top right, allowing Shaggy a redemptive tap-in to put Solid Core ahead 1-0 in the series. Shiny had a wicked strong performance for Oriental United in game 2, using a three-ball run and a four-ball run to put Solid Core's Acorn in early trouble. Acorn tried to play out of the mess, but his miss on the 6 left Shiny to tap in the well-placed 8 at the bottom right for the win, tying the series at 1 with her effort. Shaggy and Bells had their rematch in 9-ball, and it wasn't a long game. Shaggy had a chance for the win, but her shot on the 1 bumped into the 7 and caused her to scratch. Bells took the 1-9 combination to the top right from ball-in-hand, lifting Oriental United ahead of Solid Core 2-1. Shadow had a rough appearance for Solid Core in 10-ball, scratching early and then ending another run abruptly later in the game. Oriental United had clearly stronger play from Hoot, and it was a three-ball run-out from Hoot with great positioning to give them the win for a 3-1 lead in the series. Acorn had a hot start in 12-ball, going with a four-ball run from the break that put him in good position in his rematch with Shiny. Desperation set in for Shiny as Acorn established position at the top left, so she made a collateral damage play on a three-ball run to get herself going. Acorn tried to free up his other shot, but he got caught between the pockets as Shiny eventually made her last two shots for the win, her risky gamble paying off as Oriental United moves to a 4-1 series lead. Panda seemed to lock in rather quickly for Oriental United in Rotation, but he didn't keep control of the game, allowing Solid Core to pull ahead through Shadow's good play. Panda battled back with a late three-ball run, but Shadow drilled the last two shots to win 8-7, keeping Solid Core alive in a 4-2 series. Panda couldn't redeem himself for Oriental United, battling hard in 15-ball but ultimately dropping the game to Solid Core's Oreo, who played risky again but got the job done. Oreo made the last two balls for the win, pulling the series to 4-3. Crystal had a dominant appearance in Accuracy going for Solid Core, but she ended up being quite lucky Oriental United's Paps missed one more time late in the game, as a couple of late misses from Crystal made it a close game at 2-3. Crystal did win, tying the series at 4 to set up the day's first tiebreaker. The players will be Oreo for Solid Core and Hoot for Oriental United, and the game is left-handed 8-ball. It wasn't all that pretty, but Hoot took an early lead, only to have trouble corralling the 1. It proved so evasive, Oreo caught up with a four-ball run, and both players had chances at the 8, with Hoot missing a bank and Oreo making a long cut to the bottom right for the miracle comeback and win. Solid Core will play for the Clan Cup in the Final after this 5-4 series win.

Brute Force v. Reality. A team used to being the best meets this year's top side in the other semifinal. Brute Force's Wings had a rougher start in 7-ball this time around, an early scratch cutting him off. Reality's Spice made a quick pair of shots, but Wings stormed back on a five-ball run-out to make that Spice's only turn. Wings earned Brute Force a 1-0 series lead. Brute Force saw Bright do very well at the start of 8-ball, working a five-ball run to put Reality's Starlight under immediate pressure. Bright could have used a bit more skill in finishing, as Starlight chipped her way onto the 8, but Bright made it before Starlight could, securing a 2-0 series lead for Brute Force. Nightfur tried to pace the play in 9-ball for Brute Force, but Spice made sure to keep things relatively even for Reality. At the end, Spice upped the intensity a bit quicker than Nightfur, piecing together a nice three-ball run-out to get on the board in a 2-1 series still under Brute Force's control. Rainmane made a pretty nice start for Brute Force in 10-ball, but she couldn't sustain her offense in the later stages of the game. Picking up the slack was Reality's Boots, who held her own at first and then ended the game with a three-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 2. Bright had a strong three-ball run from the break in 12-ball for Brute Force, but Boots kept Reality in the game throughout. Boots managed to induce Bright into giving her a wild-card ball, which helped create an incredibly tight finish until Boots made a rookie mistake, sinking the 11 in the wrong pocket. Bright took the ball-in-hand from the intentional foul, and buried his 5 from distance, a huge let-off to get Brute Force back in the series lead at 3-2. Rainmane had an early lead and a late lead in Rotation for Brute Force, but Reality's Stinky proved very persistent. Rainmane's late lead was born from a double-pot of the 6 to the top left and the 7 to the bottom side, on a turn that also created the best jump-scratch ever. Stinky was undeterred by the odds, cranking out a three-ball run-out for the 8-7 win to retie the series at 3. Stinky had some excellent runs in 15-ball for Reality, making four in a row early on, three in a row in the middle of the game, and a five-ball run that ended in a scratch toward the end. Nightfur had the only run that mattered, a three-ball run-out from ball-in-hand, giving Brute Force another series lead at 4-3 with one game left in regulation. Twinkie I kept Lionel in her sights for all of the Accuracy game, even as Lionel held a lead for much of it. At the end, the Reality player Twinkie I missed a point-blank shot, retying the game, and then missed the last ball on her next turn. Lionel took the win 3-4, and the series went to Brute Force at 5-3. Brute Force will have no rest as they play in the Clan Cup Final immediately following.

Brute Force v. Solid Core. The top two clubs in the regular season meet with the Clan Cup on the line. Brute Force's Wings had a bit of a slow start in 7-ball, but suddenly erupted for a four-ball run, with only a scratch at the end holding him back. Solid Core's Shaggy countered with the last two balls, giving her club a 1-0 series lead. Solid Core looked to continue the momentum into 8-ball, and Acorn obliged, with two nice runs on his first two turns, but Brute Force's Bright wouldn't settle for picking up scraps on collateral damage. Bright took a defensive stance, and then a strategic scratch, both working to perfection to give him time for a three-ball run-out to top Acorn, tying the series at 1. Shaggy returned to form in 9-ball for Solid Core, although she wasn't sure she would get the chance when Brute Force's Nightfur opened the game with a three-ball run. Shaggy countered on a five-ball run, and then both players missed the 9 once before Shaggy buried it in the top right to pull Solid Core ahead 2-1 in the series. Rainmane gave Shadow all he could handle in a battle of club captains in 10-ball. Rainmane clearly dominated early in the match, but became frustrated toward the end with her lack of a chance on the 10, and Shadow cut it into the bottom side at the end to take the win and a 3-1 series lead for Solid Core over Brute Force. Bright made quick work of Acorn in 12-ball in their rematch, as Bright got the better of Acorn on the break, left him with few clear shooting angles, and then made him pay for a scratch. Bright won the game on a four-ball run-out as Acorn scratched with no balls potted, the win pulling Brute Force back to a 3-2 series deficit. Rainmane and Shadow battled again in Rotation, with Rainmane getting the better of play early on, but Shadow emerging with the win in the end by an 8-4 score after neither could dominate the game. Shadow's win puts Solid Core one win away from the trophy at 4-2, while Brute Force needs to win both of the last two games to force a tiebreaker. Nightfur kept Brute Force alive for another game, holding off a massive surge by Oreo toward the end of the 15-ball game. Oreo had a five-ball run, and added more on the next turn, but Nightfur poked the 15 into the bottom right for the win, putting the series at 4-3 with a massive game up next. Crystal made an absolute mess of Accuracy for Solid Core, taking a thorough beating by Brute Force's Lionel, who won without a doubt at 2-8. The win by Lionel ties the series at 4, setting up a one-game playoff for the trophy, contested between Solid Core's Oreo and Brute Force's Lionel in the first-ever game of 13-ball. This is played like 12-ball, but at the end, the 8 can be potted in any called pocket. Oreo and Lionel engaged in an epic battle, exchanging wild-card balls, scratches, and missed run opportunities all over the table until finally Oreo got a look on the 8, which she buried on the first try to make Solid Core Clan Cup Champions by a 5-4 series score. Oreo was named MVP for her performance, twice winning sudden-death games and losing just once out of five appearances in the Tournament.

That's all for today. Tomorrow, or possibly Thursday, depending on the weather, we begin the final jewel in the crown of Tournament play, the coveted City Cup live from Diamond. The two-day event will bring this pool season to a close.