We're back for a new day of games. We'll likely play four series today unless fatigue sets in, as the pace of play has taken a toll this week. We begin with...
Potter v. Patches v. Avril Lavigne at Ford Forum, Pronger. Patches prevailed in game 1, most sternly challenged by Potter as they battled with the highs and the lows. Patches protected her lows well, and took out Avril on a five-ball run before knocking Potter out on the next turn for her first win. Potter provided a much better effort in game 2, working a five-ball run on his first turn as he chose to protect the highs again. Avril stepped in to take out Patches on her first turn, and Potter then made a three-ball run-out to get his first win over Avril. Patches got back into the swing of things for game 3, protecting the mediums this time after a good start to the game. Potter elected to secure a point for himself, quickly putting Avril on edge after she messed up her first turn, and Patches knocked her out. Patches took some time to get Potter out, but she succeeded for her second win. Game 4 saw another downturn for Patches, as she couldn't keep her highs on the table after two turns. Potter did most of the damage, but Avril dealt the final blow, and she managed to make her advantage count for a win two turns later when she beat Potter. Avril and Potter did more battle in game 5, after Avril had made a strong run on her second turn that left Potter in good position to knock out Patches. Potter would also beat Avril this time, but not as easily as he should have after a shaky turn. Avril brought the series to two wins for everybody when she made a six-ball run on her first turn and a three-ball run on her second turn, both plays combining to weaken Potter early and then eliminate him two shots before downing Patches' last ball. Patches broke the deadlock with an effective first turn in game 7, putting herself in defense of the lows. Potter took the medium set, and put a lot of pressure on Avril, who couldn't recover from the early attacks, allowing Patches to take her out on the second turn. Patches continued the run, and while Potter countered, Patches picked up the win, her third of the series. Potter had a dominant game 8 with an eight-ball run to establish himself. Avril's making of the 6 on her first turn relegated Patches to third place duties, but Potter made quick work of Avril's last two balls for his third win. Avril put in a similar effort in game 9 with an eight-ball run, and Patches did her part with a couple of shots to put Potter down. However, Avril scratched late in the game, sparking two turns of futility before Patches stepped up to down her and then Potter for her fourth win. Avril and Potter helped offset Patches' four-ball run from a thundering break in game 10. After the first turn, things looked even, but Avril took out Potter quickly, and then bested Patches through defensive positioning to get the win, her third of the series. Potter bounced back with a five-ball run in game 11 that did a lot of damage to the mediums that Avril held after Patches took lows and Potter grabbed highs. Patches made it interesting in the end, but Potter did a 12-5 combination to the top left for his fourth win in the series. Potter had an interesting dilemma on hand in game 12 near the end, with all three players fairly even. He ended up taking a beneficial strategy with a three-ball run-out that downed Patches and then Avril for his fifth win. Potter heads off the the second round, while Patches scored 15 points and Avril took 12 for qualifying.
Taylor Swift v. Vladimir Vasilyev v. Dewey at Nike Field Events Center, Commerce. Vladimir starred with big runs on his first two turns, leaving just three mediums on the board alongside his high set. Dewey accidentally revived Taylor with a scratch, and Taylor quickly betrayed him to earn a point, although that was all she got as Vladimir closed up the win. Taylor and Vladimir switched roles in game 2, as Taylor delivered a bruising second turn to everyone. She knocked out Dewey first, then had two collateral damage shots before wiping out Vladimir's 5 for the win on a huge run. Taylor attacked with force, making two balls on the break of game 3 and then potting her own medium to ignite the rest of the run. Vladimir stepped in to claim the lows, which proved a mistake at the end. Taylor got control after a lull, taking out Vladimir and Dewey in that order on the last two shots for her second win. Taylor made her big surge in game 4 on her third turn, after weathering a slight attack from Vladimir early on. Dewey and Vladimir had shaky performances on the whole in this game, and Taylor picked them off with a six-ball run-out, with Vladimir getting the second place finish. Taylor had a slow start in game 5, and Dewey and Vladimir nearly did enough to put her out of the game. Taylor didn't help her cause by scratching, but the extra balls on the table diverted her opponents' attentions to each other. Vladimir ended up ousting Dewey, and then Taylor battled two aside with Vladimir, before potting one of her own balls to get a clear shot at his for her fourth win in the series. Taylor didn't last very long in game 6 despite her strong break. When Dewey shot into a cluster, Taylor couldn't get anything out of the next shot, and Vladimir and Dewey combined to take her out. Vladimir followed up by knocking out Dewey two turns later for his second win. Dewey and Vladimir got established well in game 7, but Taylor starred with a five-ball run to make things close near the end of the game. She couldn't complete the effort, leaving Vladimir to knock her out before Dewey for his third win of the two-horse race of a series. Vladimir kept up the fight in game 8, using Dewey to help him weaken Taylor early on before betraying Dewey to face Taylor directly. Taylor nearly got the better of Vladimir, but the rookie held strong to pick up his fourth win, pulling even with Taylor on the brink of advancing. Dewey decided to have a say in game 9, picking up the low set and using it to great effect. In the end, he struck a four-ball run-out, downing Taylor and then Vladimir for his first win in the series. Dewey wasn't done yet, striking early in game 10 with a strong run to pick up the medium set. Vladimir took a few pot shots at Taylor, but couldn't take her out, and she managed to even things out a bit. Dewey still got his second win, taking out Vladimir first and then Taylor on his three-ball run-out. Dewey had another good break in game 11, claiming the lows with his play. Taylor took some time to establish herself with the highs, but both she and Dewey nearly got Vladimir knocked out. Vladimir fought back with a four-ball run, but Dewey prevailed again, taking out Vladimir and Taylor on consecutive shots for his third win. Dewey had something brewing in game 12, but Taylor snuffed it out pretty quickly. Vladimir had made it a mission to attack Taylor, but Dewey and Taylor fought him off. Dewey had a chance to win late, but rattled Taylor's 7 out, and she cut his 14 to the bottom side for her fifth win and the series. Vladimir finished with 16 points, while Dewey's late rally got him up to 13 points.
Midnight v. Dusky v. Leandra at BMW RockDome, Westside. Originally scheduled for Friday, this series and the next four after it went on Monday. Midnight didn't get a great start to game 1, but she started playing well from her second shot. She and Leandra combined strongly against Dusky, who didn't do much to defend herself. Leandra then got the upper hand on Midnight for her first win of the series. Leandra set the tone on the break of game 2, claiming the medium set again. Midnight showed the weakest in this game, but she still took a second place, as Dusky woke up with a three-ball run-out at the end for the win, her first. Dusky reverted back to poor shooting in game 3, and Midnight also had some struggles with her accuracy, but after Dusky went out thanks to Leandra's attack, Midnight barely held Leandra off for the win, putting all three players at one win. Leandra's success in game 4 stemmed from a very lucky five-ball run that saw Dusky benched rather abruptly. Midnight tried to fight back as she protected the highs, but she missed on Leandra's last ball, and Leandra made both of Midnight's for her second win. Leandra didn't get as much out of game 5, as Midnight launched the first attack and Dusky went deep on a four-ball run to damage Leandra later in the game. Leandra weakened both opponents, but quickly fell to Midnight, who would win her second game on a three-ball run-out. Dusky and Leandra each had big runs in game 6, quickly destroying the low set that belonged to Midnight. Seeking vengeance, Midnight instead scratched on her second turn, and Dusky soon put her out of her misery. Leandra would prevail in the end, making both of Dusky's remaining balls after Dusky couldn't clear Leandra off the table. The win was Leandra's third. Leandra and Dusky combined to take out Midnight again early in game 7, although Leandra did most of the heavy lifting this time as Dusky and Midnight both had struggles. Leandra eventually found her shot in a frustrating finish, taking out Dusky after awhile for her fourth win. Leandra had an abbreviated first turn in game 8, allowing Dusky to set the tone early in the game. Dusky did just that, putting Midnight in a tough position. Leandra's second turn left plenty to be desired as well, and Dusky took the win on a five-ball run-out that saw her end Midnight on the second shot before making three straight against Leandra for her second victory. Leandra and Dusky seemed to continue their casual partnership during game 9, working to pummel Midnight's mediums. Leandra turned first with a deep run that would have knocked Dusky out were it not for a scratch. This kept Dusky in the game, and she would pull off a five-ball run-out in the end, knocking out Leandra and then Midnight for her third win in the series. Dusky went on a crazy seven-ball run-out late in game 10 for her fourth win, pulling even in the series with Leandra, who had made the early push in this game. Dusky kept her highs on the table and attacked relentlessly, denying Leandra a point by taking her out first. Dusky switched over to lows for game 11, and managed to play off Leandra and Midnight against each other. Both were weakened by their personal rivalry too much to combat Dusky. Midnight took Leandra out somewhat selfishly, and Dusky then made Midnight's last ball to win the series with her fifth win. Leandra had 14 points in qualifying, while Midnight took 12.
Wings v. Lexi Woode v. Puff I at Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central. Wings made a good impression on his new home fans in game 1, keeping all of his balls on the table through two turns thanks to scratches by both of his opponents. Puff I was in trouble from the start, and Lexi had difficulty in attack, allowing Wings to oust Lexi and then Puff I with minimal resistance for his first win. Game 2 saw a dramatic drop in shot quality on all sides, mostly due to a cluster containing all three sets of balls. Puff I and Lexi managed to keep themselves in the game, while Wings fell to an early exit, and then Lexi beat Puff I when the latter missed a late shot. This was Lexi's first win. Lexi wouldn't get as lucky in game 3, as both of her opponents targeted what would become her medium suit early on. Lexi also scratched, hurting her cause, and Puff I made sure to take her out first. Puff I almost got the win, but her last shot ended her own high suit instead of Wings' lows, giving Wings his second win. Game 4 went even better for Wings, who claimed his highs at the start of the game with a firm break. Puff I and Lexi each had runs, Lexi going five balls to bring everything to an even level. Wings then struck with Lexi going out first, and then a tap-in on Puff I's 2 for Wings' third win of the series. Lexi established herself first with the mediums in game 5, and went on a significant run to damage her opponents. Wings then picked the lows to defend, after potting and a medium and a high to spark a six-ball run-out for his fourth win in a surge of brilliant shooting. Wings iced off the series with a firm break to take the lows in game 6. Lexi soon attacked his lows while defending the mediums, but her scratch gave Wings new life. Puff I had one weak turn, and then Wings finished Lexi off before ousting Puff I on the next turn for the series-clinching win. The quick series saw Puff I claim 5 points while Lexi took only 4, both already eliminated from a chance of reentering the competition in the second round.
Ms. Kitty v. Kayla v. Cassandra at Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific. Ms. Kitty knows this will be a tough series to get anything out of, going against good friends. Kayla and Cassandra didn't definitively work against Ms. Kitty, but they did knock her out first, with Cassandra dealing the death blow first to Ms. Kitty with collateral damage, and then to Kayla for her first win. Ms. Kitty managed to put both Cassandra and Kayla on the edge of defeat in game 2, but it didn't do any good, as Cassandra followed up her big opening run with a three-ball run-out, seating Ms. Kitty and then Kayla, for her second win. Ms. Kitty completed half of the job in game 3, earning herself a point when she knocked out Cassandra after scratching on the previous turn. Kayla still had a lot of strength and pinned Ms. Kitty in a bad spot before taking her out on the next turn, giving Kayla her first win of the series. Cassandra and Kayla found their partnership at an awkward spot after an eight-ball run by Ms. Kitty left both of them vulnerable. Cassandra opted to equalize things, but then denied Kayla a point as she let Ms. Kitty finish second in Cassandra's third win of the series in four games. Ms. Kitty finally struck for a win in game 5, driving a stake between Cassandra and Kayla after their lingering bitterness from the last game. Both took shots at each other, allowing Ms. Kitty's lows to stand longer, and then Ms. Kitty took out Cassandra's mediums and Kayla's highs on a four-ball run-out for her first win. Ms. Kitty kept the tensions between her opponents high, turning against Cassandra to pile on to what Kayla had done earlier in game 6. Cassandra didn't strike back well enough and found herself out fairly quickly. Ms. Kitty then beat Kayla head-to-head for her second win of the series. Ms. Kitty continued the divide and conquer technique in game 7, weathering a renewed attacked from Kayla and Cassandra at the start. Ms. Kitty managed to knock out Kayla first, and then held off Cassandra at the end to grab her third win of the series, pulling even with Cassandra in wins. Ms. Kitty came back from the dead for the win in game 8, as Cassandra's second scratch of the game came on what would have been the final shot. Kayla didn't get much done on her turn, but Ms. Kitty knocked Kayla back out of the game before downing Cassandra for her fourth win. Cassandra also went on the brink of advancing as she won game 9, with a renewed helpful effort from Kayla to keep Ms. Kitty away from the title as it becomes more obvious Kayla won't take the series. Cassandra still pushed Kayla around a bit, but took out Ms. Kitty first in her fourth win. Ms. Kitty went on a massive run on her first turn of game 10, forcing Kayla out of the game, and then going head-to-head with Cassandra. Ms. Kitty's run faded too soon, and Cassandra pulled off a three-ball run-out for the win, clinching the series in the process. Ms. Kitty took 15 points in qualifying, while Kayla's already done at just 8 points.
Mitchell v. Twinkie II v. Nightfur at Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison. Mitchell one-upped his future captain in game 1, running six balls from the break to make things tough. The true hometown hero, Twinkie II, did what she could with what was left, and Mitchell would knock out Nightfur on his second turn. Mitchell was slow to close out the game, but he did get his first win over Twinkie II. Mitchell again had a stunning break for a rookie in game 2, choosing to protect mediums this time. He and Twinkie II damaged Nightfur enough that her counterattack became unimportant, and Mitchell took Nightfur out on his second turn, and then Twinkie II thanks to some good defense on the next turn. Mitchell has two wins already in the series. Nightfur drew a point of the pair of Specters with her game 3 performance, following up Twinkie II's fierce attack against the lows. Nightfur kept Mitchell in the game in a weakened state, but took him out first on her three-ball run-out, and then benched Twinkie II for her first win. Nightfur furthered the divide between the teammates she's opposing, striking quickly against one set in game 4. Twinkie II and Mitchell were both dumbfounded by the move, and Nightfur did more on the second turn before Twinkie II threw Mitchell under the bus. Mitchell predictably exited first, and Nightfur wasted no time in completing a four-ball run-out to oust Twinkie II as well for her second win. Mitchell's only action in game 5 was a scratch that kept Twinkie II at full strength through the first turn. Nightfur didn't waste time in taking Mitchell out, and she put a bit of damage on Twinkie II during the four-ball run, but Twinkie II ousted Nightfur with a three-ball run-out to earn her first win. Twinkie II had a decent game going as she defended the highs in game 6 from the break, but a late scratch coupled with Mitchell's previous surge left Twinkie II in trouble. Nightfur would take her down, and then turned to Mitchell, with whom she had some trouble. Mitchell couldn't connect on Nightfur's last two balls either, and Nightfur did scoop up her third win of the series after an awkward phase of the game. Nightfur made it four wins in game 7 as she took out Twinkie II and Mitchell on a three-ball run-out, including a close double-pot of the 3 and 4 at the end of the game to put herself on the brink of advancing. Mitchell fought back in game 8, with the help of an early scratch by Nightfur that gave him and Twinkie II plenty of chances to bury Nightfur. The wily veteran Nightfur stayed in the game long enough to give Twinkie II trouble, but it was Mitchell taking out both of them, with Nightfur drawing the point for placing second in Mitchell's third win. Game 9 was very competitive for all of the players, with Twinkie II starting well, Nightfur surging in the middle, and Mitchell prevailing on a tough cut at the end for his fourth win, pulling even with Nightfur on the brink of advancing. Nightfur earned the series in game 10 with a massive seven-ball run-out, drilling Twinkie II's favored lows down first before tapping in the 12 to complete things against Mitchell despite ceding him a point. Mitchell finished at 15 points while Twinkie II had 7 as Nightfur advances for sure to the second round.
Boots v. Panda v. Crystal at Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl. Game 1 took just one turn, as Boots made a couple of balls from the break to claim the lows for herself. Panda piled on in claiming mediums, but Crystal overcame the early deficit with a seven-ball run-out, gifting second place to Crystal on a shot decision in her first win. Game 2 went much slower but maintained a similar even keel between the players. No one was out early, and it took until Panda's late three-ball run to sit Boots on the bench. Crystal fired back, but while she made one of Panda's mediums, she also potted her last ball, securing just second place for herself as Panda got his first win. Crystal made up for things by getting a big run in game 3. Eventually, Boots was knocked out by Panda, who tried to turn on Crystal but ended up getting his last ball pinned at the top right. Crystal took care of it with a tap-in for her second win of the series. Boots had a big chance late in game 4 to make things interesting in the series after she took out Panda, but she missed on Crystal's 13 at the bottom left. Crystal shot back on the 3 at the top side, converting the shot for her third win in the series as she tries to pull away quickly. Crystal continued her surge in game 5, working to protect her lows after a slow first turn saw Panda take the mediums. Crystal gained the lows on her second turn, and Boots was quickly made a target with her depleted highs. Crystal would get the win a couple of turns later on a three-ball run-out, with Panda gaining second place this time. Crystal smacked a six-ball run in game 6, hungry for the series this time. Panda managed to claim the highs to combat Crystal's low, and Boots got a turn in before Crystal and Panda combined to end her game. Panda continued that late run and won the game on its fourth shot, taking out Crystal's last low for his second win. Crystal nabbed another six-ball run on her first turn of game 7, going after the mediums as she protected the highs. Boots didn't want to leave the game without a point, so she potted the last medium to end Panda's game, and then she made it a seven-ball run-out with one piece of collateral damage to earn her first win. Crystal unleashed an eight-ball run in game 8 in an attempt to clinch the series again, but Panda weakened Crystal and then Boots took both of them out for her second win to deny the Flames captain once again. Boots stayed composed in game 9, protecting the lows. Panda supported her cause with a larger attack on the highs to slow Crystal down, but Crystal kept things even on the counterattack. On the third turn, Boots finished both of them off on consecutive shots, dropping Panda first and then Crystal as Boots claimed her third win in a row. Crystal finally took the series in game 10, although Panda did everything he could to keep Boots involved in the process, reviving her twice to prevent Crystal from attacking him directly. Boots ended up getting a point from her second place finish as Crystal turned on Panda before taking Boots out. Crystal advances to the second round, while Boots hit 12 points and Panda is out with 9 points.
That's all for a big post. Tomorrow, we want to do four or five series of games.
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