We're back with likely four series today unless two of them go quickly. First up...
Josie v. Rosemary v. Sleepy B. at AT&T Hall, Oceanside. Josie had a bit of a slow start in game 1, allowing Sleepy B. to take the early lead, but Josie's third turn spelled the end of Sleepy B. after a five-ball run. Rosemary had a chance to take the win, but missed on Josie's 7, and Josie buried Rosemary's 13 for the win, her first. Josie had a bit of a personal attack on Sleepy B. in game 2, using her second and third turns to decimate Sleepy B.'s highs. Rosemary nearly got the better of Josie at the end, but she missed on the 1, and Josie managed to get the 8 around her own 1 for the win at the bottom right, Josie's second win of the series. Game 3 was an absolute mess for all involved, as Josie took her lows early on, and Sleepy B. pushed Rosemary out of the game until Josie scratched. At this point, Rosemary held on pretty well, knocking out Josie before falling to Sleepy B. two turns later, as the latter earned her first win of the series. Rosemary stepped up a little stronger in game 4, choosing to protect the highs. This didn't seem to go so well after Josie attacked while defending the mediums, but Rosemary took out Josie on her third turn. Sleepy B. provided a late challenge but couldn't get around Rosemary's defense, and Rosemary picked up her first win in short order. Rosemary claimed the highs early in game 5, and when Sleepy B. messed up on her first turn, Josie took a dominant stance through the middle of the game. Rosemary got the best of both of her opponents though, taking out Sleepy B. on the third shot of a five-ball run-out that also ended Josie through some crafty play. Rosemary has two wins now. Rosemary continued her upward surge in game 6, choosing lows to defend from the break. Josie quickly built up a counterattack, but Sleepy B. hampered both opponents, mostly Josie. On her third turn, Rosemary made her move with a four-ball run-out that down Josie on the first two shots and Sleepy B. on the next two for her third win. Rosemary looked to be in danger in game 7 after an empty break. Sleepy B. immediately took the lows to defend, and Josie soon followed with the highs, but Rosemary stormed back on a seven-ball run for her second turn, wiping out Josie and damaging Sleepy B. Rosemary would get the win on her next turn as Sleepy B. couldn't produce a sufficient counterattack, putting Rosemary on the brink of advancing with four wins. Rosemary made it five in a row for wins with a big game 8, starting on a run and ending with a four-ball run-out that saw her down Sleepy B. and Josie in that order after dominating the game. Her opponents were uncoordinated, and both will be out of the running to join Rosemary in the second round.
Summer v. Jasmine v. Spot at UPS Hall, Maplewood. Jasmine stole the show in game 1 with a nine-ball run on her first turn, with just one instance of collateral damage. Spot selected the lows on his first turn, but failed to take out Summer, who soon returned the favor against him before losing quickly to Jasmine in the veteran's first win. Jasmine and Summer both had good runs to start game 2, each pushing Spot to the brink of disaster. Spot struck back on a five-ball run dampened by a scratch, but this scratch slowed down Jasmine and Summer and bought Spot the time to attack against them, culminating in his first win on his third turn as he potted Summer's last ball. Spot had a good game 3 overall, but he ended up with nothing to show for it, twice scratching to revive each of his opponents once. Summer eventually ended him, but she couldn't hold off Jasmine at the end of the game, as the veteran earned her second win in the series. Summer did her part to decimate the low set while defending the highs in game 4, but she couldn't be prepared for Jasmine's second turn, which saw her bench Spot on the first shot before making all five of Summer's balls consecutively for her third win in a big six-ball run-out. Jasmine had an explosive break in game 5, potting one of everything but choosing to defend the lows. Summer soon followed with the mediums, and both of them worked well against Spot despite needing three turns to oust him. Summer then had better position against Jasmine and took her out in another couple of turns with a kick on the 3 to the top side for her first win. Jasmine made another deep cutting run in game 6, putting Spot in trouble. He responded quickly to the run, leaving the lows to Summer, who ultimately defended them well. Jasmine took out Spot, and then Summer bested Jasmine late for her second win of the series. Jasmine struck big in game 7, after Summer turned a nearly empty break into a seven-ball run. Jasmine attacked with a six-ball run that seated Summer rather abruptly. Spot nearly got Jasmine's last ball in, but she made his 5 on her second chance, a two-rail bank to the top side for her fourth win. Summer kept the series going after a rocky start to the game for her highs. Jasmine took lows but wasted a chance at a big run from the break. Spot followed up with the mediums and did well, but Summer held on, taking out Spot first before topping Jasmine in a slow finish for her third win. Jasmine did well in game 9 to prevent a counterattack by Summer, leaving her with a weak set after Jasmine took lows and Spot took highs. Jasmine knocked Summer out, and then beat Spot on the next turn for her clinching fifth win. Summer took 13 points in qualifying, which probably won't be enough to advance, while Spot had a paltry 5 points to his name.
Dominic v. Luigi v. Sugar at House of 10 Windows, Del Sur. Luigi had the first big run in game 1, doing a number against the highs. Sugar had a chance to stick Dominic with that set, but she missed, and Dominic escaped to the mediums. Predictably, Sugar was first out, but Dominic then surged forward to beat Luigi in a comeback for his first win of the series. Luigi again struck first in game 2 with a six-ball run to put the medium set in trouble. Sugar had a chance to put Dominic on the edge of defeat, but she missed her shot, and Dominic ended up winning with a six-ball run-out, sparing Sugar until the fourth shot of that burst. Dominic has two wins now. Dominic started a lot earlier with a nine-ball run from the break in game 3, a brilliant performance that just kept Luigi alive when he made a four-ball run against Dominic. Sugar never got a shot, and Dominic survived just long enough to pick up the win, his third of the series, against Luigi. Dominic had a weaker break in game 4, and he paid for it a bit. Sugar took the highs on the first turn, and Dominic claimed the mediums, but it was Luigi with his favored lows that did the best. Both Sugar and Dominic had scratches to help Luigi recover from a rough start, and he took them out on consecutive turns, gifting the second place point to Sugar while he won his first game. Luigi had no doubts about taking highs in game 5, after an impressive break and his five-ball run that followed it. Sugar doubled down by taking mediums, which ended up as a bad decision. Dominic fought with Sugar to knock her out of the game on a three-ball run, but Luigi took the win in the end, his second win of the series as he tapped in Dominic's last ball. Sugar ripped an eight-ball run after a scratch by Dominic in game 6, the impressive performance giving her a guaranteed point. Luigi missed his shot to earn something from the game, and Dominic had a three-ball run before Sugar bounced him with a bank of the 6 and a long shot on the 10 for her first win. Dominic settled things down again in game 7, struggling at first against Sugar's highs and Luigi's mediums, but he did well at the end. Luigi was the first player out thanks to Sugar, but Dominic got the win, his fourth, as he came from behind to top Sugar. Game 8 went to Luigi after a very painful start for all of the players after two scratches brought the full rack on the table. Sugar tried to defend the lows, but she was out first on Luigi's four-ball run-out, followed by Dominic on the two shots after that as Luigi earned his third win of the series. Sugar had a good start to game 9, taking the highs this time, but things got tight near the end of the game. Sugar elected to take out Luigi first, but she couldn't finish off Dominic, and he took her out to clinch the series on his fifth win, advancing to the second round. Luigi hit 12 points while Sugar had 6, both failing to qualify for further action in this preseason adventure.
Sierra v. Oreo v. Valencia at Apple Center, Todavía. Valencia had a better start to game 1 than her opponents with a deep run to pin both of them under her mediums. Valencia took Sierra out on her second turn, but had no chance to answer against a four-ball run-out from Oreo, who took the first win in the series. Valencia didn't leave her sister out to dry in game 2, making a nice run as she defended the highs. Sierra chose to protect the mediums, and the two of them attacked against Oreo more fiercely, taking her out on the second turn before Valencia got the better of Sierra at the end of the game for her first win. Sierra ran a brilliant ten-ball run-out in game 3 on her first turn of the game. Valencia and Oreo never had a chance to claim a suit, each taking half a point for their equally disappointing finish as Sierra picked up her first win. Sierra had a shorter five-ball run on her second turn of game 4, but both Sierra and Oreo picked on Valencia's highs as their primary target. Sierra actually took out Valencia first, as part of a three-ball run-out on her third turn to earn her second win. Sierra's slow start is completely behind her after her strategically sound game 5 performance. She defended her mediums quite well, and pitted Oreo and Valencia against each other for much of the game. Sierra ousted Valencia first, straining their loose partnership as sisters as Oreo was able to gain another point in Sierra's third win. Valencia charged forward with a six-ball run after Oreo couldn't do anything after a Sierra scratch to start game 6. Sierra scratched again later, and Valencia felt no shame in burying her sister first, choosing to beat Oreo head-to-head a turn later. Valencia earned her second win of the series. Oreo went on a seven-ball run-out in game 7 on her second turn, pummeling against Valencia's lows before taking out Sierra's mediums in the efficient rally for her second win that had been brewing for awhile. Valencia went on quite the surge after being attacked by Oreo and betrayed by Sierra early in game 8. Valencia downed Sierra, likely ending their collaboration, but couldn't beat Oreo, who took Valencia's 8 to the bottom side for her third win. Valencia sought vengeance in game 9, and she got it with a nine-ball run, leaving Sierra to meekly tap in one ball to earn the point over Oreo before Valencia finished her off for her third win, leveling the win totals for all three competitors. Sierra charged forward with a six-ball run in game 10, crippling the medium set while defending the highs. Oreo chose to knock out Valencia first and take the point, as Sierra made quick work of Oreo with a three-ball run-out on her second turn. Sierra sits on four wins, taking the inside track in the series. Oreo and Sierra both did a number on the highs, with Oreo doing most of the damage early on before Sierra claimed the mediums. Valencia was stuck with third place again, but Oreo kept the series alive as she won game 11 for her fourth victory. Oreo and Sierra decided to settle the series in game 12, combining at the end to eliminate Valencia on Oreo's five-ball run. Sierra had a chance to win but wasted it, allowing Oreo to take her fifth win and the series. Sierra qualified at 17 points, while Valencia is out with 11.5 points.
That's it for today. We're aiming to get up to five series tomorrow.
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