We're starting the second round, with our 60 series winners from the previous round as well as the toughest 21 runners up. We begin with...
Twilight v. Frosty v. Ted at Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central. Ted struck first in game 1, taking the highs, but Twilight countered with a strong run to protect the lows. Both of them would fall short, as Frosty took out Ted and played defense before her four-ball run-out to beat Twilight for her first win. Ted got a quick dose of revenge in game 2, pulling in a nine-ball run with collateral damage to leave both opponents weak. Frosty went with the altruistic method and failed, while Twilight earned a point for being selfish and bumping Frosty. Ted still got the win, his first of the series. Ted had a lackluster start to game 3, claiming the lows but failing to do much more. Twilight made a small impact to take the mediums, leaving Frosty with the highs, which she damaged a bit on her own. Ted then used his second turn for a six-ball run-out, beating Frosty on a 6-1-13 combination before potting the 6 of Twilight for his second win. Ted made another early push in game 4, and Frosty had some good work in defense of the mediums, but a scratch by Ted set the stage for Twilight's success. Twilight defended the highs at the end with a four-ball run-out, double-potting on the second shot before putting Frosty's last ball away at the end for her first win. Twilight had an adventurous game 5, which saw Frosty and Ted both scratch to turn a rough start into an easy finish. Twilight cruised after Frosty's scratch, and she picked up her second win at the end with a pair of nice shots. Frosty cranked a six-ball run on her first turn of game 6, a dominant performance that saw her take a commanding lead. Ted soon claimed the lows, leaving Twilight with just the 15, but she made it work, earning her third win on a four-ball run-out that sat Ted down before Frosty. Twilight looked to be on a successful path as the protector of the highs in game 7, as Frosty and Ted both had rough performances early on. Ted particularly found himself in trouble as the first one out, but Twilight was surprised to see Frosty string the turn into a six-ball run-out for her second win of the series. Frosty had control of game 8 for most of the playing time, although she did have a scratch that hurt Ted more than herself. Ted was the first one out again as Frosty embarked on a four-ball run-out for her third win of the series. Twilight made an aggressive play while defending the mediums in game 9, working a five-ball run to spook her opponents. Ted followed up on a four-ball run-out, but the last ball to fall was his own, not Twilight's, as he gave the host her fourth win and settled for second for himself. Twilight had to hold on tight in game 10, as her highs were at a disadvantage initially, but she played good defense to turn Frosty and Ted against each other. Frosty was the last one standing, but she couldn't pick up the win, and Twilight is on to the third round now.
Debby Ryan v. Salmo v. Bells at GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge. Salmo had the first positive attack in game 1, claiming the low set for himself. Bells had a more potent five-ball run after that in defense of the mediums before the play slowed down. Debby would take out Salmo near the end, before Bells bested Debby for her first win. Game 2 went slightly differently, as Debby claimed the highs and Salmo took the lows on their first turns. Both moves left Bells with a weak medium set, a factor exploited perfectly by Debby as she assembled a five-ball run-out with collateral damage and a two-rail kick for her first win of the series to the delight of her home fans, while Salmo took second. Debby started a great attack in game 3 with a five-ball run to protect the lows while decimating the highs. Bells ended up with those highs, but she weathered it well, knocking Salmo from the game and nearly beating Debby before the host got revenge for her second win of the series. Salmo and Debby got into a bit of a fight in game 4, allowing Bells to protect her highs much more easily than she should be allowed to. Debby did turn against Bells late, but Bells knocked Salmo out first and then Debby for her second win in a rather easy process. Bells scratched on the break in game 5, and Debby wasted her first turn as well, leaving Salmo to pick up the mediums. He had a reasonable amount of early success, but Bells and Debby dragged him down, with Debby bumping him and then Bells out of the way for her third win in the series. Bells had the mediums in game 6, but had too many options on her first turn. Salmo stepped up and claimed the highs on his first turn, and he battled well, pushing Debby's lows to the edge. Debby held on again, an admirable effort that saw her oust Bells. Salmo had a chance to win but played a casual shot and missed, allowing Debby to cut his 11 in for her fourth win. Salmo just kept the series going in game 7, taking his first win after a five-ball run on his first turn and a pair of shots at the end to counter Debby's fierce four-ball run. Debby did get second place for her efforts this time. Salmo started well with a five-ball run in game 8, establishing himself with the lows. Debby shot back to take the highs, leaving Bells with a weak mediums set. Bells didn't help her own cause when she scratched, and this gave Salmo a bit more time to assemble his attack. Debby put Bells out of the game, but she couldn't catch up with Salmo, who took his second win of the series. Debby launched a fierce attack against the medium set in game 9, while a fatigued Bells provided her own unique brand of support. Salmo shot back against Debby's highs, but he couldn't break her down, and Debby won the game and the series in the end.
Solaris v. Snowball v. Pounce at Nissan Hall, Infinity. Snowball opened game 1 with a six-ball run to protect the mediums, but a five-ball run by Pounce took Snowball out of the game. Solaris protected the highs, but he couldn't pull back into the series, and Pounce made his last two shots for his first win. Solaris put up a better defense of the highs in game 2, and Snowball took the lows, with both players going after Pounce pretty hard. Pounce would be the first player out, thanks to Solaris, who beat Snowball on the next turn for his first win in a so-far competitive series. Snowball only needed two big turns to win in game 3, with a six-ball run to weaken her opponents. Solaris did the dirty work in taking out Pounce, and then Snowball had a four-ball run-out with collateral damage to get her first win. Pounce had the best of play in a tight game 4, as he took highs from the start and ended up beating both Solaris and Snowball on his final turn to get the win after his defense held up. The win was Pounce's second of the series. Snowball had the better start in game 5, taking the highs, but Solaris followed up well with the lows on a counterattack after her five-ball run. Pounce didn't get much done, but he set up a successful three-ball run-out for Solaris to use in his second win of the series, despite not getting a point in the game. Snowball started game 6 on a five-ball run, decimating the highs that would become Pounce's suit. Snowball took him on her second turn, and then played strong defense against a cavalier Solaris, whose collateral damage play cost him later as Snowball earned her second win of the series. Pounce had an improved and renewed attack in game 7, although Snowball did quite a bit of damage on a five-ball run that left Solaris out of the game after his failed first turn. Snowball and Pounce danced around each other for a few turns until Pounce made his four-ball run-out for his third win to beat his sister. Pounce had a positive effort on turns one and three of game 8, with a five-ball run and a four-ball run to finally knock Solaris from his unproductive game. Snowball then got the better of her brother, winning on a three-ball run-out after his collateral damage play didn't work out right. Snowball picked up her third win of the series. Game 9 saw a renewed effort by Pounce to lead the attack, as he defended the lows. Snowball played along for a bit, but she launched a five-ball run that took Pounce of the game and damaged Solaris. The host Solaris replied on a three-ball run-out for his third win to bring the series level once again. Solaris had an acceptable start to game 10, but an early scratch harmed him. Snowball attacked to earn the highs, and Pounce leveled Solaris with a seven-ball run that included a bit of collateral damage. Pounce was a shot away from winning, but he missed on Snowball's last ball, and she made a pair of shots to score her fourth win instead. Snowball attacked again in game 11, clearly motivated to advance, and she did so with a six-ball run-out, staying loyal to her brother as she gave him another second place at the end of the game.
Twinkie I v. Jasmine v. Bandit at Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific. Twinkie I impressed her home fans in game 1, slicing with a five-ball run early on to decimate the highs. Bandit took them when the time came, but didn't do much in defense of them. Bandit did send Jasmine packing on his second turn, but Twinkie I booted Bandit on her third turn for her first win. Bandit and Jasmine quickly combined against Twinkie I in game 2, crippling her mediums and limiting her to just two turns. Jasmine had a late push to try to beat Bandit, but she fell short, and Bandit made his last two shots for his first win. Bandit had a rough start to game 3, and Twinkie I soon took the lows to make things a bit tougher. Bandit did claim the mediums on his second turn before a scratch, but it was his third turn that gave him his second win on an eight-ball run-out. Bandit beat Jasmine on the seventh shot, and finished against Twinkie I. Bandit had the makings of a huge run to start game 4, but he missed the fourth shot, and Twinkie I claimed the mediums. The game remained close for much of the play, and Jasmine even had a lead, but Twinkie I's four-ball run-out took out Jasmine before Bandit as she won her second game. Jasmine and Twinkie I got into quite the quarrel in game 5, which almost allowed Bandit to ride the mediums to victory. Instead, Jasmine's second turn was a seven-ball run-out, with pure intent to put Twinkie I at the rear of the shooting order, which she did, to earn her first win. Jasmine continued her spat with Twinkie I in game 6, attacking and knocking her from the game on Jasmine's second turn. This time, she was unable to complete the run against Bandit, and he countered with a four-ball run-out against the lows for his third win. Jasmine's war with Twinkie I reached an irrational level in game 7, as she knocked out Bandit but had no good shot on Twinkie I's pair of balls, opting to scratch instead. Twinkie I knocked her out first, and then beat Bandit for her third win in the series. Jasmine didn't have as much of an impact in game 8 as she defended the mediums. Bandit did a lot of the work in defense of his highs, although Jasmine did deal the last blow to Twinkie I's performance. Bandit picked up the win two shots later, his fourth of the series. Bandit had a chance to finish off game 9 on his third turn, but he scratched. Lucky for him, Jasmine and Twinkie I couldn't do anything with their revivals, and he won with a four-ball run-out with collateral damage to advance on his fifth win.
That's all for today. We plan on doing four series a day for the rest of the round.
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