2018 Qualifiers - Day 23

A regular schedule is planned for today's games. First up is...

The Boston Swifts' Sweetheart, who plays Rotation with the silver cue. Sweetheart was unlucky to have the combination of going first and playing a tough game, taking only three errors but also needing 38 shots to get through the game after an empty break as a warm-up run. The second game today goes to the Eastside Sharks sophomore Salmo, who uses the blue cue in 15-ball. Salmo had a better showing, still with an empty break, but he cleared the table in 26 shots with six errors, the first few with intent but the latter showing a bit of a loose style for the day. Next up, the Terrace City Knights' Oreo plays Rotation with the red cue. Oreo put three balls down on the break and took only two errors after that on an intentional play, ending in 22 shots for a fantastic showing. Following that, the Queens Flames' Hannah shoots 15-ball with the blue cue. Hannah did alright, taking an empty break but flowing through the early shots well. She did have two errors from an intentionally illegal shot, but finished at 29 shots for the game. Closing the group, Terrace City Knights captain Kiwi shoots 8-ball with the silver cue. Kiwi didn't get a ball on the break, but she knocked the rack down in 18 shots, showing some of her dominant shooting ability in the process as she took no errors.

Group two begins with Whitewater Shores captain Bear playing 15-ball with the silver cue. Bear had a terrible game from shooting positioning, but his ball on the break and early finish on a 5-15 combination to the top right overshadowed his four intentional errors to get to that point at 23 shots. Continuing along, the Infinity Torpedoes captain Smudge plays 15-ball with the red cue. Smudge had a good game, going empty on the break but settling in with only three errors in her 25 shots to clear the table, avoiding a risky play to secure a good score. The eighth player called to shoot today is Modernistic Union rookie Kodiak, playing Rotation with the blue cue. Kodiak couldn't solve tough positioning in his game, needing 38 shots with five errors after trying and failing to maintain a clean playing style after an empty break. Up next, the Midland Predators' Leonardo tries Rotation with the red cue. Leonardo played very well, needing only 22 shots after making a pair of balls on the break, but he did take three unintentional errors throughout his turn. Finishing this bunch, the Pearl Surfers' Boots does 15-ball with the silver cue. Boots had a good start but faded in the middle of the game, needing 30 shots without an error to complete the effort.

The third group leads off with Stonebridge Wolves rookie Hershey shooting 10-ball with the red cue. Hershey dazzled on this turn, getting a ball on the break and committing no errors in his 8 shots before a deflection off the 6 to pot the 10 in the bottom right went as planned. Pacific Volcanoes star Ms. Kitty follows that with her 10-ball game with the blue cue. Ms. Kitty did not have good fortune, scratching on the break for her first of four errors, and ending with 25 shots in a poor outing. Swordpoint Blades sophomore Bandit goes next in 10-ball with the silver cue. Bandit played well in this outing, despite the three errors and an empty break. Bandit would close the game in 18 shots, leaving the 10 near the bottom right for safety for most of the game. Oceanside Waves sophomore Celestia steps in next for 8-ball with the red cue. Celestia had an error on the break with her scratch, which was the only one in the game. She struggled with her shooting pace, ending in 21 shots, putting the event in temporary dormancy. The 15th game of the day goes to the Commerce Tradewinds' Lionel, who plays Rotation with the silver cue. Lionel shot well, but didn't make a ball on the break. He took three errors in the game, two on an intentional play, and ended with 26 shots.

Group four starts as the Archtown Arrows' Wild Thing plays 15-ball with the silver cue. Wild Thing went empty on the break, but saw a chance to put the 1-15 combination in play early, and after a handful of deflections, the 15 dropped in the top right to end his turn in 1 shot without an error. That's a tough act to follow for a rising star, as Whiskers makes her Maplewood Lumberjacks debut in 7-ball with the red cue. Whiskers took a couple of errors in her game, but she validated the breaking data for the event with a ball on the break among her 10 shots. Continuing along, Royal Crowns captain Nightfur shoots Rotation with the red cue. Nightfur had a deuces wild type of game, making two balls on the break, adding two errors intentionally to help it move along in the middle, and then finishing with 22 shots. The 19th player called to shoot today is Swordpoint Blades rookie Jason N., who does 10-ball with the silver cue. Jason had a bad break by any reasonable standard, but he didn't let it get to him, shooting well at both ends of the game to end in 15 shots and one error. Wrapping up the group, Web City Spiders sophomore Ted shoots Accuracy with the red cue as the 29th player to finish qualifying. Ted didn't get anything on the break, and his early shooting was rough, but he closed in 18 shots without an error on a strong finish, leaving him at 168 shots and 11 errors in total.

Batch five opens with Diamond Gems sophomore Rosalina using the blue cue in Rotation. Rosalina had an excellent performance, getting a ball on the break and commanding her shots well to end in 24 shots with only one accidental error. The Union rookie Kodiak returns for his 15-ball game now, using the blue cue. Kodiak put in a good performance with 26 shots in the game, taking only one error with intent and making a ball on the break to set the tone positively from the start. Moving along, Pearl Surfers co-captain Neopolitan plays 10-ball with the silver cue. Neopolitan put in a wonderful effort, making a ball on the break and taking no errors despite some tough shots, finishing with 13 shots in a strong game. The 24th game today belongs to Queens Flames rookie Briana Livilotti, who shoots Accuracy with the red cue as the 30th player to complete qualifying. Briana didn't get a ball on the break, then surged through the early shots before two scratches pushed her score to 20 shots, giving her totals of 149 shots and 10 errors. Rounding out the group, Capital City Sharpshooters rookie Pauline does 12-ball with the blue cue. Pauline had to get a bit creative after a successful break that dropped two balls. She needed better in her positioning and execution, but avoided errors and finished in 21 shots.

The sixth group gets going with Midland Predators sophomore Fuchsia shooting 15-ball with the silver cue. Fuchsia put in a wonderful performance, with a ball on the break and active shots that pushed the 15 to the edge of the top side, where a 5-15 combination formed to end her turn at 7 shots and no errors. Following that, Pacific Volcanoes veteran Leonette tries 15-ball with the silver cue as well. Leonette was less fortunate with distribution from an empty break, but she closed the effort in only 25 shots and took no errors in the process for a good game herself. The Swifts' Sweetheart gets the next game, her second of the day coming in 15-ball with the blue cue. Sweetheart was hardly better this time, going empty on the break and accumulating five errors in 34 shots, her form escaping her at the end of the game to let the score get out of hand. Trying to get things back on track, the Torpedoes' Whiskers plays her second game today in 8-ball with the silver cue, which will return the event back to dormancy. Whiskers did not solve the inflated scoring problem, getting a ball on the break but lacking crispness on her shots, which resulted in one error and 25 shots in the game. The 30th game of the day sees Freedom Cascades strongman Nikolai play 10-ball with the red cue. Nikolai didn't let an empty break and two errors distract him from his goal, and he finished in a strong 16 shots.

Group seven kicks off with Harrison Specters rookie Rudolph shooting Rotation with the silver cue. Rudolph made the best of a tough game, taking two errors after an empty break and finishing with a hard-fought 27 shots after a slight fade at the end. Torpedoes captain Smudge returns for the next game, using the blue cue in Accuracy as the 31st player to finish qualifying. Smudge went empty on the break and didn't miss again, taking no errors in her 15 shots. Smudge ends qualifiers with 174 shots and 15 errors in a rough campaign. The 33rd player drawn to shoot today is Stonebridge Wolves star Frosty, who plays 12-ball with the red cue. Frosty picked up nothing on the break, but did pretty well after that with a nice early surge and a finish at 18 shots after some well-played positioning on the last two balls, and she had no errors in the game. Next up, Golden Pilots veteran Strut plays 10-ball with the silver cue. Strut made a ball on the break, but he fell apart chasing the 9 later in the game, taking no errors but running his score up to 19 shots by the end. The group ends with Midland Predators captain Shawn playing 15-ball with the red cue. Shawn had a rough break that led to some of his errors, which numbered four by the end, but he got bailed out at 20 shots with a deflection off the 9 bumping the 15 to the top right.

The final group sees the Arrows' Wild Thing become the 32nd player done with qualifying as he shoots Accuracy with the blue cue. Wild Thing did alright, going empty on the break but finishing the effort in 19 shots, leaving his qualifying totals at 141 shots and 7 errors after none in this game. The 37th game of the day is the Tradewinds' Lionel, who returns to do 15-ball with the silver cue. Lionel dazzled in this performance, taking two balls on the break and never looking back in 21 shots without an error. Following that, Lighton Prestige newcomer Waluigi tries his hand at 9-ball with the silver cue. Waluigi couldn't get a ball on the break, and he took two errors as positioning also evaded him over the 18 shots he needed to finish the game. Next up, Everton Eagles star Blizzard shoots 15-ball with the red cue. Blizzard played quite well, making a ball on the break and cruising through the game in 21 shots with only one error. Finally, Freedom Cascades captain Jasmine plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Jasmine made a ball on the break and cleared the table in 18 shots without an error for a good finish to the game.

That's all for today. We hope the good times will continue tomorrow for the next day of action.