2018 Qualifiers - Day 30

It's the last normal day for pool for awhile. We'll be taking tomorrow and Monday off, and qualifiers are currently expected to conclude on December 29. After that, we'll have one of the major administrative periods of the year, as well as the annual Qualifiers research post. Today, we begin with...

Southern Monarchs rookie Avril Lavigne playing Rotation with the silver cue. Avril had an excellent game, going empty on the break but clearing the table in 22 shots with only two errors in a clean outing. Next up, Tysini Hummingbirds star Leandra shoots Accuracy with the blue cue, the 89th player to finish qualifying. Leandra had a disappointing game, with nothing on the break and no errors but 21 shots, worse than the event average. She ends with 139 shots and 5 errors in an otherwise successful start to her campaign. Moving along, Golden Pilots captain Valencia shoots 15-ball with the red cue. Valencia left this game absolutely enraged, getting a lousy break and then needing 46 shots and five errors to complete the effort, the worst game of the year by a mile. Diamond Gems captain Smokey takes today's fourth game, playing Rotation with the red cue. Smokey took only 24 shots with three errors in a good bounce-back effort to restore league confidence. Wrapping up the group, Whitewater Shores rising star Marsell plays Accuracy with the red cue, the 90th player to finish qualifying, which means half of all players league-wide have finished. Marsell struggled at times, partially wasting the ball on the break by needing 21 shots with no errors to finish. He ends with totals of 164 shots and 15 errors.

Group two leads off with Eastside Sharks captain Graham playing 9-ball with the red cue. Graham got lucky after going on an empty break, getting mostly clear shots and good positioning to end the game with no errors in 12 shots. Infinity Torpedoes newcomer Fluffina is the 91st player to complete qualifying, using the red cue in Accuracy. Fluffina didn't make a ball on the break, but played an otherwise excellent game, needing only 16 shots with no errors to cap her scores at 133 shots and 9 errors overall. Following that, Diamond Gems sophomore Rosalina plays 15-ball with the red cue. Rosalina took a ball on the break, but she added four errors with short-term benefit and long term pain, as her poor finish gave her 30 shots for the game. The ninth player called to shoot today is Royal Crowns returnee Jeremias, who is the 92nd player done with qualifiers as he plays Accuracy with the blue cue. Jeremias didn't wow anyone with 22 shots and an empty break, the one positive being no errors. Jeremias finished at 155 shots and 14 errors overall. Rounding out the group, Lighton Prestige newcomer Nicole plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Nicole put up a bit of a rough game, missing more than she made at the side pockets. She had a ball on the break, but one error and 25 shots is not what she was looking for.

The third group opens with Klaus of the Atlantic Pirates doing 12-ball with the red cue. Klaus got two balls on the break and went with electric pace until the last ball, which required a lot of setup play, and his only error, to end the game in 18 shots. The 12th game today goes to Westside Rockers mainstay Goatee, who plays 12-ball with the red cue as well. Goatee also played well, getting a ball on the break and taking no errors in 17 shots to complete a successful outing. Up next, the Prestige's Nicole returns for Rotation with the red cue. Nicole didn't reverse course this time, taking four errors and an empty break for a score of 30 shots in another mediocre performance. Continuing along, Westside Rockers newcomer Cowzart plays 15-ball with the silver cue. Cowzart put in a good performance at first, but the empty break and four errors weighed him down later as he finished with 28 shots in the game. Closing the group, Modernistic Union rookie Kodiak tries Accuracy with the blue cue, the 93rd player done with qualifying. Kodiak needed 22 shots and somehow avoided errors after his empty break, finishing with 187 shots and 13 errors in an ugly start to his rookie year.

Batch four starts as Infinity Torpedoes sophomore Solaris shoots 12-ball with the red cue. Solaris had a ball on the break, but he also took his only error for an illegally potted ball on that shot. He ended with 22 shots, having to be a bit more patient to line up his final burst. Capital City Sharpshooters newcomer Lorde goes next, playing Accuracy with the red cue as the 94th player to finish qualifying. Lorde couldn't take advantage of a ball on the break, missing a ton of her shots to end with 25 shots, for totals of 166 shots and 19 errors. The 18th player of the day is Max of the Atlantic Pirates, who plays Accuracy with the blue cue, the 95th player done with qualifiers. Max didn't get a ball on the break, but he closed in 18 shots with only one error for a scratch. He had totals of 161 shots and 18 errors. After that, Dominic of the Southern Monarchs plays Rotation with the silver cue. Dominic took a big hit relative to his other games so far, needing four errors and 33 shots to complete this appearance. Finishing the group, Swordpoint Blades rookie Jason N. plays Rotation with the blue cue. Jason came close to making a ball on the break, but settled for just one error and 20 shots after going empty, a great game for the rookie gaining more attention with each appearance.

Group five gets going as Maplewood Lumberjacks returnee Gabe plays Accuracy with the silver cue, the 96th player done with qualifying. Gabe didn't quite make a ball on the break, and he did take one error for a scratch, but he ended the game in 19 shots and took overall numbers of 146 shots and 16 errors. The next player to shoot is Stealth of the Swordpoint Blades, who plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Stealth had a ball on the break, but he put another one of the same suit too close to the pocket, and he had to dig it out later, eating his only error and ending in 26 shots after some poor setup work at times. Next up, Web City Spiders captain Shadow plays 10-ball with the silver cue. Shadow made a good play to get a ball on the break, and then took only one error over 15 shots for the rest of the game. Continuing along, Central Warriors superstar Dustin plays 15-ball with the red cue. Dustin did get a ball on the break, and while he took three errors, he had enough good fortune to finish the game in 25 shots. The 25th player to shoot today is Pacific Volcanoes veteran Chicky Phil, who plays Accuracy with the blue cue, the 97th player to complete qualifying. Chicky Phil needed 20 shots with no errors and a ball on the break to get through the game, ending with 163 shots and 16 errors overall.

The sixth group is underway as the Monarchs rookie Avril Lavigne returns for 15-ball with the blue cue. Avril had an alright game, not quite getting anything on the break and then needing 28 shots to complete the effort after three errors. After that, Harrison Specters rookie Mitchell does Rotation with the red cue. Mitchell struggled immediately after an awful break, then cleaned up in the middle before fading to 28 shots and three errors for the game. Boston Swifts stalwart Gradley gets the next game, playing Accuracy with the silver cue as the 98th player to finish qualifying. Gradley didn't get a ball on the break and showed a flash of anger at his failed first shot, but he closed things out in 16 shots, never missing again. Gradley scored 138 shots and 7 errors in his games. The 29th game of the day goes to Katharine McPhee, the Whitewater Shores rookie, who plays Accuracy with the blue cue as the 99th player to finish qualifying. Katharine was also denied a ball on the break, ending with 20 shots and one error for illegal contact with a ball at rest. Katharine finished with 166 shots and 14 errors. At the back of the group, Maplewood Lumberjacks newcomer Whiskers plays 10-ball with the blue cue. Whiskers had a ball on the break, and then made it an even better game by potting the 3-10 combination to the top right to end in 5 shots without an error.

Group seven kicks off with Boston Swifts mainstay Sweetheart, who plays Accuracy with the silver cue, the 100th player to finish qualifying. Sweetheart had 18 shots after making two balls on the break, and with no errors. She finished at 198 shots and 17 shots in likely the worst qualifying set this year. The Capital City Sharpshooters veteran Sprinkles closes the book on 8-ball here, using the silver cue for this appearance. Sprinkles struggled in this one as well, taking 28 shots and no errors after an empty break as she tries to catch up with the pack. The 33rd player drawn to shoot today is the Monarchs' Dominic, who returns for 15-ball with the silver cue. Dominic didn't have a good game, getting nothing on the break and needing 35 shots with five errors after a horrendous start. Moving along, the Torpedoes' Solaris comes back for Rotation with the silver cue. Solaris couldn't get a clear shot, turning to deviant errors, taking eight with intent among his 33 shots to get through the game anywhere remotely close to an acceptable score. Ending the group, Pronger Tridents rookie Lize does Rotation with the blue cue. Lize had nothing on the break and took only one error but still ended at 32 shots, unable to corral some mid- and long-range shots.

The final group is fronted by the Sharks' captain Graham, who returns for 10-ball with the red cue. Graham went empty on the break, and he took his only error with a scratch, but he finished in 7 shots on a 4-7-10 combination to the top right. The 37th game of the day belongs to Pacific Volcanoes star Ms. Kitty, who shoots Rotation with the blue cue. Ms. Kitty had a ball on the break and took all three of her errors very early in the game, but she still finished at 27 shots, struggling from the 10 onward. Up next, the Lumberjacks' Whiskers is back for 12-ball with the silver cue. Whiskers made two brutal errors for illegally potted balls, and with an empty break at the start, she needed 26 shots to clear the table legally. After that, the Royal Crowns' Cassie shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Cassie couldn't get a ball on the break, and she had three errors before getting bailed out with a 6-10 combination to the top side to end in 14 shots. Finally, the Freedom Cascades' Stripes shoots 12-ball with the blue cue. Stripes made two balls on the break and took no errors in her game, finishing at a solid 19 shots.

That's all for today. Qualifiers resume with a special session on Sunday, while Premier cricket ends tomorrow afternoon.