2018 Qualifiers - Day 34

We're back with what should be the penultimate day of qualifying for the upcoming tournament. First up today...

Puff III of the Everton Eagles becomes the 144th player to finish qualifying this year, using the silver cue in Accuracy. Puff III had a tough start with an empty break and ugly first shot before rounding into form at 17 shots and no errors. Puff III's totals were 153 shots and 17 errors. The second game today goes to Boston Swifts newcomer Ice Cream, who plays Rotation with the blue cue. Ice Cream had a rocky start with some missed shots, taking three errors and an empty break to reach 29 shots in the end. Moving along, Web City Spiders captain Shadow shoots Rotation with the silver cue. Shadow assembled an excellent outing, taking a ball on the break and clearing the rack in 23 shots with only one early error for illegal contact involved. Up next, Royal Crowns rookie Cassie shoots 15-ball with the silver cue. Cassie had a bad break but made up for it with good shooting, taking only one error in 23 shots to complete the game on an 11-15 combination to the bottom right. Ending the group, the Atlantic Pirates sophomore Isabella plays Accuracy with the silver cue, the 145th player to finish qualifying. Isabella just went empty on the break, and she cleared the table in 18 shots with no errors for a score of 163 shots and 20 errors overall.

Group two opens with Eastside Sharks captain Graham playing Rotation with the red cue. Graham had nothing on the break but hardly took that as a knock, crashing through the rack in 21 shots with only one error. After that, Freedom Cascades newcomer Stripes shoots Rotation with the blue cue. Stripes didn't get a great distribution on her empty break, and she would need 30 shots with six errors, all intentional, to get through a tough game. The eighth game of the day is 15-ball with the blue cue as played by the Viewpoint Sound Meteors' Hoot. After an empty break, Hoot had work to do, but two errors and a mid-game surge helped him greatly, before a deflection off the 12 took the 15 to the bottom right to end his game at 24 shots. Americus of the Midland Predators takes the next game, using the red cue in Accuracy to finish qualifying 146th by time. Americus had an empty break, and while she didn't take any errors, she was slow to finish on 21 shots, putting her totals at 150 shots and 13 errors. Pacific Volcanoes newcomer Twinkie I closes the group with Accuracy and the blue cue, the 147th player done with qualifying. Twinkie I had a ball on the break but added an error for a scratch, finishing with 20 shots for totals of 147 shots and 14 errors.

The third group starts with Lighton Prestige newcomer Nicole finishing qualifying 148th in Accuracy with the silver cue. Nicole did well in this game if not many of her others, with 17 shots and no errors despite the empty break at the start. She had finals of 181 shots and 13 errors. Next up, the Cascades' Stripes returns for 15-ball with the silver cue. Stripes had a great game, making two balls on the break, taking only one error, and grabbing the 15 on a deflected shot off the 10 to the top side to end the game at 17 shots. Following that, Swordpoint Blades rookie Jason N. finishes a potentially record-setting qualifying season 149th, using the blue cue in Accuracy. Jason did not disappoint, making a ball on the break and finishing in 16 shots with no errors, for 105 shots and 4 errors in the likely top qualifying performance. Terrace City Knights captain Kiwi takes the 14th game of the day, playing Rotation with the silver cue. Kiwi had a chance at a good game, but the last four balls terrorized her, as her successful break went to waste with four errors over 37 shots for the game. Finishing the group, Kiwi returns for 15-ball with the red cue. Kiwi made three balls on the break and kept her errors down to two in this appearance, clearing the table in 23 shots this time.

Group four gets going as Maplewood Lumberjacks newcomer Whiskers plays 15-ball with the silver cue. Whiskers had an empty break in this one, and then needed 30 shots with three errors to get through the game, a difficult showing for the star player. Capital City Sharpshooters veteran Sprinkles goes next in 15-ball with the silver cue. Sprinkles had nothing on the break and five errors over the course of her 33 shots in a rather unappealing game to watch. Continuing along, Victoria Spurs rookie Sage tries to right the ship for the silver cue in another 15-ball game. Sage couldn't pot one on the break, but she did clean up the recent pace, taking only 27 shots with three errors in her appearance for a good effort. The Meteors' Hoot draws in for the 150th Accuracy game, leaving qualifying with the silver cue in hand. Hoot completed the appearance with no errors and one ball on the break, good for 16 shots in the game and 151 shots and 12 errors in total. The 20th game of the day is for Maplewood Lumberjacks veteran Bryant, who plays Rotation with the red cue. Bryant had a ball on the break, but also added four errors over 27 shots in the game, a mixed bag from this standpoint.

Batch five leads off with Tysini Hummingbirds newcomer Paps shooting 15-ball with the blue cue. Paps had to abandon any sense of honorable play to get the game done in a timely manner, taking 30 shots with nine errors by the end, all with intent. Up next, the Oceanside Waves sophomore Celestia puts 9-ball to an end with the red cue. Celestia had a tough game, ending at 18 shots and no errors after an empty break, putting the breaking numbers at 50/50 for the event. Moving along, Todavía Stills newcomer Prism steps in for Accuracy with the silver cue, the 151st player to complete qualifiers. Prism couldn't make anything on the break, needing 19 shots and one error to finish the game, while totaling 149 shots and 12 errors for all of her appearances. The 24th game of the day belongs to Pronger Tridents rookie Lize, who plays 15-ball with the silver cue. Lize took a ball on the break and managed to limit herself to one error before a 3-15 bank combination to the bottom side ended her game at 13 shots. Rounding out the group, Lize returns as the 152nd player to finish qualifying with the red cue in Accuracy. Lize had two balls on the break and played a very fast game, ending in 15 shots with no errors for totals of 152 shots and 7 errors, looking fully healthy and ready for the Tournament's start.

The sixth group begins as Atlantic Pirates sophomore Klaus plays 15-ball with the blue cue. Klaus had the 15 in his sights for most of the game, from the first of his three errors until he finally potted it off the 11 for a score of 32 shots. Continuing along, Spiders captain Shadow returns for 15-ball with the silver cue. Shadow came close to making a ball on the break, but settled for 30 shots and two errors instead, unable to make a surge at any point to help his game along. The 28th game of the day goes to Todavía Stills star Sierra, who plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Sierra made a ball on the break, and she did well from there, closing the game in 18 shots with no errors after some good positioning work. The Spiders' Shadow is back as the 153rd player to finish qualifying, using the red cue in Accuracy. Shadow had an unusually bad game, going empty on the break and taking two errors over 22 shots, which puts him at 153 shots and 9 errors overall. Wrapping up the group, the Lumberjacks' Whiskers finishes her qualifying 154th by time as she plays Accuracy with the red cue. Whiskers completed the game in 19 shots without an error despite the empty break, finishing with 155 shots and 14 errors in her qualifiers.

Group seven kicks off with Queens Flames captain Crystal playing Accuracy with the red cue as the 155th player to complete her qualifiers. Crystal also went empty on the break, and she had no errors in 16 shots, showing good shooting to finish at 182 shots and 18 errors in an otherwise rough qualifying year. After that, the Knights' captain Kiwi finishes her qualifying 156th in Accuracy with the silver cue. Kiwi had a ball on the break, but also took one error and struggled to find clear shooting lines among her 20 shots. Kiwi ended at 158 shots and 11 errors for all her games. The 33rd game today goes to Tysini Hummingbirds star Charli XCX, who plays Accuracy with the blue cue as the 157th player to finish qualifying. Charli's going to want this entire game back, as she had two errors for scratches and 26 shots in the game, for totals of 157 shots and 16 errors. Next up, the Hummingbirds' Paps keeps the Accuracy run going, the 158th player to finish qualifying using the blue cue in his last game. Paps needed only 17 shots without an error to get through his appearance, finishing the overall marks at 167 shots and 17 errors. At the back of the group, the Pirates' Klaus is the 159th player to finish qualifying, using the red cue in his Accuracy game. Klaus had an outstanding performance, getting a ball on the break and a double-pot with no errors to end at 14 shots. Klaus hit 164 shots and 9 errors overall.

The final group sees the Cascades' Stripes return for Accuracy, the 160th player done with qualifying, as she uses the red cue. Stripes went empty on her break, and while she started well, she faded late to end at 19 shots and no errors. Stripes had 157 shots and 15 errors overall. The 37th game of the day belongs to Spurs rookie Sage, who plays Accuracy with the red cue as the 161st player to complete qualifying. Sage did the best she could after a bad break, getting the rack cleared in 18 shots without an error. Sage ends with 151 shots and 12 errors in a decent first qualifying campaign. Sprinkles of the Sharpshooters will clock in as the 162nd player done with qualifying, taking the next Accuracy game with the red cue as well. Sprinkles came excruciatingly close to a ball on the break, settling for a finish in 17 shots with no errors for a total of 150 shots and 10 errors overall. Following that, Swordpoint Blades star Dreamy plays 15-ball with the silver cue. Dreamy struggled with nothing but the first of her seven errors on the break, the rest coming with intent as she cleared the table at 31 shots. Finally, Vincent Sullivan is the 163rd player to finish qualifying with this Accuracy game with the silver cue for the Viewpoint Sound Meteors. Vincent didn't get a ball on the break, and he took one early error, but still finished at 16 shots in the game, for overall totals of 131 shots and 14 errors.

Tomorrow will likely not be a full day of games, although it will come close. It is expected to be the final day of qualifying. There will be no league activity in terms of competition from December 30 to January 1 for data analysis and other behind the scenes work to prepare for the Tournament and cricket's United Cup.