Tournament action is back on Memorial Day in the USA, with a standard set of games to be expected. We begin with...
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Brownie v. Snowball. A daughter hosts her own mother in 7-ball with the silver cue between Southwestern rivals. Tysini's Brownie needed a few turns to find her form, and Swordpoint's Snowball made no attack to stop her daughter. Brownie eventually picked up the win on a four-ball run-out, giving her a 1-0 series lead. The Blades' Snowball turned the tables in game 2, watching the Hummingbirds' Brownie have a decent start before shuttering that positivity with her own four-ball run-out. Snowball's late rally for the win tied the series at 1. Brownie had a chance at the win in game 3, but she missed the 5-7 combination, and Snowball converted it on the next shot to the bottom right. Snowball's timely pick-up gave her the 2-1 series win, sending her to Modernistic in the third round to face the Union captain Ms. Puppy.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Klaus v. Whiskers. Two talented players face off in Accuracy with the red cue. Atlantic's Klaus faltered early in game 1, allowing Maplewood's Whiskers to enjoy the lead for awhile. Whiskers couldn't hold on, and while she tried to force Klaus to miss at the end, the host held on for a 3-4 win to take a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Klaus made a ball on the break in game 2, and had some good shooting before falling apart in the middle of the game. The Lumberjacks' Whiskers briefly fell into a tie after missing the last ball, but Klaus had an inexplicably bad miss, and Whiskers finished ahead 4-5, tying the series at 1. Klaus kept himself in game 3 for awhile despite two early misses, but he fell apart at the end, and Whiskers never let up, winning 1-5 thanks to some fortunate deflections and bounces. Whiskers took the series 2-1 and will host the Diamond Gems' Citrus in the third round.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Mitchell v. Cleo. A rookie and a returnee play the blue cue's first series today in 12-ball. Harrison's Mitchell needed only three turns to win in game 1, a four-ball run on the middle turn doing plenty to stall Everton's Cleo. Mitchell picked up a 1-0 series lead after the good performance. The Eagles' Cleo was just as good, if not better in game 2, after the Specters' Mitchell gave away a wild-card ball on the break. Cleo made a three-ball run on her first turn, and then double-potted the 10-14 combination to the bottom right, with the 10 deflecting to the top side to secure the win. Cleo's miracle shot tied the series at 1. Mitchell and Cleo tangled early in game 3, with both trying to push themselves into position. Mitchell got a breakthrough with a three-ball run and his last ball on the edge of the required pocket. Cleo tried to pull off two banks in a row, but the first failed, and Mitchell made his tap-in to win, taking the series 2-1. Mitchell will host Swordpoint Blades sophomore Bandit in the third round.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Patches v. Marsell. The silver cue returns to the table for a 10-ball series. Boston's Patches left the 10 too close to the top right on an otherwise empty break in game 1, and Whitewater's Marsell deflected the cue off the 1, which went in the bottom right, to tap the 10 in for the win. Marsell's one-shot victory puts him ahead 1-0 in the series. The Shores' Marsell accidentally potted the 10 and scratched on the break, leading to a big run on the first turn for the Swifts' Patches in game 2. Patches' last two shots of the run were illegally potted balls before Marsell claimed possession, but his second turn didn't last long. Patches returned after Marsell missed on his second shot, making a three-ball run-out to tie the offensively-powered series at 1. Game 3 went much slower as the players turned to a defensive stance. Patches had the makings of a run going before she missed on the 6, and Marsell turned up the heat with a four-ball run-out to get the win. Marsell's hard push earned him a 2-1 series win and a visiting spot in the third round.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Nikolai v. Chicky Phil. The red cue will be done for the day after playing this 10-ball series. Game 1 went rather quickly after Freedom's Nikolai produced a good break. Both players made short runs, with a pair of shots by Pacific's Chicky Phil yielding to Nikolai making a three-ball run-out for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Chicky Phil had plenty of offense in game 2, getting a four-ball run to highlight the middle of the game before tapping in the 10 after the Cascades' Nikolai rattled it out of the bottom right. Chicky Phil's strong win tied the series at 1. Chicky Phil absolutely dominated in game 3, making a six-ball run from the break and a three-ball run from ball-in-hand after leaving Nikolai snookered for his first turn. Chicky Phil's only mistake was scratching as he made the 9, gifting Nikolai ball-in-hand for the 10, which Nikolai converted to take the series 2-1. Nikolai moves on, quite fortunately, to the third round.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Midnight v. Josie. A tough veteran takes on an equally tough rookie in Rotation with the silver cue. Westside's Midnight struck first on the break, but couldn't get free of Oceanside's Josie in the early going. Josie pulled ahead later on, and finished the game with a pair of shots to win 8-5, earning a 1-0 lead in the series. The Rockers' Midnight had to start from behind in game 2, and nearly pulled it off, but when she took a late lead, the Waves' Josie was there to answer. Josie did well on her final turn, a four-ball run-out to pull ahead for an 8-6 win that sealed the series at 2-0 in her favor. Josie and Midnight went back and forth in an exciting game 3 performance. Josie had a late surge to gain the lead briefly, but Midnight pulled back on a three-ball run, and then tapped in the 14 to the bottom right for the 8-6 win. Josie still took the series 2-1 on the strength of game 1, putting her into the third round.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Jeremias v. Cobalt. The silver cue stays in action for another 7-ball series. Royal's Jeremias had a pair of shots on his first turn and a three-ball run on his second in game 1, but he missed contact on the 6, and Stonebridge's Cobalt capitalized with a pair of shots of his own to grab the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Wolves' Cobalt didn't have a strong start in game 2, and when the Crowns' Jeremias started gaining steam, Cobalt could not stop him. Jeremias ultimately won on a three-ball run-out, tying the series at 1 with the impressive effort. Jeremias had some offense in game 3, but the play early on was spotty on both sides. Toward the end of the game, Jeremias missed a chance to build a run, and Cobalt struck on a three-ball run-out to take the win for a 2-1 series win. Cobalt will play on into the third round.
Ebay Center, Queens: Kyle v. Rudolph. Staying in the Southeast, the silver cue gets a look in 9-ball this time. Queens' Kyle made a ball on the break but also scratched to lead off game 1. Harrison's Rudolph attacked with a five-ball run, but Kyle struck back on a three-ball run-out for the win, giving the host a 1-0 series lead. Both players took a large step back in shot quality for game 2, with the worst instance of this being when the Specters' Rudolph missed a short-range shot on the 9. The Flames' Kyle, who arguably had the better performance, tapped it in, clinching the series at 2-0. Kyle had a four-ball run from the break, and then made the 9 on a deflection off the 7 on his second turn to claim the win and a 3-0 series sweep. Kyle will be the visitor at the Victoria Spurs' Strawberry in the third round.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Lexi Woode v. Melissa Benoist. The blue cue wraps up its day in 8-ball. Terrace City's Melissa worked up a lead for most of game 1, but it all crashed down when Harrison's Lexi found her shot late. Lexi pummeled a four-ball run-out, taking the win and a 1-0 series lead in the process. The Specters' Lexi had a better start with a ball on the break of game 2, but she couldn't supplement the attack, as the Knights' Melissa tore through a seven-ball run-out on her second turn to earn the win. Melissa's surge tied the series at 1. Melissa had a positive four-ball run in game 3, and got onto the 8 before a narrow miss at the bottom right. Her offense, however, did not match up well with the five-ball run by Lexi, who finished the game on a three-ball run-out with a tap-in on the 8. Lexi claimed the series 2-1, and will host a third round series.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Snowball v. Jake. The host takes a second series today against a club-mate, meeting in 10-ball with the silver cue. Swordpoint's Snowball did a lot of early offense in game 1, but she failed to pot the 10 off a deflection from the 3. Royal's Jake would take the 4 on a later turn, and then ripped a 5-10 combination to the top right to win, earning a 1-0 lead in the series. The Crowns' Jake had poorer attacking instincts on the 10 in game 2, scratching once and missing contact altogether on a later try. The Blades' Snowball had a bad shot right after Jake missed his trick play on the 10, but Snowball would grab the win on a tap-in after Jake's second error. Snowball's win tied the series at 1. Jake had some promising shots early in game 3, pacing the attack at first, but Snowball charged back late, making four of the last five balls with confidence to get the win and a 2-1 series win. Snowball will be the host in her third round series.
Ford Forum, Pronger: Precious v. Spice. Tenured captains clash in a series of Rotation, also using the silver cue. Pronger's Precious broke out on a six-ball run a few turns into game 1, establishing her offense quickly. Victoria's Spice fought back for awhile, nearly tying the game before Precious could close her 8-6 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Tridents' Precious had two balls on the break in game 2, and added two more double-pots on a four-ball run-out to shut out the Spurs' Spice 8-0. Precious threw the cue into the mixer on the first double, draining the 6 to the bottom right and the 8 to the top right, and then converted a 4-15 combination to the bottom left with the carom sinking the 14 at the bottom right. Precious looked fantastic in clinching the series at 2-0. Spice went off early in game 3 with a double-pot of the 1 to the top side and the 13-2 combination on a carom to the top right. Spice then ended with a double-pot, sending the 4 and 12 to the bottom right to earn an 8-2 win. Precious still won the series 2-1, and will visit the Everton Eagles' Kirstin in the third round.
Audi Hall, Terrace City: Kiwi v. Sally. The final series of the day is in Accuracy with the silver cue. Terrace City's Kiwi made a ball on a rather weak break in game 1, but also was the first to miss a shot. Archtown's Sally looked close to dropping into a tie, but actually got her Hail Mary shot to be a double-pot, and she stayed perfect in the 0-2 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Sally had some luck show up again in game 2, but it faded away at the end, causing overtime. The Knights' Kiwi had pinned Sally with the overtime break, and Sally went empty. Kiwi made a shot as needed to win 3-4, tying the series at 1 to set up the decisive finale. Sally had the early lead in game 3 again, but tried to use luck a few too many times. Sally fell apart with the game tied, and Kiwi eventually took the 3-5 win to secure the series at 2-1. It will be Kiwi visiting the Freedom Cascades' Nikolai in the third round.
That'll be all we've got today. We'll see more Tournament play tomorrow, with some game 3s to follow in Hutton Cup action in the afternoon.
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