We're back on a Monday to continue the final stretch of the second round. First up today is...
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Pounce v. Rudolph. The red cue takes the lead-off series, playing Accuracy. Southern's Pounce looked great in game 1, making a ball on the break and playing near-perfect on his shots. Harrison's Rudolph fell behind quickly and never had a chance to come back, as Pounce won 1-4 to take a 1-0 series lead. The Monarchs' Pounce again made a ball on the break in game 2, and he carried a significant lead late in the game before crumbling. The Specters' Rudolph briefly challenged Pounce, but Pounce secured his win in the end at 3-5 to clinch the series at 2-0. Pounce actually had the first miss in the game 3, but when Rudolph tried to pin Pounce late in the game, Pounce turned the tables on him to get a 2-4 win to make it a 3-0 series sweep. Pounce will host the Freedom Cascades captain Jasmine in the third round.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Marsell v. Neopolitan. The red cue stays in action for a 9-ball series. Whitewater's Marsell took one of the oddest wins in league history in game 1, as Pearl's Neopolitan made the 9 on a carom from the cue after a miss on the 3, but she also accidentally displaced the 8 with her hand on the follow-through. By the rules, Marsell took the win for an illegal shot on the target ball by Neopolitan, and Marsell leads the series 1-0. The Surfers' Neopolitan played cleaner in game 2, although the Shores' Marsell did carry a majority of the possession. Marsell had a three-ball run over the middle of the game, but Neopolitan struck back with the last two shots for the win, tying the series at 1. Neopolitan picked up the pace in game 3 with a four-ball run after a slow start, but she missed on the 6, and Marsell buried a three-ball run-out for the win and a 2-1 series win. Marsell will advance to the third round.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Fluffina v. Boots. Another 9-ball series for the red cue sees these two stars collide. Infinity's Fluffina had a ball on a sloppy break, and then backed it up with a five-ball run-out ending in a 5-9 combination to the top right after Pearl's Boots couldn't get her offense going. Fluffina owns a 1-0 series lead with the dominant win. The Torpedoes' Fluffina again dominated the offense in game 2, but she gave the win away to the Surfers' Boots by scratching while converting the 3-9 combination to the bottom right. Boots took the gift to tie the series at 1. Boots then built upon that gift in game 3, using a foul by Fluffina to gain ball-in-hand for the 1, which then set up a 2-9 combination to the top right for the win. Boots took the series at 2-1, the comeback sending her to a third round road series in Golden against Pilots captain Valencia. Fluffina is the 8th player to exit the Tournament, and Boots has her first kill.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Gabe v. Summer. An all-Lumberjacks series will be done after the lunch break, played in 12-ball with the silver cue. Summer started with a three-ball run in game 1, but she gave away a wild-card ball to Gabe, who then made a three-ball run of his own. From here, Gabe had far better positioning, leading him to a runaway win for the 1-0 series lead. Gabe took a lead after Summer scratched on her first turn of game 2, but Summer would soon follow. With three balls each left and the same pockets required, Gabe orchestrated a three-ball run to beat Summer's strong positioning for the win. Gabe clinched the series at 2-0 with the smart play. Gabe didn't have much in game 3, and he completely lost his chance to catch up when he gave Summer a wild-card ball. Summer didn't need the flexibility, making her last shot two turns later after a good set-up touch. Gabe did win the series at 2-1, and will host a member of his former team, the Infinity Torpedoes' Mr. Snowman, in the third round.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Chelsea. Experienced players resume after the break in 10-ball with the silver cue. Central's Twilight dominated in game 1, working a five-ball run from the break after Eastside's Chelsea deferred possession. Twilight then took three out of the last five shots, including two at the end to get the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Twilight had a six-ball run from the game 2 break, staying clean this time. Twilight had some troubles at the end of the game, but the Sharks' Chelsea missed her bank on the 10, and Twilight buried it to the bottom right to secure the series at 2-0. Twilight was not as sharp in game 3, but she still had a majority of the offense. Chelsea had a chance to win, but hit her shot at the 10 too lightly, and Twilight made a tap-in to take the series in a 3-0 sweep. Twilight will visit the Victoria Spurs' Strawberry in the third round.
Sprint Hall, Victoria: Wario v. Nicole. A Southwestern Derby kicks off seven straight series with the blue cue in this 8-ball battle. Lighton's Nicole had all the luck in game 1, watching many of the early shots from Victoria's Wario fail while all of hers went in. Wario made a late three-ball run, but Nicole measured a tap on the 8 to the to left to get the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Wario saw his luck correct itself in game 2, as many more of his shots went down. He led the Prestige's Nicole for much of the game, but she made it close at the end until Wario put in a three-ball run-out for the win to tie the series at 1. Wario had his moments in game 3, but Nicole made a deeper run to get onto the 8, and Wario couldn't counterattack in time to save the game. Nicole put the 8 past Wario's attempt at defense, earning the win for a 2-1 series win. Nicole will visit the Eastside Sharks' Graham in the third round.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Easter. Two of Delila Enterprises' best tangle in Rotation. Archtown's Ruby didn't have the best break in game 1, but she rallied with a four-ball run-out on her final turn, one turn after taking the lead away from Todavía's Easter. Ruby took the win at 8-2, good for a 1-0 series lead. The Stills' Easter didn't play as quickly or simply as the Arrows' Ruby in game 2, but Easter did take an early lead and hold Ruby off. Easter got a bit of help when Ruby fouled, leading Easter to the 8-2 win to tie the series at 1 game apiece. Ruby had to fight off two surges of offense from Easter in game 3, the first fairly early and the second in response to Ruby's first attack. Ruby succeeded, making four balls over her last two turns to earn the 8-6 win for the 2-1 series win. Ruby will host the Boston Swifts' Ice Cream in the third round.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Roxy v. Cubby. Back in 8-ball, future club-mates and Eastern Hills rivals meet for a series. Eastside's Cubby had a slightly better start in game 1, but Freedom's Roxy stayed close and made it a choppy game. Neither player developed any big runs, but Roxy potted her shots with more urgency and took the win for a 1-0 series lead when Cubby fell flat late in the game. The Cascades' Roxy had a four-ball run to get a bit deeper into game 2, but found herself quickly overwhelmed by shorter runs from the Sharks' Cubby, who used a three-ball run-out to win the game. Cubby's win tied the series at 1. Roxy had Cubby on the ropes in game 3, but she was too cautious around the 8, settling three times for contact plays before missing at the top right. Cubby, meanwhile, roared back with a three-ball run and a four-ball run-out to poach the win and the 2-1 series win. Cubby will visit the Swordpoint Blades rookie Jason N. in the third round.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Diddley v. Gradley. Two historically strong veterans duel in 15-ball in this series. Maplewood's Diddley started fairly well in game 1, but Boston's Gradley had a short run early on, and threatened the 15 multiple times. Diddley got aggressive on the 7, and the play failed, as Gradley got positioning to sink the 7-15 combination at the bottom side for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Lumberjacks' Diddley had a much better offense in game 2, swarming around the Swifts' Gradley rather easily. Diddley worked a five-ball run toward the end of the game, but found himself short on a kick on the 15 to the bottom right. Gradley made the tap-in to poach the win, sealing the series at 2-0. Gradley had a five-ball run in game 3, a productive attack to hold off some of Diddley's better stuff from early on. Gradley had troubles with the 14, but when he got to the 15, he buried it quickly to sweep Diddley 3-0 in the series. Gradley hosts a Southeastern rival in the third round when the Queens Flames' Hannah comes to town.
Subway Arena, Stonebridge: Cobalt v. Sage. A sophomore takes on a rookie in 12-ball as the blue cue's streak of series continues. Victoria's Sage navigated the rack in game 1 quite effectively, with an early four-ball run pacing her attack, and a pair of shots at the end to take the win. Stonebridge's Cobalt had nothing after the break as Sage went ahead 1-0 in the series. The Wolves' Cobalt bounced back pretty well in game 2, getting an early four-ball run himself to set the tone. Cobalt's positioning stayed strong, and he beat the Spurs' Sage two turns later to tie the series at 1 with his win. Sage pulled herself together in game 3, although both players exchanged wild-card balls in the game. Sage had the inside edge toward the end of the game, but Cobalt erased the deficit just before missing contact on his last ball. Sage then buried her shot for the win and a 2-1 series win. Sage will visit fellow rookie Katharine of the Whitewater Shores in the third round.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Jennifer Livilotti. Back in 8-ball, the host plays her second series today. Central's Twilight got a cheap win on the second shot of game 1, as Terrace City's Jennifer made a 4-2 combination to the top right but saw the carom bump the 8 into the bottom right illegally. Twilight leads the series 1-0. The Knights' Jennifer continued to see long rolls for herself toward the bottom right, twice working in her favor and twice against her in game 2. The Warriors' Twilight made a good effort, pulling even after Jennifer had a scratch, but Jennifer walked away in the end with a three-ball run-out to tie the series at 1. Jennifer had a mediocre break in game 2, and she couldn't piece a go-ahead run together to stall Twilight at all. Twilight's hot start and a four-ball run-out spelled a victory, and a 2-1 series win as well, with Twilight set to host Modernistic Union rookie Kodiak in the third round.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Charli XCX v. Vladimir Vasilyev. Today's final series is 15-ball for the blue cue. Tysini's Charli had the better of play in game 1 by a small margin, and she picked up the last two shots to beat Stonebridge's Vladimir for the win and a 1-0 series lead in an otherwise unimpressive game for both sides. The Hummingbirds' Charli had a more clear majority of possession in game 2, aided by a five-ball run, but the later shots proved difficult to convert. The Wolves' Vladimir ended up with the win when he rattled the 15 out of the top right and into the bottom side to tie the series at 1. Charli continued to have the better of play in game 3, working a couple of short runs, but late mistakes cost her again, as Vladimir pulled himself away with a shot on the 15 to the top side. Vladimir won the series 2-1, and will play on into the third round.
That's all for today. We'll be back with an afternoon start tomorrow.
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