We're back on a Sunday with a new day of Tournament action. We begin with...
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Acorn v. Mario. A longtime captain starts the day off against a sophomore in 12-ball with the blue cue. Lighton's Acorn managed to pick up the win in game 1, working a four-ball run early and a pair of shots late after positioning well enough to hold off Central's Mario on his last ball. Acorn leads the series at 1-0. The Warriors' Mario looked a little more confident in game 2 until the Prestige's Acorn knocked in an unexpected four-ball run. This put Mario into a defensive position, and while he managed to get down to his last ball, Acorn was faster to capitalize on Mario's vanishing defense. Acorn's win puts him at a 2-0 series lead. Acorn put more pressure on in game 3, making two on the break before scratching. Mario had good positioning for a four-ball run, but couldn't get deeper than that. Acorn made his last five balls over two turns to get the win, sealing the series at 3-0. Mario had his best start in game 4, pushing immediately against a slightly reduced attack from Acorn. Mario got derailed by a scratch, never finding clear positioning as Acorn picked off his last three shots patiently to get another win for a 4-0 series lead. Mario had two balls in good position near the end of game 5, but he couldn't make both of them, losing his patience in a frustrating finish. Acorn would poke a three-ball run, and then eventually make his last ball to the top side for the win and 5-0 series sweep, sending him to a hosting position in the bracket quarterfinals. Mario is the 23rd player out of this year's Tournament, and he is Acorn's first kill as well.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Shadow v. Sparkles. Two veterans are set to battle after the lunch break in 9-ball with the blue cue. Golden's Sparkles didn't do much in game 1, letting Web City's Shadow set the tone on offense. Shadow dropped off at the end, and Sparkles converted the 8-9 bank combination to the bottom right for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Shadow played with more of an edge to his game in game 2, causing him to rattle a couple of shots out. The Pilots' Sparkles stayed composed, but couldn't make the 9 at the end, allowing Shadow to tie the series at 1 as he potted it in the bottom side for the win. Both players looked good in game 3, each working a three-ball run near the end of the game. Sparkles had the win in her hands when she cut the 9 to the top right, but she scratched at the bottom side to gift Shadow the win and 2-1 series lead. Sparkles had a pair of three-ball runs in game 4, but a foul while making the 6 made it realistic for Shadow to finish the game. He failed to, missing the 9 at the bottom side, which Sparkles cleaned up at the top left for the win to retie the series at 2. Sparkles had some good shots in game 5, but not enough to stall Shadow in the end, as he made a bank on the 8 to the bottom right and a cut on the 9 to the top right to take the win and 3-2 series win. Shadow will be on the road in the bracket quarterfinals. Sparkles is the 24th player to exit this year's Tournament, and Shadow now has his first kill.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Lorde v. Max. Players on new teams take us out of the break in 12-ball with the silver cue. Capital City's Lorde made a pair of balls on the game 1 break, but went empty from that point on. Atlantic's Max had to find positioning, but he ended with a pair of shots to get the win for a 1-0 series lead after a strong outing. The Sharpshooters' Lorde had an impressive game 2, waiting until her third turn to strike for a six-ball run-out after using the earlier ones for positioning. The Pirates' Max had no choice but to watch as Lorde got the win, tying the series at 1. Lorde continued to play a threatening style in game 3, pushing on Max very early on. Lorde did get slowed by a scratch, but Max couldn't make anything of it, and Lorde won with a pair of clean shots to take a 2-1 series lead. Max started game 4 with strength, and used solid defense at the top left to hold off a later counterattack from Lorde. Both players slowed down with a scratch, but Max recovered faster to sink a pair of shots at the end of the game for the win, retying the series at 2. Max had an error early in game 5, leading Lorde to work another six-ball run-out on her first turn this time, enough to clinch the series at 3-2. Lorde will host the Terrace City Knights' Jennifer in the bracket quarterfinals. Lorde recorded her first kill of the year, making Max the 25th player eliminated from the Tournament.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Diddley v. Beth. A captain takes on a returning veteran in 7-ball, also using the silver cue. Game 1 started pretty evenly until Pearl's Beth made illegal contact while aiming at the 2. Maplewood's Diddley ignited a five-ball run-out from this, picking up the win and 1-0 series rather easily. The Lumberjacks' Diddley dominated in game 2, making a pair from the break and then a four-ball run-out capped by a double-rail bank on the 7 to the top side to go up 2-0 against the Surfers' Beth. Diddley changed styles for game 3, employing more defensive positioning after a weak break. Beth couldn't break down the defense very well, making only a couple of shots before Diddley took a pair of shots to win the game. Diddley will advance after moving to 3-0 in the series. Beth had her best effort of the series in game 4, making a three-ball run over the middle. Her miss on the 6 proved costly late in the game, as Diddley made the final pair of shots to extend his series lead to 4-0. Diddley couldn't complete the sweep in game 5, missing contact on the 5 that helped Beth make a three-ball run-out to poach a win. Diddley did have a 4-1 series win, and will visit a club-mate, the Modernistic Union captain Ms. Puppy, for a bracket quarterfinals series.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Rosemary v. Shadow. A rookie hosts a borderline legendary captain in 15-ball with the silver cue. Web City's Shadow had some shaky play early in game 1, but he settled down, countering a three-ball run by Commerce's Rosemary with a four-ball run-out of his own to get the win. Shadow leads the series 1-0. The Tradewinds' Rosemary learned from her mistakes in game 2, keeping things close with the Spiders' Shadow at first and then converting an eight-ball run-out when the chance presented itself. Rosemary's big finish tied the series at 1. Quick and choppy runs defined a quick game 3, with Rosemary pacing the play early on before she watched Shadow make the last five balls over two turns for the win. Shadow regained the series lead at 2-1. Rosemary kept herself in good favor in game 4, battling with Shadow in an ugly start to the game before making seven of the last eight balls, including a four-ball run-out for the win. Rosemary has retied the series again at 2 games apiece. Rosemary wouldn't get discouraged by the pattern of the series, employing the same strategy in game 5 and getting a three-ball run and four-ball run-out on consecutive turns to defeat Shadow for the 3-2 series win. Rosemary will visit the Freedom Cascades veteran and her club-mate Roxy in the bracket quarterfinals.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Cleo v. Goldy. A pair of Eagles teammates will put on a show for their home fans, playing as club rivals instead in this Rotation series using the red cue. Cleo started with a four-ball run on her second turn, but Goldy fired back with a five-ball run to take the lead. Cleo did tie it again, but after some troubles on the 10, Goldy won 8-5 with a three-ball run-out. Goldy leads the series 1-0. Cleo wasted no time in trying again, using a six-ball run to grab a game 2 lead. Goldy didn't have a clever counterattack this time, and Cleo eventually won 8-2 to tie the series at 1 game apiece. Neither player could build a big run in game 3, instead opting for a choppy start. Cleo began to pull away around the middle of the rack, and when Goldy scratched, Cleo took the last shot to win 8-4, putting her ahead 2-1 in the series. Goldy would not go quietly, making a five-ball run early in game 4. Cleo pulled back over two turns, and nearly got the win on a five-ball run, but she scratched as she potted the 14. Goldy took it from ball-in-hand on the next shot, winning 8-7 to retie the series at 2. Goldy never had a chance in game 5, getting buried by Cleo's defensive positioning. Cleo stalled until the offense came around, then charged to an 8-1 win to secure the series at 3-2. Cleo will be the Eagles' representative on the road in the bracket quarterfinals. This did result in friendly fire, as Goldy is the 26th player to exit this year's tournament at the hands of Cleo in her first kill.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Jack v. Chicky Phil. Two journeymen players meet in 15-ball with the silver cue. Web City's Jack started and ended game 1 with a pair of shots, sandwiching a rough middle patch in which neither he nor Pacific's Chicky Phil could find easy offense. Jack's strong finish gave him a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Jack didn't have much offense in game 2 at all, allowing a six-ball run by the Volcanoes' Chicky Phil. Later on, Chicky Phil made a three-ball run, but missed on the 15, which Jack tapped to the bottom side for the win to push ahead to a 2-0 series lead. The offense dropped to pitiful levels in game 3, as neither player had an important run until Jack's five-ball stretch near the end of the game. Chicky Phil had a chance to poach the 15 for a win, but he missed badly, and Jack buried it to secure the series at 3-0. Chicky Phil picked up the game 4 win out of virtually thin air, converting a surprising 6-15 kick combination to the bottom right that even stunned Jack. The series is now at 3-1 in Jack's favor. Game 5 looked to be going slowly for awhile as well, but Chicky Phil picked up a five-ball run to make things interesting. Jack answered on a four-ball run-out, denying the visitor another win as Jack goes on to win the series 4-1 to earn his bracket quarterfinals spot. Jack took his first kill of the year to make Chicky Phil the 27th eliminated player in this Tournament.
Subway Arena, Stonebridge: Cobalt v. Cassie. Inexperienced players get the silver cue in hand for their 7-ball series. Stonebridge's Cobalt punished Royal's Cassie for a scratch on her only shot in game 1, as Cobalt then made the 1-7 combination from ball-in-hand for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Cassie bounced back as the Wolves' Cobalt wasted most of his possession in game 2. Cassie charged at the end, making a four-ball run-out to cover up her two earlier errors. The win tied the series at 1. Cobalt wouldn't stay down for long, controlling at the end of game 3 with five balls over his last two turns to regain a 2-1 series lead over a weak effort from Cassie. In game 4, Cassie led off with a five-ball run on her first turn, but she couldn't pot another ball. Cobalt scrapped with Cassie for awhile before making the final pair he needed to seal the series at 3-1 with the win. Cobalt started with a pair of shots on his second turn and won with a three-ball run-out, making it a 4-1 series win over Cassie in the end. Cobalt is set to be the visitor in a Rivalry series in the bracket quarterfinals.
Sprint Hall, Victoria: Yekaterina Vasilyeva v. Beth. The silver cue continues its day-ending burst with this 10-ball series. Victoria's Yekaterina started quietly in game 1, lulling Pearl's Beth into a false sense of security. When Beth made a mid-game error, Yekaterina struck for a five-ball run-out to get the win and 1-0 series lead. The Surfers' Beth put up a three-ball run early in game 2, and then made a three-ball run-out with a deflected shot off the 6 to pot the 10 in the bottom right after the Spurs' Yekaterina failed to produce any counterattack. This win by Beth tied the series at 1. Yekaterina tried to bounce back early in game 3, but the effort was short-lived. Beth paced the attack mostly, save for a late three-ball run from Yekaterina. Beth answered that with a pair of shots for the win and a 2-1 series lead. Beth started strong in game 4 as well, putting Yekaterina under significant pressure. Yekaterina broke out at the end of the game for a four-ball run-out, her win retying the series at 2 in dramatic fashion. Yekaterina made a critical mistake when she had illegal contact on the 10 in game 5. Beth used her second turn from ball-in-hand to pot the 2-10 combination to the top right for the win and a 3-2 series win that sends her to the bracket quarterfinals.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Dusty v. Snowball. Legends from the early era of Tournament play provide today's final series, 12-ball with the silver cue. Golden's Dusty struck first in a nearly even game 1. Swordpoint's Snowball pulled ahead at times, but Dusty was just that one step ahead from the start, earning a close win for a 1-0 series lead. The Pilots' Dusty started well again in game 2 with a three-ball run. Most of the rest of her game was positioning, while the Blades' Snowball caught up and got down to her last ball. Snowball couldn't corral the 9 to the top side, allowing Dusty to make her last two shots for another win and the 2-0 lead in the series. Snowball took game 3 by the horns with a five-ball run, which Dusty soon answered with a three-ball run. Snowball was able to make her last ball this time, but scratched while doing so, and Dusty never gave her another chance, converting a three-ball run-out for the win to seal the series at 3-0. Dusty had to play defensively in game 4, shutting down the top right to prevent Snowball from making a breakout run. Dusty did well enough with this that when she had to take the defense away, Snowball was unable to capitalize, and Dusty made her last ball from ball-in-hand to the top left to move ahead 4-0 in the series. Dusty again started well in game 5, a trademark of her series performance, but Snowball stayed a little closer this time, and won a battle on the last ball by banking her 2 to the top side for the win. Dusty will take a 4-1 series lead as her ticket to the bracket quarterfinals.
That's all for today. We're aiming for 50 games again tomorrow and Tuesday, followed by a 40-game Wednesday to bring the round to half-completion.
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