We're back for what's shaping up to be a full day of games again as the Bracket Quarterfinals reach their final week. First up...
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Nikolai v. Vincent Sullivan. The red cue gets the first look today, playing 10-ball. Freedom's Nikolai made a pair of balls on the break, but game 1 went slowly after that. Neither player started out comfortable, and it took awhile before Viewpoint Sound's Vincent rattled off a four-ball run-out for the win and a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 arguably played out even worse, as the lack of runs persisted. Neither player took control of the game, and frustrations began to show at the end before the Cascades' Nikolai made a long cut on the 10 for the win to tie the series at 1 despite his otherwise poor shooting. The Meteors' Vincent looked sharper in game 3 with a four-ball run and a pair of shots after that, but he scratched while making the 6. Nikolai took over with ball-in-hand on the 10, taking the win after potting three balls on the break. Nikolai is up 2-1 in the series. Vincent refused to go down without a fight, making the first five balls in game 4, and then pushing Nikolai around in the latter half of the game. Nikolai ended up botching his shot on the 10, and Vincent buried it for the win, retying the series at 2. Nikolai had to play for contact for much of game 5, and this didn't work so well for his style. Vincent cherished the moment, converting a 4-10 combination to the bottom side for the win, which gave him a 3-2 series win. Vincent will advance in a visiting role to the bracket semifinals.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Steven v. Patches. The silver cue is set to finish its 8-ball for the round with this series. Atlantic's Steven had a decent break in game 1, but it didn't work out for him later. Boston's Patches got onto the 8 with a six-ball run before settling for a contact play. Steven countered on a four-ball run, but Patches took the 8 on her next turn, earning a 1-0 series lead. The Swifts' Patches didn't have a good break in game 2, leading to a choppy battle with the Pirates' Steven. Late in the game, Steven had a pair of scratches, but Patches was unable to capitalize on them, giving up possession with missed contact. Steven then pushed forward on a four-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 1. Steven played with a reckless aggression late in game 3, making a four-ball run with two instances of collateral damage to get onto the 8. Patches took full advantage of the freebies, working a three-ball run-out on her next turn for the win to retake the series lead at 2-1. Steven had a good offense in game 4, countering a four-ball run from Patches with his own three-ball run, but he twice missed on the 8, and Patches eventually rallied back to win with a three-ball run-out, clinching the series at 3-1 in the process. Patches had a tougher time making her shots in game 5, while Steven moved efficiently through clusters, holding a lead the whole game and making it count when he put down the 8. Patches won the series 3-2, and will visit the Infinity Torpedoes' Shelley in the bracket semifinals. Steven is the 88th eliminated player, giving Patches her second kill this year. This is also the end of the Atlantic Pirates Tournament season as a team.
Audi Hall, Terrace City: Quincy v. Twilight. After the break, the red cue returns to play a 9-ball series. Central's Twilight came to play in game 1, finding a four-ball run in the middle and then beating Terrace City's Quincy with a pair of shots at the end. Twilight owns a 1-0 series lead early on. The Warriors' Twilight scuffled a bit to start game 2, giving a little confidence to the Knights' Quincy as he made a three-ball run. After another slow patch in the middle of the game, Twilight went off for a four-ball run-out, the big finish helping her push her series lead to 2-0. Twilight got a bit more aggressive in game 3, pushing her shots harder as she tried to pin Quincy in. This didn't work out, as Quincy escaped with a three-ball run-out at the end, kicking the 9 to the bottom side for the win, which cuts Twilight's series lead to 2-1. Quincy refused to back down in game 4, beginning with a three-ball run and then taking half of the remaining shots to pick up the win when Twilight couldn't find the 9 on a tough cut. Quincy's persistent attack tied the series at 2 with this win. Quincy struck again with a slower game 5, capitalizing when Twilight double-potted the 6 and 7 but also scratched. Quincy tapped in the 8 and cut the 9 from the ensuing ball-in-hand, easily taking the win for a 3-2 series win. Quincy will host the North Modernistic Nighthawks' Cheddar in the bracket semifinals as an Urban Derby.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Brownie v. Bianca. The blue cue plays its only series today to complete its 10-ball obligations for the round. Tysini's Brownie had the better of offense in game 1, but after a long fight on the 6, it took awhile to appear. Brownie beat Southridge's Bianca with a four-ball run-out, good for a 1-0 series lead after the win. The Hummingbirds' Brownie again got to pace the offense in game 2, while the Defenders' Bianca stumbled over some of her shots. Bianca had two instances of light contact, and one double-tapped shooting foul, all eventually leading to Brownie taking the last two shots for the win and a 2-0 series lead. Bianca finally showed some urgency in game 3, attacking with pace and blowing right by Brownie on a late six-ball run-out. Bianca's burst of offense earned her a win to cut the series to 2-1. Bianca didn't have much offense in game 4, watching as Brownie made a six-ball run to start this time. Bianca battled back at the end, taking the win after all with a pair of shots after Brownie couldn't add a supporting run. Bianca's win ties the series at 2. Bianca pulled off the full comeback despite not having much of the offense in game 5, answering runs of four and three balls by Brownie with a cut on the 10. Bianca took the series 3-2 with this win, and will face her Defenders teammate Stephanie in the bracket semifinals. Bianca is joining the league leaders for kills at 3, with Brownie now the 89th player eliminated.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Misty v. Patches. The red cue is set to finish its Accuracy for the round when these two captains clash. Westside's Misty got the better of a difficult game 1, staying even at first before locking down with the lead. Boston's Patches spiraled a bit in the middle, but looked sharp at the end of Misty's 2-5 win, which gives the host a 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Misty played to perfection for most of game 2, but fell apart toward the end. Lucky for Misty, the Swifts' Patches wasn't able to capitalize on these late mistakes, and Misty managed to take a 3-4 win this time, extending her lead in the series to 2-0. Misty kept herself and her team in the Tournament in game 3, winning a back-and-forth battle with Patches by a 3-4 score again to clinch the series at 3-0. Misty didn't have her best, but when Patches missed twice in a row late, Misty was able to take the definitive win. Patches avoided the sweep with a cleaner performance in game 4, outlasting a shaky comeback attempt from Misty to grab the 2-3 win. Misty remains ahead by a 3-1 lead in the series. Patches and Misty combined for a sloppy game 5 with the series already decided. Patches eventually scratched on a difficult last ball, allowing Misty to win 5-6, which pushes her series lead to 4-1. Misty will visit the Pronger Tridents rookie Lize in the bracket semifinals.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Ice Cream v. Juno. The red cue stays in action as the other remaining Swift hosts a 12-ball series. Boston's Ice Cream scratched on the game 1 break, giving Stonebridge's Juno an easy start. Juno took a moderate pace but still blew by Ice Cream for the win and 1-0 series lead with a confident offense. The Wolves' Juno made illegal contact on her first shot after the break after getting the suits confused, leading to the Swifts' Ice Cream making a four-ball run. Juno pulled back with a three-ball run to even things up, but Ice Cream beat her to the finish with a pair of shots at the left corners for the win. The series is tied at 1. Ice Cream had a rough start in game 3, allowing Juno to pick apart her suit pretty quickly with a four-ball run. Juno had trouble on her last ball at the bottom side, but an awkward hard miss from Ice Cream from ball-in-hand after getting down to her last ball defensively led to Juno potting her final ball for the win. Juno regained the series lead at 2-1 thanks to Ice Cream's mistake. Juno couldn't quite ignite the offense in the same way for game 4, while Ice Cream collected a four-ball run to pull ahead before sinking the last two balls soon after as Juno still sought positioning. Ice Cream's win retied the series at 2. Ice Cream came out on a mission in game 5, ripping a three-ball run from the break with a scratch, and then adding a four-ball run-out while surrendering a wild-card ball that Juno never got to put to use. Ice Cream won the series 3-2, and will host the Modernistic Union's Daisy in the bracket semifinals. Half the field is out, with Juno the 90th eliminated, giving Ice Cream her first kill of the year.
FedEx Arena, Eastside: Chelsea v. Luigi. The silver cue is back in this series, ready to go for 9-ball. Eastside's Chelsea kept things pretty even with North Modernistic's Luigi before striking a 5-9 bank combination perfectly to the bottom right. Chelsea's surprising shot was the winner, giving her a 1-0 series lead. The Sharks' Chelsea couldn't get much beyond the break in game 2, as the Nighthawks' Luigi dominated the offense with a quick three-ball run and then intermittent bursts after that. Luigi managed to make the last pair of balls himself, taking the win to tie the series at 1 game apiece. Luigi backed off on offense in game 3, while Chelsea didn't do much to fill the void, leading to a slow-moving game. Chelsea picked things up at the end, striking for a three-ball run-out to take the lead which restores her series lead at 2-1. Chelsea took care of business in game 4, controlling the pace of play while Luigi had errors on nearly every one of his turns. Chelsea took advantage of a late scratch by Luigi, making a three-ball run-out from the following ball-in-hand to secure the series at 3-1. Game 5 returned to a slow pace on both sides until Luigi found a three-ball run. Chelsea answered with a pair but left the 9 up at the top right for Luigi to tap in for the win. Chelsea advances on a 3-2 series win, and she'll host the Maplewood Lumberjacks' Whiskers in the bracket semifinals.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Jack v. Marsell. The silver cue's last series of the day is also its last in 15-ball for the round. Web City's Jack did pull off a chaotic quad-pot in game 1, using the 2 to blast a cluster that sent four balls into the right corners. Jack did very little after that, with Whitewater's Marsell chipping his own path to a win and 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Jack continued to cede possession with many errors in a difficult game 2. The Shores' Marsell lost a bit of sharpness as well, but he gladly took as many free shots as Jack gave him. Marsell would benefit at the end, making the last pair of shots to take the win for a 2-0 series lead. Jack finally had a shining moment in game 3, making a nine-ball run to take the majority share of the offense, but he faltered on the 13. Marsell made the last three shots over two turns for the win, clinching the series at 3-0. Jack continued to have a better impression on offense in game 4, but after a three-ball run he missed three times and scratched while trying to make the 15. Marsell cleaned up the scraps, moving to a 4-0 series lead in the process. Marsell had a decent break in game 5, but Jack supplied a fantastic highlight, hitting the 2-15 combination to the top left off a 7-10 bumper, with the 2 also falling in the top side for the double-pot. Marsell still took the series 4-1, but it wasn't a flawless performance by any means. Jack is the 91st player ousted so far, with Marsell finally taking his first kill.
Ford Forum, Pronger: Zach v. Dani. The red cue returns to action as two highly-ranked players meet in 10-ball. Pronger's Zach had a good start in game 1, making some tricky shots to avoid a stagnant start. Viewpoint Sound's Dani did better at growing into the game, striking on her last two turns to pick up the win for a 1-0 lead in the series. The Meteors' Dani set the tone with an early seven-ball run in game 2, but she couldn't make contact for a cut on the 7. The Tridents' Zach finished the game from here with a three-ball run-out, his win going on to tie the series at 1. Zach looked uncomfortable in game 3, again holding only a minority of the possession. Zach's poor play here gave Dani another opening to attack, and she did so at the end with a three-ball run-out to pick up the win, reclaiming the series lead at 2-1 for herself. Dani tried to time her run better in game 4, making a three-ball run over the middle before an awkward miss on the 7. Zach fired back with a three-ball run of his own, just leaving the 10 outside the bottom left, where Dani had a tap-in to secure the game and the series at 3-1. Dani couldn't quite find her offense with as much success in game 5, but Zach didn't take the game quickly either. Instead, it was a choppy finish with Zach making the 10 after Dani couldn't play off the 9 that made it a 3-2 series win for Dani, who will visit the Commerce Tradewinds' Taylor in the bracket semifinals.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Watermelon v. Shadow. Captains in the midst of good seasons collide in 12-ball with the red cue to end the day. Pearl's Watermelon looked in total control of game 1 after opening with a three-ball run, but she couldn't line up her last shot very well. Web City's Shadow came out of nowhere on a five-ball run-out, completing a comeback win for a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Shadow had an empty break, but still managed to get onto his last ball faster than the Surfers' Watermelon. This didn't matter much, as defense was the core of Watermelon's game 2 effort, and when she removed it, she was faster to pot her last ball for the win, tying the series at 1. Watermelon blasted in a pair on the break in game 3, making it a three-ball run on her next shot. Shadow fired back with a decent run, but gave away a wild-card ball to Watermelon, who then positioned and knocked in her last two shots over three turns while Shadow struggled with positioning on his remaining shots. Watermelon is ahead 2-1 in the series. Watermelon opened with a four-ball run in game 4, putting a lot of pressure on Shadow, who replied with a crafty three-ball run along the bottom rail. A later scratch by Watermelon tilted the game favorably for Shadow, who made his last three shots over two turns to get the win, retying the series at 2. Shadow had a good break in game 5, pushing himself forward on offense. Watermelon offered plenty of pressure with her four-ball run, but Shadow answered on a three-ball run-out for the win and 3-2 series win. Shadow will be on the road in the bracket semifinals.
That's all for today's games. We'll play a reduced schedule tomorrow as we glide toward the finish of the round.
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