2018 City Cup - First Round

We're off to a late start for the first round of the City Cup. We begin with...

Toyota Pitch: Modernistic Union v. Freedom Cascades. The tournament hosts are actually the visitors in the lead-off series. Freedom got off to a good start with Stripes making a pair and then a four-ball run-out in 7-ball to easily defeat Modernistic's Ms. Puppy for the 1-0 series lead. Stripes continued to play fairly well for the Cascades in 8-ball, outpacing the Union's Daisy with her attack. Stripes did enough to get Daisy to miss contact on her last ball. Stripes made a pair of shots from ball-in-hand to take this win, boosting her side's lead to 2-0 in the series. Ms. Puppy returned to action for Modernistic, pacing the 9-ball game with a four-ball run in the middle. Jasmine challenged for Freedom near the end, but Ms. Puppy got the 9 at the top left for a win to cut the series down to 2-1. Daisy supplied a weak start in 10-ball for the Union, but she pulled away at the end on a six-ball run-out, stunning the Cascades' Nikolai after the sluggish first few turns. Daisy's big run helped to tie the series at 2 halfway through. Nikolai struck first for Freedom in 12-ball, but his offense didn't hold up over the course of the game. Daisy got close to a win, forcing Nikolai into a defensive stance that backfired when he scratched. Daisy then made a pair of shots to get the win, pulling Modernistic ahead 3-2 in the series. Puff I took over on offense for the Union, exchanging a pair of three-ball runs in Rotation with the Cascades' Jasmine, who chipped individual shots on her last two turns but couldn't keep her play clean. Puff I won 8-5, and the Union are on the brink of victory with a 4-2 series lead. Puff I made seven balls over her first two turns in 15-ball, only for a six-ball run by Jasmine to complicate matters at the end. Both players missed the 15 twice, but Jasmine buried it on her third try to keep Freedom in the fight despite trailing Modernistic 4-3. Ms. Puppy bailed herself out of trouble in Accuracy, as the Union captain managed to get the Cascades' Nikolai to scratch late in the game. Ms. Puppy held the lead from here, winning 2-3 to take the series 5-3 as the Union head to the quarterfinals.

Toyota Arena: Stonebridge Wolves v. Boston Swifts. Inside, a historically great team acts as visitors to a playoff newcomer. Stonebridge's Vladimir weathered a three-ball run from Boston's Gradley in the first of three-straight games between the players. Gradley scratched to end that run, and Vladimir won 7-ball with one shot from ball-in-hand, giving Stonebridge a 1-0 series lead. Vladimir began with a four-ball run in 8-ball, straight from the break. Gradley countered it with his own four-ball run on his second turn, but he didn't stop there, supporting the attack on two more turns to grab the win. Gradley's victory helped the Swifts tie the series at 1 early on. Gradley found a way to get the better of Vladimir in 9-ball as well, as Boston's calm star attacked with a four-ball run-out at the end to counter Vladimir's opening three-ball run. Gradley's win put Boston up 2-1 in the series. Sweetheart took over for the Swifts in 10-ball, blasting a four-ball run early to stun the Wolves' replacement Cobalt. Sweetheart didn't stop there, winning on a three-ball run-out by splitting her shot off the 7 to drive the 10 into the top right. The Swifts hold a 3-1 series lead. Stonebridge's Juno made her first appearance a statement for her side, blasting in a three-ball run at one point to pin back Boston's Ice Cream. Juno removed Ice Cream's defense quickly and decisively, winning a turn later when Ice Cream missed contact. Juno's win cut the series back to 3-2. Cobalt couldn't do the same for the Wolves, his three-ball run sandwiched between a great start and a four-ball run-out finish from Sweetheart in her 8-3 Rotation win. The Swifts restored their series lead at 4-2 here. Ice Cream started well in 15-ball for Boston, attacking nicely, but a scratch ended her four-ball run before she could make a play on the 15 near the bottom right. Cobalt took over for Stonebridge, aligning and converting a 5-15 combination on the second shot from ball-in-hand for the win. Stonebridge stays alive but behind 4-3 in the series. Juno kept the Wolves going again, maintaining a perfect Accuracy game deep into the rack. She and Ice Cream exchanged misses twice, but Ice Cream missed again late, and Juno sealed the 2-3 win to tie the series at 4, setting up a tiebreaker in 13-ball. Juno started with great force in the tiebreaker, making five balls over her first two turns. Sweetheart, meanwhile, scuffled through her shots, unable to get traction. Juno took a patient approach late, nearly letting Sweetheart back in. Juno defended the top right well, putting the 8 there for the win just in time. Stonebridge goes to the quarterfinals on a 5-4 series win.

Toyota Pitch: Central Warriors v. Golden Pilots. Tough veterans and stars of the league populate the second outdoor series. Central's Noelle scratched on the break in 7-ball, and Golden's Sparkles took no chances, making a 1-7 combination to the bottom right from ball-in-hand to give Golden the 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Twilight started slowly in 8-ball, allowing the Pilots' Dusty to stake out a lead with a five-ball run. Dusty failed to collect her final ball quickly enough, as Twilight steadily pulled herself back, getting ahead and making the 8 on her third try to tie the series at 1 for the Warriors. Dusty started the offense for Golden in 9-ball, but she didn't see many successful shots until Central's Twilight flubbed her attempt on the 9 at the end. Dusty tapped it to the top right to poach a win, restoring Golden's 2-1 series lead. Noelle had the better of play in 10-ball, including a late four-ball run for the Warriors, but she missed on the 10, and the Pilots' Sparkles made her second low-percentage cut shot of the game to steal away the win to extend their series lead to 3-1. Noelle made a pair on the break in 12-ball for Central, although she scratched on the next shot. This didn't hold her back, as she got down to her last ball quickly. Dusty had some defense up for Golden, but couldn't keep it in place, as Noelle did a glancing kick shot to pot a ball at the top right for the win. Golden is still ahead 3-2 in the series. Strut never looked back after a four-ball run to take the lead in Rotation. The Warriors' Dustin took a few shots but couldn't get much going, and the Pilots rode an 8-1 win by Strut to a 4-2 series lead, putting them a win away from advancing. Dustin started 15-ball with an electric break for Central, but he couldn't sustain that pace later in the game. Strut fired back with some offense, eventually making the 11 before adding a 13-15 combination to the top left for the win. Golden defeated Central at this point, leading 5-2 in the series. Twilight did well in Accuracy, pinning Strut at the start with a bad break. Strut never recovered, as the Warriors took this win 3-5. The Pilots advance on a 5-3 series win, earning their spot in the quarterfinals.

Toyota Arena: Midland Predators v. Pacific Volcanoes. Another playoff debut comes in this series. Midland's Fuchsia led off with a five-ball run in 7-ball, but her miss on the 6 saw Pacific's Ms. Kitty line up and convert a pair of shots for the win that put Pacific ahead 1-0 in the series. The Volcanoes' Leonette blasted a five-ball run in 8-ball, buying her time for a patient finish. The Predators' Americus came close with some of her shots, but the lack of a decisive run allowed Leonette to strike back at the end on a pair of shots for the win to boost her side's series lead to 2-0. Fuchsia had a pair on the break and another pair later in the 9-ball game for Midland, but a miss on the 4 led to Pacific's Ms. Kitty making it and the 6-9 combination to the bottom right on the next shot for another win. Pacific leads the series 3-0. Twinkie I continued the dominance for the Volcanoes, leading with a three-ball run and adding a five-ball run-out on her second turn to completely nullify Fuchsia's efforts for the Predators. Pacific is guaranteed a tiebreaker, leading 4-0 now. Americus and Twinkie I participated in a slow and ugly 12-ball match, with Americus making a pair on the break about the only highlight. Americus would win it for Midland after deliberate set-up work, making a pair of shots to end Pacific's sweep hopes as the series shifts to a 4-1 score. Shawn trailed three separate times in Rotation, as the Predators captain had issues with his offense, but he found a three-ball run-out to finally topple the Volcanoes' Leonette for an 8-7 comeback win. Midland has halved the deficit down to 4-2. Americus returned for 15-ball for Midland, attacking with ease but feeling uncomfortable as Ms. Kitty delivered a four-ball run for Pacific. Americus fought back with a gritty ending, just getting the win when Ms. Kitty flubbed her shot on the 15 the bottom right. Americus has dragged Midland back to just a 4-3 deficit. Shawn did everything he could in Accuracy for the Predators, but Twinkie I just wouldn't bend, winning 1-2 to seal a 5-3 Volcanoes series win in a well-played final game. This brings the first round of the City Cup to half-completion.

Toyota Pitch: Terrace City Knights v. Eastside Sharks. The third outdoor series sees teams with deceptive depth do battle. Terrace City's Kiwi didn't look good at the start in 7-ball, as Eastside's Chelsea controlled the early pace, but Kiwi made a pair of shots at the end to get the win in an even game. Terrace City leads 1-0. The Knights' Kiwi had virtually all of the offense in 8-ball, but a cluster buster in the middle of the game sank the 8 illegally, gifting a win to the Sharks' Cubby to tie the series at 1. Chelsea stormed back into action for Eastside in 9-ball, crafting a seven-ball run-out to win with a deflected shot on the 8 that pushed the 9 to the top right. Quincy had virtually no impact as Terrace City falls behind 2-1 in the series. Kiwi found redemption for the Knights, stealing a win back in 10-ball as the Sharks' Gizmo controlled the offense but fell apart with a missed contact at the 9. Kiwi made the last two shots cleanly for the win, retying the series at 2. Oreo made a four-ball run from the break in 12-ball, leading Terrace City to a great and quick victory. Eastside's Gizmo had nothing to reply to Oreo with, and after a couple of turns, she converted her last two shots for the win to regain the series lead at 3-2. Quincy had an impressive and lucky run to get onto the brink of victory in Rotation, only to see it nearly all disappear as Gizmo shot back with a five-ball run to tie the game. The Knights would take the win as Quincy made the 15 after Gizmo missed it twice, with the Knights now leading the Sharks 4-2 in the series. Gizmo was nullified in his three games. Quincy had a five-ball run from the break in 15-ball, and he made 80% of the balls in 15-ball, but it was a scratch as he potted the 15 that bailed out Eastside's Chelsea. Terrace City has gifted away two wins now, making their close 4-3 series lead a bit of disappointment. Accuracy proved to be a smoothie of emotions on both sides, with Oreo blowing a couple of leads for the Knights before Cubby dropped a shot right at the end to set up overtime. Cubby's overtime break resulted in a scratch, and Oreo converted for the 4-5 win and 5-3 series win, avoiding the tiebreaker. Terrace City will face Pacific in the quarterfinals.

Toyota Arena: Victoria Spurs v. Web City Spiders. Back indoors, a former champion team takes on a team on the verge of blowing it up and starting over. Victoria's Sage showed force in 7-ball, making two on the break and then a three-ball run-out at the end, running circles around Web City's Ted as Victoria will own a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Shadow made quick work of that deficit, striking for a pair on his first turn before weaving a mind-blowing six-ball run-out to defeat the Spurs' Strawberry on his second turn. Shadow's win tied the series at 1. Yekaterina challenged in 9-ball early on, as Victoria's leader for the competition made a pair from the break. Web City's Shadow fired back with a three-ball run, and when Yekaterina missed contact with the 5 later on, Shadow converted a three-ball run-out from ball-in-hand to give his side a 2-1 series lead. Sage kept the Spurs on pace in 10-ball, getting the better of the offense but also looking a bit sloppy with scratches as she again bested the Spiders' Ted. The series is tied at 2 at the halfway mark. Sage had a fine start for Victoria in 12-ball, but she surrendered a wild-card ball to Shadow. It looked like it wouldn't matter at first, but after some minor positioning, Shadow found a four-ball run-out while Sage was still trying to line her shots up. Shadow's win has Web City ahead 3-2 in the series. Yekaterina made three balls on the break and a double-pot on her next shot before a miscue, a massive start in Rotation. Shiny shot back with a four-ball run, and then a three-ball run featuring a double-pot of the 10 and 14 to the right corners to get on the brink of victory. Yekaterina didn't falter at the end, making three shots over two turns for the 8-7 win, helping the Spurs tie the Spiders again at 3 games apiece in a thrilling series so far. Yekaterina had a less impactful performance in 15-ball for Victoria, and even ruined it at the end, as she illegally hit the 10, which led to a kick that sent the 15 to the bottom side. Shiny had been pressing but would accept the freebie win as well, giving Web City a 4-3 series lead to put them on the edge of a massive upset. Strawberry and Shiny dueled quite well for most of the Accuracy game. Strawberry had a couple of misses, but buried Shiny on position late. From a tough angle, Shiny converted the last ball, good for a 1-2 win and 5-3 series win for the Spiders over the Spurs. The Spiders are set to meet the Golden Pilots in the quarterfinals.

Toyota Pitch: Oceanside Waves v. Westside Rockers. The last outdoors series comes under the lights. Westside's Misty had some good shots early in 7-ball, but Oceanside's Celestia converted on the last two shots to claim the win and a 1-0 series lead in their favor. The Rockers' Slinks struck first in 8-ball, trying to establish her offense, but good shots proved hard to come by for her. The Waves' Josie fired back with more complex turns, using nice runs to get the win after a pair of shots at the end. Josie's win put them up 2-0. Oceanside quickly saw that lead jump to 3-0, as Celestia struck the 9 down on the break, putting it in the top right to prevent Westside's Slinks from getting a shot in this game. The Rockers' Misty prevented her side from going too far behind, making a five-ball run-out to win the 10-ball game, handing the Waves' Celestia her first loss of the series so far. Westside still trails 3-1 in the series. Josie showed well for Oceanside, making four balls over her first two turns. Cowzart had nothing for Westside until he assembled a three-ball run, but he was too slow at the end, and Josie put her final shot in the top side for the win. Oceanside is on the edge of advancing with a 4-1 series lead. Josie continued to excel for the Waves, dominating with a four-ball run from the break in Rotation. Slinks offered a little resistance, but not enough to stop Josie from winning 8-2, a result that secures advancement for the Waves as they hold a 5-1 series lead. Jason V. took over for Oceanside for the last two games, earning the win in 15-ball after a slow start turned into a six-ball run-out by the end, easily besting Westside's Cowzart, who looked overwhelmed. Jason V. fell behind about halfway through the Accuracy game, but Misty missed three times down the stretch, allowing Jason to take the 1-3 win for a 7-1 Oceanside Waves series win. Oceanside is set to face the Stonebridge Wolves in the quarterfinals.

Toyota Arena: Queens Flames v. Infinity Torpedoes. The final series of the first round is indoors, featuring the President's Cup winners. Queens' Violetta had a four-ball run to start in 7-ball, but after another pair, she went cold on the 7. Infinity's Mr. Snowman sniped it to the top right at the end, giving his side an unlikely 1-0 series lead. The Torpedoes' Shelley put up another strong effort in 8-ball, staking out a lead. The Flames' Hannah had a four-ball run and a three-ball run, staggered to seem like push-backs against Shelley, but a miss on the 8 from Hannah allowed Shelley to tap in a pair of shots for the win. The Torpedoes move to a 2-0 series lead. Violetta had a decent start for Queens in 9-ball, but she ceded a lot of possession to Infinity's Smudge, who soaked up a majority of the shots. Violetta had a tough shot on the 9 at the end that she missed, but Smudge whiffed on her attempt as well, and Violetta tapped it in for the win to cut the series back to 2-1. Shelley had plenty of chances to strike for the Torpedoes late in 10-ball, but she lost her touch after the Flames' Violetta created a three-ball run. Violetta managed to cut the 10 to the top right at the end for the win, tying the series at 2 as she exits the series. Queens' Crystal gave away a wild-card ball on the break in 12-ball, and while it didn't seem to be a big deal at first, it mattered a lot when Infinity's Mr. Snowman popped in a four-ball run. Mr. Snowman played patiently as Crystal removed her defense, and Mr. Snowman eventually cut his last ball to the top left for the win. Infinity is ahead again by a 3-2 score. Crystal quickly got revenge, as the Flames captain potted a ball on the break in Rotation, and twice left Mr. Snowman with no clear shot. Crystal made the other seven balls from ball-in-hand plays, winning 8-0 to retie the series with the Torpedoes at 3. Hannah looked uncomfortable again for most of the 15-ball game, but she struck on a three-ball run-out at the end to head off a ferocious attack from Infinity's Smudge. Heading into the last regulation game, Hannah's win gave Queens the advantage at 4-3. Accuracy didn't go well for either of Crystal or Shelley, as they each missed five times in a sloppy regulation session. In overtime, Shelley missed twice more before Crystal closed the game on a 6-7 win, which gave the Flames a 5-3 series win over the Torpedoes. Queens had a scare here, which they'll need to be over when they face the Modernistic Union tomorrow.

Tomorrow, we close the book on the 2018 Tournament year with the last three rounds of the City Cup.