We begin with an afternoon start today, with the first series being...
HP Field Events Center, Midland: Rainmane v. Marsell. Talented competitors take on a battle in 10-ball with the silver cue in its only appearance of the day. Midland's Rainmane broke the early quiet in game 1 with her five-ball run, but a miss on the 8 allowed Whitewater's Marsell to bounce back for the win on a three-ball run-out. Marsell leads the series 1-0. The Shores' Marsell saw diminishing returns on his later turns in game 2, but he still held 80% of the offense, as the Predators' Rainmane only mustered a pair of successful shots in the middle. Marsell took the win on his second look at the 10, going up 2-0 in the series. Rainmane had a more impressive effort in game 3, making a three-ball run on her first turn. Marsell shot back with a four-ball run of his own, but Rainmane took the win on an 8-10 combination to the top right to cut the series to 2-1. Marsell persisted on offense, taking a majority share in game 4 with his six-ball run-out to ruin any chance of Rainmane building momentum this time. Marsell restored his advantage with a 3-1 series lead. Rainmane and Marsell exchanged three-ball runs in the middle of the game, which gave Rainmane a chance at the end, but her shot on the 10 missed the bottom side. Marsell tapped it in, clinching the series at 4-1 with this win. Marsell had an unplanned double-pot of the 5 and 6 to the bottom right and bottom side that ended his four-ball run when Rainmane kept possession. She missed on her first shot there, but won with the 9 and 10 on her next turn after Marsell made the 7 and 8. The series still favors Marsell 4-2. Marsell had a smooth performance in game 7, not at all in trouble from Rainmane at any time. Marsell made a three-ball run-out at the end to take the win and a 5-2 series win, which gave him a 19-11 record on the bracket. Rainmane is the 147th eliminated player, while Marsell takes his fourth kill of the year.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Rudolph. The blue cue comes on next for 8-ball between Northeastern rivals. Central's Twilight ignited a six-ball run after making one of each suit on the game 1 break, choosing solids as her suit. Harrison's Rudolph scratched on his only shot, and Twilight made her final pair on her second shot for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Twilight scratched on the game 2 break, giving the Specters' Rudolph an edge. The two players played an even game this time, with Rudolph taking the 8 on his second try, just in time to claim the win that tied the series at 1. Rudolph had a ball on the break, but too many scratches derailed his game 3 efforts. Twilight didn't play a clean game, but she did well enough to pick up the win at the end for a 2-1 series lead. Twilight had a four-ball run in game 4 to establish her offense before she missed contact. Rudolph shot back with some offense of his own, and they both took chances at the 8 before Twilight put it in the bottom left for the win. Twilight leads the series 3-1 now after this close result. Twilight had a fast attack in game 5, making a pair of three-ball runs early in the game. Rudolph made an effort to get back in the game, but he removed enough defense for Twilight to pot her last two shots for the win, securing the series at 4-1. Twilight had more of a late-arriving attack in game 6, trailing Rudolph until he hit a brick wall with two balls to go. Rudolph only made one of those shots, while Twilight pulled back to rally for a win that gives her a 5-1 series lead. Twilight simply outpaced Rudolph in game 7, exchanging three-ball runs early before she took her four-ball run. Rudolph got two shots back, but Twilight won with a cut on the 8 to end the series ahead 6-1, giving her a 19-8 record on the bracket. Rudolph is the 148th player to leave the Tournament, while Twilight earned her first kill to end her pacifist streak.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Bryant v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. We stay in the Northeast to place the last piece of the 15-ball puzzle in the red cue's event finale. Maplewood's Bryant had a slow start in game 1, ceding a lot of possession to Victoria's Yekaterina. This changed at the halfway mark, as Bryant rallied with a six-ball run, and then made the final two shots on his next turn for the 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Yekaterina put in some dangerous looks on the 15 early in game 2, keeping it near the top right until the Lumberjacks' Bryant pushed it away. Bryant would still swoop in with a big push late, winning the game with a four-ball run-out to give himself a 2-0 series lead. Bryant did fine early in game 3, keeping his offense sharp but not punishing. Yekaterina bought some time through positioning before a four-ball run-out, where a bank on the 14 to the top right set up her shot on the 15 for the win. Bryant remains ahead 2-1 in the series. Yekaterina took no time in game 4 to even the series, making a ball on the break but missing on her next turn to give Bryant possession. Bryant came up empty, and Yekaterina made the 1 to the top side before double-potting the 3 at the bottom left with a carom to sink the 15 past the defensively-placed 8 at the top right. The series is now tied at 2 after her quick win. Yekaterina started game 5 with a savage three-ball run, which Bryant quickly matched after Yekaterina scratched. Bryant carried his momentum over the middle of the game, but he couldn't stop Yekaterina at the end, as she edged ahead on a three-ball run-out to give her a 3-2 series lead. Yekaterina went with a softer break in game 6 after having popped two hard breaks. The strategy didn't pay off immediately, but she saved up her offense for an eight-ball run-out at the end, a well-executed streak to secure the series at 4-2. Yekaterina took it easy in game 7, allowing Bryant a better share of the possession. Bryant blew his chance at the win with a miss on the 15 at the top right, and Yekaterina tapped it in for the win and a 5-2 series win. Yekaterina went 20-10 in the event, and this series gave her a fifth kill this year while making Bryant the 149th eliminated player. This also gave the Spurs a team-kill on the Lumberjacks.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Twinkie I v. Pounce. Coastal rivals clash in 12-ball with the blue cue. Pacific's Twinkie I had a rough start in game 1, with two scratches after Southern's Pounce made five balls over his first two turns. Twinkie I turned defensive, which proved to be a winning strategy as Pounce couldn't quite make his last ball before Twinkie I took the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Monarchs' Pounce had to play a defensive effort in game 2 after a great start from the Volcanoes' Twinkie I. Pounce turned things very ugly in this game, but it worked, as he had enough time to pick up the win to tie the series as Twinkie I couldn't make her last shot. Pounce had one of each suit on the break in game 3, giving Twinkie I a wild-card ball. Pounce had a four-ball run for himself, but Twinkie I needed just the one turn and some flexibility to create a five-ball run-out for the win. Twinkie I leads the series again at 2-1. Pounce had an early five-ball run in game 4, giving him a lot of time to work with. Twinkie I pulled back and managed to get onto her last ball before a scratch, wasting her good defensive work early. The bottom left stayed contested for many shots before Pounce finally took the win to retie the series at 2. Pounce started with a three-ball run in game 5, which Twinkie I overpowered with her four-ball run. Twinkie I never had good positioning again, giving away multiple fouls to help Pounce line up his last three shots, which he made over two turns for the win and a 3-2 series lead. Twinkie I just hung on in game 6, making five balls over her first two turns, but needing a lot of time at the bottom side. Pounce nearly pulled away at the end after a strategic scratch play, but Twinkie I found her last shot just in time to tie the series once more at 3 games apiece. Twinkie I made one of each on the game 7 break, and charged on a three-ball run with solids. Pounce had plenty of chances over his three turns to assemble a back-breaking run, but he failed to do so, and Twinkie I finished off her win for a 4-3 series win. Twinkie I went 4-3 to get to the Finals, giving her a 17-10 mark on the bracket. Pounce is the 150th player out of the Tournament, giving Twinkie I her first kill of the season. The Volcanoes can claim a team-kill on the rival Monarchs.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Jake v. Chelsea. The Crowns begin a venue doubleheader against the only two players with chances of two bids advancing to the finals, the first being this 7-ball red cue series. Royal's Jake dominated the offense in game 1, as Eastside's Chelsea came up empty on both of her turns. Jake had an early pair, and then won with a five-ball run-out for a 1-0 series lead. The Sharks' Chelsea made vast improvements in game 2, as the Crowns' Jake fell off the pace on offense a bit. Chelsea got lucky the 4 rattled out of the bottom left but fell in the top right, allowing her to continue what became a four-ball run ending with a cut on the 7 to the top side. The series is tied at 1. Chelsea made a pair on the break and added another two after that on her first turn in game 3, but her miss on the 3 set up Jake for his counterattacking three-ball run-out. Jake took the quick win to go ahead 2-1 in the series. Jake had a ball on the break as part of an opening pair, but Chelsea controlled the game 4 offense with her four-ball run. Jake got a chance at the end, tapping in the 7 at the top right after Chelsea left it standing. Jake now holds a 3-1 series lead. Jake and Chelsea had a rough start to game 5, neither really hitting their shots all that well. That changed when Jake pummeled a late five-ball run-out for the win, sealing the series at 4-1. Jake kept up his offense at the end of game 6 as well, having nearly made the 7 on the break near the top left. Chelsea threatened it a couple of times, but Jake potted it on a three-ball run-out to move his series lead to 5-1. Jake couldn't quite do it again in game 7, making a three-ball run from the break but suffering the loss when Chelsea countered on a four-ball run-out. Jake did claim the series 5-2 to get to the Finals with a 21-9 record in the event.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Nightfur v. Strut. The other half of the doubleheader is in Rotation, also using the red cue while simultaneously ending today's games. Game 1 started out heavily in favor of Golden's Strut, who had an early run to build his lead. Royal's Nightfur chipped her way to even, and then tangled with Strut for the rest of the game, overcoming him at the end for the 8-7 win. Nightfur leads the series at 1-0. The Pilots' Strut took a more commanding lead in game 2, using a five-ball run to get well ahead of the Crowns' Nightfur, who answered with her own five-ball run later. Strut won just after Nightfur attacked, tapping in the 13 to take an 8-5 result, tying the series at 1. Strut used the 1 as a battering ram, collecting a pair of three-ball runs without sinking it in game 3. Strut scratched at the end of the latter run, and Nightfur took over with a massive eight-ball run-out, winning 8-6 after sparking the run with a 1-15 combination to the top left from ball-in-hand. Nightfur regained the series lead at 2-1. Nightfur started slow yet again in game 4, but she kept even with Strut over the first couple of turns. Nightfur then assembled a seven-ball run-out for the 8-1 win, capping the streak with a deflected shot off the 8 to put the 9 in the bottom right, with the carom creating an 8-11 combination at the top left on the double-pot. Nightfur is up 3-1 in the series. Nightfur couldn't create any offense from bad positions in game 5, as Strut took a defensive approach. Strut generated a lot of offense from Nightfur's misses, but still needed a narrow passage at the end to get the win by an 8-4 score after Nightfur fought back. Nightfur retains a 3-2 series lead. Strut bounced back in game 6, dominating on a big run early on and finishing with an 8-1 win to tie the series at 3 as Nightfur managed almost no offense. In game 7, Nightfur took a large lead, then saw Strut get to the brink of victory before she fought him off once and for all to win 8-7, taking the series 4-3 in the process. Nightfur went 20-10 on the bracket to earn her spot in the Finals.
Tomorrow, the brackets close for the year with the last six series, setting up the final positions for the Finals.
No comments:
Post a Comment