Tournament 2018 - Championship Finals

We've got the last eight series of the regular season today, with the eight winners earning their spots in the Tournament of Champions. First up...

Kraft Forum, Royal: Nightfur (R) v. Quincy (S). Today's first series is in Rotation, the first of five featuring the red cue. Royal's Nightfur didn't have much offense early in game 1, and she never responded to a four-ball run from Terrace City's Quincy, who won a turn later with a pair of shots. Quincy's 8-2 victory paces him to a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur still looked a little off at the start, but she slowly built a lead in game 2. The Knights' Quincy pushed back with a four-ball run but couldn't get around Nightfur at the end, as the host took an 8-5 win to tie the series at 1. Nightfur started with a firm break in game 3, establishing her lead on a three-ball run. Quincy matched it, but Nightfur doubled down with another three-ball run. Quincy continued to stay competitive, but he couldn't even the score, and Nightfur made a pair of shots to win 8-5 again, giving her the 2-1 series lead. Nightfur and Quincy exchanged pairs of shots to begin game 4, but Quincy supplemented his attack more ferociously. Nightfur came close at the end, but she couldn't bring Quincy down this time, as he pulled away to win 8-6, retying the series at 2. Quincy remained forceful on offense in game 5, burying a ball on the break and using defensive positioning on his first three turns to limit Nightfur's offense. Quincy built up a nice lead, giving him no trouble at the end as he found a pair of shots to seal his 8-2 win, restoring his series lead at 3-2. Nightfur took the early lead in game 6, but she never had a real grip on the game itself. Quincy stayed close, and they played evenly for quite awhile until Quincy pulled ahead and used a three-ball run-out on the next turn to get the 8-4 win. Quincy is on the brink of advancing with a 4-2 series lead. Nightfur held the lead for much of game 7, and even had a chance to win, but her shot on the 12 saw the cue deflect off the 13 and drift into the bottom right. Quincy sealed a comeback 8-7 win on a three-ball run-out from ball-in-hand, clinching the series for him at 5-2. Quincy looked to be mailing it in in game 8, as Nightfur attacked very well early with little response from her guest. Quincy wouldn't go quietly, making a pair of three-ball runs on his last two turns to swipe an 8-7 win to extend his series lead to 6-2. Nightfur trailed Quincy for just about all of game 9, as he would pull away every time she got close. Quincy closed out the win at 8-6, giving him a 7-2 series win as the Rotation champion. Nightfur is the 165th eliminated player, and Quincy took his sixth kill, guaranteeing a piece of the league lead in that category.

GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Bianca (B) v. Cobalt (R). After the lunch break, the 10-ball champion will be named. Stonebridge's Cobalt had a slow start in game 1, but Southridge's Bianca wasn't any better initially. Cobalt broke his cold streak with a four-ball run-out, ending with a 4-10 combination to the bottom right for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Wolves' Cobalt continued with a five-ball run from the break to start game 2, but he rattled the 6 out of the top left corner. The Defenders' Bianca took over with a five-ball run-out, winning the quick game to tie the series at 1. Game 3 took a step back from the pace of the previous game. Cobalt managed a four-ball run at one stage, but Bianca took the game on the next turn with a three-ball run-out capped by a sharp cut to put the 10 in the top left. Bianca pulls ahead at 2-1 in the series. Cobalt had a challenging three-ball run over the middle in game 4 to supplement earlier offense, but his scratch led to Bianca making the last two shots from ball-in-hand for the win to push her up to a 3-1 series lead. Bianca tried to attack in game 5, but a lot of her shots failed to connect properly. Cobalt had a four-ball run and a three-ball run-out sandwiched around Bianca making the 6 in a feeble counterattack. Cobalt's big offense gave him the win to cut the series back to 3-2. Cobalt attacked again to start game 6, making a five-ball run. Bianca tangled with Cobalt in the back-half of the game, but her miss on the 8 allowed him to make a three-ball run-out for the win, which tied the series at 3. Cobalt saved up his offense for the end of game 7, allowing Bianca to attack evenly with him for awhile before he found a four-ball run-out for the win. Cobalt has taken the series lead at 4-3, stunning the home crowd with his comeback. Cobalt started on a three-ball run in game 8, but Bianca looked determined with a crafty five-ball run. Bianca missed on the 9 from a tough angle, allowing Cobalt to make it and the 10 for the series at 5-3 with this win. Cobalt had some good moments with the first two pairs of shots in game 9, but Bianca made a three-ball run and then the 10 on consecutive turns to claim the win, leaving Cobalt with a 5-4 series win. Cobalt is into the Tournament of Champions as the 10-ball representative, taking his fifth kill to make Bianca the 166th eliminated player. The Wolves team-killed the Defenders.

Sprint Hall, Victoria: Yekaterina Vasilyeva (R) v. Tigerette (S). Two of the grittiest shooters in the league battle in 15-ball. Victoria's Yekaterina had a lot of short turns early in game 1, which Commerce's Tigerette frequently matched. The game was decided on the 11, as Yekaterina made it on her second try before splitting the 12 and 15 to the right corners for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Yekaterina made some crafty shots in game 2, but none of them came late enough to save her from the Tradewinds' Tigerette executing a five-ball run-out for the win. Tigerette's quietly dominant finish tied the series at 1. Game 3 saw another struggle for possession on both sides. The 9 proved especially difficult, but Tigerette eventually made it to launch a three-ball run. Yekaterina made a shot, but scratched as well, and Tigerette added another three-ball run-out to grab the win for a 2-1 series lead. Tigerette put the 15 near the top right from the break in game 4, although Yekaterina bumped it free when she made the 1 on the next turn. Yekaterina's offense dwindled as the game progressed, with Tigerette making a four-ball run and a six-ball run on consecutive turns before making the 15 on her second try. Tigerette's dominant offense gave her a 3-1 series lead. Tigerette again put the 15 near the top right on the break in game 5, and this time it stayed in a dangerous spot. Yekaterina tried a number of deflected shots that didn't work out, but she struck gold when she kicked the 9 to the bottom right, as the deflection tapped the 15 in for the win. Tigerette's early four-ball run and strong offense went to waste as Yekaterina pulled back to a 3-2 deficit. Tigerette remained dangerous in attack, but Yekaterina had a bit more control with defense in game 6. Yekaterina used this advantage well, leaving Tigerette with little to shoot early on and burying the last four balls over two turns at the end. Yekaterina's win here tied the series again at 3. Yekaterina had the more dangerous offense early in game 7, again using her break to impose herself against Tigerette. Yekaterina did have a three-ball run toward the end, but Tigerette answered on a four-ball run-out for the win, regaining the series lead at 4-3. Game 8 didn't make either player proud, as Yekaterina started out well with offense but crumbled toward the end of the game. Tigerette had a four-ball run near the end, but still had to grind on the 15 before putting it in the top right to close the door. Tigerette's win secured the series for her at 5-3, sending another home crowd to an unhappy exit. Yekaterina found a rare run for herself in game 9, a six-ball run that she couldn't quite extend with a miss on the 14. Tigerette made the 14 and 15 on the next turn, ending the series ahead 6-3. Tigerette goes to the Tournament of Champions thanks to this 15-ball series win, and she has her fourth kill to put Yekaterina out at 167th in the exiting order. The Tradewinds team-killed the Spurs.

BMW RockDome, Westside: Misty (R) v. Twinkie II (B). Captains battle it out in the Accuracy championship series. Harrison's Twinkie II had three opportunities to hold a lead in game 1, wasting each of them and giving Westside's Misty the last shot with a double-pot. Twinkie II then secured the game with a double-pot on her last turn, leaving Misty to shoot the last ball down. Twinkie II won 3-4, taking a 1-0 series lead. The Specters' Twinkie II remained far too generous in game 2, giving the Rockers' Misty a large lead. Misty didn't stay perfect, but she had plenty of runway to work with, collecting a 2-5 win to tie the series at 1. Twinkie II had her smartest performance yet in game 3, keeping a sharp shot and forcing Misty into a couple of misses early on. Twinkie II did falter near the end, but she righted herself to take the 1-2 win, regaining the series lead at 2-1. Twinkie II reverted to her earlier sloppy play in game 4, falling behind on four separate occasions, the last one being enough for Misty to win 3-4 when she converted the last ball. The series is tied again at 2. Misty scratched on the break in game 5, a critical mistake that would cost her any chance at the win. Twinkie II faded toward the end of the game, but did enough to hold on for a 3-4 win, pulling ahead at 3-2 in the series. Twinkie II went empty on the break in game 6, and had a lead heading into the final ball of regulation. Twinkie II missed it, and Misty converted, forcing overtime, where Twinkie II again produced an empty break. Misty had an easy shot for the 2-3 win, evening the series at 3 games apiece. Twinkie II couldn't gain any traction after the midway point of game 7, as Misty maintained a perfect stretch of play and left Twinkie II with ugly shots. Misty won 0-5, pulling ahead 4-3 in the series now. Misty didn't have the same fortune in a very close game 8 battle, as both players missed their first shots around the same time. Twinkie II took over with the pressure, getting Misty to miss on her second-to-last turn. Twinkie II walked away with a 1-2 win, retying the series at 4 to set up a proper finale. Twinkie II took the early lead in game 9, but a scratch dropped her even, and a messy finish led to Misty winning 3-7 for the 5-4 series win. Misty punched her ticket to the Tournament of Champions while making Twinkie II the 168th eliminated player. Misty has her second kill of the year.

Kraft Forum, Royal: Jake (R) v. Hershey (S). Two current club-mates battle it out in 7-ball, the second series at this venue today. Royal's Jake had a scratch on the break in game 1, leading to Stonebridge's Hershey making a four-ball run. Jake then had a chance to counter, but he missed on the 7, and Hershey made it for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Wolves' Hershey made a ball on the break in game 2, but the Crowns' Jake answered on a three-ball run before a poorly-timed scratch. Hershey then took over with a three-ball run-out for the win, pulling ahead 2-0 in the series. Hershey flirted with danger to start game 3, finally scratching to cut off his run at three balls. Jake took over from ball-in-hand, converting a four-ball run-out for the win to pull back to a 2-1 deficit. Jake had a strong six-ball run to lead off in game 4, but he missed the 7 on a rattling shot to end the run. Hershey missed his chance on the 7, but still got the win when Jake scratched while putting the 7 in the top left. Hershey returns to a two-game advantage with a 3-1 series lead. Hershey scratched on the game 5 break, leading to a back-and-forth battle early on. Neither player looked poised for the win until Jake snagged a three-ball run-out out of nowhere to take it. Hershey remains ahead 3-2 in the series. Game 6 started off pretty slowly, but Hershey made it look good by the end, breaking out of the funk with a five-ball run-out to again restore his series lead at 4-2 over Jake. Hershey had some good looks early in game 7, but he couldn't figure it out later on. Jake stepped in on offense, blasting a four-ball run-out to keep his playoff hopes alive. Jake is only down 4-3 in the series. Hershey dished out a four-ball run in game 8, a bold attacking play after Jake's empty break, but it went unrewarded. Jake made a three-ball run-out at the end for the win, tying the series at 4 to send these friends into a decisive final game. Jake sent the fans home happy early in game 9, blasting a break that saw the 7 drop at the bottom side for the win. A massive celebration ensued from here for Jake's 5-4 series win that sees him onto the Tournament of Champions. Hershey's collapse made him the 169th eliminated player, while Jake takes his first kill this year at the perfect time.

HP Field Events Center, Midland: Fuchsia (B) v. Violetta (R). The most anticipated final yet is in 9-ball, pitting mother against daughter. Midland's Fuchsia didn't look shaken in game 1, but she had a couple of bad plays, including a late scratch to allow Queens' Violetta to assemble a three-ball run-out for the win. Violetta leads the series 1-0. The Flames' Violetta tried a 3-9 combination early in game 2, which didn't work out. The Predators' Fuchsia answered on a three-ball run before the offense slowed. At the end, Violetta snookered Fuchsia in the top left corner, collecting ball-in-hand for the missed contact and converting the 9 for the win. Violetta owns a 2-0 series lead. Violetta cracked a six-ball run from the break in game 3, continuing to show menace in her attack, but it didn't hold up. Fuchsia made a three-ball run-out in response to snag the win, pulling back to a 2-1 deficit in the series. Violetta did most of the work on offense in game 4, most notably with a late four-ball run that saw the banked attempt on the 9 rattle out of the bottom side. Fuchsia took it at the top side for the win, tying the series at 2 to restore a competitive balance. Violetta started off with a three-ball run in game 5 after an empty break by Fuchsia. Violetta's burst of offense faded too soon, and Fuchsia wrangled control of the game away with a three-ball run-out at the end, which put the host ahead for the first time in the series at 3-2. Fuchsia again let Violetta run freely early in game 6 before gumming up her shots a bit in the middle of the game. Fuchsia took over on a three-ball run-out at the end, grabbing the win to move to a 4-2 series lead. Fuchsia began with a three-ball run in game 7 to mix it up, which Violetta answered on a four-ball run. The two tangled at the end, with Fuchsia missing the 9 at the bottom left. Violetta tapped it in, staying alive for another game in the 4-3 series. Violetta made a pair of shots on the break, but scratched as well, leaving Fuchsia with ball-in-hand. Fuchsia attacked on a five-ball run before her miss on the 8. Violetta cut the 8 and 9 in for the win, tying the series one more time at 4 games each. Violetta unleashed a six-ball run to start game 9, but she faltered on her second turn with a chance at the 9 after Fuchsia missed a kick attempt. Fuchsia buried it at the bottom left, taking the win for a 5-4 series win that puts her into the Tournament of Champions for her 9-ball title. Violetta is the 170th player out of the Tournament, while Fuchsia takes a third kill this year.

Ebay Center, Queens: Hannah (R) v. Twilight (B). The 8-ball final will come after a dinner break. Central's Twilight attacked well at first, but she slowed down as game 1 progressed. Queens' Hannah saw her only offense come on a six-ball run shortened by a scratch, allowing Twilight to chip her way slowly to a win. Twilight leads the series 1-0. The Flames' Hannah again struck too late in game 2, her six-ball run only coming after the Warriors' Twilight scratched to end a four-ball run. Hannah couldn't get another chance to strike, as Twilight won on a well-made three-ball run-out to push her series lead to 2-0. Twilight remained strong on offense in game 3, with an early five-ball run to pace her attack. A later scratch derailed her attack, giving Hannah enough time to win with a four-ball run-out, which cuts the series down to 2-1. Hannah had the initial attack with a four-ball run in game 4, coming a couple turns in, but she stalled out after this. Twilight pulled back for a little bit with small offense, and then ripped a five-ball run-out for the win to boost her series lead back up to 3-1. Hannah didn't produce a big run in game 5, a tactical choice that ended up working out. She weaved around a plentiful defense from Twilight and managed to find a three-ball run-out at the end to keep the series close at 3-2. Hannah attacked with a six-ball run early in game 6, and made another ball on her next turn to get onto the 8, which she missed twice before Twilight stormed her way to a win on a six-ball run-out, answering Hannah's previous win with one of her own to make it a 4-2 series. Hannah had the better of the offense early in game 7, but she faltered as she got onto her last ball, allowing Twilight to get a look at the 8. Twilight missed, and Hannah potted a pair of shots for the win, drawing close again as she sits behind 4-3 in the series. Twilight had some good offense in game 8, but she was slow to close things down at the end, allowing Hannah to recover from her scratch on the break to rally for a four-ball run-out for the win. Hannah's quick finish tied the series at 4 in a surprising turn of events. Twilight attacked with ferocity on a six-ball run early in game 9, and she made her last solid on the next turn. Hannah had a four-ball run cut off by a scratch, setting Twilight up to bank the 8 as called to the bottom left for the win. Twilight's brilliant finish gave her a 5-4 series win, and will make her 8-ball's representative to the Tournament of Champions. Twilight took her third kill of the year to make Hannah the 171st eliminated player.

Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Dusty (S) v. Twinkie I (B). The final series of the regular season is the 12-ball championship between Reality club-mates. Golden's Dusty made a ball on the game 1 break, but had terrible positioning for the rest of the game. She used defense to slow Pacific's Twinkie I, but failed to launch a successful counterattack when Twinkie I gave away a wild-card ball. Twinkie I would win at the bottom side at the end, good for a 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Twinkie I had a productive break in game 2, and once again put the Pilots' Dusty in a compromising position. Twinkie I navigated the table quicker in the end, striking at the bottom side to get the win after Dusty couldn't do anything from ball-in-hand. Twinkie I's series lead is at 2-0. Twinkie I had an empty break in game 3, but took both side pockets on her second turn to grab a massive lead. Dusty picked up some offense along the way, but once again found herself out of position as Twinkie I made the 2 to the top right to push her series lead to 3-0. Twinkie I had a poor break for game 4, giving Dusty room to make a four-ball run. Dusty quickly got down to her last ball, but Twinkie I's defense frustrated the usually calm star. Dusty had a nightmarish time attacking the 5 toward the top side, but Twinkie I had three scratches and couldn't recover in time to stop Dusty from kicking in the winning shot. The series is now 3-1 in favor of Twinkie I. Dusty took pairs of shots on her first two turns in game 5, while Twinkie I had a three-ball run on her first turn. Twinkie I got closer later in the game, but not in time to stop Dusty from making her last two balls on separate turns for the win, pulling closer in the 3-2 series. Dusty had a solid break in game 6, but Twinkie I picked up a pair of stripes rather easily at the start. Dusty tried to counterattack, but Twinkie I shot back with a four-ball run-out on the next turn, regaining some of her lost series lead with a 4-2 advantage now. Dusty made quick work of game 7, most notably on a three-ball run on her third turn to get down to a well-positioned final ball. Twinkie I replied with a pair of shots, but fell short on a third, and Dusty tapped in her last ball for the win, closing the gap to 4-3 in the series now. Dusty had a good break in game 8, making a solid, but her second shot resulted in a wild-card ball going to Twinkie I. Both players had three-ball runs to set up a quick finish, and Twinkie I proved just a bit faster after Dusty had a pair of illegally potted ball plays on her final shot. Twinkie I put the 12 in the top left for the win to clinch the series at 5-3. Twinkie I made quick work of game 9 as well, with Dusty following her but never passing her. Twinkie I gave up collateral damage to get a free look at the bottom right, and Dusty couldn't stop Twinkie I from winning the series 6-3. Twinkie I will take the eighth and final ticket to the Tournament of Champions, earning her third kill of the year as Dusty is the 172nd and final player to be eliminated this year.

That's all for this Tournament. In the coming days, I will be working on administrative duties, including a major project for league history that will extend into the offseason. The Tournament of Champions may begin on Saturday or Sunday, with the Clan Cup and City Cup to follow. The UPCL 2019 Draft is yet to be determined, although a list of available players will be tentatively available soon. Tomorrow is purely a data day for the league. Also in plans to be worked on is the upcoming cricket schedule.