We're back for the second-to-last day of the regular season. We have 72 games scheduled for this one, but if they are unable to be completed, any leftovers will be played tomorrow. The Preliminary Finals begin with...
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Marsell (S) v. Cobalt (R). The first series of the day is in 10-ball between strong competitors. Stonebridge's Cobalt had the better of offense in a chippy game 1, just managing to get by Whitewater's Marsell when the host left the 8 at the top right. Cobalt made a pair of shots at the end for the 1-0 series lead. The Wolves' Cobalt still showed better on offense in game 2, as the Shores' Marsell had some issues stringing shots together. Cobalt's best play won him the game, as he assembled a smart and steady three-ball run-out to take the 2-0 series lead. Cobalt made a turn to dominance in game 3, letting Marsell keep possession after an unplanned shot left a bad position. Cobalt would launch an attack two turns later, winning with a crafty and well-played seven-ball run-out to extend his series lead to 3-0. Cobalt had a large chunk of offense near the end, making five balls over two turns after starting game 4 with a scratch on the break. Marsell interfered just in time, making the 10 on a short counterattack to grab the win, cutting the series back to 3-1. Marsell had a solid start in game 5, and drew a scratch against Cobalt early on. Marsell took a four-ball run to add to his offense, but Cobalt struck back at the end for a three-ball run-out for the win, restoring his three-game advantage at a 4-1 series lead. Game 6 was just outright sloppy on both sides. Neither player looked to be in control of the game at any point, and Marsell wasted a chance to win with a wide shot on the 10. Cobalt kicked it to the bottom left to pick up the win, securing the series at 5-1. Cobalt didn't relent in game 7, challenging Marsell yet again. Marsell did have a three-ball run over the middle in this one, but Cobalt assembled a four-ball run-out at the end with precise cuts to push his series lead to 6-1. Cobalt had a majority of the offense in game 8, but he scratched while potting the 9. Marsell made the 10 just barely from ball-in-hand to the top left, pulling back to a 6-2 deficit in the series. Cobalt and Marsell exchanged mistakes at the end of game 9, the erratic finish favoring Marsell on his perfect cut of the 10 to the top side. Cobalt still won the series 6-3, and will visit the Southridge Defenders' Bianca for the 10-ball title. Marsell is the 157th eliminated player, giving Cobalt his fourth kill of the year. The Wolves completed a team-kill on the Shores.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Twinkie I (B) v. Ice Cream (R). The next series played is 12-ball, the first of four blue cue series today. Boston's Ice Cream weathered a three-ball run from Pacific's Twinkie I on the first turn of the game, answering with her own three-ball run. Ice Cream showed better with positioning at the end, taking a pair on her last turn for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Swifts' Ice Cream made a couple of shots from the game 2 break, but nothing stayed clear for her. The Volcanoes' Twinkie I replied on a three-ball run, and had good positioning on the rest of her shots, finishing with the 2 at the bottom side just as Ice Cream had found a way forward. Twinkie I's win ties the series at 1. Twinkie I had an empty break in game 3, allowing Ice Cream to begin an attack of four balls over two turns. Twinkie I then shot back with a six-ball run-out on her third turn, weaving through the rack effortlessly for the win to pull ahead 2-1 in the series. Ice Cream had a four-ball run at the start of game 4, attacking with relentlessness, but Twinkie I played solid defense once Ice Cream got down to her final ball. Ice Cream finally fouled via missed contact, and Twinkie I made her final pair of shots for the win, pushing her series lead to 3-1. Twinkie I made three balls cleanly on the game 5 break, but couldn't strike again in the game. Ice Cream started with a four-ball run, and then picked her way to a win slowly from there, giving up a wild-card ball but still slamming the door in time. Ice Cream is only down 3-2 in the series now. Ice Cream claimed stripes on the break of game 6, but promptly scratched on the next shot. Twinkie I had a couple of chances to ignite an attack before Ice Cream stormed forward on her four-ball run-out for the win, retying the series at 3. Ice Cream's offense worked on the break of game 7, making two balls to the right corners, but she converted only one other shot in the game. Twinkie I took over at the end, finding her way with a three-ball run-out to reclaim the series lead at 4-3. Ice Cream had a valiant effort in game 8, taking the lead after Twinkie I managed to make two on the break. Ice Cream gave away a wild-card ball, and couldn't pot her last ball fast enough at the end to stop Twinkie I from winning with a tap-in at the bottom left. Twinkie I clinched the series at 5-3. Ice Cream had some good shots in game 9, but it didn't make any difference when Twinkie I found a four-ball run and a good spot on her last ball. Twinkie I tapped it in on the next turn for the win, icing a 6-3 series win that sends her to battle with the Golden Pilots' Dusty in the 12-ball championship series. Ice Cream is the 158th eliminated player, with Twinkie I taking her second kill of the season.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight (B) v. Patches (S). Two of the biggest-name captains in the game meet in 8-ball. Boston's Patches mashed a six-ball run on her first turn in game 1, and then played patiently from there. Central's Twilight got close with a four-ball run, but Patches put away the 8 on the next turn for the win to go ahead 1-0 in the series. Game 2 saw a messier battle between the two, with a couple of scratches holding the Warriors' Twilight back. The Swifts' Patches just couldn't hit her shots right, allowing Twilight to overcome her mistakes with a five-ball run-out that used collateral damage as a defense against a late scratch. Twilight's bold finish gave her a win to tie the series at 1. Patches had a bold attack to start in game 3, getting all the way down to the 8 before Twilight made a shot. Twilight did pot two balls on the next turn, and Patches missed again on the 8, allowing Twilight to ignite a six-ball run-out for the win. Twilight now leads the series 2-1. Twilight started game 4 on a five-ball run, a potent attack that continued after Patches scratched. Twilight struggled to find a shot on the 8, and Patches quickly got onto it, taking the win when Twilight left the 3 at the bottom side and Patches cut the 10 to the bottom left before putting the 8 in the top left. Patches has retied the series at 2 games apiece. Patches had a calm break in game 5, and she competed well with Twilight in the initial games. This fell apart toward the end, as Twilight found a four-ball run and then made the 8 when Patches couldn't launch a counterattack. Twilight's win here restored her series lead at 3-2. Twilight had an all-out attack at the end of game 6, but twice missed on the 8 around Patches' scratch. Patches took over on Twilight's second miss, potting a three-ball run-out for the win, evening the series again at 3. Patches had plenty of chances to win game 7, all of which went to waste. Twilight charged back on a three-ball run and needed two looks at the 8 before burying it herself, stealing the win for a 4-3 series lead over Patches. Twilight's aggressive break gave her solids early in game 8, but she couldn't strike at the end, ceding possession via ball-in-hand to Patches after missed contact. Patches made a three-ball run-out to take the win, equalizing in the 4-4 series to set up a decisive final game. Game 9 was a fitting finish, with Twilight starting on a bold four-ball run. Patches pulled back later and found a late lead, but Twilight iced the win on a three-ball run-out, using savvy strategy to get the win. Twilight's 5-4 series win sets her up to visit the Queens Flames' Hannah for the 8-ball title. Patches exits 159th in this Tournament, giving Twilight her second kill. The Warriors team-killed the Swifts.
Ebay Center, Queens: Violetta (R) v. Chelsea (S). The games continue with the red cue's only appearance of the day in 9-ball. Queens' Violetta made a pair early in game 1, only for Eastside's Chelsea to answered with a four-ball run. Violetta then shot back with a three-ball run-out for the win and the 1-0 series lead. The Sharks' Chelsea kept a similar style in game 2, working a four-ball run in the middle, but this time, the Flames' Violetta dropped her chance for a late run. Chelsea chipped in the 7 and the 9 on separate turns after her run to get the win, tying the series at 1. The offense never arrived in game 3, with both players hopelessly chasing the 1. Chelsea tried to deflect off the 1 to pot the 9 at the top right, but she ended up clipping the 2 and sinking the 9 illegally to gift a win and 2-1 series lead back to Violetta. Chelsea continued to take a hefty share of the offense while limiting Violetta's ability to dominate. Chelsea had a four-ball run in the middle of game 4, but she missed her bank on the 9, and Violetta cut it to the top left to snag the win for a 3-1 series lead despite lacking quality in her shots. Violetta absolutely ripped her break shot in game 5, catching air when it met the rack, and the 9 dribbled to the bottom right for the win, her first commanding victory of the series. Violetta is on the brink of advancing with a 4-1 series lead. Violetta scratched after making a ball on the game 6 break, and this led to Chelsea taking a large portion of the offense. Chelsea had a pair of three-ball runs, the latter giving her the win at the end to cut the series to 4-2. Chelsea remained competitive in game 7, but a scratch as she potted the 8 on a second option play ruined any hopes she had for the series. Violetta drilled the 9 to the top right from ball-in-hand, clinching the series at 5-2. Chelsea had a respectable amount of offense again in game 8, but she left her shots hanging at the end, and Violetta mopped them up to find the win, pushing her advantage to 6-2 in the series. Violetta actually looked almost at her best in game 9, pummeling a good number of shots in, but Chelsea took the 8 when Violetta whiffed on the final ball. Violetta settled for a 6-3 series win that sets her up for a Southeastern rivalry match against her mother, the Midland Predators' Fuchsia, in the 9-ball championship. Chelsea is the 160th player ousted from the Tournament, and the second Violetta takes responsibility for. The Flames have team-killed the Sharks.
Ford Forum, Pronger: Zach (S) v. Twinkie II (B). We're over halfway done, with Accuracy kicking off the second half of the day's series. Pronger's Zach had a terrible game 1, trading misses with Harrison's Twinkie II early on, and then missing a bunch in a row late. Zach then lost the tip off the silver cue on a shot with the game already out of hand. Twinkie II won the odd opener 2-4 for a 1-0 series lead. The blue cue will be used for the rest of the day while the silver cue dries after having the tip reapplied. The Specters' Twinkie II came out firing with a ball on the break in game 2, and she didn't miss until the last ball. The Tridents' Zach fought back well, but he couldn't break Twinkie II down, as the visitor won 1-2 this time to push her series lead to 2-0. Twinkie II made a ball on the break again in game 3, and she held a lead for awhile, but Zach evened it up twice to force overtime. Zach missed on the break, but Twinkie II missed two turns in overtime, and that gave Zach a 4-5 win to cut the series to 2-1. Twinkie II and Zach dueled to great excitement in game 4, until Twinkie II fell apart at the end, allowing Zach to march away with a 0-3 win to tie the series at 2. Twinkie II and Zach battled well again in game 5, until Zach missed three straight starts as the rack tightened up a bit. Twinkie II would miss twice late, but she held on for the 2-4 win to regain her series lead at 3-2. Twinkie II double-potted and scratched on the game 6 break, leading to an eventful start. Zach wouldn't hold the lead for long, and the two exchanged misses after another Twinkie II double-pot. Zach fell off with another miss near the end, allowing Twinkie II to win 2-3 for a 4-2 series lead. Zach and Twinkie II remained highly competitive in game 7, with Zach only slipping up with about six balls to go. Twinkie II missed after that, but she shut the door when Zach missed on the last ball. Twinkie II won 1-2, clinching the series at 5-2. Game 8 went perfectly on both sides, with Twinkie II making a ball on the break to hold the last shot advantage. Instead of overtime, she sportingly played a miss to give Zach the 0-1 win when he tapped in the last ball. Twinkie II remains ahead 5-3 in the series. Twinkie II fell apart late in game 9 as well, allowing Zach to pull away with a 4-5 win. Twinkie II won the series 5-4, and will visit Westside Rockers captain Misty in the Accuracy championship. Zach is the 161st player to exit the Tournament, giving Twinkie II her a fourth kill this year.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Mr. Snowman (B) v. Quincy (S). We've got a veteran against a rookie in Rotation now as the blue cue plays its own series. Infinity's Mr. Snowman had a decent start from a bad break, but Terrace City's Quincy capitalized on the host's errors to build his offense, winning 8-1 on a three-ball run-out. Quincy leads the series at 1-0. The Knights' Quincy took the lead in game 2 early on, but couldn't hold it when the Torpedoes' Mr. Snowman pounded a five-ball run. Mr. Snowman faded too soon, and Quincy fought back, winning 8-7 to go up 2-0 in the series. Mr. Snowman slowly built up a lead in game 3, fouling in ugly manners a couple of times along the way. Quincy couldn't do anything about it, missing most of his shots as Mr. Snowman claimed an 8-1 win to cut the series to 2-1. Mr. Snowman sliced a four-ball run early on, but the lead didn't last, as Quincy shot back with a three-ball run. Mr. Snowman slogged through the rest of the game, and Quincy stung him at the end for the 8-6 win, boosting his series lead to 3-1. Quincy gained the lead early in game 5, and he held it for a good portion of the game as well. Mr. Snowman charged back after Quincy scratched with a five-ball run, but his miss on the 15 led to Quincy winning 8-7 with a tap-in. Quincy is up 4-1 in the series. Mr. Snowman almost faltered in game 6 after taking a three-ball run. Quincy built up a noticeable lead and got onto the brink of victory with a short run, but Mr. Snowman smashed a four-ball run-out for the 8-7 win, pulling back to a 4-2 deficit in the series. Mr. Snowman didn't play particularly well in game 7, but his defense stymied every attack Quincy tried to muster. Mr. Snowman had the time to go at his own pace, winning 8-0 to pull closer at 4-3 overall. Mr. Snowman couldn't get his offense going in game 8, a crucial time for him to come up lame. Quincy attacked on short runs, winning with a three-ball run-out for the 8-2 victory to secure the series at 5-3. Quincy and Mr. Snowman went back and forth throughout the cool-down game 9, with Quincy answering Mr. Snowman's late three-ball run with a pair at the end to take the win. Quincy won the game 8-7 and the series 6-3, earning his spot against Royal Crowns captain Nightfur in the Rotation Finals. Quincy took his fifth kill and a team-kill on the Torpedoes as Mr. Snowman becomes the 162nd eliminated player.
Subway Arena, Stonebridge: Hershey (S) v. Anton (B). Despite the silver cue being the listed host, the equipment malfunction keeps the blue cue in action here in 7-ball. Stonebridge's Hershey made a ball on the game 1 break, but Todavía's Anton looked sharper with a four-ball run. Anton flubbed his chance on the 7 on the next turn, and Hershey converted it for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Wolves' Hershey participated more in game 2, making a pair on the break and a pair at the end to sandwich a three-ball run from the Stills' Anton. Hershey again took the win, moving to a 2-0 series lead. Hershey wasted no time in laying claim to game 3, burying the 7 to the top left on the break. Anton could only watch as the deficit stretched to 3-0 in the series. Hershey remained strong in game 4, but he lacked dominance. Anton missed a bank on the 4 to the bottom right, which Hershey tapped in, but Hershey's shot on the 7 caused him to scratch, gifting a win to Anton. Hershey still holds a 3-1 series lead. Anton tried to establish himself early in game 5, but it didn't work out. Hershey took a four-ball run, and would pot the last two balls on a later turn for the win, re-upping his series lead to 4-1. Hershey had a three-ball run to start game 6, and he added the 4 later, but Anton used a three-ball run on his second turn to nab the win, cutting the series down to 4-2. Anton had a five-ball run on his second turn in game 7, a big attack but not enough when he whiffed on the 7. Hershey was there to mop up the last ball, taking the win to seal the series at 5-2. Anton did a little bit on offense in game 8, but once again he left the 7 available at the end. Hershey gladly picked it up at the top right, taking the win to push his series lead up to 6-2. Hershey tried hard to keep pressing for a win in game 9, but the chase on the 7 ultimately went in favor of Anton. Hershey won the series 6-3, earning a spot against the Royal Crowns' Jake for the 7-ball title. Hershey took his second kill of the season, a team-kill on the Stills to make Anton the 163rd eliminated player.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Strut (B) v. Tigerette (S). The final series of the Preliminary Finals is in 15-ball. Golden's Strut didn't play all that well initially in game 1, as Commerce's Tigerette found a little offense. Strut turned on with a four-ball run, and his next turn was a six-ball run-out for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Pilots' Strut did what he could after an empty break in game 2, but he didn't have the strongest runs this time. The Tradewinds' Tigerette countered pretty well when she could, including at the end when she made a pair of shots for the win to tie the series at 1. Strut and Tigerette sparred for much of the middle of game 3 after a hot start on both sides. Tigerette found the heat again at the end, collecting a five-ball run-out for the win and a 2-1 series lead. Tigerette appeared to find her groove pretty well in game 4, making a three-ball run early on, a five-ball run closer to the end, and the final pair of shots to take the win over Strut, who just couldn't connect late in the game. Tigerette leads the series 3-1. Tigerette opened game 5 on a six-ball run, and nearly ran longer were it not for a miss on the 7. Strut countered with fractured possession, but enough to pressure and finally defeat Tigerette for the win. Strut clawed his way back to a 3-2 deficit. Strut kept up his momentum early in game 6, attacking much more cohesively than Tigerette. That changed at the end, where Tigerette made four of the last six balls to claim the win, restoring her series lead of two games at 4-2. Strut made his best attempts on defense in game 7, weathering a rocky start to shutter Tigerette's offense in the middle of the game. Strut had a four-ball run, but lost control on the 13, and Tigerette eventually corralled it to take a three-ball run-out en route to the win. Tigerette clinched the series at 5-2. Tigerette had some half-chances on offense in game 8, belting a few good shots early. She left the 15 near the top side at one point, and Strut used the 6 as a deflecting tool to bump the cue into the 15 to pot it for the win. Tigerette remains ahead 5-3 in the series. Tigerette took game 9 as well with a fair amount of offense, finishing off a late run to beat Strut with the silver cue in its test series for the re-tip job. Tigerette won the series 6-3, giving her a spot in the 15-ball Championship against the Victoria Spurs' Yekaterina. Strut is the 164th eliminated player, with Tigerette earning her third kill of the year.
On Wednesday, the regular season portion of the Tournament closes, and the eight participants in the Tournament of Champions will be named as we enter the postseason.
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