We're onto the first Wednesday of competitive play, beginning with...
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Debby v. Goatee. The silver cue leads off the day's festivities with 15-ball. A mixed start gave way to a five-ball run from Westside's Goatee near the end of game 1, but she scratched on the 15. Southridge's Debby took the free shot for a win and 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Goatee struggled to stay clean early in game 2, but then made a four-ball run later on. The Defenders' Debby tried to hold off, but Goatee would convert a 12-15 combination to the bottom right for the win to tie the series at 1. Debby stormed by on offense in game 3, making a pair of four-ball runs around Goatee's last turn. Debby's latter run secured the win for a 2-1 series win, which sends her to a second round series against Central Warriors star Dustin.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Steven v. Fluffina. Veterans with differing styles meet in Rotation with the silver cue. Atlantic's Steven struggled to break away at first, but managed a three-ball run that Infinity's Fluffina never fully answered. Steven closed up with an 8-5 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Pirates' Steven started slow in game 2, but after the Torpedoes' Fluffina made an early pair, the rest of the offense was Steven's. The final held at 8-3 when Steven added a late three-ball run, clinching the series for him at 2-0. Game 3 took a similar pattern, with Steven using a five-ball run to pull ahead after Fluffina opened the scoring. Fluffina tried. Steven then capped it at 8-4 after Fluffina tried a late push that came up short. Steven swept the series 3-0 and will visit Archtown Arrows newcomer A. Charlton in the second round.
Apple Center, Todavía: Ruby v. Shaggy. Two original players clash in Accuracy with the silver cue. Whitewater's Shaggy missed once early in game 1, but Todavía's Ruby missed late and then failed on the overtime break. Shaggy converted in overtime to win 1-2 for a 1-0 series lead. The Shores' Shaggy came out on top again in game 2, battling in a back-and-forth match with the Stills' Ruby, who had the last two misses to fall behind. Shaggy closed it out for a 3-4 win to secure the series at 2-0. Ruby missed early and often in game 3, never standing a chance as Shaggy was nearly perfect until the late game. Shaggy won 1-4 for a 3-0 series sweep that gets her into the second round against the Pronger Tridents' Spot.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Jason N. v. Goldy. Back in Atlantic, the blue cue debuts for the day in 8-ball. Game 1 went quickly, with Jason N. pulling ahead on a six-ball run only for Goldy to make a six-ball run-out on her second turn for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Eagles' Goldy took a costly gamble in game 2, attempting and failing to sneak a ball behind the 8 and illegally potting the target in the process. This gifted the win to the Pirates' Jason N., tying the series at 1. Goldy had a good attack and counterattack in game 3, but she stalled on her final ball. Jason N. got down to the 8 faster and picked it up at the top right for the win to take the series 2-1. Jason N. will visit Wild Thing of the Stonebridge Wolves in the second round.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Kayla v. Jake. The first intra-squad series sees the Crowns' top two players clash in 12-ball with the silver cue. Kayla scratched on the break in game 1, but that didn't slow her down for long. Once Jake abandoned his defensive style, Kayla opened up the attack, and she made a three-ball run-out for the win and a 1-0 series lead. Kayla had a ball on the break, but she didn't like the suit she got in game 2. Jake fired back with a four-ball run, and then patiently waited before attacking the side pockets. His win tied the series at 1. Jake managed to outlast Kayla in a tightly-played game 3 battle, doing just enough to get the win. Jake took the series 2-1 and will face Pronger Tridents sophomore Lize in the second round.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Mams v. Chicky Phil. Players on new teams keep the silver cue active for 9-ball. Southern's Mams looked in control despite some unfortunate bounces, but she did make a 4-9 combination to the top right to earn the 1-0 series lead over a hapless Web City's Chicky Phil. The Spiders' Chicky Phil took over in game 2, adding a three-ball run before countering the Monarchs' Mams late in the game to nab the win. Chicky Phil's victory tied the series at 1. Mams had a five-ball run in the middle of game 3, but Chicky Phil surrounded it with a pair on the break and a pair at the end to give himself the win and 2-1 series win. Chicky Phil will visit Lorde of the Capital City Sharpshooters in the second round.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Hoppy v. Andrew. Players new to the Northeast meet in 15-ball with the blue cue. Archtown's Hoppy had some good offense early on, and Central's Andrew matched it later on, but a slow finish went in Andrew's favor as he put the 15 in the top right for the win. Andrew is up 1-0 in the series. The Warriors' Andrew began game 2 with a five-ball run, and he had the majority of the offense, but it went to waste when he missed on the 15 at the top left. The Arrows' Hoppy gladly tapped it in, taking the win to tie the series against her rookie foe. Game 3 had the look of being a defensive battle until Hoppy poked a 1-6-5-15 combination to the bottom left for the early win, which Andrew didn't see coming until it happened. Hoppy took the series 2-1 and will visit Leandra of the Tysini Hummingbirds in round two.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Goatee v. Stealth. The silver cue returns to action in this 13-ball series. Westside's Goatee had a promising start in game 1, but she never lined up a shot at the bottom side, and her futile attempts to do so gifted Swordpoint's Stealth all the time he needed to surge ahead for the win. Stealth owns a 1-0 series lead. The Blades' Stealth had a hot start in game 2, but the Rockers' Goatee did everything she could to keep up with him. Goatee later used a strategic scratch to stall Stealth, and then she made a three-ball run-out for the win to tie the series at 1. Stealth quickly took the lead in game 3, and despite a late push from Goatee, he was able to hold onto it for the win and a 2-1 series win.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Caitlin v. Jennifer. The blue cue administers a series between players in a burgeoning rivalry. Terrace City's Jennifer started out with some petty play, stifling Caitlin's chances to generate offense. Southridge's Caitlin then weathered Jennifer's eight-ball run to poach the 9 at the end for a 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Caitlin came out hot with a three-ball run from the break in game 2, while the Knights' Jennifer answered with a five-ball run before choking on the 9 again. Caitlin put the 9 in the bottom right for the win, sealing the series at 2-0. Caitlin showed a little more offense in game 3, making a five-ball run early before outplaying Jennifer on the later turns for the win to earn a 3-0 series sweep.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Nikolai v. Neopolitan. A hard-hitter meets a co-captain in Rotation with the red cue. Freedom's Nikolai came out swinging, taking a big lead, but he barely held off a four-ball run from Pearl's Neopolitan, which tied the game. Nikolai then made the 15 for an 8-7 win and 1-0 series lead. The Cascades' Nikolai started game 2 on a three-ball run from the break, but the Surfers' Neopolitan pulled back on a four-ball run for the lead. Neopolitan never looked back, winning 8-3 to tie the series at 1. Game 3 also came down to the wire, as the players exchanged four-ball runs early before tightening up. Nikolai prevailed on a medium-range shot to put the 15 in the top right for the 8-7 win and 2-1 series win. Nikolai visits Midland Predators rookie Kitty in round two.
FedEx Arena, Eastside: Taylor M. v. Nikolai. Two of the busiest players in the league go at it in 15-ball with the red cue. After a quick start, Eastside's Taylor M. made a play at a deflection off the 4 that left the 15 at the edge of the top right. A few turns later, Freedom's Nikolai made the 6-15 combination for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Sharks' Taylor M. had some quality shots early in game 2, but a bad miss on the 8 sent her game off the rails. The Cascades' Nikolai would close the win with a four-ball run-out, clinching the series at 2-0. Taylor M. held off on her attacks until late in the game, making five balls over her last two turns to get a win to avoid the sweep. Nikolai won the series 2-1 and will meet Dominic of the Southern Monarchs in the second round.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Bianca v. Neopolitan. The silver cue gets a look in 15-ball next. Pearl's Neopolitan charged with a four-ball run in game 1, but she missed on the 15, and Southridge's Bianca took it instead for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Surfers' Neopolitan took an even larger share of the offense in game 2, making a pair of four-ball runs near the end, but the Defenders' Bianca fired back on the 15 to poach another victory to secure the series at 2-0. Bianca and Neopolitan had a much more balanced battle in game 3 despite nothing left to be determined. Neopolitan played for pride, tapping the 15 in for a win to cut the series to 2-1 in Bianca's favor, which sends the host to a second round series against Shadow of the Diamond Gems.
UPS Ground, Maplewood: Summer v. Bear. Northeastern rivals meet in 12-ball with the silver cue. Maplewood's Summer made one of each suit on the game 1 break, taking a three-ball run from there. Everton's Bear matched it on his first turn, but he had better positioning at the end, easily snagging the win and a 1-0 series lead after missed contact from Summer. The Lumberjacks' Summer gave away a wild-card ball early in game 2, making it easy for the Eagles' Bear to be patient until Summer missed contact. Bear then put his last ball in the top side for the win to clinch the series at 2-0. Bear had a good push early in game 3, but an illegal contact play allowed Summer to flip the whole game around with a stunning six-ball run-out for the win.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Chris v. Shelley. After a break, the final series of the day is in 7-ball with the blue cue. Capital City's Chris easily took a majority of the offense in game 1, ending on a three-ball run-out to take the 1-0 series lead over Infinity's Shelley. The Torpedoes' Shelley rattled off a three-ball run early on, only for the Sharpshooters' Chris to match it soon after. The two players chased the 7 a bit, but Chris emerged with it at the top side to secure the series at 2-0. Shelley had the better of the offense in game 3, but it didn't matter when she illegally contacted the 7 on her attempt at the 6, which worked anyway. Chris buried the 7 from ball-in-hand for the 3-0 series sweep that sets him up to face Wild Thing of the Stonebridge Wolves in the second round.
That's all for today. We'll be back tomorrow after Elite cricket action.
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