We're back with a late start for today's pool action, beginning with...
Intel Center, Diamond: Smokey v. Avril. The silver cue gets the first action today, playing 7-ball. Diamond's Smokey capitalized on Web City's Avril scratching on her only shot at the 7. Smokey took it from ball-in-hand for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Smokey tried a kick on the 7 near the end of game 2, but he missed it at the top left as his three-ball run ended. The Spiders' Avril tapped it in instead, earning the win to tie the series at 1. Smokey and Avril went back-and-forth in game 3, with Smokey's wide miss on the 7 allowing Avril to pick up the win for a 2-1 series win. Avril will travel to Everton to face a Northeastern rival in the Eagles' Cleo in the second round.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Steven v. Vladimir. An Eastern Hills rivalry edition of 7-ball with the blue cue is next. Late-game finishing seems to be a league-wide problem today, as Atlantic's Steven made a three-ball run but missed the 7 in game 1, allowing Stonebridge's Vladimir to mop it up for the 1-0 series lead. The Wolves' Vladimir did his best to buck that trend with a five-ball run-out in game 2, easily surging to the win to clinch the series at 2-0 over the Pirates' Steven. Vladimir completed the sweep with a three-ball run-out in game 3, after Steven made illegal contact. Vladimir's 3-0 series win sends him on the road again in the second round, where he'll visit his sister, the Victoria Spurs' Yekaterina.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Taylor M. The silver cue is back for this Accuracy series. Oceanside's Snuggle hit the skids early in game 1, and he never had time to recover, as Eastside's Taylor M. claimed a 1-4 win for the 1-0 series lead after a very strong performance. Game 2 was very even and saw some back-and-forth play near the end. The Sharks' Taylor M. fell behind by missing the last ball to the top right, and the Waves' Snuggle converted for the 3-4 win to tie the series at 1. Snuggle figured things out in game 3, getting a bunch of early misses from Taylor M. before shutting it down at 2-4 for the win. Snuggle took the series 2-1, and will host Fluffina of the Infinity Torpedoes in the second round.
AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Celestia v. Mario. The United Derby gets a Rotation remix in this series with the silver cue. Oceanside's Celestia washed Queens' Mario off the table in game 1, combining steady offense and smothering defense for the 8-0 shutout win. Celestia owns a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Celestia brought some of that defense back in game 2, but the Flames' Mario wiggled out of it a couple of times. An even game ended up breaking Mario's way, as a two-rail kick on the 14 tapped the 15 to the top side for the 8-6 win that tied the series at 1. Game 3 was another grind for both players, with Mario taking a late lead only for him to miss the 15. Celestia took it at the bottom right for the 8-7 win and 2-1 series win. Celestia will play in round two after a tense finish to the series.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Chris v. Bear. The red cue gets the draw in Accuracy this time after the lunch break. Everton's Bear couldn't capitalize on mistakes by Capital City's Chris, and also made too many of his own as Chris skated by on a 4-5 win for the 1-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Chris played much better in game 2, completing a perfect performance in a 0-2 win over the Eagles' Bear, who saw his improvements unrewarded. Chris clinched the series at 2-0 with this win. Chris was unable to keep up in game 3 despite making a pair on the break. Bear played well and earned a 2-4 win to avoid the sweep in Chris' 2-1 series win. Chris will play in the second round.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Sweetheart v. Gizmo. Veterans meet in another Accuracy series, this one with the silver cue. A sloppy start saw both players miss early, but Eastside's Gizmo settled in from there and held on to beat Boston's Sweetheart 1-2 for the 1-0 series lead after game 1. The Sharks' Gizmo looked to be on a similar track in game 2 until he botched a couple of shots near the end. The Swifts' Sweetheart used her positioning well to take the 2-3 win, tying the series at 1 game apiece. Gizmo held the lead for most of game 3 before another late fade caused the game to go into overtime. Both players made a pair before Sweetheart failed on her third turn. Gizmo won 3-4 for the 2-1 series win. Gizmo will visit an Eastern Hills rival in the Diamond Gems' Katelynn in the second round.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Shiny v. Dustin. The red cue is back as we switch to Rotation again. Lighton's Shiny won game 1 in a romp, working a five-ball run from the break and adding a three-ball run-out with some tricky plays to take an 8-0 win and 1-0 series lead over Central's Dustin. The Warriors' Dustin did better in game 2, taking three separate leads. A three-ball run put him on the edge of victory, but the Prestige's Shiny rallied back with a four-ball run-out for the 8-7 win to seal the series at 2-0. Dustin finally broke through for the win in game 3 with an 8-3 victory, playing good defense to stall Shiny's attack. Shiny still won the series 2-1 and will play in round two.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Tigerette v. Nightfur. The blue cue cycles in for 9-ball between two of the toughest captains in the league. Royal's Nightfur found a three-ball run in the middle of game 1, and Commerce's Tigerette couldn't match it late, leaving the 9 near the bottom left. Nightfur converted the tap-in for a win and 1-0 series lead. The Tradewinds' Tigerette had her chances in game 2, but she got hung up on the 5. Eventually, the Crowns' Nightfur broke through for a three-ball run-out, cutting the 9 to the top left for the win, which secured the series at 2-0. Nightfur never let Tigerette see the table in game 3, hammering a brilliant seven-ball run-out from the break, capped by a 6-9 combination to the top right. Nightfur swept the series 3-0 to get to the second round.
Audi Hall, Terrace City: Kiwi v. Cowzart. The blue cue stays in action for this 12-ball series. Terrace City's Kiwi started with solids in game 1, but never got past the side pockets while giving Pacific's Cowzart a wild-card ball. The visitor Cowzart used the advantage widely, easily earning the win and 1-0 series lead in the process. The Volcanoes' Cowzart came out hot with five balls over three turns to start game 2, while the Knights' Kiwi played the positioning game. Kiwi's plan worked, as she engineered a six-ball run-out for the comeback win to tie the series at 1. Kiwi again planned well in game 3, taking a long route to good positioning. Cowzart did what he could with defense at the bottom left, but Kiwi got by it for the win to take the series 2-1. Kiwi moves on to the second round.
FedEx Arena, Eastside: Gizmo v. Chelsea. Back to 9-ball with the blue cue as Sharks teammates clash. Nothing pretty came from game 1 until the end, when Gizmo finally grabbed the sloppy win on a bank that sent the 9 to the top left. Gizmo leads Chelsea 1-0, although not with much confidence. Both players looked better in game 2, but Chelsea slipped up late, scratching to end a three-ball run. Gizmo gladly took the 9 from ball-in-hand for the win to clinch the series at 2-0. Game 3 saw Gizmo actually take a strong majority of possession, but he missed his bank on the 9, and Chelsea downed it at the bottom left. Gizmo won the series 2-1 and will move on to round two.
IBM Cathedral, North Modernistic: Peach v. Shawn. Two captains of the most recent expansion teams meet in Rotation with the silver cue. Midland's Shawn had a little good fortune but no sustained offense in game 1, while North Modernistic's Peach played a steady game in an 8-3 win for the 1-0 lead in the series. The Predators' Shawn had a little more offense in game 2, but he couldn't keep the Nighthawks' Peach at bay, as the host charged late to nab an 8-5 win. This secured the series at 2-0 for Peach. In game 3, Peach had it even easier as Shawn barely showed up and frequently lacked a clear shot anyway. Peach took this win 8-1 to make it a 3-0 series sweep sending her to the second round.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Twinkie III v. Pounce. Experienced players meet for another Rotation series, this one with the blue cue. Southern's Pounce took an early lead in game 1, and while Whitewater's Twinkie III briefly caught up, Pounce pulled away on a three-ball run-out for the 8-5 win. Pounces owns a 1-0 series lead. The Monarchs' Pounce needed a couple of turns to ignite his offense with a five-ball run early on. The Shores' Twinkie III found no answer to that, and Pounce walked away with an 8-0 win to seal the series at 2-0. Game 3 was the closest in the series as the players exchanged leads multiple times. It came down to Twinkie III narrowly missing the 15 at the top left, where Pounce tapped it in to win 8-7 for a 3-0 series sweep. Pounce will continue in the second round.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Starlight v. Katharine. Another Shore plays Rotation with the blue cue on the road. Whitewater's Katharine got the jump early in game 1, and she maintained the lead throughout the game, winning 8-3 over Pacific's Starlight. Katharine is up 1-0 in the series. The Shores' Katharine started well in game 2, but the Volcanoes' Starlight controlled the middle to tie things up for a bit. Katharine then escaped with an 8-7 win, the close call enough to secure the series at 2-0 for her. Starlight held the lead through the early parts of game 3, but Katharine made the last five balls over multiple turns, taking the 8-5 win for a 3-0 series sweep. Katharine was strong as she earns her spot in the second round.
Audi Hall, Terrace City: Oreo v. Shelley. Wrapping up the day, the blue cue plays Accuracy between veterans. Game 1 was very tight in regulation and overtime, going deep into the extra rack before Terrace City's Oreo emerged with a 1-2 win over Infinity's Shelley. Oreo leads the series 1-0. The same story played out in game 2, as the Knights' Oreo squandered a huge lead late in the game to force overtime. There, she missed on her second turn, giving the 4-5 win to the Torpedoes' Shelley, which tied the series at 1. Shelley played perfectly in a very close game 3, drawing a scratch and a miss late from Oreo. Shelley won 0-2 and took the series 2-1, putting her in the second round on the road versus the Viewpoint Sound Meteors' Frosty.
Tomorrow will see another day of games, and it's possible Saturday will be the weekend day for pool, or it will see the majority portion of the split if it comes to that.
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