We're onto the second-to-last day in the first round. Today's action begins with...
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Chris v. Rosalina. The blue cue leads off today with Rotation. Capital City's Chris saw a couple of untimely scratches in game 1, hampering his ability to keep up. Whitewater's Rosalina made a three-ball run late to retake the lead and eventually she won 8-6 in the back-and-forth game. Rosalina is up 1-0 in the series. The Sharpshooters' Chris bounced back well in game 2, getting a little lucky early on and picking up steam later with a three-ball run-out for the 8-3 win. This tied the series at 1 against the Shores' Rosalina. Another back-and-forth battle broke out in game 3, and it looked much like the opening game with Chris leading early only for Rosalina to storm back for the 8-6 win. Rosalina took the series 2-1 and will face Mams of the Southern Monarchs in the second round. Both players advanced five bids to the next round.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Sprinkles v. Missy. The red cue's Accuracy finale is an all-Sharpshooters series between their veterans. Sprinkles scratched on the break, but it was a late miss at two corners that cost her the 2-3 game, which Missy won despite a late fade. Missy leads the series 1-0. Sprinkles led for much of game 2, but the result was the same. She slipped late with a miss and a scratch and Missy wound up winning by a 2-3 score again to clinch the series at 2-0. Missy faltered in game 3, missing her last two shots as Sprinkles held on for the 2-4 win to avoid the sweep. Missy took the series 2-1 and is set to visit Americus of the Midland Predators in the second round. Sprinkles will take four bids to the next round.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Waluigi v. Stealth. The blue cue is back for more Rotation now. A close start in game 1 turned into a blowout after Swordpoint's Stealth scratched. Web City's Waluigi cranked a five-ball run-out for the 8-4 win from that point, taking an early 1-0 series lead. Save for a big finishing run, game 2 looked very similar to game 1. The Spiders' Waluigi dueled with the Blades' Stealth at the start, but Waluigi eventually broke away and picked up the 8-4 win again to clinch the series at 2-0. Waluigi made it a sweep in game 3, again making a late charge but this time seeing Stealth rally on a three-ball run to tie the game. Stealth missed the 15 and Waluigi converted it at the bottom right for an 8-7 win and 3-0 series sweep. Waluigi will host Brownie of the Royal Crowns in the second round. Stealth will have six bids advancing.
IBM Cathedral, North Modernistic: Peach v. Jennifer. The silver cue comes on for an Urban Derby in 8-ball. North Modernistic's Peach had a three-ball run from the break after making one of each suit. Terrace City's Jennifer kept herself within striking distance but never got ahead as Peach finished with a bank on the 8 to the top side. Peach leads the series 1-0. The Knights' Jennifer made her move in game 2, a four-ball run to get onto the 8. The Nighthawks' Peach made a couple of shots but couldn't stop Jennifer from winning this time, which tied the series at 1. Jennifer came close in game 3, getting down to her last ball early, but Peach played enough defense until she could come from behind on a four-ball run-out for the win. Peach won the series 2-1 and will host Fuchsia of the Midland Predators in the second round with one of her five advancing bids.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Midnight v. Juno. Club-mates are set to meet in 10-ball with the red cue. Westside's Midnight had some offense in a balanced game 1 battle, but Stonebridge's Juno provided the winning shot with a kick to hit the 8 with a glancing deflection to put the 10 in the bottom side. Juno's tricky finish put her up 1-0 in the series. Despite a solid attack in game 2, the Rockers' Midnight again came up empty outside of an early three-ball run. The Wolves' Juno closed it out with a five-ball run-out for the win to seal the series at 2-0. Midnight had a little less offense in game 3, mostly due to Juno's pressure. Juno closed the game victorious again with a 5-10 combination to the bottom right to earn the 3-0 series sweep. Juno is set to visit an Eastern Hills rival in the Freedom Cascades' Stinky in round two. Both players have four advancing bids.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Cleo v. Beth. The blue cue is back for more Rotation. Everton's Cleo began with a three-ball run in game 1, and while Pearl's Beth kept in close pursuit, Cleo escaped with the 8-7 win at the end. Cleo leads the series 1-0. Game 2 saw the Surfers' Beth start with the lead before the Eagles' Cleo roared ahead with a five-ball run. Beth then pushed a three-ball run to tie the game, but scratches on consecutive turns allowed Cleo to reply, and the host won 8-7 to secure the series at 2-0. Cleo didn't save it for late in game 3, battling with Beth initially before breaking free on a four-ball run-out to win 8-3. Cleo swept the series 3-0 and will host Twinkie I of the Pacific Volcanoes in the second round. Cleo has four advancing bids, while Beth has six.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Missy v. Mams. The host gets a second series today, playing 8-ball with the silver cue. Neither player had a strong grip on game 1, with Southern's Mams starting well, Capital City's Missy controlling the mid-game, and Mams roaring back on a three-ball run-out to overcome a prior scratch for the win. Mams holds a 1-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Missy kept things close again in game 2 at the start, but the Monarchs' Mams refused to let that stand. Mams made a four-ball run-out at the end, banking the 8 to the bottom left for the win to secure the series at 2-0. Mams worked a large run at the start of game 3, but she didn't support it all that well. Missy's offense was more balanced in her lone win, which left Mams with a 2-1 series win to take into her second-round series versus the Everton Eagles' Bear. Missy has five bids moving on.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Isabella v. Katelynn. The silver cue stays on for an Eastern Hills derby in 15-ball. Diamond's Katelynn had a six-ball run in the middle of game 1, and continued to press at the end. Atlantic's Isabella scratched late in the game, and Katelynn made the 15 from ball-in-hand for the win to go up 1-0 in the series. Game 2 saw a struggle for control in the middle between the players, but it was at the end where the result became clear. The Gems' Katelynn burst ahead with a seven-ball run-out for the win to seal the series at 2-0, defeating the Pirates' Isabella. Katelynn didn't have a big run in game 3, but her offense still kept Isabella pinned back pretty well. Katelynn ended with a three-ball run-out to cap the win and 3-0 series sweep. Katelynn is ready to visit Sydney S. of the Harrison Specters in round two, one of her five advancing bids.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Dusty v. Jake. The blue cue returns for yet another Rotation series. Golden's Dusty had a successful and thundering break and then added a four-ball run-out at the end for the 8-1 win over Royal's Jake. Dusty took a 1-0 series lead with the dominant effort. The Pilots' Dusty again started well in game 2, and she enjoyed a four-ball run at one point, but her coast to the finish was cut off by the Crowns' Jake, who completed the comeback with a pair of shots for the 8-7 win. Jake's push tied the series at 1. Dusty thought she was in the clear in game 3 with an early four-ball run, but Jake stormed back on a seven-ball run to get on the brink of victory. Jake hesitated a bit but closed the door at 8-6 for the win and 2-1 series win. Jake will take on another Southeastern foe in the Boston Swifts' Puff II in the second round, one of his eight bids to advance.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Kirstin v. Dewey. Rotation is on tap again, which means more time for the blue cue. Oceanside's Dewey made a lot of shots early in game 1 to build up his lead. Everton's Kirstin got close, but a second scratch stalled her while Dewey made a pair for the 8-4 win to take a 1-0 series lead. The Eagles' Kirstin still faced some scratching problems in game 2, but she held on long enough to capitalize on a lack of offense from the Waves' Dewey. Kirstin used a four-ball run-out to get the 8-6 win, tying the series at 1 in the process. Kirstin took the initial lead in game 3 and never looked back, mostly using pairs of shots to build her lead. Dewey came close for awhile but didn't challenge Kirstin, who won 8-4 for the 2-1 series win. Kirstin will host Pearl Surfers co-captain Watermelon in the second round. Kirstin advanced six bids, while Dewey takes just two to the next round.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Mams v. Waluigi. Both players' second series of the day comes in 15-ball with the silver cue. After a slow start in game 1, Southern's Mams popped off with an eight-ball run-out, stunning Web City's Waluigi for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Waluigi did better to limit the damage in game 2, but the Monarchs' Mams still had plenty of multi-ball turns. Mams posted a three-ball run at one point, and made the final pair after Waluigi missed a kick on the 14 to the bottom side. Mams' win sealed the series in her favor at 2-0. Mams didn't suffer much in game 3, a balanced battle with Waluigi that eventually went in his favor when he made the last two balls. Mams settled for a 2-1 series win to earn a spot hosting Citrus of the Lighton Prestige in round two. Mams will have four bids going forward, while Waluigi owns two.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Nikolai v. Sally. Mixing it up, we've got the blue cue in hand for 12-ball. Freedom's Nikolai had a tough break in game 1, but he did well with positional play. Archtown's Sally tried to follow but lagged behind, and Nikolai made a pair for the win to take the 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Sally led in game 2 until she had to intentionally scratch her last ball. The Cascades' Nikolai made a three-ball run and got better positioning at the mutually-needed bottom left, and won with a tap-in a turn later. Nikolai's win clinched the series for him at 2-0. Sally played stronger in game 3, with the help of a scratch and poor positioning for Nikolai. Sally made three balls over her last two turns for the win, leaving Nikolai with a 2-1 series win. Nikolai will host the North Modernistic Nighthawks' Cheddar in the second round. Sally carries four bids into the next round.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Whiskers v. Nikolai. The visitor completes a personal doubleheader in 8-ball with the silver cue. Freedom's Nikolai looked good at first in game 1, but he allowed far too much time for Maplewood's Whiskers, who rallied on a six-ball run-out for the victory. Whiskers leads the series 1-0. The Lumberjacks' Whiskers had a delayed start in game 2, posting a six-ball run on her second turn while giving up some collateral damage. The Cascades' Nikolai answered on a four-ball run, but Whiskers would make her final pair of shots for the win to seal the series at 2-0. Whiskers came close after a slow start in game 3, but Nikolai just had enough time to get the 8 after Whiskers' three-ball run. Whiskers still won the series 2-1, and she'll host her former captain, Smudge of the Infinity Torpedoes, in the second round with one of her five advancing bids.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Isabella v. Snowball. The last series of the day is 10-ball with the red cue. Atlantic's Isabella seemed rattled early in game 1 while Swordpoint's Snowball kept her poise. Isabella channeled the nervous energy well with a three-ball run-out capped by a two-rail kick on the 10 to the top right for the win and 1-0 series lead. Game 2 went smoothly on both sides, with the Pirates' Isabella scratching to end a four-ball run that had her looking for more. The Blades' Snowball made a pair from there but missed the 10 at the top right, only to convert it on the second as Isabella missed it too. Snowball's win tied the series at 1. Isabella had some offense in game 3, but a deflected shot off the 3 from Snowball tapped the 10 to the top right for the win. Snowball's 2-1 series win sets her up to visit Southwestern rival captain Chris of the Capital City Sharpshooters in the second round. Snowball advanced five bids to the next round, while Isabella will take four.
Tomorrow, we hopefully will put the first round in the books. The weekend will feature heavy administrative work and potentially the start of the Hutton Cup, which has been delayed in post-regular-season administrative work.
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