UPCL Bowl Series - Day 3

We're back for the third day of bowl action. Leading off...

Ford Forum, Pronger: Panda v. Violetta. Two of the year's top performers battle in the Eastern Hills with the red cue. Southern's Panda had a three-ball run-out in 7-ball, doing enough on offense to best Queens' Violetta for the early 1-0 series lead. The Monarchs' Panda had a good look in 8-ball, but a late illegal contact turned it over to the Flames' Violetta, who made the final pair for the win. Violetta's win tied the series at 1. Panda had a strong attack in 9-ball, but the Oriental United man couldn't get the better of his Outcast opponent. Panda scratched as he made the 9, giving Violetta the win and 2-1 series lead in the process. Panda and Violetta went back and forth in 10-ball, with Panda gaining an edge in the middle only to fade at the end. Violetta made the final pair and pulled ahead 3-1 in the series. Panda gave away a wild-card ball to start 12-ball, but it didn't slow him down. Violetta tried to get into position, but she was a step slow as Panda plucked the win to get back to 3-2 in the series. Panda overfilled the top right at the start, and Violetta had wonderful positioning to work with. Panda kept it close, but Violetta took the win, boosting her lead to 4-2. Panda dominated in Rotation, blasting a three-ball run early on and scattering his offense throughout the 8-0 win to cut Violetta's series lead to 4-3. Panda and Violetta had a choppy back-and-forth near the end of 15-ball, with Violetta ultimately knocking in the winning ball to take the Pronger Bowl for Outcast. Violetta couldn't finish strong in Accuracy, a late missing giving Panda the path to a 3-4 win. Violetta still took the tense series 5-4.

FedEx Arena, Eastside: Slinks v. Summer. Another Outcast player is on in a road appearance against a Brute Force member with the blue cue. Maplewood's Summer had a strong performance in 7-ball, including a four-ball run-out to finish off Westside's Slinks for the 1-0 series lead. The Lumberjacks' Summer couldn't capitalize on a strong start in 8-ball, allowing the Rockers' Slinks to push all the way back. Slinks grabbed the win and tied the series at 1. Summer honed in her attack in 9-ball fairly well, grabbing a six-ball run before missing a cut on the 9. Slinks cleaned it up for the win at the bottom right, taking a 2-1 series lead. Slinks made a more aggressive push in 10-ball, ripping a four-ball run-out of her own to push her lead to 3-1 over Summer. Slinks kept up the offense well in 12-ball, segmenting the table effectively and giving Summer hardly any clear looks. Slinks earned another win to stretch her series lead to 4-1. Slinks kept it going in 13-ball, attacking with one of each on the break and choosing stripes. Slinks had no issues on offense, cruising to the clinching win over Summer in the 5-1 series. Slinks had the edge late in a close Rotation game, but it wouldn't hold up against Summer's three-ball run-out for the 8-7 comeback win. Slinks' series lead shrank to 5-2. Slinks continued to surge with the last six balls over two turns in 15-ball, leaving Summer dry on offense at the end. Slinks is up to a 6-2 series lead. Slinks didn't have anything left for Accuracy, allowing Summer to convincingly earn a 0-3 win. Slinks took the Eastside Bowl 6-3.

BMW RockDome, Westside: Leonette v. Spot. The Outcast tour continues in their battle against Solid Core with the silver cue. Pronger's Spot found an edge with a late four-ball run-out in 7-ball, getting the win for a 1-0 series lead over Pacific's Leonette. The Tridents' Spot kept it up in 8-ball, attacking well over two turns. The Volcanoes' Leonette couldn't solve poor positioning, and Spot finished on a four-ball run-out to push his series lead to 2-0. Leonette pieced together a four-ball run in the middle of 9-ball, but Spot made the last three balls over two turns to get another win, stretching his advantage to 3-0. Leonette finally got on the board with a 10-ball win after Spot's three-ball run ended with a miss on the 8. Leonette converted the 8-10 combination to the bottom right to cut the deficit to 3-1. Leonette had a huge lead in 12-ball, but the veteran couldn't make it stand with a ball stuck at the top right. Spot charged back with a three-ball run-out for the win to pull ahead 4-1. Spot started quite well in 13-ball, but Leonette rattled off a three-ball run to get onto the 8 before making it on the next turn for the win. Spot remains ahead 4-2 in the series. Leonette couldn't sustain her offense into Rotation, falling badly by an 8-2 score to Spot, who burst forward with an early run. Spot sealed the Westside Bowl at 5-2 in the process of this win. Spot didn't enjoy 15-ball as much, scratching near the very end to allow Leonette a free shot on the 15. She converted to the top right for the win, cutting the series to 5-3. Leonette grabbed another win in Accuracy by a 2-5 margin as Spot never recovered from a slow start. Spot will settle for the bowl win by a 5-4 margin.

IBM Cathedral, North Modernistic: Puff I v. Dusty. A Union star goes to her biggest rival's barn as the hosting player in the Reality Championship Bowl with the purple cue. Modernistic's Puff I picked up a pair at the end after Golden's Dusty failed to complete her run. Puff I leads the series 1-0. The Union's Puff I was sluggish in 8-ball, allowing the Pilots' Dusty to dictate the pace of play. Dusty earned the win at the end, tying the series at 1. Dusty had some offense in 9-ball as well, but Puff I locked up a win with a pair of shots at the end to regain the series lead at 2-1. Puff I surged at the end of 10-ball with a six-ball run-out doing enough to fend off Dusty again as Puff I moved to a 3-1 series lead. Puff I gave up a wild-card ball on the 12-ball break, and then scratched. Dusty used the extra flexibility to her advantage and even gave away a wild-card ball at the end. Puff I had a chance to force a redo and fell short, with Dusty pulling back to a 3-2 deficit. Puff I had a good start but poor positioning late in the game after a wonky shot. Dusty rallied with a four-ball run-out to tie the series at 3 games apiece. Dusty's miss on the 8 in Rotation proved pivotal, as Puff I converted it and the 9 on her last turn for the 8-3 win that could have gone either way. Puff I is back in the lead at 4-3. Puff I turned up the heat near the end of 15-ball, using a five-ball run to get an edge. Dusty had a chance to counter it, but she missed on the 15, and Puff I knocked it down to secure the North Modernistic Bowl, much to the chagrin of the host city, at a 5-3 margin. Dusty led after a miss by Puff I in Accuracy, but Dusty had a late miss and then sportingly missed again to give away the 1-2 win. Puff I ended the series with a 6-3 win.

AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Shiny v. Sally. Today's action ends with the green cue between Oriental United and Forest SC opponents. Lighton's Shiny survived scratching on the break, bouncing back later after Archtown's Sally lost control. Shiny won 7-ball for a 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Sally ripped a six-ball run early in 8-ball but failed to finish the job. The Prestige's Shiny rallied back over three turns for the win to extend her series lead to 2-0. Sally had a surge on offense to start 9-ball, but Shiny stepped up for a four-ball run-out at the end for the win, moving to a 3-0 series lead. Sally again made an effort to keep up, but Shiny was right there for a three-ball run-out in the end, earning the win and 4-0 advantage. Shiny ripped a five-ball run to start 12-ball, and while Sally pushed back, she was a shot too late to win, as Shiny ended at the bottom left to clinch the Oceanside Bowl at 5-0. Shiny had another positive start in 13-ball, but Sally finally emerged with a win with the pressure off. Sally made a five-ball run-out for the comeback to cut the series to 5-1. Shiny was back to her winning ways in Rotation, rattling off an 8-3 win over Sally to push back to a 6-1 series lead. A back-and-forth 15-ball battle ended with Sally scratching as she made the 15, a common theme on many shots. Shiny took the gift with a 7-1 series lead. Sally picked up the Accuracy win as well when Shiny faltered late. Sally's margin was a 3-6 win in the game, but Shiny's series win was 7-2.

We're done for today. We'll play again tomorrow before a one-day break.