2021 City Cup - Semifinals and Finals

We'll end the City Cup today. We begin with the semifinals, featuring...

3) Web City Spiders v. 10) Pacific Volcanoes. The silver cue will get the first semifinals series. Web City's Nibbles struck on the break in 7-ball, giving his team an instant 1-0 series lead as the 7 fell in the bottom side without Pacific's Leonette taking a shot. The Spiders' Kodiak was a little too choppy on offense in 8-ball. The Volcanoes' Smokey had no problems collecting the win with patience and pace, tying the series at 1. Nibbles returned in 9-ball and made three on the break, but Pacific's Smokey took over on offense with a six-ball run-out. This put Pacific ahead of Web City 2-1 in the series. Smokey wasn't able to sweep his set, dropping 10-ball as the Spiders' Nibbles attacked for a pair at the end. The series is tied again at 2-2. Web City's Jack checked in for 12-ball and controlled the pace of play against Pacific's Ms. Kitty. At the end, Jack got a couple of nice bounces to make it easier to win for the 3-2 series lead. The Spiders' Jack had a little less success in 13-ball, as he couldn't get a look at the bottom side with an aggressive turn from the Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty, who then won on a four-ball run-out. The series is tied again at 3. Jack did his part once more in Rotation, grabbing an 8-3 win over Leonette to give Web City the crucial 4-3 series lead. In 15-ball, Kodiak put in a good battle for the Spiders, but Leonette salvaged a win for the Volcanoes to tie the series once more at 4. Kodiak didn't have enough in the tank for Accuracy against Ms. Kitty, who locked down a 2-4 win to get the 5-4 series win for Pacific. The Volcanoes are the first team in the finals, but they'll have to wait for the result of the next series to see if they'll be in the home position or not.

8) Lighton Prestige v. 12) Viewpoint Sound Meteors. The blue cue takes the another semifinals series. Viewpoint Sound's Josie attacked with a five-ball run-out in 7-ball, grabbing the early 1-0 series lead over Lighton's Spirit. The Prestige's Citrus had a decent start to 8-ball, but she couldn't finish the effort. The Meteors' Princess surged on a five-ball run-out to earn the win, putting her team up 2-0 in the series. Spirit looked good again early in 9-ball, only for Josie to fight back late and win on a pair. Josie's late push put Viewpoint Sound ahead 3-0 over Lighton. Spirit commanded a bit more offense in 10-ball, but it didn't change the result. She twice missed on the 10, and the Meteors' Princess tapped it down at the top right to push the lead to 4-0 over the Prestige. Citrus started the comeback push for Lighton with a clutch win in 12-ball. She converted a long shot on her last ball to fend off Viewpoint Sound's Hoot, who was set up strike down a pair if she missed. Lighton remains behind 4-1 in the series. Citrus wasn't as successful in 13-ball, as the Prestige star couldn't set up a long run. The Meteors' Hoot took advantage of that and won on a four-ball run-out to clinch the series at 5-1. Acorn played with some real gusto in Rotation, making four balls on his first two shots. Princess didn't get anything going, as Viewpoint Sound's star lost 8-0 to the Lighton captain. Viewpoint Sound is still ahead 5-2 in the series. Acorn salvaged another win from 15-ball, making the 12 and 15 to the top right and top side on a double-pot from ball-in-hand after a late error by Princess. The Meteors still have a 5-3 lead. In Accuracy, Acorn and Hoot played to a 1-1 tie after an incredible well-played battle. Viewpoint Sound took the series 5-3-1 and they'll be right back in action for the City Cup Finals. 

10) Pacific Volcanoes v. 12) Viewpoint Sound Meteors. The purple cue plays the Finals series to determine the City Cup Champions. Pacific's Leonette scratched on the break in 7-ball, and Viewpoint Sound's Josie grabbed the win two shots later on a 2-7 combination to the top right. Viewpoint Sound leads 1-0 again. The Volcanoes' Smokey was good on offense in 8-ball, but three scratches dragged him back enough for the Meteors' Princess to collect the win with ease. The Meteors are ahead 2-0 in the series and carrying big momentum. Pacific's Smokey continued to play high-risk offense in 9-ball. He made a four-ball run late that ended in a scratch, allowing Josie to strike the 9 on a ball-in-hand play. She converted for the win and 3-0 series lead for Viewpoint Sound. Josie kept it rolling in 10-ball, striking on a five-ball run-out at the end after another error from the Volcanoes' Smokey. The Meteors lead the series 4-0 and will have five chances to win a trophy. Ms. Kitty got off to a great start with a four-ball run in 12-ball, but Hoot matched it on his first turn and then made his final pair for the win to clinch the City Cup at 5-0 for Viewpoint Sound. Ms. Kitty came close to winning in 13-ball as well, but she left the 8 standing. Hoot struck back late and found another win to stretch the Meteors' lead to 6-0 in the series. Leonette spoiled the sweep bid, as Pacific's veteran picked up an 8-5 win over Princess in Rotation, putting Viewpoint Sound's lead at 6-1. Princess answered in 15-ball with an excellent finish to make it a 7-1 lead for the Meteors over Leonette and the Volcanoes. Both Ms. Kitty and Hoot were sharp in a 1-1 tie in Accuracy. Viewpoint Sound took the City Cup title with a 7-1-1 series win, with Josie named the competition's MVP. 

That'll do it for the main portion of the UPCL playoffs. The Bowl Series is next, expected to start Monday and to last for 8-to-10 days in early November before the offseason commences.

2021 City Cup - Quarterfinals

To little surprise, it's a late start on Quarterfinals day in the City Cup. We'll play all four series in the round today before wrapping up the competition tomorrow. First up...

10) Pacific Volcanoes v. 15) Terrace City Knights. The only matchup where both teams pulled off upsets begins the day with the blue cue. Pacific's Leonette had a decent performance in 7-ball, but Terrace City's Anna earned the win with the final pair for a 1-0 series lead. The Knights' Oreo was caught trailing for all of 8-ball. The Volcanoes' Smokey made a five-ball run early and did enough to fight off Oreo's four-ball run for the win. Smokey has tied the series at 1. In 9-ball, Smokey had a fairly solid start, but Anna banked the 9 to the top right for the win. Anna propelled Terrace City to a 2-1 series lead over Pacific. Oreo missed her only shot for the Knights in 10-ball, and Smokey used that to make a deflection off the 1 to drive the 10 to the bottom left. The Volcanoes have tied the series again at 2. Ms. Kitty checked in for Pacific and held a steadier shot than Terrace City's Kiwi in 12-ball. At the end, Ms. Kitty's positioning allowed her to make a pair for the win to put her team ahead 3-2. In 13-ball, Ms. Kitty surged late on a three-ball run to get onto the 8. Kiwi turned desperate for positioning and accidentally made the 8 illegally to gift the win to Ms. Kitty, which extended the Volcanoes' series lead to 4-2. Leonette returned for Pacific in Rotation, but Anna delivered again for Terrace City with an 8-6 win to cut her team's deficit to 4-3 in the series. Leonette bounced back in 15-ball, grabbing her first win of the day on a late pair after Oreo grew frustrated on offense. The Volcanoes sealed the series at 5-3. Ms. Kitty finished strong with a 2-6 win over Kiwi in Accuracy to give Pacific a 6-3 series win to reach the semifinals.

8) Lighton Prestige v. 16) Victoria Spurs. A West Division showdown features the purple cue. Lighton's Spirit had solid offense in 7-ball, but she twice missed on the 7 and allowed Victoria's Strawberry to collect the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Prestige's Citrus was shaky in 8-ball, taking too long to build her attacks. The Spurs' Rosalina was a bit more concise and picked up the win to put her team ahead 2-0 in the series. Lighton's Spirit put together a much better performance in 9-ball, rallying on a five-ball run-out at the end to beat Victoria's Strawberry. Victoria remains ahead 2-1 in the series. Spirit was able to pick up a sloppy win in 10-ball as the Spurs' Yekaterina stumbled right at the end of the game. Spirit made the final pair to tie the series at 2. Rosalina had a decent start in 12-ball, but her positioning didn't line up late. Citrus was patient and steady on offense to earn the win, pulling Lighton ahead of Victoria 3-2. Rosalina stopped the bleeding for the Spurs in 13-ball, attacking well at the end with a three-ball run-out to beat the Prestige's Citrus. This tied the series at 3. Acorn took a close battle in Rotation, the Lighton captain fending off a late push by Yekaterina to take an 8-5 win. Lighton leads the series again at 4-3. Acorn couldn't lock it down in 15-ball, as Strawberry battled hard and cleaned up late in a slow finish. The Spurs have pulled even at 4 games apiece to set up a one-game finale. Acorn took care of business in Accuracy, taking a 3-5 win over Yekaterina for the 5-4 series win to Lighton.

4) Queens Flames v. 12) Viewpoint Sound Meteors. The green cue is on for this third quarterfinal. Queens' Mario stepped up after a slow start, beating Viewpoint Sound's Josie with a three-ball run-out in 7-ball. Queens leads 1-0. The Flames' Violetta didn't get much of a chance to build offense in 8-ball, as the Meteors' Princess started on a seven-ball run. Princess was able to close out the win, tying the series at 1. Mario had a little less fortune in 9-ball, faltering late. Josie struck back this time, making a pair for the win to pull Viewpoint Sound ahead of Queens 2-1 in the series. Briana opened 10-ball with a somewhat lucky five-ball run. She didn't repeat that surge of offense later, as Josie stepped in for a pair at the end to put the Meteors ahead of the Flames 3-1. In 12-ball, Violetta seemed solid early on, but she couldn't build upon it. Hoot rallied for Viewpoint Sound and took the win, pushing the series lead to 4-1 over Queens. The Flames were nearly extinguished in 13-ball, but Hoot couldn't corral the 8 at the end. Violetta pulled all the way back against the Meteors' captain to get the win, cutting their series lead to 4-2. Briana likewise fell behind early in Rotation for Queens, only to stick it out and beat Princess 8-6 to cut Viewpoint Sound's series lead down to 4-3. Briana had a decent performance in a slow 15-ball game, but her late error allowed Princess to win with a pair of shots. The Meteors clinched the series at 5-3. Mario was able to grab a 0-3 win over Hoot in Accuracy to salvage one more game for Queens. Viewpoint Sound took a 5-4 series win and will face the Lighton Prestige in tomorrow's second semifinal.

3) Web City Spiders v. 6) Whitewater Shores. The top team remaining draws the red cue in today's finale. Web City's Nibbles looked to be in a little danger in 7-ball, but Whitewater's Rachel couldn't sink the 7. Nibbles made it at the top left for a 1-0 series lead. Kodiak had a lot go right for him in 8-ball, but the Spiders veteran faltered at the end. The Shores' Shaggy rallied for a four-ball run-out to earn the win and tie the series at 1. Rachel took a swipe at a 2-5-9 combination and missed in 9-ball. Nibbles struck right back with a 2-9 combination to the bottom left, reclaiming the 2-1 series lead for Web City over Whitewater. Shaggy had the late momentum for the Shores, but she couldn't make the 10 on either of her attempts. Nibbles cashed it in at the top left to push the Spiders ahead 3-1 in the series. Jack couldn't get organized at the end of 12-ball, as Web City's captain watched Whitewater's Rachel tally a confident win. Web City remains ahead 3-2 in the series. The Shores' Katharine had a productive showing early in 13-ball, but she couldn't finish it off. The Spiders' Jack showed some resilience with a four-ball run-out to grab the win that put his team ahead 4-2 in the series. Jack couldn't get the job done for Web City in Rotation, as Katharine held him off late in a slow-paced 8-5 win. Whitewater is down 4-3 in the series. Katharine couldn't save the Shores one more time, as a late miss on the 15 allowed Kodiak to bury it on a bank to the top side to seal the series at 5-3 for the Spiders. Kodiak and Shaggy ended in a 4-4 tie in Accuracy, making it a 5-3-1 series win for Web City over Whitewater. They'll face the Pacific Volcanoes in the first semifinal tomorrow. 

That's all for today's action. The last postseason award will be granted at the end of tomorrow's three-series finale to the City Cup.

2021 City Cup - First Round, Day 2

The City Cup's opening round continues today with the matchups near the middle of the participating teams. First up...

5) Everton Eagles v. 12) Viewpoint Sound Meteors. The purple cue gets today's opening series, which could be a lesson in late-season momentum. Everton's Goldy nearly gave the team a dream start, but she scratched as she made the 7 on the break in 7-ball, gifting the win and 1-0 series lead to Viewpoint Sound's Josie. The Eagles' Vincent put in a good fight in 8-ball, but he wasn't able to grind out a win as the Meteors' Princess was steady on offense. Princess kept her advantage enough to give her team a 2-0 series lead. Goldy again took just one shot in 9-ball, but this time it got Everton on the board, cutting Viewpoint Sound's series lead to 2-1. Goldy denied Josie a shot for a second game by sinking the 9 to the bottom left. Panda made an impact for the Eagles in 10-ball, sniping the 8-10 combination to the bottom right after a close battle with the Meteors' Josie. The series is now tied at 2. Vincent couldn't keep the momentum going for Everton in 12-ball, falling short with his late offense while Hoot held strong. Hoot was able to make the final pair with trouble to give Viewpoint Sound a 3-2 series lead. Hoot couldn't get his offense going in 13-ball, as Vincent rallied on solids despite an unfavorable distribution early. Vincent's win helped the Eagles retie the series at 3 against the Meteors. Goldy had to battle for every shot in Rotation, but Viewpoint Sound's Princess got sloppy at the end and lost control. Goldy's composed effort earned her an 8-4 win, putting Everton up 4-3 in the series. Panda wasn't able to lock it down for the Eagles, his late three-ball run falling short while Princess scooped up the final pair to tie the series at 4. Panda fell apart in Accuracy as well, allowing Hoot to emerge with a 2-5 win in the game and a 5-4 series win for Viewpoint Sound overall. The Meteors will face the Queens Flames in the quarterfinals.

6) Whitewater Shores v. 11) Harrison Specters. The City Cup hosts join the action here, using the green cue. Whitewater's Rachel didn't get much going in 7-ball, and Harrison's Bucco was able to deliver a pair of shots at the end for the win. Harrison leads the series 1-0. The Shores' Shaggy had the lead for much of 8-ball, but she couldn't get the 8 down at the end. The Specters' Twinkie II stepped up with a five-ball run-out to grab the win, putting her team ahead 2-0 in the series. Harrison's Snuggle didn't get a shot in 9-ball, as Whitewater's Rachel redeemed herself by bumping the 9 to the bottom left on the break. Harrison still leads the series 2-1. Snuggle again faltered in 10-ball, but it was more from the strength of the Shores' Shaggy, who curled a shot on the 7 to ignite a four-ball run-out for the win. The series is tied at 2. Rachel stayed composed in a difficult game of 12-ball, fending off Twinkie II after the latter's four-ball run near the end. Rachel grabbed the win and gave Whitewater a 3-2 series lead over Harrison. Katharine checked in for the Shores and struggled a bit with positioning in 13-ball. Twinkie II was sharp at the end to grab the win, retying the series at 3. Rotation was a pivotal game, and it had plenty of turning points. Neither player could get a run, but Katharine was able to step in late for a pair of shots to win 8-7 over Bucco, propelling Whitewater to a 4-3 series lead. Katharine continued for the Shores in 15-ball, and she surged in the middle, only for Snuggle to reply for the Specters with a four-ball run-out. The series is tied once more at 4. Bucco led for almost all of Accuracy after Shaggy scratched on the break. Bucco then scratched late and missed on the last ball, allowing Shaggy to take the 2-3 win and 5-4 series win for Whitewater, who will play another Eastern team in the Web City Spiders in the quarterfinals.

7) Infinity Torpedoes v. 10) Pacific Volcanoes. The red cue gets the call for a battle of depth against top-end talent. Infinity's Blaze made a pair on the break and struck late in 7-ball to take the win and 1-0 series lead over Pacific and Leonette. The Torpedoes' Shelley led for much of 8-ball but it got away from her in the end. The Volcanoes' Smokey charged back on a five-ball run-out to tie the series at 1. Smokey was relentless in 9-ball with an eight-ball run-out, lifting Pacific to another win and a 2-1 series lead over Infinity's Blaze. In 10-ball, Blaze looked to get the upper hand early on, only for Smokey to reply at the end with a sharp pair for the win that extended the Volcanoes' series lead to 3-1. Fuchsia had an attack late in 12-ball to get within a ball of winning, but Ms. Kitty had enough of a lead and good positioning to make a pair of tap-ins for the win. Pacific now leads Infinity 4-1 in the series. Ms. Kitty tried to make a comeback in a tough 13-ball battle, but Shelley held her off after starting hot on solids. Shelley's win cut the Torpedoes' deficit to 4-2 against the Volcanoes. Fuchsia was caught off guard early in Rotation, and Leonette was strong enough to guide it home for an 8-3 win that secured the series at 5-2 for Pacific. Fuchsia showed a little better in 15-ball. The Volcanoes' Leonette made a four-ball run early, but Fuchsia replied with a four-ball run-out that ended on a 6-15 combination to the bottom left to get the Torpedoes to a 5-3 deficit. Infinity's Shelley skidded late in Accuracy after a good start, allowing Pacific's Ms. Kitty to take a 1-3 win to finish off a 6-3 series win. The Volcanoes will have the home-field advantage against the Terrace City Knights in the quarterfinals.

8) Lighton Prestige v. 9) Diamond Gems. The last series today uses the silver cue. Both players showed skill in 7-ball, but Lighton's Spirit got the better of Diamond's Shadow with a pair both early and late. Lighton leads the series 1-0. The Prestige's Citrus had a good showing in 8-ball until she illegally sank the 8 after trying to get a better position. This gifted the win to the Gems' Autumn, who did well to keep things close. The series is tied at 1. In a rematch of the 9-ball gold-medal series this year, Spirit and Shadow went to battle again. It was as close as expected, with Shadow winning on a perfectly weighted spinning cut on the 9 to the top left to give Diamond a 2-1 series lead over Lighton. In 10-ball, Spirit clearly had an edge on offense over the Gems' Leonardo. While no big runs developed, Spirit got the win on a late pair to pull the Prestige even again at 2-2. In 12-ball, Citrus struck first on stripes, but a pair of three-balls runs quickly gave the win to Autumn and Diamond, who now lead 3-2. Citrus stayed on for 13-ball and cleaned up some of her mistakes from earlier games. Leonardo wasn't able to settle in with positioning as Citrus helped the Prestige again pull even with the Gems at 3 games apiece. Leonardo got on the edge of victory in a pivotal Rotation battle, but he couldn't get one more shot down. Acorn fought all the way back from a six-point deficit, opening his turn at the table with an 8-7 win to give Lighton the upper hand 4-3 over Diamond. A battle between two of the league's most tactical captains saw Acorn and Shadow clash evenly. At the end, Acorn faded with a pair of scratches that allowed Shadow to piece together a win that kept the Gems alive with the series tied at 4. Acorn and Autumn went to battle in Accuracy with the series on the line, and it was close the whole way. Autumn dropped off with late misses, allowing Acorn to lock down a 1-2 win for the 5-4 series win that sent Lighton to the quarterfinals. They'll face the Victoria Spurs in a West Division grudge match. 

We expect to only play the City Cup Quarterfinals tomorrow, but it's possible we push toward the end of this part of the postseason instead if time permits.

2021 City Cup - First Round, Day 1

We'll take things slow during the City Cup, which opens with four series featuring the highest-ranked teams today. All matches are at Samsung Arena in Whitewater. First up...

4) Queens Flames v. 13) Pronger Tridents. These teams have drawn the green cue for their first-round series. Queens' Mario had to wait for Pronger's Spot to scratch late in 7-ball before striking for a three-ball run-out. Queens' series lead is at 1-0. The Flames' Violetta dominated in 8-ball, attacking at will with a four-ball run that left the Tridents' Precious facing a big deficit. Violetta made a three-ball run-out to finish it off, extending the Flames' series lead to 2-0. Mario and Spot squared off again in 9-ball, and Spot had some struggles with finishing. This allowed Mario to clean up a few shots, pushing Queens ahead 3-0 in the series. Spot looked his best in 10-ball, but he again came up empty despite an early five-ball run. Spot's miss on the 9 allowed the Flames' Briana to sink the final pair of shots for more of a stolen win to push her team to a 4-0 series lead. Pronger's Potter struck first in 12-ball, but he had no chance to answer for a four-ball run-out by Queens' Violetta, which secured the series for her team at 5-0. Violetta kept the Flames perfect in 13-ball, grinding out another win over Potter, who got himself into positional trouble. The series lead stands at 6-0. Briana returned for Queens in Rotation, and she didn't see the lead until the final ball as Pronger's Precious twice missed on the 15. Briana took an 8-7 win to stretch Queens' lead to 7-0 in the series. In 15-ball, Precious again saw a majority of the offense, but the Tridents' captain saw her four-ball run end with a miss on the 15 despite a good positioning play. Briana tapped it down, grabbing another win to push the Flames to an 8-0 series lead. Mario held things down once more in Accuracy, escaping with a 1-2 win over Potter as Queens completed a 9-0 series sweep to start the City Cup. 

3) Web City Spiders v. 14) Eastside Sharks. The second series today uses the red cue. Web City's Nibbles had to scrap for possession early in 7-ball, but he turned around with a five-ball run-out to fend off Eastside's Maison. Web City leads the series 1-0. The Spiders' Kodiak stumbled a bit in 8-ball, unable to keep the pace with the Sharks' Taylor M. At the end, Taylor M. slowed down but still had time to sink the 8 to the top left for the win, tying the series at 1. In 9-ball, Eastside's Lily made a five-ball run that included a jump and a kick before she missed on the 8. Nibbles deflected off the 8 to get the 9 at the top left, restoring a 2-1 series lead for Web City. Nibbles got a little too fancy in trying to finish off 10-ball, leaving the 10 short at the top left. The Sharks' Maison capitalized with a tap-in to steal the win and retie the series at 2. Taylor M. pushed Eastside to the lead in an intense 12-ball battle with Jack. Both players left chances on the table, but Taylor M. kicked in the winning shot on the 9 at the top right to put her team up 3-2. Taylor M. put in a good comeback effort in 13-ball, but the Sharks' captain came up a little short this time as the Spiders' Jack rallied for a three-ball run-out and the win. The series is tied again at 3 games each. Lily led for much of Rotation, but she couldn't find a finishing shot when she needed it. Jack stormed back for Web City, taking the 8-7 win on a three-ball run-out to regain a series lead at 4-3 over Eastside. The Spiders' Kodiak served as the hero in 15-ball, burying the 15 on his second chance after a competitive and close battle with Lily. This sealed the series for the Spiders at 5-3. With the game tied late in Accuracy, Web City's Kodiak sportingly allowed Maison to grab the 1-2 win. Web City took the series 5-4 over Eastside to reach the quarterfinals. 

2) Westside Rockers v. 15) Terrace City Knights. A North Division rivalry is reignited in the City Cup, using the silver cue. Terrace City's Anna struck fast in 7-ball, making a 2-7 combination to the top left for the win and 1-0 series lead over Westside's Goatee. The Knights' Oreo did well in 8-ball, keeping the lead over the Rockers' Chimpy. Oreo finished with a kick of the 8 to the bottom left to put her team ahead 2-0 in the series. Westside's Snowball was baffled that the 8 stayed up at the bottom left late in 9-ball. Terrace City's Anna capitalized on it with the final pair of shots for the win, extending the series lead to 3-0. Snowball finally got the Rockers on the board in 10-ball, battling evenly with the Knights' Oreo at first. Snowball then surged late on a four-ball run-out for the win, trimming the Knights' series lead to 3-1. Goatee tried to keep things going in the right direction for Westside, but she couldn't finish off 12-ball. Terrace City's Kiwi had a nice surge in the middle and was faster to make her last ball to push her team's lead to 4-1. Kiwi had a productive 13-ball game at the start, but she couldn't seal the series for the Knights, as the Rockers' Goatee made a three-ball run for the win. The Knights' lead stands at 4-2. Snowball fell behind early in Rotation and never gave Westside a chance to catch up as Anna capped an 8-5 win to seal the series at 5-2 for Terrace City. Chimpy grew frustrated while playing out 15-ball. He found a late three-ball run, then missed contact on the 15 that allowed Oreo to bury it on a free play, pushing the Knights' series lead to 6-2. Chimpy got one back in Accuracy, grabbing a 1-2 win as Kiwi faltered a bit. Terrace City won the series 6-3 to make the quarterfinals. 

1) Capital City Sharpshooters v. 16) Victoria Spurs. The regular-season champions and the last City Cup winners clash in today's last series with the blue cue. Capital City's Ellie got stunned in 7-ball, as errors and misses on her side allowed Victoria's Strawberry to dominate in a win. Victoria holds a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Rosalina pushed in 8-ball and was first on the 8, but she missed it. The Sharpshooters' Missy struck back on a three-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 1. In 9-ball, Ellie scratched on the break and Strawberry immediately converted a 1-9 combination from ball-in-hand to restore Victoria's series lead at 2-1. The Sharpshooters' Ellie came up short again in a fast-paced 10-ball battle. The Spurs' Yekaterina was able to make the final pair after an earlier three-ball run to earn the win and 3-1 series lead. Victoria's Rosalina appeared to be in trouble after a scratch, but Capital City's Kelsea failed to position her last ball right. Rosalina made a pair at the end to earn the win, pushing Victoria to the brink of advancing with a 4-1 series lead. Rosalina made a three-ball run early in 13-ball, but the Spurs star faltered later. Kelsea charged with a six-ball run that ended in a scratch, but her positioning worked better this time as she grabbed the win to cut the deficit to 4-2. Missy put in a good fight for Capital City in Rotation, but she wasn't able to stop Victoria's Yekaterina on a late three-ball run-out for the 8-5 win and 5-2 clincher for the series. Kelsea made a ball on the break in 15-ball, but her next shot was a miss. Strawberry remained opportunistic, striking a 1-15 combination deflected to the top left for the win and 6-2 series lead for the Spurs. Missy salvaged one more result in Accuracy, taking a 2-4 win over Yekaterina. Victoria won the series 6-3, an upset to reach the quarterfinals. 

We'll continue tomorrow with the closer-ranked matchups in the first round.

2021 Clan Cup - Semifinals and Finals

We'll play the last three days of the Clan Cup today. Outcast has decided to take the first semifinal to get rest ahead of a potential Finals appearance, so they'll begin the day. Here we go.

1) Outcast v. 5) Songstresses. The silver cue will be on hand for this series. Outcast's Hughbert took care of business in 7-ball, taking a four-ball run-out to beat the Songstresses' Charli. Outcast leads the series 1-0. Outcast's Cobalt did a fair amount of offense in game 2 with an early five-ball run, but he also made a pair for the Songstresses' Maren. In the end, Maren took that jump start and added a three-ball run-out for the win to tie the series at 1. Charli came back for 9-ball, but she couldn't win this one either. Her cut on the 9 resulted in a scratch to gift the win to Outcast's Summer, and Outcast now has a 2-1 series lead. Summer was a little more in control during 10-ball, while Maren pushed hard but couldn't get much offense. Summer took the win with a three-ball run-out to extend Outcast's series lead to 3-1. In 12-ball, Quincy made one of each on the break. He chose to play stripes, and that was the right choice. The Songstresses' Carly couldn't get positioning before Quincy double-potted the last two balls at the right corners for the win and 4-1 series lead. Quincy got stunned in 13-ball, as Carly got her revenge with a two-turn win capped by a four-ball run-out. Outcast remains ahead of the Songstresses 4-2 overall. Dewey faced his Stonebridge Wolves teammate Lindsay in Rotation, and it was Lindsay who charged away for an 8-2 win for the Songstresses. Outcast's series lead is down to 4-3 as the two teammates clash again. Lindsay's luck ran out in 15-ball, as she struggled to get clear looks. A miscue led to her sinking the 15 illegally, gifting the win to Dewey. Outcast also clinched the series at 5-3. Cobalt held on for another win for Outcast in Accuracy, taking a tough battle 3-4 over Lorde to finish a 6-3 series win over the Songstresses. Outcast will await the winner of the next series for the Finals match. 

2) Oriental United v. 3) Prime. The red cue's semifinals turn is here. OU's Stealth had a tough time getting his offense on track in game 1, and Prime's Strut eventually punished that to grab the win in 7-ball. Prime holds a 1-0 series lead. Prime's Tigerette tried to keep the momentum up in 8-ball, but she fell short on the 8. OU's Mams charged late on a four-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 1. Prime got back in front in 9-ball, taking another close battle as Diddley made a pair when OU's Sparkles faltered late. Prime's series lead is at 2-1. Sparkles put in a strong effort in game 4, headlined by a four-ball run, but her bank on the 10 at the end didn't land. Ms. Puppy had no problem tapping it in at the bottom right for another Prime to grab a 3-1 series lead. Prime's Delila didn't have the pace to keep up with OU's Mams in 12-ball. Mams put in a strong performance for the win, trimming Prime's lead to 3-2. Tigerette got stalled out in 13-ball, as the Prime star couldn't navigate the 8 at the bottom left. Shiny had much more success for OU, working a four-ball run-out at the end to grab the win and tie the series at 3. Bells played from behind for virtually all of the Rotation game. Prime's Ms. Puppy took an early lead and then rallied with a late three-ball run-out for an 8-6 win to restore her club's advantage at 4-3 in the series. Bells stormed out of the gate in 15-ball with a five-ball run before a failed jump shot turned possession over to Diddley. Prime's Diddley made the 5 and then used the 6 as a decoy to deflect the 15 in to the top right for the win, sealing the series at 5-3 in favor of Prime. Stealth had a good effort in Accuracy, but he came up short at the end as Strut held on for a 2-3 win. Prime took the series 6-3 to reach the Clan Cup Finals. 

1) Outcast v. 3) Prime. The Clan Cup Finals will be contested with the green cue. Prime's Strut couldn't handle the offense in 7-ball, while Outcast's Hughbert struck for a four-ball run-out to earn the win in his only game. Outcast leads the series 1-0. Outcast's Cobalt was hurt by a couple of errors in 8-ball, allowing Prime's Tigerette to dictate the pace and earn the win. The series is tied at 1. Summer looked solid for Outcast early in 9-ball, but her foul in the middle allowed Prime's Diddley to rally with a four-ball run-out for the win. Prime took the series lead at 2-1. Ms. Puppy took advantage of the slow pace in 10-ball to deflect a shot off the 7 that sent the 10 to the top right for the win over Outcast's Summer. Prime's series lead is up to 3-1 as they look to upset the regular-season champions. Quincy took the early lead in 12-ball and had a fairly strong alignment, but Delila rallied for a five-ball run and kicked the 5 to the top right on the next turn to give Prime the 4-1 series lead over Outcast. Quincy didn't have any extra luck in 13-ball, as he attempted to play defense late but Tigerette refused to back down in earning the win and securing the series at 5-1 for Prime. Ms. Puppy kept things rolling for Prime in Rotation, picking up an 8-5 win over Dewey's valiant effort to make things look better for Outcast. Prime's series lead is up to 6-1. Dewey tried again in 15-ball, only for Diddley to step in with a spinning kick deflection off the 6 to drive the 15 to the bottom side for another Prime win. They lead 7-1 over Outcast now. Strut mailed it in for Accuracy, taking a 3-8 loss to Outcast's Cobalt in the finale. It didn't dampen the celebrations for Prime for the 7-2 win to take the Clan Cup, their first as a club. Tigerette was named the Clan Cup MVP, namely for her work in the quarterfinals and then for winning the clincher in this series. 

That's it for the Clan Cup. The City Cup's two-day first round begins tomorrow with the top-four teams in action.

2021 Clan Cup - First Round

It's time to put the focus on the clubs for two days, as the Clan Cup is set to be played from Mercedes-Benz Forum in Harrison. First up in today's first-round action...

4) Enterprise v. 5) Songstresses. The red cue will get the first of the quarterfinals series. Enterprise's Molly had a solid performance in 7-ball, but she scratched late and Songstresses' Charli attacked for the win and 1-0 series lead. In 8-ball, the Songstresses' Maren got one shot, which ended in a scratch. Enterprise's Whiskers made a pair off the break and a six-ball run-out on her next turn for the win, tying the series at 1. In 9-ball, Molly was back to control the early offense before another late scratch doomed her. Charli won with an 8-9 combination to the bottom left, giving the Songstresses a 2-1 series lead. Enterprise's Ruby produced a strong offense in 10-ball, but her late four-ball run ended with a miss on the 10. Maren sank it instead, securing another win for the Songstresses, who now lead 3-1. Whiskers tried her best for Enterprise in 12-ball, but Songstresses' Carly dictated the pace better. Carly was able to close out with a three-ball run-out to give her club a 4-1 series lead. Carly wasn't able to find the same success in 13-ball, coming up a turn short of the win as Puff III kept Enterprise in the fight. The Songstresses' lead is down to 4-2. Sunshine fell flat for Enterprise in Rotation, allowing Lindsay to run away with an 8-2 win that secured the series at 5-2 for the Songstresses. Lindsay wasn't able to double up in her games, dropping a tough 15-ball battle to Enterprise's Ruby, which cut the deficit down to 5-3. Sunshine salvaged a little more respect in Accuracy, grabbing a 3-4 win over Lorde. Songstresses beat Enterprise 5-4 in the series to reach the semifinals.

3) Prime v. 6) Solid Core. The green cue is up for this series. Prime's Strut couldn't get anything going in 7-ball, and Solid Core's Crystal took the win on a banked 2-7 combination to the bottom left. Solid Core leads 1-0 in the series. Solid Core's Frosty couldn't find her offense in 8-ball. Prime's Tigerette was relentless in this one, overcoming a scratch and some shaky play to earn the win and tie the series at 1. Prime's Diddley was sloppy in 9-ball, scratching a couple of times and missing too many shots. Solid Core's Blizzard punished it with a four-ball run-out for the win, restoring her club's 2-1 series lead. Blizzard kept the momentum up in 10-ball, burying a four-ball run-out with a double-potted 4-10 combination at the top left after Prime's Ms. Puppy failed to make an impact. Solid Core now has a 3-1 series lead. Solid Core's Misty had a chance to take full control of the series, but she didn't find much joy in 12-ball. Prime's Delila instead played her best her in lone game, cutting the series deficit to 3-2. Misty did a bit better in 13-ball, but she failed to bring in a win for Solid Core. Tigerette played through Misty's defense at the end to grab the win, tying the series at 3. Crystal and Ms. Puppy went into a battle for the ages in Rotation, giving each other hardly any space to operate. Crystal picked up the 8-7 win late, restoring Solid Core's series lead at 4-3. Diddley got a double-pot from a shot on the 5 early in 15-ball, a stunningly fast win for Prime to shock Solid Core's Smudge as the series is tied once more at 4. It all came down to Accuracy, where Strut stood much firmer for Prime than Frosty did for Solid Core. Strut's 1-4 win gave Prime a 5-4 series win and a path to the semifinals. 

2) Oriental United v. 7) Forest SC. The purple cue is ready for this quarterfinal series. OU's Stealth started well in 7-ball with a three-ball run, but a foul allowed FSC's Marsell to push back on a four-ball run-out for a fast win. FSC leads the series 1-0. Hershey staked out a nice lead for FSC in 8-ball, but it wasn't without a challenge from OU's Mams, who put in a good effort too. Hershey was able to strike a pair at the end for the win and 2-0 series lead. FSC's Marsell couldn't double down in 9-ball, taking too many shaky looks. OU's Sparkles got her club on the board with a 4-9 combination to the bottom left, cutting FSC's lead to 2-1. FSC got a huge boost in 10-ball from Blair, the last man on the roster, as he delivered a four-ball run-out when Sparkles couldn't settle things down for OU. FSC is back up to a 3-1 series lead. Mams spoiled FSC's plans a bit in 12-ball. Roxy couldn't find an attack fast enough, and her late scratch helped Mams make three balls over her last two turns to help OU to the win. FSC remains ahead 3-2 overall. FSC's Roxy fell short again in 13-ball, although she was much more competitive this time. OU's Shiny stepped up with a late three-ball run-out to take the win and tie the series at 3. FSC's Dustin led for much of Rotation, but OU's Bells surged and got a controversial refereeing decision to go in her favor on the final shot. Dustin was steamed after the 8-5 loss, which put OU ahead 4-3 in the series, but the two players battle again in 15-ball. Dustin got his revenge quickly, playing a brilliant 2-15 kick combination through traffic to the bottom left for the win, retying the series at 4 as Bells had nothing going on. Hershey fell behind early in Accuracy, and Stealth held on long enough for a 3-4 win to give OU the 5-4 series win over FSC. 

1) Outcast v. 8) Brute Force. The last quarterfinal is with the blue cue. Outcast's Hughbert didn't get much right in game 1, but he sniped the 7 to the top right after Brute Force's Rainmane missed it. Outcast holds a 1-0 series lead. In 8-ball, Outcast's Cobalt looked to have a bit of momentum at the end, but he couldn't get the 8 to drop at the bottom right. Noelle had kept it close and made a pair for the win to tie it at 1 for Brute Force. The trend of shaky finishes continued in 9-ball, as Outcast's Summer simply missed on the 9 at the top left. Rainmane buried it for Brute Force to give her club a 2-1 series lead. Summer quickly got a chance to redeem herself in 10-ball, and she did it by tapping down the 10 at the top left when Nightfur left it standing. Outcast has again pulled even at 2-2 against Brute Force. Outcast's Quincy botched a couple of attempts to finish in 12-ball, but capitalized late when Brute Force's Leandra did the same. Quincy's win put Outcast ahead 3-2 in the series. Quincy looked doomed in 13-ball, but a cut on the 15 to the bottom side, a bank for the 14 at the top side and a cut on the 8 to the top left gave him a stunning final run to take down Noelle. Outcast's series lead is up to 4-2. Dominic needed to win in Rotation to keep Brute Force in the series, but he couldn't keep pace with Outcast's Dewey, who took an 8-3 win. Outcast sealed the series at 5-2. Dewey didn't push too hard in 15-ball, letting plays develop. At the end, he missed on the 15, and Dominic knocked it down to cut the deficit to 5-3. Cobalt didn't get anything to stick in Accuracy, taking the 4-5 loss to Leandra in the game. Outcast beat Brute Force 5-4 overall. 

We'll wrap up the Clan Cup tomorrow after a schedule change due to fitness issues.

2021 Tournament of Champions

Live from Nissan Hall in Infinity, the nine event champions have gathered to contest the Tournament of Champions. All eight series today are seven games. First up is the Play-In stage...

Ruby (10-ball) v. Leandra (Accuracy). The two lowest-ranked champions will play in 10-ball with the purple cue after Ruby won the coin flip. Tysini's Leandra looked good early on, but she struggled at the end and Todavía's Ruby won game 1 on her second try on the 10. Ruby leads the series 1-0. The Stills' Ruby wasn't as sharp in game 2, and the Hummingbirds' Leandra took advantage of that with a four-ball run-out for the win. The series is now tied at 1. Ruby didn't find much success on offense in game 3 either, as Leandra had the better of play in a choppy game. Leandra cashed it in for a win at the end to go up 2-1 in the series. Leandra continued to pace the offense in game 4, but she skidded at the end this time. Ruby was able to snag the 10 on her second try for the win, retying the series at 2. Ruby took a bold swing on the 8-10 combination late in game 5, but she scratched without sinking a ball on the play. The shot remained lined up for Leandra, who sank it at the bottom left for the win and 3-2 series lead. Leandra grew frustrated with her mistakes in game 6, and none was bigger than her miss on the 10 to end a three-ball run. Ruby tapped the 10 down at the bottom left, tying the series once more at 3-3. Ruby had some force in game 7, driving the ball well on offense but missing a late 9-10 combination attempt. Leandra made the combination to the top left for the win and 4-3 series win that lines her up to face the Web City Spiders' Nibbles in the first round. 

Shadow (9-ball) v. Jack (12-ball). The second series of the day is played with the blue cue in 12-ball between two of the Web City Spiders' three captains in franchise history. Diamond's Shadow represented well for his new team, taking an early lead and making it stick in game 1 to take a 1-0 series lead over Web City's current captain Jack. The Gems' Shadow continued to set the tone at the start in game 2, although the Spiders' Jack was strong to answer it. Shadow then made his final pair without trouble for the win and 2-0 series lead. Shadow scratched early in game 3, and it ruined his performance. Jack fired back on a five-ball run and only needed a couple of turns to get his last ball in the top left for the win, cutting Shadow's series lead to 2-1. Jack had a hot start in game 4, but his positioning didn't work out at the end. Shadow fired back with a surge of offense to grab the win, going ahead 3-1 in the series. Shadow didn't get anything going early in game 5, and Jack was able to choose solids. Jack made it work late in the game after a small battle for space at the bottom side to deposit his winning shot. Shadow remains ahead 3-2 in the series. Jack scratched after making two solids and a stripe on the game 6 break. He chose to play solids, and it worked out as he rallied on a five-ball run-out to stun Shadow soon after. The series is tied at 3. In game 7, Jack had an unfortunate scratch early on. Shadow didn't have great positioning for much of the battle, but he squeezed out a win for the 4-3 series win to reach the Tournament of Champions semifinals. 

Goldy (Rotation) v. Tigerette (8-ball). The next quarterfinal is in Goldy's preferred Rotation event using the silver cue. Everton's Goldy made quick work of game 1, burying a few short runs to grab an 8-2 win over Boston's Tigerette. Goldy leads the series 1-0. The Swifts' Tigerette had the lead early in game 2, but she didn't do much to set the tone. The Eagles' Goldy recovered later and collected an 8-5 win to go ahead 2-0 in the series. Tigerette had another decent start in game 3, only for Goldy to trounce her with a five-ball run. Goldy added a three-ball run-out at the end for an 8-3 win and 3-0 series lead that has her on the edge of advancing. Goldy delivered a devastating knockout blow in game 4, making a five-ball run off the break and a three-ball run-out that ended as a double-pot at the top left for the 8-0 win and 4-0 series clincher over Tigerette. Goldy eased up a bit in game 5, although Tigerette's step forward on offense also had a lot to do with her 8-3 win to get on the board. Goldy remains ahead 4-1 in the series. Tigerette charged again on offense in game 6, collecting an 8-1 win this time as Goldy failed to get anything moving. Goldy leads the series at 4-2. Tigerette romped to an 8-0 win in game 7 as well, but Goldy will head to the semifinals with a 4-3 series win not reflective of her early dominance. 

Kelsea (13-ball) v. Briana (15-ball). This series is played with the red cue in 15-ball after Briana won the coin toss. Neither player took much control in game 1. At the end, Queens' Briana couldn't bring it to the finish, and Capital City's Kelsea won with a late pair for the 1-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Kelsea upped the pace a little in game 2, but she still lacked control in the late stages. The Flames' Briana did better in that regard this time, winning with the final pair to tie the series at 1. Kelsea couldn't pick up any late momentum in game 3, and Briana won this one on a three-ball run-out to pull ahead 2-1 in the series. Mistakes on both sides made for a sloppy game 4 performance. At the end, Briana had a chance to take a commanding series lead, but she scratched as she made the 15, gifting the win to Kelsea to tie the series at 2. Play turned shaky on both sides midway through game 5. Briana never really recovered after losing her touch, and Kelsea was able to finish it off for a 3-2 series lead. Kelsea made three balls on the game 6 break and then stalled out until Briana sank the 3-15 combination to the bottom side for the win. The series is tied once more at 3 games each. Briana had some lucky bounces in the middle of game 7, but she used up all her fortune there. Two late errors gave Kelsea enough free possession to pick her way to the win on a three-ball run-out for the 4-3 series win. Kelsea is off to face Goldy in the semifinals. 

Nibbles (7-ball) v. Leandra (Accuracy). The last quarterfinals series is in Accuracy as Leandra won the coin flip this time. Web City's Nibbles got off to a good start and kept it rolling throughout game 1 for the 2-3 win over Tysini's Leandra. Nibbles has a 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Leandra bounced back with a perfect performance in game 2, winning 0-3 to tie the series at 1 against the Spiders' Nibbles. Leandra had a decent start to game 3, but she fell apart in the middle with little warning. Nibbles lost his traction a bit as well, but recovered with a double-pot at the end to lock in a 2-4 win for the 2-1 series lead. Leandra had a chance to maintain the lead in a sloppy game 4, but she let it slip away late. Nibbles was there to take a 4-5 win, going up 3-1 in the series despite a poor performance. Nibbles stepped up again in game 5, playing perfectly in a 0-2 win to finish off Leandra. Nibbles clinched the series at 4-1 to earn the last spot in the semifinals. Nibbles faded a little bit in game 6 with the series already in his favor, and Leandra took the time to prove herself more with a 0-2 win of her own. Nibbles' series lead is down to 4-2. Leandra played herself out of game 7, missing on the last ball to break a tie in the meaningless game. Nibbles took the 0-1 win and won the series 5-2, earning the right to face Shadow in the next round. 

Kelsea (13-ball) v. Goldy (Rotation). The purple cue cycles in for the first semifinals set, which will be in 13-ball. Capital City's Kelsea didn't mess around in game 1, making three balls on the break but scratching one back onto the table. Everton's Goldy had no positioning, and Kelsea easily grabbed the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Kelsea had to put in a little more work in game 2 after scratching on the break again. The Eagles' Goldy kept it close, but a missed contact at the end allowed Kelsea to grab another win for the 2-0 series lead. Goldy made a four-ball run on her first turn in game 3, but Kelsea fired right back on a seven-ball run-out to avenge her empty break. Kelsea's series lead is up to 3-0. Kelsea had a good push in the middle of game 4, but Goldy's defense held her off just long enough. Goldy then made a four-ball run-out for the win to get on the board, cutting Kelsea's series lead to 3-1. Goldy got down to her last ball in a tight game 5, but Kelsea kicked the 8 to the top left at the end to secure the win and the series at 4-1. Goldy had some offense early in game 6, but a scratch and additional struggles after that allowed Kelsea to emerge with the win for a 5-1 series lead. Goldy took another lead in game 7, but Kelsea didn't hold back with a late five-ball run-out for the win and 6-1 series win. Kelsea will compete for the Champions' Cup against the winner of the next series. 

Nibbles (7-ball) v. Shadow (9-ball). Shadow wins the coin toss in the second semifinal, so 9-ball will be played with the blue cue as he faces another member of his old team. Web City's Nibbles went empty on the game 1 break, and Diamond's Shadow cut a 2-9 combination to the bottom left two shots later for the win. Shadow leads the series 1-0. The Spiders' Nibbles looked better in game 2 with a three-ball run, but he followed with a miss on the 6. The Gems' Shadow fired back on a three-ball run-out for the win and 2-0 series lead. Shadow made a rare mistake in game 3, leaving the 9 standing at the top left. Nibbles struck it down for the win, getting on the board but still trailing 2-1 in the series. Nibbles and Shadow both had their struggles early in game 4, leading to a slower pace. Shadow then fired off at the end to get the 9 at the top right for a 3-1 series lead. Shadow came up a little short in game 5, missing on the 7 to allow Nibbles to make the final pair. This cut Shadow's series lead down to 3-2. In game 6, Nibbles had a chance to keep himself in it, but he missed contact attempting a cut on the 9. Shadow took the ball-in-hand play to the top side for the win, sealing the series at 4-2. Shadow didn't exert too much effort in game 7 with a championship series immediately following. Nibbles was able to make the 9 at the bottom left for the win, and Shadow settled for a 4-3 series win to reach the Tournament of Champions finals. 

Kelsea (13-ball) v. Shadow (9-ball). The Tournament of Champions ends here with the silver cue. The final series will be contested in 9-ball as Shadow won another coin flip. Capital City's Kelsea put in a good fight in game 1, but just lost out to Diamond's Shadow in a close finish. Shadow holds a 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Shadow didn't push very well in game 2, and the Sharpshooters' Kelsea stunned him with a deflection off the 6 to drive the 9 to the bottom right for the win. The series is tied at 1. Kelsea was threatening with a four-ball run in game 3, but Shadow capitalized on her late miss with a three-ball run-out. Shadow regained the series lead at 2-1. Shadow looked solid in game 4, but Kelsea turned things around right at the end to snag a three-ball run-out for the win. The series remains competitive in a 2-2 tie. In game 5, neither player was able to assert themselves. Kelsea came ever-so-close to a win when she rattled the 9 out of the top left, and Shadow sniped it to the bottom right to get ahead 3-2 in the series. In game 6, Shadow scratched as the 9 nearly went down on the break. Kelsea attacked a bit, and Shadow missed another attempt on the 9 before ultimately winning on a five-ball run-out capped by an 8-9 combination to secure the series at 4-2. Shadow again took it easy in game 7, which Kelsea won on a three-ball run-out as consolation. Shadow took the series 4-3 and earned his first Champions' Cup title, the 10th player to do so. 

That's all for the individual season, and congratulations to Shadow, who called his winning shot with the following quote. "This one! Right here! One shot, trophy time... Yes! Yes! Yes!" Tomorrow, we'll play the Clan Cup, likely in its entirety, although it could be reduced to just the first round.

Tournament XI Postseason rosters

With the regular season completed, we're fast approaching the postseason. Here are the official rosters for the clubs and teams participating in their cup competitions. 

Clan Cup rosters

Outcast: Summer (9, 10), Quincy (12, 13), Dewey (R, 15), Cobalt (8, A), Hughbert (7)
Oriental United: Mams (8, 12), Bells (R, 15), Sparkles (9, 10), Stealth (7, A), Shiny (13)
Prime: Tigerette (8, 13), Ms. Puppy (10, R), Diddley (9, 15), Strut (7, A), Delila (12)
Enterprise: Sunshine (R, A), Ruby (10, 15), Molly (7, 9), Whiskers (8, 12), Puff III (13)
Songstresses: Charli (7, 9), Maren (8, 10), Lindsay (R, 15), Carly (12, 13), Lorde (A)
Solid Core: Frosty (8, A), Misty (12, 13), Blizzard (9, 10), Crystal (7, R), Smudge (15)
Forest SC: Roxy (12, 13), Hershey (8, A), Marsell (7, 9), Dustin (R, 15), Blair (10)
Brute Force: Leandra (12, A), Noelle (8, 13), Rainmane (7, 9), Dominic (R, 15), Nightfur (10)

City Cup rosters

Capital City Sharpshooters: Kelsea (12, 13, 15), Ellie (7, 9, 10), Missy (8, R, A)
Westside Rockers: Chimpy (8, 15, A), Snowball (9, 10, R), Goatee (7, 12, 13)
Web City Spiders: Nibbles (7, 9, 10), Jack (12, 13, R), Kodiak (8, 15, A)
Queens Flames: Violetta (8, 12, 13), Briana (10, R, 15), Mario (7, 9, A)
Everton Eagles: Goldy (7, 9, R), Vincent (8, 12, 13), Panda (10, 15, A)
Whitewater Shores: Shaggy (8, 10, A), Katharine (13, R, 15), Rachel (7, 9, 12)
Infinity Torpedoes: Blaze (7, 9, 10), Fuchsia (12, R, 15), Shelley (8, 13, A)
Lighton Prestige: Spirit (7, 9, 10), Citrus (8, 12, 13), Acorn (R, 15, A)
Diamond Gems: Shadow (7, 9, 15), Leonardo (10, 13, R), Autumn (8, 12, A)
Pacific Volcanoes: Ms. Kitty (12, 13, A), Smokey (8, 9, 10), Leonette (7, R, 15)
Harrison Specters: Twinkie II (8, 12, 13), Snuggle (9, 10, 15), Bucco (7, R, A)
Viewpoint Sound Meteors: Hoot (12, 13, A), Josie (7, 9, 10), Princess (8, R, 15)
Pronger Tridents: Precious (8, R, 15), Potter (12, 13, A), Spot (7, 9, 10)
Eastside Sharks: Lily (9, R, 15), Taylor M. (8, 12, 13), Maison (7, 10, A)
Terrace City Knights: Oreo (8, 10, 15), Kiwi (12, 13, A), Anna (7, 9, R)
Victoria Spurs: Strawberry (7, 9, 15), Rosalina (8, 12, 13), Yekaterina (10, R, A)

Tournament XI - Finals Phase 4

The Grand Finals are here, split over Thursday and Friday as we wrap up the regular season. First up...

Cisco Arena, Tysini: Leandra (G) v. Potter (B). The Accuracy title will be determined first. Tysini's Leandra had a solid performance in game 1, but a couple of misses in overtime allowed Pronger's Potter to collect a 3-4 win for the 1-0 series lead. The Tridents' Potter didn't do so well in game 2, skidding throughout as the Hummingbirds' Leandra controlled the pace. Leandra took a 2-6 win to tie the series at 1. Leandra started with a pair on the break in game 3 and kept control after that. A late scratch put her in danger, but Potter faltered on the last ball to allow Leandra 2-3 win to gain a 2-1 series lead. Leandra didn't make many mistakes in game 4, but a scratch on the final ball was the biggest. Potter secured a 1-2 win from ball-in-hand to retie the series at 2. A close battle in game 5 saw Leandra make a shot selection decision at the end. She made hers, and Potter missed on the final ball before Leandra buried it for a 2-3 win to go up 3-2 in the series. Leandra was nearly perfect in game 6, locking up the Accuracy championship with a 1-3 win to clinch the series at 4-2 over Potter. Leandra struggled a little early in game 7, and Potter was able to turn that into a 2-3 win for consolation. Leandra is the first of eight or nine players to reach the Tournament of Champions. Potter is the 174th eliminated player and Leandra has two kills.

Sony Center, Queens: Briana (S) v. Princess (G). The next title awarded is in 15-ball. Queens' Briana had a strong showing in game 1, battling with Viewpoint Sound's Princess early. Briana prevailed on a six-ball run-out at the end for a 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Briana threatened with a four-ball run in game 2, but she didn't get much else after that. The Meteors' Princess took the win with a deflection off the 9 to drive the 15 to the top side, tying the series at 1. Princess had a good break in game 3, but her next shot left the 15 close to the top side. Briana was ready for it, sinking a 2-15 bank combination for the quick win and 2-1 series lead. In game 4, Briana torched the offense with a nine-ball run, showing off a ton of skill. A miss on the 13 didn't cost her, as Princess scratched on the next shot, and Briana made the final pair for the win and 3-1 series lead. Briana's relentless offense continued at a slightly lower pace in game 5. She had a couple of good turns before closing on a five-ball run-out while Princess floundered. Briana sealed the series at 4-1 with the win. Offense dropped off badly in game 6 for both players, leading to a frustrating garbage-time battle. Princess eventually picked up the win to cut Briana's series lead to 4-2. Briana ended game 7 early with a double-pot. She made the 5-15 bank combination to the top side with a deflection to collect the 6 at the bottom left. Briana beat Princess 5-2 in the series to reach the Tournament of Champions. Princess is the 175th player out this year, and Briana has two kills.

GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Wario (G) v. Nibbles (R). The 7-ball championship is determined here. Southridge's Wario controlled the pace in game 1 and earned a win with a three-ball run-out to defeat Web City's Nibbles. Wario holds a 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Wario had a solid start to game 2, but he couldn't finish it off. The Spiders' Nibbles buried the final pair this time, taking the win to tie the series at 1. Wario made an incredibly awful decision in a bad position, which resulted in the 7 illegally dropping in the top left. This gifted the win and 2-1 series lead to Nibbles after a fast game 3. Wario got back on track with offense in game 4, but his late miss on the 7 proved costly. Nibbles wasted no time in burying the 7 to the top side for the win, going up 3-1 in the series. Wario had a four-ball run early in game 5, but two scratches ruined his chances to salvage the series. Nibbles made the 7 from ball-in-hand to earn the win and secure the series at 4-1. Nibbles didn't ease up in game 6, making a three-ball run-out after Wario missed on the 1. Nibbles ended with a 3-7 combination to the bottom right to stretch his lead to 5-1. Nibbles finished off game 7 with a short run as well, completing a 6-1 series win over Wario for the title. Nibbles took his fourth kill to make Wario the 176th player out.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Jack (P) v. Ms. Kitty (G). A captains' battle ends Thursday in 12-ball with MVP candidates in action. Pacific's Ms. Kitty took the lead early in game 1, and Web City's Jack failed to play enough defense to stop her. Ms. Kitty made a pair at the end for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty got into some positional trouble early in game 2, and the Spiders' Jack took advantage of that to get ahead. Ms. Kitty pushed back late but missed her last ball at the top left, and Jack sank one to the bottom side for the win to tie the series at 1. Ms. Kitty again had some trouble with positioning, but Jack was also in a tough spot in game 3. At the end, Jack did just a little better to earn the win with the 1 falling in the bottom side, and that gave him a 2-1 series lead. Jack scratched early in game 4, and that gave Ms. Kitty free reign on a four-ball run that was almost longer. She played patient and later made her final pair for the win, retying the series at 2. Ms. Kitty scratched on the game 5 break but still got first choice of suits, taking solids. Jack then rallied on stripes, but Ms. Kitty's physical play bumped him off just enough to buy her the time to win on a three-ball run-out. Ms. Kitty is ahead again at 3-2 in the series. Ms. Kitty couldn't turn a pair on the game 6 break into sustained offense even after Jack sank one of her balls for her. Jack instead got on track after that and took the win, tying the series once more at 3 games apiece in this worthy battle. Game 7 was a fitting end, as Jack made two on the break and scratched. Ms. Kitty quickly fell behind anyway, but she came within an inch of the win as her bank on the 5 stayed up at the bottom right pocket's edge. Jack then made his last ball for the 4-3 win to claim the 12-ball title in thrilling fashion.

Volkswagen BeetleDome, Viewpoint Sound: Cobalt (B) v. Tigerette (S). The Friday slate starts with one of the most prestigious events, 8-ball. Viewpoint Sound's Cobalt had the better start in game 1, but Boston's Tigerette worked through a pair of scratches to pick up the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Meteors' Cobalt again failed to capitalize on shaky shooting from the Swifts' Tigerette in game 2. Tigerette stabilized fast to her credit, winning on a three-ball run-out to go ahead 2-0 in the series. Tigerette struck on the break and played clean in game 3, but Cobalt was just better at the end for a four-ball run-out. That was Cobalt's first win, cutting Tigerette's series lead to 2-1. Cobalt again started well in game 4, but he faltered on the 8. Tigerette made five balls over her last two turns for the win, restoring her series lead at 3-1. A choppy performance in game 5 suited Tigerette just fine, as she collected enough offense to hold off Cobalt for the win. Tigerette sealed the series at 4-1. Tgierette tacked on one more in game 6, working a six-ball run after an early scratch and then making a pair on the next turn for the win and 5-1 series lead over Cobalt. Tigerette started fairly well in game 7, but she eased up at the end. Cobalt was strong enough to earn the win, while Tigerette took the series 5-2 for the 8-ball title. Cobalt is the 177th eliminated player this year, and Tigerette has five kills.

Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Snuggle (S) v. Ruby (R). The 10-ball title is next up. Harrison's Snuggle was a little out of sorts in game 1, allowing Todavía's Ruby to collect some offense and earned a 1-0 series lead on a three-ball run-out. The Stills' Ruby struck early in game 2, making a 3-10 combination after the Specters' Snuggle had a miss on the 3. Ruby's efficient style has her ahead 2-0 in the series. Snuggle had his best chance to get on the board late in game 3, only for a miss on the 10 to derail his effort. Ruby tapped the 10 to the bottom right for the win, going up 3-0 in the series. Ruby continued to find success, making a few lucky plays in game 4. Snuggle ceded possession late and Ruby took care of things with a 9-10 combination to the bottom left to clinch the series at 4-0. Ruby continued to roll in game 5, charging late with a three-ball run-out after another energetic but misdirected showing from Snuggle. Ruby stretched her series lead to 5-0. Snuggle finally got on the board with a four-ball run-out to claim the win over Ruby in game 6. Ruby's series lead dropped to 5-1. Snuggle also won game 7, putting in a strong offense despite being unable to change the series result. Ruby advanced to the Tournament of Champions on a 5-2 series win, taking her second kill to make Snuggle the 178th player out.

Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty (S) v. Kelsea (R). The 13-ball championship is between West Division rivals. Pacific's Ms. Kitty looked better early in game 1, but an illegal contact foul allowed Capital City's Kelsea to make a four-ball run-out for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Kelsea claimed solids and scratched on the game 2 break. The Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty had things set for a late push, but she took one out of position, and Kelsea battled back for the win to go up 2-0 in the series. Ms. Kitty again worked her way into a lead in game 3, but her defensive tactics later on didn't work out. Kelsea was patient and eventually struck for the win to stretch her series lead to 3-0. Kelsea continued to display remarkable patience in game 4. Ms. Kitty was doing everything she could to get positioning, but the frenzied style allowed Kelsea to play calm and scoop up the win to secure the series at 4-0. Kelsea didn't think game 5 would work out in her favor after a scratch, but Ms. Kitty's finishing skills remained lackluster. Kelsea was able to take a three-ball run-out to go up 5-0 in the series. Kelsea stormed ahead in game 6 with a five-ball run off the break. Ms. Kitty replied on a four-ball run, but Kelsea made the final pair for the win and 6-0 series lead. Ms. Kitty managed to avoid the sweep in game 7, dominating the offense this time to earn her lone win of the series. Kelsea won 6-1 and earned a place in the Tournament of Champions, as well as her third kill to make Ms. Kitty the 179th eliminated player.

Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy (R) v. Celestia (G). Arguably the most talented matchup is in Rotation. A tense battle early on saw two of the league's great methodical players test each other out. Oceanside's Celestia eventually pulled away in the end on a four-ball run-out for the 8-6 win over Everton's Goldy. Celestia leads the series 1-0. The Waves' Celestia showed a little more power early in game 2. The Eagles' Goldy kept it close until the end, where Celestia locked down an 8-5 win to go up 2-0 in the series. Celestia jumped out to a lead in game 3, and Goldy didn't offer much resistance this time. Celestia walked away with an 8-1 win to earn a 3-0 series lead. Goldy kept herself in the fight in game 4, burying a three-ball run-out to finish off an 8-3 win in game 4. Celestia remains ahead 3-1 in the series. Celestia looked ready to close it out in game 5, but Goldy made a six-ball run-out for a miracle 8-7 win despite a number of scratches. Celestia still has a 3-2 series lead. Goldy caught up in the series with a dominant 8-2 win over Celestia in game 6. With momentum, Goldy has tied the series at 3 games each. Goldy completed the reverse sweep in game 7 with a hot start and strong finish in an 8-4 win over Celestia. Goldy took the series 4-3 and will play in the Tournament of Champions. Celestia is the 180th player out, and Goldy has four kills.

Intel Center, Diamond: Shadow (G) v. Spirit (B). A father and daughter duo end the regular season in the 9-ball championship series. Diamond's Shadow had a few trick plays fall short in game 1, but Lighton's Spirit couldn't capitalize. Shadow won on a three-ball run-out for the 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Shadow carried momentum early in game 2, but let it go later. The Prestige's Spirit picked up the win with a four-ball run-out to tie the series at 1. Spirit crushed the game 3 break, getting the 9 to go swiftly into the bottom left for an instant win and 2-1 series lead over Shadow. Spirit switched sides for her game 4 break, and that put a damper on her offense. Shadow had some good plays in the game, most notably at the end when he made the 9 to the top right after Spirit couldn't get it at the top side. Shadow has tied the series at 2. Spirit got herself into trouble with a scratch in game 5. Shadow showed no mercy, making the 2-9 combination to the bottom left from ball-in-hand. Shadow is ahead 3-2 in the series. Shadow slammed the door in game 6, making the 9 to the bottom left on the break to seal the series at 4-2 over Spirit. Shadow won game 7 on the break as well, surging to a 5-2 series win that booked him a spot in the Tournament of Champions. Shadow ended with six kills while Spirit was the 181st and last player to be eliminated during the regular season. 

That's it for the main part of the Tournament. Currently, the plan is to do the Tournament of Champions on Sunday, followed by the Clan Cup on Monday and the City Cup throughout the rest of next week, however these plans are always subject to change. Bowls would then take place the first week of November while administrative duties for the between-seasons period will be mixed in as necessary.

Tournament XI - Finals Phase 3

Losers of the next nine series will be awarded bronze medals for their performances this year. This post will cover two days of action. First up...

AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Celestia (G) v. Lily (S). The Rotation series is first in this round. Oceanside's Celestia had a strong start to game 1, working enough of an offense to build a big lead. Eastside's Lily pushed back too late, and Celestia held on for an 8-5 win to go ahead 1-0 in the series. After a tight start to game 2, the Waves' Celestia eventually found a path forward and collected an 8-3 win when the Sharks' Lily stalled out on offense. Celestia leads the series 2-0. Lily put in her best effort yet in game 3, getting even late in the battle, but Celestia shook her off to grab an 8-6 win for the 3-0 series lead. Celestia kept rolling in game 4, taking the lead quickly and holding it at the end for an 8-3 win to seal the series at 4-0 over Lily. Celestia again stormed ahead with three balls from the break in game 5, but Lily finally struck back and landed an 8-7 win to get on the board. Celestia holds a 4-1 series lead. Lily got a jump in game 6, taking a big lead early and cruising to the finish for an 8-5 win that cut Celestia's advantage in the series to 4-2. Lily continued her momentum in a difficult game 7, taking an 8-6 win that left Celestia with a deceiving 4-3 series win. Celestia will visit the Everton Eagles captain Goldy later in the week for the Rotation title. This was Celestia's second kill, making Lily the 166th player out.

Nissan Hall, Infinity: Blaze (P) v. Nibbles (R). Next up is 7-ball as we continue through Tuesday's slate. Infinity's Blaze had a productive game 1, although Web City's Nibbles struck a three-ball run before missing on the 7. Blaze sent the 7 to the bottom right for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Nibbles couldn't get any offense going in game 2, allowing the Torpedoes' Blaze to dictate the pace. Blaze was steady and picked up the win in three turns to go up 2-0 in the series. Blaze maintained his majority of the offense in game 3, but he flubbed a look on the 7 at the end. Nibbles was there to steal the win at the bottom right, cutting Blaze's series lead to 2-1. Blaze stay involved in game 4, but he rattled the 7 out of the top side this time. Nibbles cleaned it up at the bottom left for another win to tie the series at 2. Nibbles wasted no time in asserting himself in game 5, burying a six-ball run off the break. Both players missed the 7 once, and Nibbles made it on his second try to earn the 3-2 series lead over Blaze. Nibbles secured the series on the game 6 break, getting the 7 to tail the 1 into the bottom side for a 4-2 series lead. Blaze controlled things in game 7, but his six-ball run wasn't enough with a miss on the 7. Nibbles knocked it in at the bottom left for a 5-2 series win that sets him up to visit the Southridge Defenders' Wario in the final phase. Blaze is the 167th eliminated player, and Nibbles has three kills, all in the Finals.

Apple Center, Todavía: Ruby (R) v. Spirit (B). West Division stars collide in 10-ball. Todavía's Ruby took a cheap win in game 1 after poor play early on. She deflected off the 2 to tap the 10 in the bottom left when Lighton's Spirit failed to get any offense going. Ruby leads the series 1-0. Game 2 ended up going the distance after another slow start. The Stills' Ruby didn't find any magic this time, and the Prestige's Spirit upped the pace with a four-ball run-out for the win to tie the series at 1. Ruby sank the 10 on an uncalled play early in game 3, but she was fortunate that Spirit wasn't able to control the offense after that. Ruby finished with a four-ball run-out and got the win for a 2-1 series lead. Spirit tried to surge late in game 4, but she fell short with a miss on the 8. Ruby made the final pair in this one, earning the win for a 3-1 series win. Spirit couldn't get back up to pace in game 5, and Ruby was in control at the end with a five-ball run-out for the win. Ruby has clinched the series at 4-1 with her strong finish. Spirit was able to grab a win in game 6, finishing strong after a scratch from Ruby wasted her early offense. Spirit's win cut Ruby's series lead down to 4-2. Spirit collected another win in game 7, burying a three-ball run-out to end the difficult series. Ruby won the series 4-3 and will visit the Harrison Specters' Snuggle in the final phase.

T-Mobile Center, Victoria: Strawberry (B) v. Princess (G). Along to 15-ball, with timing coming into play for the cutoff. Victoria's Strawberry had a solid performance early in game 1, but Viewpoint Sound's Princess turned a contact play on the 7 into the 15 dropping in the top left as slop. Princess leads the series 1-0. The Spurs' Strawberry had the momentum late in game 2, but a miss on the 15 was costly. The Meteors' Princess converted her winning shot from distance to the top right, going ahead 2-0 in the series. Strawberry got a deserved win in game 3, picking up a four-ball run-out after Princess faltered late. Princess remains ahead 2-1 in the series. Strawberry looked ready to charge late in game 4, but she scratched as she made the 13. Princess pulled off the positioning just right and made the last pair for the win, going up 3-1 in the series. Princess didn't get much offense going in game 5, but a little defense covered her tracks. Strawberry fouled on a contact play for the 7, and Princess took the 7-15 combination to the bottom left from ball-in-hand to seal the series at 4-1. Princess didn't ease up in game 6, playing a close battle with Strawberry this time. Princess had the better of the late offense to earn the win and move to a 5-1 series lead. Princess couldn't lock down one more result in game 7, so Strawberry took control of the late offense to earn the win. Princess' 5-2 series win guarantees her a spot in the final phase versus Queens Flames veteran Briana. Strawberry is the 168th player out of the Tournament, and Princess now has five kills.

T-Mobile Center, Victoria: Spice (P) v. Tigerette (S). The venue doubleheader ends with 8-ball, also ending Tuesday's slate. Game 1 was an awkward battle. Victoria's Spice scratched on the break, and Boston's Tigerette made one of each, choosing to play solids. She botched her next shot, and Spice took control from there to get the win and 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Spice had a six-ball run in game 2, but she missed her chance on the 8 after the Swifts' Tigerette left it standing to end a four-ball run. Tigerette made it on the second attempt to tie the series at 1. Spice fell behind quickly in game 3 and tried to play a defensive style. Tigerette didn't get slowed down, plowing through for an easy win to pull ahead 2-1 in the series. Tigerette started a little slower in game 4, allowing Spice to find a little rhythm on offense. Tigerette turned it around quick, blasting a five-ball run and a three-ball run-out for the win to move into a 3-1 series lead. Spice had game 5 in her hands, but she let it slip by twice missing on the 8. Tigerette rallied all the way back with a five-ball run-out for the win, securing the series at 4-1. Tigerette pulled off another great escape in game 6, as Spice again fell short on the 8. Tigerette rallied for a six-ball run-out this time, stretching her series lead to 5-1. Tigerette added one more win in game 7, another dominant push in the middle lifting her to a 6-1 series win over Spice. Tigerette will face Viewpoint Sound Meteors veteran Cobalt in the final phase. Tigerette has four kills and Spice is the 169th player out of the Tournament.

FedEx Arena, Eastside: Taylor M. (S) v. Ms. Kitty (G). A battle between captains starts Wednesday with 12-ball. Eastside's Taylor M. made one of each on the game 1 break and took stripes to control the side pockets. Pacific's Ms. Kitty couldn't keep pace and Taylor M. emerged with the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Sharks' Taylor M. had a solid start in game 2, but she butchered the finishing push. The Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty stepped up to earn a three-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 1. Taylor M. got back on track with a four-ball run in game 3. Ms. Kitty tried to keep pace, but her positioning was bad. Taylor M. eventually won with the 10 at the top left to regain the series lead at 2-1. Taylor M. put in another good start in game 4, but Ms. Kitty showed some resilience and positioning skill this time to pull off a comeback win that tied the series at 2. Taylor M. was forced to take a defensive stance in game 5, but it didn't hold up as Ms. Kitty pushed through to earn the win and 3-2 series lead. Taylor M. had a fairly strong performance in game 6, but she couldn't get her last ball on a two-rail bank toward the top right. Ms. Kitty's last ball threw a defensive block and she cut it in at the top side for the win to clinch the series at 4-2. Taylor M. had everything organized to take game 7, but a scratch ruined her late push. Ms. Kitty swooped in for the win and 5-2 series win that puts her into the final phase versus the Web City Spiders' Jack. Ms. Kitty has eight kills and Taylor M. is the 170th player to exit the Tournament.

Nissan Hall, Infinity: Shelley (S) v. Potter (B). Moving along to Accuracy, we've got a solid veteran battle. Infinity's Shelley had an early miss and Pronger's Potter took control from there. Potter won 0-2, a perfect effort establishing his series lead at 1-0. The Tridents' Potter wasn't as dominant in shooting in game 2, but he was still very good while the Torpedoes' Shelley put in a similar effort. Potter was able to prevail with a 1-2 win to go ahead 2-0 in the series. In game 3, Potter made a ball on the break and a double-pot later, but it all went bad at the end. He skidded late and Shelley stayed perfect this time for the 0-2 win to cut Potter's series lead to 2-1. Both players bottomed out a bit in game 4, with Shelley in particular struggling to put in a good performance. Potter grabbed a 3-6 win this time to take a 3-1 series lead. Shelley didn't recover well enough in a slow start to game 5. Potter was there to clean up after each miss, and he took a 1-4 win to seal the series at 4-1. Shelley battled to force overtime in game 6, and Potter soft-broke on the extra rack to allow Shelley to grab a 2-3 win. Potter remains ahead 4-2 in the series. Shelley grabbed another win in game 7, holding firm for a 1-2 result to leave Potter with a 4-3 series win. Potter will visit the Tysini Hummingbirds' Leandra in the final phase. Potter is up to five kills, and Shelley is the 171st played to exit the Tournament.

Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Kelsea (R) v. Roxy (P). The 13-ball series goes next. Capital City's Kelsea was strong enough early in game 1 to set the tone. At the end, she played patient and struck when Southridge's Roxy couldn't build a comeback run. Kelsea leads the series 1-0. The Sharpshooters' Kelsea thought she had game 2 under control and took a casual approach at the end. The Defenders' Roxy stayed in it and got the win when Kelsea scratched late, allowing Roxy to tie the series at 1. Roxy had a push near the end of game 3, but her scratch cost her time. Kelsea held on with patience and precision to get this win, going ahead 2-1 in the series. Kelsea again took a big lead in a tough game 4 battle. Roxy had just enough positioning to make it work for a five-ball run-out that saw her bank two shots en route to the win. The series is tied again at 2. A thrilling and pivotal game 5 had a great finish. Roxy cut the 4 to the bottom left with the kick sending the 7 to the top side, but she missed her cut on the 8. Kelsea then made her last ball and the 8 on consecutive shots for the win to go up 3-2 in the series. Roxy did everything she could with defense at the top right, and the play worked enough to slow Kelsea down at the end. Roxy then made a pair for the win, tying the series once more at 3 to set up a decisive finale. Kelsea took a large lead early in game 7, then had to weather an attack from Roxy at the end. Kelsea held on and earned the 4-3 series win to earn the right to face the Pacific Volcanoes captain Ms. Kitty in the final phase. Roxy is the 172nd player out, and Kelsea has two kills.

Porsche Events Center, Zenith: Blizzard (S) v. Spirit (B). Closing out the day, there's a 9-ball set. Zenith's Blizzard had a productive game 1 despite not making many shots. Her blast on the 2 had enough force to get the 9 down at the top left for the win and 1-0 series lead over Lighton's Spirit. Shot quality didn't improve much in game 2, but the Prestige's Spirit was able to deflect a play off the 5 to make the 9 at the bottom left. This helped her tie the series at 1 against the Skywatchers' Blizzard. Spirit had a strong performance in game 3. Blizzard handled some offense early, but Spirit made the last four balls over two turns to get the win for a 2-1 series lead. Blizzard fouled at a bad time in game 4, allowing Spirit to make the 5-9 combination from ball-in-hand for the win and 3-1 series lead. Blizzard kept herself in the series with a six-ball run-out in game 5, making a 7-9 combination to the bottom left to cap it off. Spirit remains ahead 3-2 in the series. Blizzard built momentum with another big run in game 6, but she missed late. Spirit also missed on the 9, and Blizzard made it to the bottom side on her second try for the win to tie the series at 3. Game 7 went right down to the wire, with Spirit cutting the 9 to the bottom right for the win and 4-3 series win. She'll visit her father, Diamond Gems captain Shadow, in the final phase. Blizzard is the 173rd player out and Spirit has three kills. 

Tomorrow begins the last two days of the regular season, and then a push after that for administrative duties. For now, we hope to have the Tournament of Champions on Sunday, but that is subject to change.

Tournament XI - Finals Phase 2

We're back for another full-day session of Finals play. The winners of these series will be guaranteed medals in their events. First up...

HP Field Events Center, Midland: Rainmane (S) v. Nibbles (R). The day begins easy with a 7-ball series. Midland's Rainmane made a pair on the break in game 1, then added a three-ball run-out that ended with a 3-7 kick combination to the bottom left for her win and 1-0 series lead over Web City's Nibbles. The Predators' Rainmane was kept quiet in game 2, and the Spiders' Nibbles stepped up on offense to earn the win. This tied the series at 1. Nibbles wasted no time in game 3, grabbing the win on the break as the 7 circulated into the bottom side. Nibbles now holds a 2-1 series lead over Rainmane. In game 4, Rainmane remained sidelined as Nibbles ran the table, ending on a bank of the 7 to the bottom side. Nibbles stretched his series lead to 3-1. Rainmane got involved on offense again in game 5, but she faltered too much at the end. Nibbles was able to make the 7 at the bottom left for the win to clinch the series at 4-1. Rainmane made a three-ball run in game 6, but Nibbles fired right back with a double-pot of the 6 and 7 to the top left for another win that gave him a 5-1 series lead. Rainmane finally got one back in game 7 with a pair at the end after a foul by Nibbles, who took the series 5-2. Nibbles will continue his Finals run into the third phase, facing the Infinity Torpedoes' Blaze. Nibbles has two kills and Rainmane is the 158th played eliminated.

Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Tigerette (S) v. Smokey (R). The next series is in 8-ball. Boston's Tigerette had to weather an attack from Pacific's Smokey early in game 1 before taking control. Tigerette took her time late but still got the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Smokey got down to his last ball in game 2, but he couldn't get past it. The Swifts' Tigerette fired back on a four-ball run-out for the win to go ahead 2-0 in the series. Tigerette made a solid on the game 3 break, but her cluster-buster after that sank a stripe and the 8 to gift the win quickly to Smokey. Tigerette remains ahead 2-1 in the series. Smokey made a five-ball run off the break in game 4, but Tigerette held firm defensively and then attacked with a huge run-out to end with a win. Tigerette is up to a 3-1 series lead. Tigerette was again trailing late in game 5, but she pulled off a strategic scratch and got Smokey to miss contact on the 8. Tigerette then made a three-ball run-out to get the win, securing the series at 4-1. Tigerette didn't add on in game 6, coming up a little short on offense at the end. Smokey was able to make a late pair to cut the deficit to 4-2. Smokey went on a six-ball run-out to grab the win in game 7 as well, while Tigerette took it easy as she was already guaranteed to move on. Tigerette will visit Victoria Spurs captain Spice in the next phase. Smokey is the 159th player out this year, and Tigerette has three kills to her name.

Volkswagen BeetleDome, Viewpoint Sound: Hoot (P) v. Potter (B). Onward we go to Accuracy. Viewpoint Sound's Hoot had a couple of lucky bounces that saved him in game 1, while Pronger's Potter came up short. Hoot won 3-4 and took a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 saw both players make improvements. The Tridents' Potter managed to stay perfect in this one, earning a 0-1 win over the Meteors' Hoot to tie the series at 1. Potter managed to force overtime in game 3, but he missed on his second shot of overtime to give Hoot a 2-3 win this time. Hoot regained the series lead at 2-1. Hoot was decent in game 4, but an early scratch ended up being the difference this time. Potter was able to take a 2-3 win at the end, tying the series again at 2 games each. Hoot's defensive positioning in game 5 did just enough to get Potter to miss at the end. Hoot then converted the 12 to the bottom right for a 1-2 win to go ahead 3-2 in the series. Potter returned to perfection in game 6, working a 0-4 win over a shaky effort from Hoot. The series is tied yet again at 3. Potter stayed perfect in game 7, pulling off a 0-3 win this time to beat Hoot 4-3 in the series. Potter is set to visit the Infinity Torpedoes' Shelley in the next phase. Hoot is the 160th eliminated player, and Potter has four kills.

Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Dominic (B) v. Lily (S). The first of the visitor's two series today is in Rotation. Southern's Dominic had to play catch-up a couple of times in game 1, but Eastside's Lily pulled away for good at the end to take an 8-6 win for the 1-0 series lead. The Sharks' Lily had to fight a little harder in game 2, but she was able to come from behind on the Monarchs' Dominic for another 8-6 win. Lily is ahead 2-0 in the series. Dominic couldn't get anything going as Lily jumped out to a huge lead in game 3. At the end, Lily closed on an 8-1 victory to stretch her series lead to 3-0. Lily took a step back on offense in game 4, and Dominic was able to capitalize on it to earn an 8-4 win. Lily remains ahead in the series 3-1. Dominic found a little confidence from his previous win and continued the strong play in game 5 for an 8-3 win over the Lily this time. Lily's series lead is down to 3-2. Dominic kept rolling in game 6, piling on with an 8-2 win this time as Lily's offense didn't spark back to life. The series is now tied at 3. Dominic had a lead early in game 7 against Lily, who eventually channeled her frustration into offense to earn an 8-5 win. Lily took the series 4-3 and will head to the third phase versus Oceanside Waves captain Celestia. Dominic is the 161st player to exit the Tournament, and Lily now has

Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Spirit (B) v. Lily (R). The visitor completes her road doubleheader in 9-ball. Lighton's Spirit rattled off a seven-ball run-out in game 1 to pick up the win as Eastside's Lily could only watch. Spirit leads the series 1-0. The Prestige's Spirit pushed again late in game 2 with a four-ball run, but she faltered on the 9. The Sharks' Lily put it away at the top side for the win, tying the series at 1. Lily made a three-ball run over the middle of game 3, but it ended up going to waste when Spirit answered with a three-ball run-out. Spirit's win restored the series lead for her at 2-1. In game 4, Spirit showed some subtle power in her four-ball run-out, commanding the cue ball well again to go up 3-1 over Lily, who has struggled to get possession. Lily had a few more chances in game 5, but Spirit was there to bury the last pair of shots for the win to seal the series at 4-1. Spirit wasn't able to close out a shaky game 6, and Lily stepped in to make the final pair this time. Spirit's series lead was trimmed to 4-2. Lily saved some time in game 7, making the 9 on the break to make things look closer. Spirit advanced to the next phase on a 4-3 series win, and she will visit Zenith Skywatchers captain Blizzard.

Volkswagen BeetleDome, Viewpoint Sound: Princess (G) v. Chris (P). Back north, the 15-ball series is on. Viewpoint Sound's Princess had surges of offense at the start and the end of game 1, and she added the 15 on the last turn to get the 1-0 series lead over Capital City's Chris. The Meteors' Princess saw a dramatic drop-off in shot quality in game 2. The Sharpshooters' Chris struggled a bit too, but he made the last five balls over two turns to get the win, tying the series at 1. Princess' offense improved in game 3, as she controlled the middle well. A chippy finish saw the 15 just escape Chris, and Princess knocked it down at the bottom side to restore her series lead at 2-1. A slow start to game 3 gave Princess the inspiration to just take a swipe towards the 15. She got it down at the bottom left on a deflection from the 3, giving her a 3-1 series lead over Chris. Princess unleashed an eight-ball run to begin game 5, but she couldn't take the 10-15 combination on her next turn. Chris made the last seven balls over three turns for the win, cutting the series deficit to 3-2. The pace returned to normal in a slow game 6, which saw Princess completely lose control with multiple misses on the 15. Chris eventually tapped it into the bottom left for the win, tying the series at 3. Chris started well in game 7, but he couldn't make it stick at the end with both players running on fumes. Princess corralled the 15 and earned the win for a 4-3 series win. Princess will visit Victoria Spurs veteran Strawberry in the third phase. Chris is the 162nd player out this year, and Princess is up to four kills.

GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Roxy (P) v. Sally (B). The 13-ball series is contested between club-mates. Southridge's Roxy had the better play early on, but couldn't get the 12 to go in the top side. Archtown's Sally answered on a three-ball run and made the 8 a turn later for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Roxy had a lead for much of game 2, but late-game positioning didn't go well for either player. The Arrows' Sally went backward with a scratch to key a four-ball run-out on the next turn, which put her ahead 2-0 in the series. Tensions rose in game 3 as positioning continued to be a problem. Sally had too many scratches, and Roxy was able to grab the win late to cut the deficit to 2-1 overall. Roxy smashed a four-ball run off the break in game 4, and she rode that momentum to the finish to tie the series at 2 as Sally got shut out. Roxy rallied early in game 5 as well, burying a five-ball run to get close. Sally put up a fight to pull even late, but Roxy finished it off just in time to pull ahead 3-2 in the series. Roxy didn't have as strong a start in game 6, but it was enough for an early lead. Sally couldn't untangle her positioning late, and Roxy took another win to secure the series at 4-2. Roxy scratched three times and struggled with positioning in game 7, but she still got the win as Sally stumbled. Roxy's 5-2 series win sets her up to visit Capital City Sharpshooters rookie Kelsea in the third phase. Sally is the 163rd eliminated player, giving Roxy two kills on the year.

Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Spirit (B) v. Josie (G). The host's second series today is in 10-ball. A late foul by Viewpoint Sound's Josie cost her game 1, as Lighton's Spirit made the final pair for the win and 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Meteors' Josie didn't get much to go right early on. At the end, it continued when she missed the 10 at the top side, allowing the Prestige's Spirit to take a cheap tap-in for the win, going up 2-0 in the series. Spirit had her turn to falter late in game 3, missing contact on a cut on the 10. Josie took the 10 to the top left from ball-in-hand for the win, cutting Spirit's series lead to 2-1. Josie had some chances early in game 4, but it didn't translate to much consistency. Spirit popped in a three-ball run-out for the win to restore her series lead to 3-1. Spirit started with an early four-ball run that ended with a scratch. Josie shot back quickly on a six-ball run-out to get the win, pulling back to a 3-2 series deficit. Josie had a good amount of offense in game 6, but her attempt on the 10 didn't connect right. Spirit sank it to the bottom left for the win, clinching the series at 4-2. Spirit wasn't able to finish off a close battle in game 7, as Josie cleaned up at the end for one more win. Spirit's 4-3 series win assures she'll visit Todavía Stills star Ruby in a West Division battle in the third phase. Josie is the 164th player out, and Spirit now has two kills.

Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty (G) v. Misty (R). Today's finale features 12-ball between longtime veterans of their teams. Pacific's Ms. Kitty made three stripes on the break, but only two legally. Westside's Misty attacked for a couple of turns after that, but Ms. Kitty won game 1 on a four-ball run-out for the 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Misty attacked with a bit more force in game 2, and the Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty couldn't make a defensive approach stick. The series is tied at 1. Misty had another strong start in game 3, but she made the mistake of setting up Ms. Kitty for a three-ball run-out at the end. Ms. Kitty converted, and the win put her ahead 2-1 in the series. Ms. Kitty made one of each on the break in game 4, and she chose to play solids. This worked great, as Misty's positioning held her back and Ms. Kitty ran away with the win to go up 3-1. Ms. Kitty set the tone with three solids and a stripe on the game 5 break. Misty pounced on a four-ball run later on, but Ms. Kitty was there to sink her final pair of shots for the win, sealing the series at 4-1. Ms. Kitty attacked well in game 6, but Misty kept pace with her this time and snagged the win on a late pair of shots. Ms. Kitty's series lead is down to 4-2. In game 7, Ms. Kitty put in a solid effort only for Misty to swipe it away with a late surge. Ms. Kitty settled for a 4-3 series win, and she'll head to the third phase versus Eastside Sharks captain Taylor M. Misty is the 165th eliminated player, giving Ms. Kitty seven kills on the year.

That's all for today. The final two phases of the Finals will be split over two days each as we preserve quality of play and adjust to scheduling constraints.

Tournament XI - Finals Phase 1

On one of our bigger Finals schedules, we'll play all nine series on Friday in the first phase. The cue used is that of the host in each series. Leading off...

BMW RockDome, Westside: Snowball (P) v. Josie (G). The first series up is in 10-ball. Westside's Snowball didn't get off to a great start in game 1, as Viewpoint Sound's Josie ripped a five-ball run early and struck late with the 10 at the top right for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Snowball narrowly missed a 1-10 combination to the bottom left in game 2. The Meteors' Josie shot back later with a 3-10 combination there, double-kissing it in to get the 2-0 series lead with a win. Snowball again had some looks in game 3, but Josie extended her series lead to 3-0 with a deflection off the 7 to drive the 10 to the top side. Snowball butchered her attempt for a finish in game 4, missing contact on the 8 when she had a chance to run. Josie was a little sloppy, but she got the win to secure the series at 4-0. Josie had a late three-ball run in game 5, but she missed on the 9 and Snowball answered with a pair to get her first win. Josie remains ahead 4-1 in the series. Snowball put together an impressive rally in game 6 with a seven-ball run-out after Josie made the first three balls. Josie's series lead is down to 4-2. Snowball scratched early in game 7, and that provided Josie a chance to end the game early on a 2-10 combination to the bottom side. Josie locked up a 5-2 series win to set up a meeting with the Lighton Prestige's Spirit in the second phase. Snowball is the 150th player out, and Josie is up to three kills.

Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Sally (B) v. Kayla (G). Next up is 13-ball. Archtown's Sally made a solid on the break and easily dominated game 1 over Royal's Kayla. Sally got some late help and won on a three-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Kayla put together a better offense in game 2, but she fell short at the end with a miss on the 8. The Arrows' Sally finished off the effort with a three-ball run-out for the win and 2-0 series lead. Sally went for a big surge at the end of game 3, but it didn't pay off. She put the 3 out of position for the top side and Kayla was steady to get the win. Sally's series lead was trimmed to 2-1. Kayla kept the comeback going in game 4, as Sally came up short on a late three-ball run. Kayla fired back with a three-ball run-out for the win to tie the series at 2. Sally recovered pretty well in game 5, picking up a win with a three-ball run-out after Kayla couldn't sink the 8. Sally regained the series lead at 3-2. Kayla thought she'd have enough defense to play a counterattack in game 6, but Sally squeezed the 8 right by the 1 to sink it at the bottom left for the win. This secured the series at 4-2 for Sally. Sally kept the pace up in game 7, adding another win to her tally for a 5-2 series win. She'll visit club-mate and Southridge Defenders newcomer Roxy in the second phase. Sally earned her fourth kill of the year to make Kayla the 151st eliminated player. This was also Sally's 100th unique opponent.

FedEx Arena, Eastside: Lily (S) v. Jack (P). The third series is in Rotation. Eastside's Lily exchanged shots with Web City's Jack early in game 1. After that, it was all Lily as she made a four-ball run and a three-ball run-out for the 8-1 win and 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Jack put up a better fight in game 2, but the Sharks' Lily held him off at the end with another three-ball run-out. Lily took the win 8-5, going up 2-0 in the series. Jack actually held a lead for much of game 3, but he couldn't bring it home at the end. Lily made shots on a couple of late turns to steal an 8-7 win that put her ahead 3-0 in the series. Lily stormed ahead from the start of game 4 on a five-ball run. Jack got some of it back quickly, but Lily was able to burst away again for an 8-4 win to clinch the series at 4-0. Game 5 was more of the same, as Lily emerged with a lead from the middle and guided it into an 8-4 win over Jack to stretch her series lead to 5-0. Lily piled on again in game 6, grabbing the initial lead and then fighting off Jack with a three-ball run-out at the end. The result with an 8-2 win for Lily to go up 6-0 overall. Lily completed the incredibly rare seven-game sweep with another 8-2 win over Jack. The 7-0 result vaults Lily into the next phase versus Southern Monarchs veteran Dominic.

Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Chris (P) v. Panda (R). We move along to 15-ball next, which makes it a little easier from here on. Capital City's Chris had a fair amount of offense in game 1, but Everton's Panda was the one to make the 15 on his second try for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Eagles' Panda looked a bit more comfortable in game 2, but it didn't pay off this time. The Sharpshooters' Chris capitalized late as Panda got shaky on offense, tying the series at 1. Both players were relentless on offense in game 3, but Panda fell off the pace with a couple of late errors. These allowed Chris to collect another win for the 2-1 series lead. Offense slowed back down in game 4, with Chris struggling especially early on. Panda once again came up short at the end, and Chris cut the 15 to the top left for the win and 3-1 series lead. Chris couldn't get on track late in game 5, skidding into the finish while Panda snagged the 15 at the top right for the win. Chris still has a 3-2 series lead. Chris continued to pump in offense with a four-ball run during game 6, but his attempted kick on the 10 instead illegally potted the 15. This gifted the win to Panda, tying the series at 3 games each. With the series on the line, Chris gained momentum late in game 7 and made it stick for a 4-3 series win over Panda. Chris will face Viewpoint Sound Meteors star Princess in the next phase. Chris earned his third kill while Panda is the 152nd played out.

Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Mams (G) v. Smokey (R). West Division rivals battle in 8-ball. Swordpoint's Mams weathered a strong offense from Pacific's Smokey early in game 1. At the end, Mams surged back to take the win on a five-ball run-out for the 1-0 series lead. The Blades' Mams tried to make a similar comeback surge in game 2, but she came up short with a scratch. The Volcanoes' Smokey only had to tap the 8 down to the bottom side for the win, tying the series at 1. Mams let another late error derail her offense in game 3, as she never caught up again with Smokey, who took the win and pulled ahead 2-1 in the series. Smokey tried to keep the momentum in game 4, but his late offense wasn't as sharp as it had been. Mams was steady this time to earn the win, retying the series at 2. Mams' offense was too slow at the start of game 5, allowing Smokey to stake out a huge lead. Mams' comeback push was ended by a scratch, and Smokey made a pair for the win to regain the series lead at 3-2. Mams again had to go for the come-from-behind strategy in game 6, making a five-ball run but taking the loss as her last solid wouldn't go down. Smokey finished it off and secured the series at 4-2 with this win. Smokey was able to hold on in a challenging game 7, taking one more win over Mams for the 5-2 series win. Smokey will visit the Boston Swifts' Tigerette in the second phase. Smokey finally got his first kill of the year with Mams the 153rd to exit the Tournament.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Nibbles (R) v. Crystal (B). The 7-ball series is up next between two burgeoning rivals. Web City's Nibbles had a three-ball run early and then had to battle the rest of the way for the win and 1-0 series lead over Queens' Crystal. The Spiders' Nibbles wasted no time in doubling his advantage, getting the 7 down on the break in game 2 for the 2-0 series lead. The Flames' Crystal battled back a bit in game 3, but she wasn't successful at the end. Nibbles stepped in and made the 7 to the bottom left to go ahead 3-0 in the series. Nibbles came close to taking game 4 on the break, but the 7 shot wide of the bottom side and he didn't get another good look at it. Crystal was able to pick up the win, staying alive but trailing 3-1 in the series. Crystal had multiple chances on the 7 in a slow game 5, but she couldn't get it down on any of her attempts. Nibbles eventually put it away at the top left for the win, sealing the series at 4-1. Crystal continued to see plenty of turns on offense, only to punt most of them away. Nibbles closed out game 6 and grabbed another win for the 5-1 series lead. Nibbles wasn't able to finish off game 7, as Crystal worked a four-ball run-out for the win. Nibbles advanced on a 5-2 series win, setting him up to visit the Midland Predators' Rainmane in the next phase. Nibbles grabbed his first kill of the year, making Crystal the 154th player out.

BMW RockDome, Westside: Misty (R) v. Violetta (B). A marquee series in 12-ball is up. Westside's Misty had a productive game 1, and she was able to fend off a late surge by Queens' Violetta to earn the win. Misty leads the series 1-0. The Rockers' Misty buried two stripes in the same pocket on the game 2 break, giving the Flames' Violetta a free possession. Violetta didn't do much, and Misty soon picked up the win on a four-ball run-out to go up 2-0 in the series. The closest battle yet was in game 3, with Misty taking another early lead. Violetta got within a pair, but Misty's better positioning yielded another win for her to go ahead 3-0. Misty didn't have a path to the finish in game 4, and Violetta looked to be taking her time until a sudden three-ball run-out gave her the win. Misty's series lead is down to 3-1. Misty had everything lined up for a big comeback run, but she couldn't quite put it together in time. Violetta held on long enough to sink a pair for the win to pull within 3-2 in the series. Violetta evened the series in game 6, an ultra-defensive battle as Misty tried to hold off her opponent. Misty went for a defense removal play, and Violetta soon made a three-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 3-3. Misty got better positioning late in game 7 and cashed it in with no hesitation, taking a thrilling 4-3 series win over Violetta. Misty is set to visit Pacific Volcanoes captain Ms. Kitty in the second phase. Misty is up to two kills, and Violetta is the 155th player to exit the Tournament.

Ford Forum, Pronger: Potter (B) v. Hershey (R). The Accuracy series pits East Division rivals against each other. Pronger's Potter had an awful start to game 1, and he missed again late to guarantee a win for Stonebridge's Hershey. The score was 2-3, and Hershey took a 1-0 series lead. The Wolves' Hershey wasn't as good in game 2, but the Tridents' Potter hit a skid late and couldn't recover. Hershey took the 3-5 win this time to go up 2-0 in the series. Potter showed a little more resolve in game 3 to control his shooting. Hershey looked good until the end, when a two-miss sequence cost him the result in Potter's 2-3 win. Hershey remains ahead 2-1 in the series. Hershey had to go all-in on the last ball in a tied game 4, and he scratched on the play. Potter made the last ball for a 2-3 win to tie the series at 2. Hershey retook control of things in game 5, a stellar performance that ended with him winning 1-3 for the 3-2 series lead over Potter. Hershey had nothing in game 6, missing frequently while Potter stayed perfect for a lopsided 0-5 win. This tied the series again at 3. Game 7 went into overtime, a fitting conclusion. Hershey led the way for much of the extra session, but a late miss and Potter's subsequent conversion gave the host a 3-4 win and 4-3 series win. Potter is set to take on Viewpoint Sound Meteors captain Hoot in the second phase. Hershey is the 156th player out of the Tournament, and Potter's up to three kills.

FedEx Arena, Eastside: Lily (R) v. Mario (P). The host's second series ends the day in 9-ball. Eastside's Lily had a decent start, but Queens' Mario stepped up late on a four-ball run-out for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Mario went empty on the break in game 2, and the Sharks' Lily deflected a shot off the 1 to drive the 9 to the bottom left on her second turn. Lily's skill play tied the series at 1. Mario took control of the offense again in game 3, burying a four-ball run before a narrow miss on the 8. Lily stepped in and made the final pair for the win to take a 2-1 series lead. Lily won game 4 quickly as well, getting late deflections on the break to sink the 1, and then on the carom after she hit the 2. That shot saw the cue glance off the 5 and punch the 9 to the bottom left for Lily's 3-1 series lead over Mario. In game 5, Lily's offense dropped off, and there was no magic at the end for her. Mario closed out with a four-ball run-out to get one back, cutting the series deficit to 3-2. Lily had a couple of scratches in the middle of game 6, but Mario's scratch after he made the 8 cost him the series. Lily made the 9 on a ball-in-hand play to secure the series at 4-2. Mario salvaged a result from game 7 with a kick on the 6 to drive the 9 into the bottom right. Lily settled for a 4-3 series win to reach the second phase, where she'll visit the Lighton Prestige's Spirit. Mario is the 157th player out of the Tournament, and Lily is up to four kills. 

The first phase of the Finals is finally complete. We'll do this again tomorrow before the last two phases to determine medals will be split across two days each.