It's getting to be crunch time in the league, with tickets to the Finals gauntlet on the line in the next five days. The green cue won't play today, and we begin with...
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Leonardo. The silver cue's 13-ball representative will come from this series. Pacific's Ms. Kitty didn't need too much time to get ahead in game 1. Diamond's Leonardo tried to make a comeback at the end, but Ms. Kitty closed it out for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Leonardo didn't have as much of a resistance in game 2, and the Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty was able to take a fairly easy win to go up 2-0 in the series. Ms. Kitty couldn't get her positioning right after Leonardo's hot start in game 3. Leonardo was patient and got some help from Ms. Kitty at the end before he put the 8 in the bottom left for the win to cut the series to 2-1. Leonardo had a productive game 4 effort, but he fell a little short as Ms. Kitty enjoyed better positioning at the end. Ms. Kitty picked up the win to secure the series at 3-1. Ms. Kitty pulled off a comeback win in game 5 as well, with Leonardo scratching too much to stay competitive. Ms. Kitty won the series 4-1 and took a 17-4 record from the bracket. Ms. Kitty took her fifth kill to make Leonardo the 118th eliminated player.
Chevrolet Center, Everton: Panda v. Delila. East Division rivals clash in 15-ball with the red cue. Atlantic's Delila went from an even battle with Everton's Panda to dominant offense on the flick of a switch in game 1. Delila finished with an eight-ball run-out to claim a 1-0 series lead. A big run at the end wasn't necessary for the Pirates' Delila, who took game 2 on a pair of shots after the Eagles' Panda came up a little short on the 14. Delila leads the series 2-0. Delila couldn't lock it up in game 3, as her late swipe on the 15 left it short at the bottom right after a deflection. Panda then made the 13-15 combination to the bottom right for the win, getting on the board while trailing 2-1 in the series. Delila seemed a little off in her aim in game 4, and that proved costly as Panda picked up the pace at the end. Panda made five of the last seven balls to earn the win, tying the series at 2. Delila was steady early in game 5, but her quality noticeably faded later. Panda was able to grab the win for a 3-2 reverse sweep series win, and he finished with a minimum 13-8 record on the bracket. Panda earned his second kill of the year and Delila is the 119th player out, while the Pirates are the third team done.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Kelsea v. Snuggle. Awards candidates meet in 13-ball as the red cue exits. Capital City's Kelsea couldn't get much going early on, while Harrison's Snuggle settled in quickly. Snuggle won on a three-ball run-out to earn the 1-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Kelsea was a bit more competitive in game 2, but a tough angle on the 8 forced her to sink it in an uncalled pocket to gift the win to the Specters' Snuggle, who now leads the series 2-0. Snuggle got nothing from the game 3 break, and Kelsea rallied on a four-ball run. The game slowed down later, but Kelsea still easily won to cut Snuggle's lead down to 2-1. Snuggle had a chance to finish off game 4, but he missed contact on the 8 in a brutal turn of events. Kelsea then buried a three-ball run-out for the win to tie the series at 2. Kelsea made one of each on the game 5 break and took solids, cruising from there to a win to complete the reverse sweep for a 3-2 series win over Snuggle. Kelsea finished the bracket at 15-6.
HP Field Events Center, Midland: Rainmane v. Spice. A captains' battle in 8-ball uses the purple cue. Midland's Rainmane made a seven-ball run off the break and won two turns later when Victoria's Spice failed to complete a comeback. Rainmane leads the series 1-0. The Predators' Rainmane retained a small edge in a tougher game 2, but she also scratched as she made the 8 at the end. That gifted the win to the Spurs' Spice, tying the series at 1. Rainmane wasn't ultimately discouraged by her blunder, pulling off a comeback win in game 3 after Spice took control with a five-ball run. Spice later scratched and Rainmane made four balls over her last two turns for the win and 2-1 series lead. Rainmane gave away another result in game 4, wasting her lead as she sank the 8 illegally to the top side. Spice took another free win to stay alive with the series tied at 2. Spice stepped up when she needed to in game 5, grabbing a five-ball run-out just a few turns after Rainmane missed her chance to seize control. Spice took the series 3-2 and went 15-6 on the bracket to get into the Finals.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Citrus v. Chris. To the West Division as the purple cue stays on for 15-ball. Lighton's Citrus had a reasonably good start to game 1, but Capital City's Chris gained strength toward the end and made a pair for the win. Chris leads the series 1-0. The Sharpshooters' Chris added a three-ball run on the game 2 break, but the Prestige's Citrus answered with a four-ball run and an eight-ball run-out to take this win. The series is tied at 1. Citrus wasn't quite as sharp on offense, and she paid for it in game 3. Chris had some good shots and finished with a decoy bank on the 11 to tap the 12-15 combination to the bottom right on the deflection. Chris' trickery earned him the win and 2-1 series lead. Chris appeared to have the advantage in a slower-paced game 4, but he couldn't finish it off late. Citrus stepped up to make the final pair of shots and earned the win to tie the series again at 2. A fiery finish to game 5 saw Chris bury a four-ball run Citrus answered with a five-ball run before an unlucky scratch. Chris made the 15 to the top right on a free shot, taking the series 3-2 to finish with a 14-7 record on the bracket. Chris has his second kill of the year, making Citrus the 120th player eliminated.
Nissan Hall, Infinity: Shelley v. Ingrid. The silver cue is done after this Accuracy series. Infinity's Shelley was perfect in game 1, making a pair on the break and never looking back in her 0-3 win over Southridge's Ingrid. Shelley owns a 1-0 series lead. The Torpedoes' Shelley stayed perfect again, operating on a thinner margin in her 0-1 win over the Defenders' Ingrid. Shelley continues to pace the way with a 2-0 series lead. Shelley's first miss of the series came late in game 3, as the last ball proved difficult to corral. Shelley still picked up a 1-5 win over Ingrid to clinch the series at 3-0. Shelley actually trailed for most of game 4, but she picked up a 3-4 win in the end after Ingrid stumbled late. Shelley's advantage is up to 4-0 in the series. Ingrid kept things relatively close in game 5, but Shelley had no trouble winning 2-4 to finish a 5-0 series sweep. Shelley went 16-5 on the bracket, a dominant stretch to reach the Finals. Shelley keeps pace with the league lead in kills at five, and Ingrid's rookie season ends as the 121st player out.
Mitsubishi Arena, Apex: Cowzart v. Violetta. The blue cue takes a turn in 12-ball. Apex's Cowzart made one of each and scratched on the game 1 break, allowing Queens' Violetta to set the tone. She did just that with a good mix of defense and positioning until she could earn the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Violetta had a positive start to game 2, but she got tangled up at the end. The Wonders' Cowzart swooped in to make a pair for the win, tying the series at 1. Cowzart got the sides down quickly in game 3, but he couldn't work out much on the corners. Violetta took her time patiently and then made a three-ball run-out for the win to regain a series lead at 2-1. Violetta had the better positioning from the start in game 4, but she needed time to align an attack. Cowzart didn't recognize the need for urgency before Violetta buried a four-ball run-out for the win to seal the series at 3-1. Cowzart pulled off a comeback push after stalling out Violetta's offense in the middle of game 5. Violetta still won the series 3-2, finishing up a Play-In Round minimum 15-9 record on the bracket to reach the Finals. Violetta picked up her second kill, while Cowzart is the 122nd player out of the Tournament and the Wonders are the fourth team out.
Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Katharine v. Cobalt. The blue cue goes again in 8-ball between North Division rivals. Whitewater's Katharine had a difficult time making her shots, and Viewpoint Sound's Cobalt handled business well to earn the win for a 1-0 series lead. The Meteors' Cobalt scratched on the break in game 2, but he was still competitive for a bit. The Shores' Katharine outran him this time, earning a win even after a late stick foul. The series is tied at 1. Katharine had game 3 in her grip after a slow start, but she missed contact on the 8 at short range. Cobalt tapped it down late to get the win for a 2-1 series lead in a series that's been anything but pretty. Katharine had a lead late in game 4, but neither player had great finishing skills. Cobalt eventually got the win, securing the series for himself at 3-1. Katharine wasted another look at the 8 in game 5, allowing Cobalt to pull off a three-ball run-out. Cobalt won the series 4-1, capping a 16-5 run on the bracket as he heads to the Finals. That'll count as Cobalt's second kill, while Katharine is the 123rd player out.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Jack. A huge battle between club-mates and East Division rivals ends the day in 12-ball with the purple cue. Web City's Jack held the lead for much of game 1, but Central's Dustin surged late, criss-crossing his shots at the right corners for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin kept the momentum up early in game 2, but the Spiders' Jack quickly battled back. Jack didn't complete his initial plan, but the backup strategy worked for the win to tie the series at 1. Jack didn't get anything to fall on the game 3 break, but Dustin botched his breakout attempt. Jack then fired back on a five-ball run and soon made his last ball at the top right for the win and 2-1 series lead. Jack had another surge in the middle of game 4, but he came up short on his last ball that wouldn't line up at the top side. Dustin rallied for a three-ball run-out to snag the win, retying the series at 2. Dustin had a good start again in game 5, but blunders abounded after that, and Jack was able to collect the win for a 3-2 series win. Jack went 16-5 on the bracket to earn his ticket to the Finals. Jack's fourth kill was some club friendly fire, making Dustin the 124th eliminated player and the Warriors the fifth team out.
Bracket Finals action continues tomorrow with nine more tickets available to the Finals.
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