We've got a tentative schedule of 70 games today, with today being the most stable of the remaining days in the round. Theoretically, the tournament could come to a close as soon as next Thursday, the 18th. With the end rapidly approaching, we get right to the games, beginning with...
Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v. Twilight. The first series of the day opens a doubleheader by location with Survival in the Eastern Hills. Central's Twilight had problems with accuracy early, while Diamond's Citrus played a sharp game 1, taking a 1-0 series lead with a win in one rack. Citrus of the Gems moved to 2-0 with a strong win in game 2, missing a few shots while the Warriors' Twilight continued to struggle, culminating in getting nothing off the breakup shot in the second rack, which caused the loss. Citrus didn't dominate in game 3, but she didn't have to, as Twilight faded even sooner and took another loss as Citrus pulled ahead to a 3-0 lead. Twilight got on the board with a win in game 4. Twilight only won the game because Citrus stumbled early and Twilight had a double-pot to buy herself more time. Citrus still leads the series 3-1, but she is out of possession of the momentum at this point. Game 5 was the best of the series, lasting three racks, but Twilight fell apart in the third rack after holding on for all of the second rack, giving Citrus the win and a 4-1 series lead. Twilight didn't have any fight left for game 6, losing very quickly under Citrus' relentless attack, with the one-rack victory giving Citrus a 5-1 series lead. Twilight dominated in game 7, in a surprisingly civil meeting between the Youth Movement and Reality pot-stirrers, getting a casual win that showed flashes of dominance to make it a 5-2 series win for Citrus. Ranked #32 in Survival, Citrus next opposes Starlight of the Volcanoes (and twin sister of Twilight) in the quarterfinals series at Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific.
Intel Center, Diamond: Cassandra v. Precious. In the second half of the doubleheader, there's 9-ball between two surprising contestants. Pronger's Precious had a slightly better run of play in a very tight game 1, and she was rewarded when Diamond's Cassandra missed the 9, knocking in the mop-up shot to take a 1-0 lead. The Tridents' Precious had a late three-ball run to answer an earlier one from the Gems' Cassandra, but she whiffed on the 9, and Cassandra buried it to tie the series at 1 between players from regional rival teams. Game 3 was a little bit more of the sloppy variety, especially with the ending, as Cassandra's scratch allowed Precious to tap in the 9 for a 2-1 lead after accuracy seemed to be an afterthought. Precious went up 3-1 in the series with a three-ball run-out to finish off game 4, a confident set of shots after a shaky start to the game from both sides. Precious clinched the series in game 5, using a three-ball run-out capped by a soft carom off the 4 to take the 9 at the bottom left in a highlight reel-worthy finishing move for a 4-1 series advantage. Precious tried to get a little too fancy in game 6, and Cassandra was able to take the last two balls because of it, moving the series to a 4-2 margin. Cassandra also took a sloppy game 7, as neither player had much desire to give 100%, and that made it a 4-3 series victory for Precious. Ranked #103 in 9-ball, Precious will hit the road again in the quarterfinals.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: Spice v. Chelsea. Moving to the southwest, there's Rotation on the schedule. Victoria's Spice got out to a nice lead early in the game, but Eastside's Chelsea roared back on a four-ball run before a scratch allowed the Spurs' Spice to take a 1-0 series lead with an 8-6 win. The Sharks' Chelsea wasted no time in making it a 1-1 series, scoring a six-ball run-out in game 2, including an impressive three-rail shot on the 5 that bumped the 6 before she could follow with a seeing-eye shot through traffic to nail the 5, both to the bottom left as part of the 8-1 victory. Spice shot right back with a six-ball run in her game 3 victory, an 8-0 shutout that began with a double-pot of the 1 to the top side and a handful of caroms to take the 11 in the bottom left to push the series to 2-1. Game 4 stayed close early on, but Chelsea pulled away late as Spice couldn't get anything going, taking the game 8-4 to retie the series at 2 as the pressure builds. Chelsea held a lead throughout game 5, but she didn't really pull away until a three-ball run late in the game, which she eventually won 8-3 to move into a 3-2 series lead. Spice pulled even at 3-3 in the series with a very wild game 6. Spice roared ahead to a five-ball lead early through a series of caroms involving the 1 and 2, but Chelsea's more traditional shooting brought her even. Then, at the end, Spice pulled off a three-ball run-out for an 8-5 win. Spice clinched the series at 4-3 with a resilient 8-4 win in game 7. Chelsea breathed down Spice's neck all game, but couldn't catch her at any point, taking a loss in a very exciting series. Ranked #13, Spice takes a high-powered bid on the road to Web City in the quarterfinals, meeting Rainmane of the Spiders at the Home Depot Forum. With the loss, Chelsea finds herself as the sixty-sixth player eliminated from the tournament. The Eastside Sharks are non-committal to whether she will be back or not, suffering through an inconsistent season. With one player leaving the league, they may be reluctant to shake up the low-scoring but successful cricket team, or they may try a half-rebuild. Spice, with her back against the wall, came out with her first kill of the season.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Mr. Snowman v. Pounce. After a long layoff, the Rivalry returns with this 12-ball series. Lighton's Pounce took an absolutely painful-to-watch game 1 by finally getting position off of Viewpoint Sound's Mr. Snowman missing contact, going up 1-0 in the game no one wanted to win. Game 2 went in a polar opposite direction, with the Prestige's Pounce beginning with brilliant tactical positioning in a four-ball run, only to be answered later by a five ball run from the Meteors Mr. Snowman. Pounce still had the advantage from a quicker start, and iced off his last ball to the top left to go up 2-0 since he got the second-to-last one in an accuracy doldrums. Game 3 represented the middle ground, with a little less pace and a little more execution, with a dash of strategy. Pounce's strategy worked the best, with a little help from a Mr. Snowman scratch that haunted him all game as he failed to get position at the top side. Patiently, Pounce worked around the defense and eventually took the game for a 3-0 series lead. Mr. Snowman got on the board with a win in game 4, outlasting Pounce's defense and striking as soon as he removed it, making it 3-1 in the series. Mr. Snowman gained new life when Pounce scratched while potting what was his last ball, and the ball that came out refused to get in position. Mr. Snowman did a wonderful job of getting set and making the last two shots he needed, pushing the series to 3-2 in the process. Mr. Snowman tied the series in game 6, playing another patient game with Pounce out of position. In the end, Pounce was chasing position for his final ball, and Mr. Snowman used the Volleyball Approach: bump it to the pocket, set it in the jaws, and spike it home for the win that made it 3-3 in the series. Mr. Snowman appeared set to dominate in game 7, attempting the rarest of comebacks, but he got lazy. Two wild card balls and a missed contact later, Pounce connected on his final shot from ball-in-hand to win the game and take the series at 4-3. Pounce, ranked #66 in 12-ball, will host fellow Lighton Prestige teammate Acorn at the Pepsi Arena in the quarterfinals, an absolute thrill for the fans of the team. With the loss, Mr. Snowman is the sixty-seventh player out of the tournament. The Viewpoint Sound Meteors will keep Mr. Snowman next season after his hot start for cricket allowed him to coast over the last six months or so, earning him protection from the draft. Pounce picked up his second kill of the season.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Taylor Swift v. Max. Back in Rotation, we travel quite a distance to see the series in the rural southeast. Eastside's Taylor got off to a rough start in game 1, but Queens' Max struggled once the Sharks' Taylor figured it out, and she cruised to an 8-2 win to go up 1-0 in the series. The Flames' Max stayed in the fight in game 2, even as Taylor reached the brink of victory. Max didn't let her get there, running out four balls to win the game 8-7 and tie the series at 1. Max was struck with bad positioning and unlucky shooting at times, while Taylor got the bulk of the bounces in game 3, helping her to establish her lead early and extend it late en route to an 8-1 win and a 2-1 series lead. Taylor continued to accumulate dominant wins, starting and ending her 8-0 game 4 shutout with three-ball runs to establish the pace of play quickly, going to a 3-1 series lead. Max needed only two turns in game 5, using a five-ball run to build up a lead and a three-ball run-out to ice it off at 8-2 for a win, pulling back to 3-2 in the series. Max rallied from a small deficit early, and had to again hold Taylor off later in the game, just eking out an 8-5 win in the very close but very sloppy game 6, which tied the series at 3 as well. Taylor and Max battled almost evenly throughout game 7, with momentum swinging like a pendulum. In the end, Taylor's decision to attack the 14 soft to the top side, which failed, led to her defeat at an 8-7 score. Max won the series 4-3, and his #123 ranked Rotation campaign will be on the road for the quarterfinals.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Bryant. The next series ends the afternoon with 15-ball. Maplewood's Bryant got on the board in game 1, dominating possession late in the game, and winning when Rainmane of Web City's jam on the 15 left it short, good for a 1-0 lead. The Spiders' Rainmane appeared to get a break when the Lumberjacks' Bryant scratched to end his brilliant five-ball run, but she couldn't corral the 14, and Bryant went up 2-0 in making the last two balls. Rainmane made it a 2-1 series with a much tighter ending in game 3, which prevented Bryant from going on a run of dominance like he had earlier. Rainmane did send the cue ball to the floor for the second time in the series, and she may face a penalty worse than opponent's ball-in-hand should it happen again. Bryant stormed to victory in game 4, using his signature late accuracy with an eight-ball run-out punctuated by a deftly positioned shot on the 15 to the top right that was tough to get on but he made it look easy for a 3-1 lead in the series. Rainmane answered in game 5, keeping things tight to prevent another late breakout by Bryant, and this defensive strategy worked again, as Bryant was stymied late with all the open space but no momentum, and Rainmane iced off the last two balls to make it 3-2. Bryant secured the series at 4-2 with a game 6 win, working a six-ball run-out after Rainmane rattled the 10 out of the bottom right to clinch the series with more impressive long-range work. Bryant took a 5-2 series win with an unusual game 7, a very lazy game that saw him win by just sinking the 15 at the end instead of having a long run. Ranked #108 in 15-ball, Bryant will travel to Lighton to play the Prestige's Spirit at Pepsi Arena in the quarterfinals.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Kiwi v. Shannon. We open the night session with 8-ball, the first of four straight red cue appearances. Southern's Shannon got off to a strong start, but she was tested by a six-ball run from Modernistic's Kiwi that ended with a scratch. After a couple of misses on her last ball, Shannon of the Monarchs buried it and kicked the 8 to the bottom left to go up 1-0. The Union's Kiwi tied the series at 1 with a very close game 2, eventually pulling away for the win with a three-ball run-out. In game 3, Kiwi had a five-ball run answered by a three-ball run from Shannon, but her failure to sink the 8 gave Kiwi the one shot she needed to win the game and take a 2-1 lead. Kiwi didn't quite get the right shot on the 8 on her one chance in game 4, and Shannon's four-ball run-out with good positioning made sure she wouldn't get a second chance, as Shannon tied the series at 2. Shannon pulled to a 3-2 series lead, although it almost didn't happen as she let Kiwi back into the game late, but Kiwi couldn't keep a fast pace going, and Shannon got her shot to take the lead despite Kiwi's best efforts to prevent it. Kiwi had a highlight in game 6, hitting the 5-3 combination to the top left with the carom taking out the 1 in the bottom left, acting as the catalyst to a six-ball run-out she pulled off to shut Shannon out and tie the series at 3. Shannon avoided the late run by Kiwi, as she just missed on the 8 after running six balls, and Shannon made the last two shots to take game 7 and win the series 4-3. Ranked #61 for 8-ball, Shannon will travel to the Ebay Center in Queens to oppose her old best friend and Flames' player Paige in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Kiwi is happy to exit the tournament with a decidedly even record in every way. The current Modernistic Union captain will be granted an unconditional departure at the end of the season, and she will enter the free agent pool while the Union receive a compensatory pick. Kiwi's departure stemmed from an argument with management during the cricket season, where the talented captain got frustrated with the laissez-faire attitude of the team, where success was not demanded. With the win, Shannon earned her first kill, the sixty-eighth of the season overall.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Fluffina v. Twinkie I. The next two series compose a doubleheader for 10-ball, which should be interesting given the slower pace of the games today. Lighton's Twinkie I took a 1-0 series lead after Maplewood's Fluffina scratched, leading to a straight in shot on the 10 in game 1. The Prestige's Twinkie I went up 2-0 in the series when the Lumberjacks' Fluffina left the 10 short at the bottom left in game 2, a second straight game where she's had a problem with the 10. Fluffina made it a 2-1 series with a very clean game 3, answering Twinkie I's three-ball run with a two-ball run-out for the win. Fluffina got stronger in game 4, double-potting the 2 in the bottom side with a carom to get the 9 at the bottom right, and a three-ball run-out in the end to tie the series at 2. Fluffina won a gritty game 5 to take a 3-2 lead, with Twinkie I's very short leave on the 10 at the bottom right acting as the pivotal point in the game. Fluffina secured the series at 4-2 with a tight win in game 6, as both players lacked momentum but played strong defensively. Fluffina iced it at 5-2 with a bit of a sloppy win in game 7, but the game didn't mean anything valuable, so it was okay. Ranked #19 in 10-ball, Fluffina will host Paps of the Pronger Tridents in this venue in the quarterfinals.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Cleo. The second half of the doubleheader is from the southwest for 10-ball. Tysini's Princess dominated game 1 from a possession standpoint, but her scratch while attempting the 10 gave Cleo of Everton plenty of room to work in sinking it for a 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Princess tied the series at 1 by winning game 2, returning to full force in the second half of the game and sinking the last five balls over her last two turns for the equalizing effort. Game 3 started off a little slow, but Princess pulled ahead into a 2-1 series lead on a three-ball run-out, putting the Eagles' Cleo in trouble already. Cleo had a four-ball run around mid-game in game 4, but that ended on a scratch, and Princess jumped on it with a four-ball run-out to win the game and go to 3-1 in the series. Cleo couldn't hold on in game 5, fading late, which allowed Princess to clinch the series with the win, going to 4-1 in the series. Cleo continued to lack a finishing instinct in game 6, falling after she left the 10 short for Princess to tap in again, with Princess taking a 5-1 lead. Cleo had a three-ball run-out in game 7, answering a pair of double-pots by Princess (both brilliant caroms) as part of a six-ball run. The final for the series favored Princess 5-2. Ranked #83 in 10-ball, the leading MVP candidate Princess will be on the road in this event for the quarterfinals round.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Dani v. Ruby. Moving a little northeast, there's a set of 15-ball. Archtown's Ruby struck first in a difficult game 1, taking advantage of a late miss by Capital City's Dani for a short run to make it 1-0 in her favor. The Sharpshooters' Dani lived up to the team name in game 2, finishing off a much cleaner game with a six-ball run-out to tie the series at 1, while the Arrows' Ruby could only watch after previously showing off her own skills. Dani could pick up the nickname of Safecracker after her game 3 performance, a four-ball run-out capped by an 11-15 bank combination to the top side she converted perfectly and with authority to take a 2-1 lead. Ruby retied the series at 2 with a game 4 win, capped by a five-ball run-out with three odd-angle cut shots that all went down as well as a rattling miss on the 15 to the bottom left that popped out parallel to the left rail and went to the top left because of the pace of the shot. Dani entered beast mode late in game 5, running seven balls before a short calm and then a two-ball run-out. Among the shots in the long run was a double pot that really got the crowd going. Ruby had an earlier highlight, caroming the cue off the 5 and the 14 to get the 6 to the top side. Dani's big finish put her up 3-2 in the series. Dani was only getting started, as game 6 is the single most dominant effort ever put forth in a game of 15-ball. Dani began with a four-ball run from the break, and after a single miss by Ruby, Dani ran out the final eleven balls (the longest run in blog history, and certainly up there for a single-game performance) for the win. The positioning was on point, the execution was stunning, and the pace, above all, was what set this apart. Dani's essential shut out of Ruby clinched the series for her at 4-2. Dani wasn't as dominant in game 7, but she did finish with a three-ball run-out after a scratch by Ruby to win the series at 5-2. Dani, ranked #34 in 15-ball, will host her quarterfinals series.
Google Hall, Modernistic: Puff I v. Goldy. We end the day with a casual series of 7-ball, which takes us above and beyond our scheduled allotment. Game 1 ended up being a bit back-and-forth, with Modernistic's Puff I the beneficiary of that as Everton's Goldy missed the 7 late, and the Union's Puff I cut it into the top left for a 1-0 lead. The Eagles' Goldy played a little stronger on the ball in game 2, and the effort was rewarded with a win to tie the series at 1. Puff I had a critical mistake in game 3, leaving the 7 short at the top left, and Goldy buried it easily to take the series lead at 2-1 despite a less enthusiastic course of play. Goldy made it 3-1 with a brilliant break in game 4, shattering the rack and bumping the 7 to the bottom right to keep Puff I away from the table as Goldy developed a stranglehold lead. Goldy clinched the series at 4-1 by mixing things up in game 5, taking the 7 on the break again but to the top right this time. The two wins in two shots routine wiped out any chance Puff I had of getting back in the series. Goldy made it 5-1 with a less dominant but still effective win in game 6, essentially neutralizing Puff I in the series. After Goldy scratched early in game 7, Puff I made it a point to steal the game away, converting a 1-7 combination to the top side for a 5-2 final. Goldy, ranked #55 for 7-ball, is set to host Diddley of the Maplewood Lumberjacks at Chevrolet Center in Everton in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Puff I is the seventieth player eliminated, and the Modernistic Union are officially out as the fifth team be completely knocked out. Puff I has an uncertain future with the Union ahead, as they are unsure if rebuilding or patience is the best plan. Goldy earned her second kill in the win.
That's actually 77 games today. Tomorrow is the all-you-can-eat buffet day, and Thursday will be the end of the fourth round. Cricket will go as planned tomorrow morning and Thursday morning before pool begins.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Summer Cricket League: Week 5 Part 1
We're on a three league weeks in two weeks plan now. With the tournament schedule getting a bit tight, the SCL needs to reach the end of week 7 quickly. Therefore, we begin with this set of five games today, beginning with...
The American Rebels hosting the Johannesburg Lions. Wiebe Becker began with 410 for Johannesburg, getting off to a good start. Axel Cools wrangled in 152 for American. Normando Alonso broke free for 495 for the Lions, his best road effort to date. Louvel Lefevre countered with 505 for the Rebels, keeping them competitive. Ken Howard faltered with 104 for Johannesburg. Sander Lambert smacked 444 for American, making it a very close game. Lucio Adame blasted 848 for the Lions, giving them a huge lead. Irsyad Sudjana kept pace with 744 for the Rebels, with the game tightening. Oshri Aharonov couldn't keep up, hitting just 99 for Johannesburg. Sabino Chacon continued his recent struggles, posting 57 for American as the game will be close to the end. Pieter Hendrickx left the Lions vulnerable, hitting 36 to give them 1992 total. Cisco Solorio gave the Rebels a win, scoring 200 to give them 2102 for the come-from-behind win. American stays perfect at 6-0 but their schedule has been light, while Johannesburg drops to 4-5.
Across the Atlantic, the Amsterdam Hotstove now welcome the American Rebels, as the hosts attempt to get revenge. Axel Cools grabbed 259 for American to start. Jerry Burke, playing his home country's team, shot back with 392 for Amsterdam to give them the lead. Louvel Lefevre stumbled to 141 for the Rebels, as road weariness catches on. Yaozu Miao tacked on 218 for the Hotstove, who may be getting too comfortable. True to form, American cruised back into the fight with 659 from Sander Lambert. Carlos Barajas hit 106 for Amsterdam, leaving them behind. Irsyad Sudjana lined 416 for the Rebels, extending their lead. Veto Casas got stopped at 112 for the Hotstove, putting them in serious trouble. Sabino Chacon couldn't get going, scoring a meager 69 for American. Andrew Reynolds chipped 164 for Amsterdam. Cisco Solorio, fading from his early games, poked 176 for the Rebels for a final of 1720. Manolito Avalos put up 216 for the Hotstove, producing their final of 1208 in the loss. American cruised to a 7-0 record, while Amsterdam drops farther to 2-9.
Moving along, the Bangkok Sixes host the Brussels Chocolatiers. Each team is on a four-game win streak relative to the venue they are in. Patrido Salazar turned in a solid effort with 337 for Brussels. Firdoze Uns replied with 305 for Bangkok, getting off to a close start. Florent Claes stumbled with 93 for the Chocolatiers. Gilbert Berry jumped on it for the Sixes, slugging 941 to give them a massive lead. Dobromil Zeman played well for Brussels, hitting 336. Aleix Nieto managed only 146 for Bangkok, reducing the lead slightly. Rodas Cazares got his timing messed up, hitting a weak 30 points for the Chocolatiers. Zuri Okafor answered with 248 for the Sixes, as they attempt to coast into the finish. Eric Zaragoza was stymied at 144 for Brussels, skying a ball with an early hit. Rodas Nunez sliced 84 for Bangkok, doing little to extend the lead. Jaturun Choen showed up with 744 for the Chocolatiers in his homecoming game, but this left the team with 1684, which wasn't quite enough. Luis Godinez iced the Sixes win with 211 for a total of 1935 in the win. Bangkok is now 7-1 while Brussels is 5-8, but the latter have a lot to look forward to with a light schedule to end the season.
That light schedule starts later though, as the Brussels Chocolatiers return home to bring in the Melbourne Renegades. Charlie Thompson scored 384 to open things up for Melbourne. The wildly inconsistent Patrido Salazar hit a measly 12 for Brussels, putting them in the hole early. Theodore White took some time to get set for the Renegades, but managed to put up 281 for the team. Florent Claes had only 25 points for the Chocolatiers, who are struggling mightily in this game. Sancho Ramos sliced 424 for Melbourne, padding the lead. Dobromil Zeman grabbed 192 for Brussels. Rana Naqvi poked 148 for the Renegades, officially putting them in cruise control. Rodas Cazares gave the Chocolatiers a pulse again, ripping 400 to make them a little more alive. Sikke Eichel did not heed the warning, supplying Melbourne with another 145. Eric Zaragoza edged Brussels closer with 274, but didn't make a really threatening move. Stanley Watts tacked on 344 for the Renegades, giving them a final of 1726. Jaturun Choen stumbled with 30 for the Chocolatiers, giving them a loss with 933. Melbourne moves to 6-3, while Brussels drops to 5-9 as hope starts to flicker again.
Finally, the Caracas Hitmen host the Amsterdam Hotstove. Jerry Burke hit only 135 for Amsterdam, getting off to a weak start. Vitaya Grichson answered with 131 for Caracas in what shapes up to be a low-scoring game. Yaozu Miao stumbled to 128 for the Hotstove, keeping things in a small range early. Barasa Contee had 153 to pull the Hitmen ahead. Carlos Barajas put up 245 for Amsterdam in his homecoming to Venezuela this game, one of three Venezuelans on the team. Noppadon Gruemor couldn't keep pace for Caracas, posting only 129 as the hosts fall behind. Veto Casas tallied 367 for the Hotstove in his homecoming game. Trevor Watson shot back with 285 for the Hitmen, attempting to get them back in the game. Andrew Reynolds did his usual for Amsterdam, managing a meager 112. Maynard Cabagnot came out of nowhere for Caracas, blasting 562 to put them in the lead. Manolito Avalos managed just 112 for his homecoming game, giving the Hotstove a loss with 1099. Bojing Luo's 53 gave the Hitmen 1313 in the win. Caracas is now 2-7 while Amsterdam drops to 2-10.
That's all for now. Should I get a spare 90 minutes tonight, I might do part 2, but more than likely, it'll come tomorrow morning. Week 5 should end Thursday, just ahead of the end of the fourth round of the tournament.
The American Rebels hosting the Johannesburg Lions. Wiebe Becker began with 410 for Johannesburg, getting off to a good start. Axel Cools wrangled in 152 for American. Normando Alonso broke free for 495 for the Lions, his best road effort to date. Louvel Lefevre countered with 505 for the Rebels, keeping them competitive. Ken Howard faltered with 104 for Johannesburg. Sander Lambert smacked 444 for American, making it a very close game. Lucio Adame blasted 848 for the Lions, giving them a huge lead. Irsyad Sudjana kept pace with 744 for the Rebels, with the game tightening. Oshri Aharonov couldn't keep up, hitting just 99 for Johannesburg. Sabino Chacon continued his recent struggles, posting 57 for American as the game will be close to the end. Pieter Hendrickx left the Lions vulnerable, hitting 36 to give them 1992 total. Cisco Solorio gave the Rebels a win, scoring 200 to give them 2102 for the come-from-behind win. American stays perfect at 6-0 but their schedule has been light, while Johannesburg drops to 4-5.
Across the Atlantic, the Amsterdam Hotstove now welcome the American Rebels, as the hosts attempt to get revenge. Axel Cools grabbed 259 for American to start. Jerry Burke, playing his home country's team, shot back with 392 for Amsterdam to give them the lead. Louvel Lefevre stumbled to 141 for the Rebels, as road weariness catches on. Yaozu Miao tacked on 218 for the Hotstove, who may be getting too comfortable. True to form, American cruised back into the fight with 659 from Sander Lambert. Carlos Barajas hit 106 for Amsterdam, leaving them behind. Irsyad Sudjana lined 416 for the Rebels, extending their lead. Veto Casas got stopped at 112 for the Hotstove, putting them in serious trouble. Sabino Chacon couldn't get going, scoring a meager 69 for American. Andrew Reynolds chipped 164 for Amsterdam. Cisco Solorio, fading from his early games, poked 176 for the Rebels for a final of 1720. Manolito Avalos put up 216 for the Hotstove, producing their final of 1208 in the loss. American cruised to a 7-0 record, while Amsterdam drops farther to 2-9.
Moving along, the Bangkok Sixes host the Brussels Chocolatiers. Each team is on a four-game win streak relative to the venue they are in. Patrido Salazar turned in a solid effort with 337 for Brussels. Firdoze Uns replied with 305 for Bangkok, getting off to a close start. Florent Claes stumbled with 93 for the Chocolatiers. Gilbert Berry jumped on it for the Sixes, slugging 941 to give them a massive lead. Dobromil Zeman played well for Brussels, hitting 336. Aleix Nieto managed only 146 for Bangkok, reducing the lead slightly. Rodas Cazares got his timing messed up, hitting a weak 30 points for the Chocolatiers. Zuri Okafor answered with 248 for the Sixes, as they attempt to coast into the finish. Eric Zaragoza was stymied at 144 for Brussels, skying a ball with an early hit. Rodas Nunez sliced 84 for Bangkok, doing little to extend the lead. Jaturun Choen showed up with 744 for the Chocolatiers in his homecoming game, but this left the team with 1684, which wasn't quite enough. Luis Godinez iced the Sixes win with 211 for a total of 1935 in the win. Bangkok is now 7-1 while Brussels is 5-8, but the latter have a lot to look forward to with a light schedule to end the season.
That light schedule starts later though, as the Brussels Chocolatiers return home to bring in the Melbourne Renegades. Charlie Thompson scored 384 to open things up for Melbourne. The wildly inconsistent Patrido Salazar hit a measly 12 for Brussels, putting them in the hole early. Theodore White took some time to get set for the Renegades, but managed to put up 281 for the team. Florent Claes had only 25 points for the Chocolatiers, who are struggling mightily in this game. Sancho Ramos sliced 424 for Melbourne, padding the lead. Dobromil Zeman grabbed 192 for Brussels. Rana Naqvi poked 148 for the Renegades, officially putting them in cruise control. Rodas Cazares gave the Chocolatiers a pulse again, ripping 400 to make them a little more alive. Sikke Eichel did not heed the warning, supplying Melbourne with another 145. Eric Zaragoza edged Brussels closer with 274, but didn't make a really threatening move. Stanley Watts tacked on 344 for the Renegades, giving them a final of 1726. Jaturun Choen stumbled with 30 for the Chocolatiers, giving them a loss with 933. Melbourne moves to 6-3, while Brussels drops to 5-9 as hope starts to flicker again.
Finally, the Caracas Hitmen host the Amsterdam Hotstove. Jerry Burke hit only 135 for Amsterdam, getting off to a weak start. Vitaya Grichson answered with 131 for Caracas in what shapes up to be a low-scoring game. Yaozu Miao stumbled to 128 for the Hotstove, keeping things in a small range early. Barasa Contee had 153 to pull the Hitmen ahead. Carlos Barajas put up 245 for Amsterdam in his homecoming to Venezuela this game, one of three Venezuelans on the team. Noppadon Gruemor couldn't keep pace for Caracas, posting only 129 as the hosts fall behind. Veto Casas tallied 367 for the Hotstove in his homecoming game. Trevor Watson shot back with 285 for the Hitmen, attempting to get them back in the game. Andrew Reynolds did his usual for Amsterdam, managing a meager 112. Maynard Cabagnot came out of nowhere for Caracas, blasting 562 to put them in the lead. Manolito Avalos managed just 112 for his homecoming game, giving the Hotstove a loss with 1099. Bojing Luo's 53 gave the Hitmen 1313 in the win. Caracas is now 2-7 while Amsterdam drops to 2-10.
That's all for now. Should I get a spare 90 minutes tonight, I might do part 2, but more than likely, it'll come tomorrow morning. Week 5 should end Thursday, just ahead of the end of the fourth round of the tournament.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Pool: Round Four Day 3
I apologize for there being no pool played yesterday. There was a family emergency, as our cat Twilight got out in the middle of the night through a window, and we spent the entire day looking for her. I am happy to report she came back in the middle of the night and appears no worse for wear, so we are all very much relieved for that. We'll pick up where we were supposed to yesterday, with...
Kraft Forum, Royal: Jake v. Jack. The first series is in 7-ball for today. Pacific's Jack took game 1 after Royal's Jake scratched while attempted the 7 in a very even game, giving himself a 1-0 lead from ball-in-hand. The Volcanoes' Jack got away with leaving the 7 short in game 2, taking a 2-0 lead in the series when the Crowns' Jake scratched after potting it, his second critically-timed scratch. Game 3 saw the players struggle with accuracy late, and another token error by Jake, but Jack missed on the 7, so Jake tapped it into the bottom side to make it 2-1 in the series. The slightly sloppy play continued in game 4, although Jack did piece together a three-ball run. After the run, both players missed on the 7, but Jake got it the second time around to tie the series at 2. Jake moved to a 3-2 series lead after Jack scratched to end a three-ball run, giving Jake ball-in-hand for two accurate shots to claim the win. Jake claimed the series with a back-and-forth win in game 6, with the final oscillation seeing Jack scratch after making the 6 to give Jake ball-in-hand to move to 4-2. Jake took a three-ball run-out in game 7, finishing on a carom off the 5 to take the 7 to the top left, which made it a 5-2 series win. Jake, ranked #9 in 7-ball, will play in the quarterfinals. Jack is the fifty-ninth player eliminated from the tournament with this loss, and he's been the weak link for the Pacific Volcanoes this season. The Volcanoes have been good, but expect a minor tweak in personnel that would come with Jack leaving the team. Jake picked up his second kill of the season.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Misty v. Twinkie III. The next series is in 12-ball. Whitewater's Twinkie III took game 1 with a three-ball run-out, including a brilliant double-kiss to sink the 4 in the bottom right and a spectacular cut on the 1 to the top left, keeping just ahead of Westside's Misty, who had a scratched that ended up costing her. The Rockers' Misty tied it at 1 in a game 2 win, getting her positioning on her last ball just a little quicker than the Shores' Twinkie III. Both players had runs to set themselves up early on, making the game very tight and full of pressure. Twinkie III took the series lead back at 2-1 in game 3, working with having a wild card ball to get positioned patiently while Misty had to navigate a lack of flexibility that she couldn't overcome. Misty answered with a nice four-ball run in game 4, which made her task of getting the last two a lot easier since she had them aligned in favorable defense to prevent Twinkie III from doing much. Misty ended with a nice cross-ball bank on the 13 to the bottom side for the equalizer. Misty again pulled off a four-ball run in game 5, and nearly made it five with her attempt on the 6. Still, she left Twinkie III shooting away from the pockets she needed, and this worked to gain ball-in-hand for Misty, who converted her second try to make it a 3-2 series. Misty sealed the series at 4-2, clinching with a three-ball run-out after persistently shooting the same poor-angled shot on the 6 at the top side, which eventually induced a long-distance miss from Twinkie III that set up the run-out. Misty used solid positioning in game 7 to take the series at 5-2, working her way around the table very patiently. Misty, ranked #21 in 12-ball, will play on into the quarterfinals.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Marsell. Moving to the coastal southwest, there's a series of 15-ball. Marsell of Tysini took game 1 and a 1-0 series lead with a three-ball run-out, coming after a scratch by Southern's Shannon. In game 2, a lucky four-rail path led the 14 all around the table back to the top side it originated near, which also set Shannon up to take the 15 and tie the series at 1 game apiece in a slightly sloppy game. The Hummingbirds' Marsell had control of the pace in game 3, but his lack of accuracy for contact hurt him late, as his miss on the 10 wide right took three rails and bumped the 15 illegally to the bottom side, putting Shannon up 2-1 in the series. Game 4 got off to a rough start, but the players finished strong, as Shannon answered a three-ball run by Marsell with a three-ball run-out late to go up 3-1 in the series. Marsell stayed alive with a game 5 win via a five-ball run-out, which proved his excellent execution is often enough to keep him competitive, as he made it a 3-2 series with the sharpshooting routine. Marsell capitalized on Shannon rocking the 13 too hard for the top side to handle, and it jutted out to line Marsell up for a 13-15 combination to the top left that he converted to tie the series at 3. Marsell jumped on his first good chance in game 7, converting the 7-15 combination to the bottom left from ball-in-hand after Shannon scratched, winning the series 4-3 in the process. Ranked #102, Marsell will travel to Commerce in the quarterfinals, visiting Lionel of the Tradewinds at Nike Field Events Center for their 15-ball series.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Missy v. Debby Ryan. Staying somewhat close by, we have 8-ball inland. Capital City's Missy made a brilliant defensive play in game 1, snookering Southridge's Debby partially toward the 1, causing her to use a kick shot attempt to get out of it. When the cue came to rest, the Sharpshooters' Missy lived up to the team name, sniping the 8 to the top left from near the jaws of the top right, with the 8 resting away from the pocket about two-thirds of the way there. The Defenders' Debby bounced back confidently in game 2, using a bit of defensive positioning late to buy herself time to get onto her last ball and then make the 8, which worked well for her as she tied the series at 1. Missy pulled back to take a 2-1 series lead by winning game 3. It was a close game, with Missy making a kick on the 11 but leaving the 8 short outside the top left. Debby made two straight shots, but scratched on the second, giving Missy a shot at the 8 from the kitchen, which she made for the win. Debby again tied the series, making it 2-2 with a three-ball run-out in game 4 that saw her pound the 15 from left rail to top right while positioning herself for a calm, easy-angle shot on the 8 to the bottom right. Debby took a 3-2 series lead after a brutal error by Missy in game 5. Missy was down to her last ball, the 2, and she swung the shot in such a way to bump the 8 toward a pocket for better positioning. Unfortunately, the size of the table and angle of the bump meant the 8 fell in the top side just barely, and she took the loss with the bold and somewhat remarkable, yet unwanted, double-pot. In game 6, Missy didn't get what she deserved, as her seven-ball run through her solids, capped by a brilliant cross-ball bank on the 6 to the top left, ended when she missed the 8. Debby, playing from her back foot now, defended very well, giving Missy two unclean looks at the 8 before scoring a five-ball run-out with a finishing cut with spin on the 8 that very narrowly avoided a scratch. Debby clinched the series at 4-2. Debby took game 7 as well, a very lazy game without a whole lot of emphasis on the fundamentals of pool. Debby, ranked #64, is through to the quarterfinals as she gets another reinforcement for her Rookie of the Year bid. With the loss, Missy is the sixtieth player to be eliminated this tournament. Missy's future with the Capital City Sharpshooters should be secure, but it's unclear what their plans are for the offseason. Debby picked up her second kill of the season in the win.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Ruby. Up the coast a bit, there's 12-ball again. Pacific's Ms. Kitty struck first, playing quickly but intelligently to get positioned and take the cleanest shots. Archtown's Ruby got hung up with where her later balls were located, which allowed the Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty to iced it after a scratch with a strong bank on the 2 from just in front of the kitchen to the left rail and into the top right for a 1-0 lead. The players exchanged four ball runs that opened game 2 up very quickly, but Ruby of the Arrows got stuck far away from the open pocket. She had a wild card ball, but positioning would have taken too long for her. Ms. Kitty avoided the defense Ruby chose to play until the end with a deft pair of shots to move to 2-0 in the series. Ruby played patiently in game 3, building up a big advantage before Ms. Kitty cleared enough away for Ruby to cash in Ms. Kitty's last miss, making it a 2-1 series. Ms. Kitty answered in game 4 by blowing Ruby out of the water with an early run and bold shooting late to go through Ruby's defense twice en route to a 3-1 lead. Ms. Kitty kept a level head in game 5, avoiding a meltdown as Ruby burst ahead to a lead, and Ms. Kitty held her off long enough to pull ahead and then win the game with a tough shot from distance that she barely avoided scratching on at the top right, moving to a 4-1 series lead. Ms. Kitty made it 5-1 with more great shooting in game 6, running four balls from the rack before giving ball-in-hand to Ruby, only win the game two turns later through strong positioning. Ms. Kitty continued to dominate play in game 7, again leaving Ruby without an obvious shot for much of the game while Ms. Kitty continued to outmaneuver and make shots accurately. With the win, Ms. Kitty took the series 6-1, and will host Princess of the Tysini Hummingbirds in the quarterfinals at this venue with her #60 ranked 12-ball bid. Ruby's MVP chances are likely gone after the brutal loss.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: Tori v. Precious. Back to the inland southwest, as we have 10-ball, with the silver cue drawing in for the blue cue. Victoria's Tori took a somewhat sloppy game 1, cashing on a scratch by Pronger's Precious to execute a two-ball run-out to move into a 1-0 lead. Precious of the Tridents made a late four-ball run in game 2, but after missing contact on the 10, Tori of the Spurs tapped it in to move to a 2-0 series lead. After a bit of chasing on the 10 in game 3, the back-and-forth game ended with a shot from distance by Tori, giving her a stranglehold 3-0 lead. Precious finished off a terrible game 4 with a four-ball run-out, the only display of anything resembling accuracy all game, as all the shots before that were way off the mark. Tori answered back to make it 4-1 after game 5, where the accuracy started strong early and faded late for both players until Tori made the last two balls to seal the series. Tori extended the series lead to 5-1 in game 6 with a five-ball run-out, going from solid to dominant very quickly at the end of the game, with most of the shots being tap-ins from previous set-up work. Precious got lucky in game 7, as Tori left the 10 short enough for her to tap it in late after both players chased it around the table. Tori still won the series 5-2. Tori is ranked #72 in 10-ball, and she will travel to Commerce to face Tradewinds captain Tigerette in the quarterfinals at Nike Field Events Center.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Chris v. Kayla. Returning to this arena, we have 7-ball with the silver cue subbing for the red cue. Queens' Kayla started off her personal doubleheader strong, responding to a scratch by Capital City's Chris with a five-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Chris bounced back to tie the series with an ugly game 2, a sloppy game that saw both him and the Flames' Kayla struggle mightily throughout. Kayla retook the series lead at 2-1 in game 3, stealing the game away as Chris' five-ball run ended due to a scratch. Chris had the better run of possession in game 4, including a five-ball run again, but Kayla again capitalized on his mistakes, making the 7 on her second try after he missed it twice, which put her ahead 3-1 in the series. Kayla sealed the series at 4-1, making a three-ball run after Chris scratched and icing off the last two when he missed the 6 in game 5. Chris returned the favor in a very clean game 6, as Kayla hit a six-ball run and Chris mopped up the 7 to the top left from her only miss. Game 7 also ended up being tight, but favored Chris in the end as he made the 7 to finish strong. Kayla took the series 4-3, and her #92 ranked 7-ball bid will travel in the quarterfinals.
Ebay Center, Queens: Kayla v. Sierra. The second half of Kayla's personal doubleheader is the first half of a doubleheader at the Ebay Center, and marks the return of the blue cue for Survival. Game 1 went to plan for Queens' Kayla, as she got Todavía's Sierra down quickly in the first rack while holding on, and pulled off a lure shot that made Sierra scratch to give Kayla the 1-0 lead. In game 2, Sierra of the Stills tried to play both defense and offense in one shot while behind in the second rack, and it bit her bad, as she missed the shot and gave Kayla of the Flames 2-0 lead in the series. Kayla put in a lot of effort to make it to rack two in game 3, but when there, she undid all the hard work, giving Sierra the game to make it 2-1 after a bit of lazy shooting. Kayla again attempted defense to open the second rack of game 4, and Sierra again made her pay by not missing a shot once she fell to Kayla's level, while Kayla faded under the pressure-filled attack Sierra put up. Sierra couldn't last in game 5's second rack, falling quickly while Kayla continued to cruise through the game, taking a 3-2 series lead in the process of the win. Sierra did just enough with her positioning in game 6 to make Kayla take the fall in the second rack, which tied the series again at 3. Sierra had no accuracy in game 7, and given the situation, that was a bad time to have no accuracy, as Kayla ran rampant in the single rack and took the series easily at 4-3. Ranked #19, Kayla keeps her MVP hopes alive by taking a third bid to the quarterfinals, this one in Survival. Sierra became the sixty-first player knocked out of the tournament, but the longtime Stills superstar is set to return to the team next season without missing a beat. Kayla retied Princess again for the league lead in kills at 4.
Ebay Center, Queens: Paige v. Allison. Wrapping up the locational doubleheader, there's 8-ball on tap. Game 1 was a little bit messy, but Tysini's Allison took the brunt of it, as her kick attempt sank a ball for Queens' Paige, which allowed her to get to work on the 8 quicker and eventually take a 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Allison gave another game away in game 2, scratching on the 8 to put Paige of the Flames up 2-0 in the series. Allison had a furious comeback in game 3 after she fell behind early, but after her five-ball run, the offense dried up too early, as she left the 8 short. Paige took care of her 9 and then the 8 to move to a 3-0 series lead. Paige remained just one step ahead of Allison, as the latter had a late five-ball run fueled by glorious positioning, but she messed up the leave on her attempt at the 8, and fired the long distance shot wide of the top left. Paige, with no easy shot herself, buried the 8 in the bottom right to claim the series at 4-0. Allison got off to a good start in game 5, but she left the 11 short late in the game, and Paige didn't let her get back to it, using a four-ball run-out to claim a 5-0 series lead as her timeliness and dominance continue to go hand-in-hand. Paige had to really earn her game 6 victory, going up 6-0 with a bank off the top rail that had just the right pace and angle to put the 8 in the bottom side for the win. Paige completed the 7-0 sweep in game 7, holding off a six-ball run from Allison, who later missed the 8 again, allowing Paige to bank the 8 from near the top right to the bottom side via the top rail as the winning shot. Paige, ranked #50, is set to continue into the quarterfinals for 8-ball. Allison is the sixty-second player to be eliminated from the tournament, and she went out in flames, pun fully intended. Allison will be leaving the UPCL at the conclusion of the season, and with her record blown to bits by this loss, this may be the last of her. The Tysini Hummingbirds will receive a compensatory pick for this loss, which will come in the first round. Paige took her third kill of the season in spectacular fashion.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Starlight. Ending the first half of the round, we have Survival from the northeast. Harrison's Twinkie II got on the board first, as Pacific's Starlight couldn't hold onto early success in game 1 and fell behind 1-0 in the series. The Volcanoes' Starlight answered with a much more dominant, true-to-form effort in game 2, battling from an early hole to push the Specters' Twinkie II around until she had her finished, tying the series at 1. Starlight chipped a shot midway through the second rack of game 3, which cost her as Twinkie II went into defense mode to bunker down for the win and a 2-1 lead. Twinkie II put Starlight on the ropes in the first rack of game 4, and Starlight couldn't save herself early in the second rack, falling quickly as Twinkie II went up 3-1 in the series. Twinkie II's rattle problem came back to get her in game 5, with each player holding a single life. Twinkie II wound up for a shot, but for at least the fifth time in the series, she rattled the ball out, losing the game and cutting her lead to 3-2 in the series. Starlight kept her errors to a minimum, while Twinkie II rattled two more balls out of the pockets in game 6, making it a series tied at 3 going into one decisive game between two of Club Reality's biggest personalities. Game 7 also lasted just a rack, and what a frenetic rack it was. The pace was quick, but Starlight had more accuracy, which led to getting the win and giving her a 4-3 series win. Ranked #18 in Survival, Starlight will host her quarterfinals series at the Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Jasmine v. Citrus. Beginning the evening, we have some 7-ball. Freedom's Jasmine started well with a three-ball run, but her miss on the 4 triggered Diamond's Citrus to complete a four-ball run-out to take a 1-0 lead in game 1. The Gems' Citrus got caught with her stick on the table in game 2, watching her successful shot on the 2 mean nothing as the three-ball run ended with the stick violation. The Cascades' Jasmine returned the favor from before, running out four balls including a bottom rail bank on the 7 to the top side to tie the series at 1. Jasmine did all of the work in game 3 and got none of the spoils, scratching on the 7 at the end of what was supposed to be a three-ball run-out, voided by the scratch to give Citrus a 2-1 series lead with the win instead. Citrus moved to a 3-1 lead with a win in game 4, using a four-ball run-out to give herself a stronger lead, with the impressive accuracy on full display. Jasmine bounced back, controlling possession in game 5 with a four-ball run and a well-placed shot on the 7 to finish off the win and pull back to 3-2 in the series. Jasmine took one shot to tie the series at 3, winning game 6 by sending the 7 to the bottom side off the break for an automatic victory. Jasmine couldn't maintain momentum in game 7, scratching three times to give Citrus control of the game, which she used to take the win and the series also went to her at 4-3. Citrus, ranked #51 for 7-ball, will host Kayla of the Queens Flames at her home venue, the Intel Center in Diamond, in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Jasmine pulled off the awkward feat of winning one-third of her series but one-half of her games, but her odd run ended as the sixty-third player to be eliminated this season. Jasmine is likely to return to the Freedom Cascades, as she did last season despite a similarly lackluster effort. She tends to be the best of a bad group and she acts as a stabilizing presence to the team. Citrus picked up her second kill of the season.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Spirit v. Kiwi. Heading west, we have a series of 15-ball to play. Lighton's Spirit showed off serious skill in game 1, using a kick with spin to get the 14 to the bottom left before deploying a narrow cut that avoided scratching and potted the 15 in the top left, as part of a four-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead. The Prestige's Spirit brought about a quick end to game 2, stunning Modernistic's Kiwi with a hard carom off the 5 to bump the 15 to the bottom left, earning a 2-0 lead as it dropped. The Union's Kiwi made it a 2-1 series with a five-ball run-out in game 3, including a deft glance off the top rail to tap the 5 to the top left, followed by a thin cut on a partially-snookered 6 to the same place that set up a straight in shot for the 7, also to the same place, and the finishing move, the 8-15 combination to the bottom left. Essentially, the entire run was remarkable. Kiwi, somewhat reluctantly, pieced together a four-ball run-out to tie the series at 2 with a game 4 win. The accuracy these two very thoughtful players hold is remarkable, and they have been showing it off as much as possible in this series. Kiwi took a 3-2 series lead in game 5, using Spirit's intentionally illegal potting of the 7 as a catalyst for her three-ball run-out, a well positioned shot on the 4, which lined up for the 5, and then a slightly off-angle 6-15 combination to the bottom side that Kiwi had no trouble knocking home. Spirit retied the series at 3 games apiece with a win in game 6, a very evenly-played game that saw Spirit get her success on a four-ball run-out, full of good positioning. Kiwi had a five-ball run during game 7, but despite her control of the pace of play, Spirit got the opportunity for a three-ball run-out, and she took it for the win. Spirit clinched the series at 4-3, and she will advance with her #38 ranked 15-ball bid into the quarterfinals.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Leonette v. Crystal. Up the coast a bit, there's 10-ball. Pacific's Leonette potted the 10 illegally near the end of game 1, but when Crystal of Queens couldn't convert from the spot, the Volcanoes' Leonette tapped it in legally for a 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Crystal tied it with a quick win in game 2, using a 3-7-10 combination with the 10 caroming off the 9 to get its direction toward the top left pocket, a glorious shot filled with angles that Crystal read perfectly to make it a 1-1 series. Game 3 was far less remarkable, and very much back-and-forth, with Leonette getting the final say on her second go at the 10, sinking it easily for a 2-1 lead. Crystal again tied it very quickly, using the 2 to the top left as her set-up maneuver for a 3-10 combination to the same pocket, which worked to give her the win in game 4. Crystal took a 3-2 series lead with a game 5 win, using a three-ball run-out after some jockeying with Leonette on the approach to the later stages of the game. The two players are putting on a competitive show, which makes for good pool. Leonette tied the series at 3 with a brilliant five-ball run-out in game 6, using excellent positioning and even sharper shot execution to make all the necessary shots to keep the series alive. Leonette had to bring game 7 to a decision, which was to shoot or to defer at the 8. Leonette elected to shoot, but had trouble with the 10. Lucky for her, the leave wasn't great for Kiwi either, and Leonette buried her second chance to win the game and the series at 4-3. The #67 ranked played for 10-ball, Leonette is set for a quarterfinals appearance. With the loss, Crystal finds herself as the sixty-fourth player eliminated this season. Crystal's future with the Queens Flames is beyond safe. The team found outrageously good chemistry, and the captain Crystal will return to guide this team to the next level next season. Leonette, somewhat surprisingly, recorded her first kill of the season.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Shadow v. Dani. One of the top seeds for 7-ball against one of the deeper Cinderella runs is what we have here. Web City's Shadow took an ugly win in game 1, needing three attempts at the 7 before he could sink it, barely outlasting Dani of Capital City, who rattled it out of the top right on her second try. The Spiders' Shadow took a 2-0 series lead with a game 2 win, getting the 7 to crawl into the top right off the break, preventing the Sharpshooters' Dani from getting to the table to make it interesting. Shadow had a four-ball run-out from the break in game 3, again withholding table access from Dani. The final play was absolutely nutty, with the 2 finding its way into the bottom left on a nice cut, and the 7 getting a bump from the cue that drove it to the same pocket, again with just enough juice to get there. Shadow's run of selfishness earned him a 3-0 lead. Shadow clinched the series with another 7 on the break, scoring it in the top right again after a deflection off the point of the bottom side, making it 4-0. The three-game streak of Dani not getting a shot is the most since last season when Garcia swept a 7-ball series in the first round, with three straight shots of the 7 on the break. Shadow took game 5 as well, but he finally let Dani shoot again. Shadow's three-ball run came to an end, so Dani answered with a three-ball run herself, but she rattled the 7 out and Shadow mopped it up to go up 5-0. Dani appeared visibly shaken in game 6, chipping the 7 at the top right after the game started to get a little inconsistent. Shadow tapped it in to move to 6-0, which doesn't even begin to explain the dominance. In game 7, the shooting remained at a normal level, but Dani's late scratch opened the door for Shadow, and he walked through, making the last two balls to earn a 7-0 sweep. Shadow is ranked #10 in 7-ball, but he will be traveling in the quarterfinals, going to Central to face the Warriors' Noelle at Nestle's Warriors Hall.
Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Whiskers v. Twinkie II. Finally, we close the day in the southwest with Rotation. Infinity City's Whiskers struck first, building up a nice lead in game 1 and outlasting Harrison's Twinkie II to win 8-6 once the game got a bit chippy late, going ahead 1-0 in the series. The Specters' Twinkie II mirrored that effort in game 2, building her own big lead only to see the Torpedoes' Whiskers nearly erase it before Twinkie II won 8-5, tying the series at 1. Whiskers countered in a game 3 that started off very close and ended up 8-4 for Whiskers, as Twinkie II couldn't keep up with the pace. Whiskers went to 2-1 in the series with the win. Whiskers upped the ante in game 4, building the largest lead yet. Twinkie II still pulled back, nearly tying it, before Whiskers iced it off at 8-5 with a two-ball run-out, which gave her a 3-1 series lead. Twinkie II pulled back to 3-2 in the series, getting lucky that Whiskers scratched on the 14 in game 5, giving her the chance to sink the last two balls for an 8-7 win. Whiskers clinched the series with a sloppy win in game 6, taking the game 8-3 but also taking her sweet time in doing so. Whiskers played well in a very tight game 7, winning 8-4 after Twinkie II faded near the end. Whiskers took the series 5-2, and advances to the quarterfinals, where a meeting with the Defenders' Debby Ryan in the GE Stadium Events Center in Southridge is on tap. Twinkie II became the sixty-fifth player eliminated from the tournament, and one of the steepest declines of the round. Twinkie II is likely to stick with the Harrison Specters, who are, as a team, out as well. Being well below .500, the Specters will not make the playoffs. They are the fourth team to be fully eliminated. Whiskers picked up her second kill of the season in the win.
That's all for today, a big 105 game day. I've never played that many in a day before now, and I'm feeling every bit of it. The plan for the next three days is cricket in the mornings, and 70 games tomorrow, as many as possible Wednesday, and whatever's left Thursday.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Jake v. Jack. The first series is in 7-ball for today. Pacific's Jack took game 1 after Royal's Jake scratched while attempted the 7 in a very even game, giving himself a 1-0 lead from ball-in-hand. The Volcanoes' Jack got away with leaving the 7 short in game 2, taking a 2-0 lead in the series when the Crowns' Jake scratched after potting it, his second critically-timed scratch. Game 3 saw the players struggle with accuracy late, and another token error by Jake, but Jack missed on the 7, so Jake tapped it into the bottom side to make it 2-1 in the series. The slightly sloppy play continued in game 4, although Jack did piece together a three-ball run. After the run, both players missed on the 7, but Jake got it the second time around to tie the series at 2. Jake moved to a 3-2 series lead after Jack scratched to end a three-ball run, giving Jake ball-in-hand for two accurate shots to claim the win. Jake claimed the series with a back-and-forth win in game 6, with the final oscillation seeing Jack scratch after making the 6 to give Jake ball-in-hand to move to 4-2. Jake took a three-ball run-out in game 7, finishing on a carom off the 5 to take the 7 to the top left, which made it a 5-2 series win. Jake, ranked #9 in 7-ball, will play in the quarterfinals. Jack is the fifty-ninth player eliminated from the tournament with this loss, and he's been the weak link for the Pacific Volcanoes this season. The Volcanoes have been good, but expect a minor tweak in personnel that would come with Jack leaving the team. Jake picked up his second kill of the season.
BMW RockDome, Westside: Misty v. Twinkie III. The next series is in 12-ball. Whitewater's Twinkie III took game 1 with a three-ball run-out, including a brilliant double-kiss to sink the 4 in the bottom right and a spectacular cut on the 1 to the top left, keeping just ahead of Westside's Misty, who had a scratched that ended up costing her. The Rockers' Misty tied it at 1 in a game 2 win, getting her positioning on her last ball just a little quicker than the Shores' Twinkie III. Both players had runs to set themselves up early on, making the game very tight and full of pressure. Twinkie III took the series lead back at 2-1 in game 3, working with having a wild card ball to get positioned patiently while Misty had to navigate a lack of flexibility that she couldn't overcome. Misty answered with a nice four-ball run in game 4, which made her task of getting the last two a lot easier since she had them aligned in favorable defense to prevent Twinkie III from doing much. Misty ended with a nice cross-ball bank on the 13 to the bottom side for the equalizer. Misty again pulled off a four-ball run in game 5, and nearly made it five with her attempt on the 6. Still, she left Twinkie III shooting away from the pockets she needed, and this worked to gain ball-in-hand for Misty, who converted her second try to make it a 3-2 series. Misty sealed the series at 4-2, clinching with a three-ball run-out after persistently shooting the same poor-angled shot on the 6 at the top side, which eventually induced a long-distance miss from Twinkie III that set up the run-out. Misty used solid positioning in game 7 to take the series at 5-2, working her way around the table very patiently. Misty, ranked #21 in 12-ball, will play on into the quarterfinals.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Marsell. Moving to the coastal southwest, there's a series of 15-ball. Marsell of Tysini took game 1 and a 1-0 series lead with a three-ball run-out, coming after a scratch by Southern's Shannon. In game 2, a lucky four-rail path led the 14 all around the table back to the top side it originated near, which also set Shannon up to take the 15 and tie the series at 1 game apiece in a slightly sloppy game. The Hummingbirds' Marsell had control of the pace in game 3, but his lack of accuracy for contact hurt him late, as his miss on the 10 wide right took three rails and bumped the 15 illegally to the bottom side, putting Shannon up 2-1 in the series. Game 4 got off to a rough start, but the players finished strong, as Shannon answered a three-ball run by Marsell with a three-ball run-out late to go up 3-1 in the series. Marsell stayed alive with a game 5 win via a five-ball run-out, which proved his excellent execution is often enough to keep him competitive, as he made it a 3-2 series with the sharpshooting routine. Marsell capitalized on Shannon rocking the 13 too hard for the top side to handle, and it jutted out to line Marsell up for a 13-15 combination to the top left that he converted to tie the series at 3. Marsell jumped on his first good chance in game 7, converting the 7-15 combination to the bottom left from ball-in-hand after Shannon scratched, winning the series 4-3 in the process. Ranked #102, Marsell will travel to Commerce in the quarterfinals, visiting Lionel of the Tradewinds at Nike Field Events Center for their 15-ball series.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Missy v. Debby Ryan. Staying somewhat close by, we have 8-ball inland. Capital City's Missy made a brilliant defensive play in game 1, snookering Southridge's Debby partially toward the 1, causing her to use a kick shot attempt to get out of it. When the cue came to rest, the Sharpshooters' Missy lived up to the team name, sniping the 8 to the top left from near the jaws of the top right, with the 8 resting away from the pocket about two-thirds of the way there. The Defenders' Debby bounced back confidently in game 2, using a bit of defensive positioning late to buy herself time to get onto her last ball and then make the 8, which worked well for her as she tied the series at 1. Missy pulled back to take a 2-1 series lead by winning game 3. It was a close game, with Missy making a kick on the 11 but leaving the 8 short outside the top left. Debby made two straight shots, but scratched on the second, giving Missy a shot at the 8 from the kitchen, which she made for the win. Debby again tied the series, making it 2-2 with a three-ball run-out in game 4 that saw her pound the 15 from left rail to top right while positioning herself for a calm, easy-angle shot on the 8 to the bottom right. Debby took a 3-2 series lead after a brutal error by Missy in game 5. Missy was down to her last ball, the 2, and she swung the shot in such a way to bump the 8 toward a pocket for better positioning. Unfortunately, the size of the table and angle of the bump meant the 8 fell in the top side just barely, and she took the loss with the bold and somewhat remarkable, yet unwanted, double-pot. In game 6, Missy didn't get what she deserved, as her seven-ball run through her solids, capped by a brilliant cross-ball bank on the 6 to the top left, ended when she missed the 8. Debby, playing from her back foot now, defended very well, giving Missy two unclean looks at the 8 before scoring a five-ball run-out with a finishing cut with spin on the 8 that very narrowly avoided a scratch. Debby clinched the series at 4-2. Debby took game 7 as well, a very lazy game without a whole lot of emphasis on the fundamentals of pool. Debby, ranked #64, is through to the quarterfinals as she gets another reinforcement for her Rookie of the Year bid. With the loss, Missy is the sixtieth player to be eliminated this tournament. Missy's future with the Capital City Sharpshooters should be secure, but it's unclear what their plans are for the offseason. Debby picked up her second kill of the season in the win.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Ms. Kitty v. Ruby. Up the coast a bit, there's 12-ball again. Pacific's Ms. Kitty struck first, playing quickly but intelligently to get positioned and take the cleanest shots. Archtown's Ruby got hung up with where her later balls were located, which allowed the Volcanoes' Ms. Kitty to iced it after a scratch with a strong bank on the 2 from just in front of the kitchen to the left rail and into the top right for a 1-0 lead. The players exchanged four ball runs that opened game 2 up very quickly, but Ruby of the Arrows got stuck far away from the open pocket. She had a wild card ball, but positioning would have taken too long for her. Ms. Kitty avoided the defense Ruby chose to play until the end with a deft pair of shots to move to 2-0 in the series. Ruby played patiently in game 3, building up a big advantage before Ms. Kitty cleared enough away for Ruby to cash in Ms. Kitty's last miss, making it a 2-1 series. Ms. Kitty answered in game 4 by blowing Ruby out of the water with an early run and bold shooting late to go through Ruby's defense twice en route to a 3-1 lead. Ms. Kitty kept a level head in game 5, avoiding a meltdown as Ruby burst ahead to a lead, and Ms. Kitty held her off long enough to pull ahead and then win the game with a tough shot from distance that she barely avoided scratching on at the top right, moving to a 4-1 series lead. Ms. Kitty made it 5-1 with more great shooting in game 6, running four balls from the rack before giving ball-in-hand to Ruby, only win the game two turns later through strong positioning. Ms. Kitty continued to dominate play in game 7, again leaving Ruby without an obvious shot for much of the game while Ms. Kitty continued to outmaneuver and make shots accurately. With the win, Ms. Kitty took the series 6-1, and will host Princess of the Tysini Hummingbirds in the quarterfinals at this venue with her #60 ranked 12-ball bid. Ruby's MVP chances are likely gone after the brutal loss.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: Tori v. Precious. Back to the inland southwest, as we have 10-ball, with the silver cue drawing in for the blue cue. Victoria's Tori took a somewhat sloppy game 1, cashing on a scratch by Pronger's Precious to execute a two-ball run-out to move into a 1-0 lead. Precious of the Tridents made a late four-ball run in game 2, but after missing contact on the 10, Tori of the Spurs tapped it in to move to a 2-0 series lead. After a bit of chasing on the 10 in game 3, the back-and-forth game ended with a shot from distance by Tori, giving her a stranglehold 3-0 lead. Precious finished off a terrible game 4 with a four-ball run-out, the only display of anything resembling accuracy all game, as all the shots before that were way off the mark. Tori answered back to make it 4-1 after game 5, where the accuracy started strong early and faded late for both players until Tori made the last two balls to seal the series. Tori extended the series lead to 5-1 in game 6 with a five-ball run-out, going from solid to dominant very quickly at the end of the game, with most of the shots being tap-ins from previous set-up work. Precious got lucky in game 7, as Tori left the 10 short enough for her to tap it in late after both players chased it around the table. Tori still won the series 5-2. Tori is ranked #72 in 10-ball, and she will travel to Commerce to face Tradewinds captain Tigerette in the quarterfinals at Nike Field Events Center.
Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Chris v. Kayla. Returning to this arena, we have 7-ball with the silver cue subbing for the red cue. Queens' Kayla started off her personal doubleheader strong, responding to a scratch by Capital City's Chris with a five-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead. The Sharpshooters' Chris bounced back to tie the series with an ugly game 2, a sloppy game that saw both him and the Flames' Kayla struggle mightily throughout. Kayla retook the series lead at 2-1 in game 3, stealing the game away as Chris' five-ball run ended due to a scratch. Chris had the better run of possession in game 4, including a five-ball run again, but Kayla again capitalized on his mistakes, making the 7 on her second try after he missed it twice, which put her ahead 3-1 in the series. Kayla sealed the series at 4-1, making a three-ball run after Chris scratched and icing off the last two when he missed the 6 in game 5. Chris returned the favor in a very clean game 6, as Kayla hit a six-ball run and Chris mopped up the 7 to the top left from her only miss. Game 7 also ended up being tight, but favored Chris in the end as he made the 7 to finish strong. Kayla took the series 4-3, and her #92 ranked 7-ball bid will travel in the quarterfinals.
Ebay Center, Queens: Kayla v. Sierra. The second half of Kayla's personal doubleheader is the first half of a doubleheader at the Ebay Center, and marks the return of the blue cue for Survival. Game 1 went to plan for Queens' Kayla, as she got Todavía's Sierra down quickly in the first rack while holding on, and pulled off a lure shot that made Sierra scratch to give Kayla the 1-0 lead. In game 2, Sierra of the Stills tried to play both defense and offense in one shot while behind in the second rack, and it bit her bad, as she missed the shot and gave Kayla of the Flames 2-0 lead in the series. Kayla put in a lot of effort to make it to rack two in game 3, but when there, she undid all the hard work, giving Sierra the game to make it 2-1 after a bit of lazy shooting. Kayla again attempted defense to open the second rack of game 4, and Sierra again made her pay by not missing a shot once she fell to Kayla's level, while Kayla faded under the pressure-filled attack Sierra put up. Sierra couldn't last in game 5's second rack, falling quickly while Kayla continued to cruise through the game, taking a 3-2 series lead in the process of the win. Sierra did just enough with her positioning in game 6 to make Kayla take the fall in the second rack, which tied the series again at 3. Sierra had no accuracy in game 7, and given the situation, that was a bad time to have no accuracy, as Kayla ran rampant in the single rack and took the series easily at 4-3. Ranked #19, Kayla keeps her MVP hopes alive by taking a third bid to the quarterfinals, this one in Survival. Sierra became the sixty-first player knocked out of the tournament, but the longtime Stills superstar is set to return to the team next season without missing a beat. Kayla retied Princess again for the league lead in kills at 4.
Ebay Center, Queens: Paige v. Allison. Wrapping up the locational doubleheader, there's 8-ball on tap. Game 1 was a little bit messy, but Tysini's Allison took the brunt of it, as her kick attempt sank a ball for Queens' Paige, which allowed her to get to work on the 8 quicker and eventually take a 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Allison gave another game away in game 2, scratching on the 8 to put Paige of the Flames up 2-0 in the series. Allison had a furious comeback in game 3 after she fell behind early, but after her five-ball run, the offense dried up too early, as she left the 8 short. Paige took care of her 9 and then the 8 to move to a 3-0 series lead. Paige remained just one step ahead of Allison, as the latter had a late five-ball run fueled by glorious positioning, but she messed up the leave on her attempt at the 8, and fired the long distance shot wide of the top left. Paige, with no easy shot herself, buried the 8 in the bottom right to claim the series at 4-0. Allison got off to a good start in game 5, but she left the 11 short late in the game, and Paige didn't let her get back to it, using a four-ball run-out to claim a 5-0 series lead as her timeliness and dominance continue to go hand-in-hand. Paige had to really earn her game 6 victory, going up 6-0 with a bank off the top rail that had just the right pace and angle to put the 8 in the bottom side for the win. Paige completed the 7-0 sweep in game 7, holding off a six-ball run from Allison, who later missed the 8 again, allowing Paige to bank the 8 from near the top right to the bottom side via the top rail as the winning shot. Paige, ranked #50, is set to continue into the quarterfinals for 8-ball. Allison is the sixty-second player to be eliminated from the tournament, and she went out in flames, pun fully intended. Allison will be leaving the UPCL at the conclusion of the season, and with her record blown to bits by this loss, this may be the last of her. The Tysini Hummingbirds will receive a compensatory pick for this loss, which will come in the first round. Paige took her third kill of the season in spectacular fashion.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Starlight. Ending the first half of the round, we have Survival from the northeast. Harrison's Twinkie II got on the board first, as Pacific's Starlight couldn't hold onto early success in game 1 and fell behind 1-0 in the series. The Volcanoes' Starlight answered with a much more dominant, true-to-form effort in game 2, battling from an early hole to push the Specters' Twinkie II around until she had her finished, tying the series at 1. Starlight chipped a shot midway through the second rack of game 3, which cost her as Twinkie II went into defense mode to bunker down for the win and a 2-1 lead. Twinkie II put Starlight on the ropes in the first rack of game 4, and Starlight couldn't save herself early in the second rack, falling quickly as Twinkie II went up 3-1 in the series. Twinkie II's rattle problem came back to get her in game 5, with each player holding a single life. Twinkie II wound up for a shot, but for at least the fifth time in the series, she rattled the ball out, losing the game and cutting her lead to 3-2 in the series. Starlight kept her errors to a minimum, while Twinkie II rattled two more balls out of the pockets in game 6, making it a series tied at 3 going into one decisive game between two of Club Reality's biggest personalities. Game 7 also lasted just a rack, and what a frenetic rack it was. The pace was quick, but Starlight had more accuracy, which led to getting the win and giving her a 4-3 series win. Ranked #18 in Survival, Starlight will host her quarterfinals series at the Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific.
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Jasmine v. Citrus. Beginning the evening, we have some 7-ball. Freedom's Jasmine started well with a three-ball run, but her miss on the 4 triggered Diamond's Citrus to complete a four-ball run-out to take a 1-0 lead in game 1. The Gems' Citrus got caught with her stick on the table in game 2, watching her successful shot on the 2 mean nothing as the three-ball run ended with the stick violation. The Cascades' Jasmine returned the favor from before, running out four balls including a bottom rail bank on the 7 to the top side to tie the series at 1. Jasmine did all of the work in game 3 and got none of the spoils, scratching on the 7 at the end of what was supposed to be a three-ball run-out, voided by the scratch to give Citrus a 2-1 series lead with the win instead. Citrus moved to a 3-1 lead with a win in game 4, using a four-ball run-out to give herself a stronger lead, with the impressive accuracy on full display. Jasmine bounced back, controlling possession in game 5 with a four-ball run and a well-placed shot on the 7 to finish off the win and pull back to 3-2 in the series. Jasmine took one shot to tie the series at 3, winning game 6 by sending the 7 to the bottom side off the break for an automatic victory. Jasmine couldn't maintain momentum in game 7, scratching three times to give Citrus control of the game, which she used to take the win and the series also went to her at 4-3. Citrus, ranked #51 for 7-ball, will host Kayla of the Queens Flames at her home venue, the Intel Center in Diamond, in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Jasmine pulled off the awkward feat of winning one-third of her series but one-half of her games, but her odd run ended as the sixty-third player to be eliminated this season. Jasmine is likely to return to the Freedom Cascades, as she did last season despite a similarly lackluster effort. She tends to be the best of a bad group and she acts as a stabilizing presence to the team. Citrus picked up her second kill of the season.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Spirit v. Kiwi. Heading west, we have a series of 15-ball to play. Lighton's Spirit showed off serious skill in game 1, using a kick with spin to get the 14 to the bottom left before deploying a narrow cut that avoided scratching and potted the 15 in the top left, as part of a four-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead. The Prestige's Spirit brought about a quick end to game 2, stunning Modernistic's Kiwi with a hard carom off the 5 to bump the 15 to the bottom left, earning a 2-0 lead as it dropped. The Union's Kiwi made it a 2-1 series with a five-ball run-out in game 3, including a deft glance off the top rail to tap the 5 to the top left, followed by a thin cut on a partially-snookered 6 to the same place that set up a straight in shot for the 7, also to the same place, and the finishing move, the 8-15 combination to the bottom left. Essentially, the entire run was remarkable. Kiwi, somewhat reluctantly, pieced together a four-ball run-out to tie the series at 2 with a game 4 win. The accuracy these two very thoughtful players hold is remarkable, and they have been showing it off as much as possible in this series. Kiwi took a 3-2 series lead in game 5, using Spirit's intentionally illegal potting of the 7 as a catalyst for her three-ball run-out, a well positioned shot on the 4, which lined up for the 5, and then a slightly off-angle 6-15 combination to the bottom side that Kiwi had no trouble knocking home. Spirit retied the series at 3 games apiece with a win in game 6, a very evenly-played game that saw Spirit get her success on a four-ball run-out, full of good positioning. Kiwi had a five-ball run during game 7, but despite her control of the pace of play, Spirit got the opportunity for a three-ball run-out, and she took it for the win. Spirit clinched the series at 4-3, and she will advance with her #38 ranked 15-ball bid into the quarterfinals.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Leonette v. Crystal. Up the coast a bit, there's 10-ball. Pacific's Leonette potted the 10 illegally near the end of game 1, but when Crystal of Queens couldn't convert from the spot, the Volcanoes' Leonette tapped it in legally for a 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Crystal tied it with a quick win in game 2, using a 3-7-10 combination with the 10 caroming off the 9 to get its direction toward the top left pocket, a glorious shot filled with angles that Crystal read perfectly to make it a 1-1 series. Game 3 was far less remarkable, and very much back-and-forth, with Leonette getting the final say on her second go at the 10, sinking it easily for a 2-1 lead. Crystal again tied it very quickly, using the 2 to the top left as her set-up maneuver for a 3-10 combination to the same pocket, which worked to give her the win in game 4. Crystal took a 3-2 series lead with a game 5 win, using a three-ball run-out after some jockeying with Leonette on the approach to the later stages of the game. The two players are putting on a competitive show, which makes for good pool. Leonette tied the series at 3 with a brilliant five-ball run-out in game 6, using excellent positioning and even sharper shot execution to make all the necessary shots to keep the series alive. Leonette had to bring game 7 to a decision, which was to shoot or to defer at the 8. Leonette elected to shoot, but had trouble with the 10. Lucky for her, the leave wasn't great for Kiwi either, and Leonette buried her second chance to win the game and the series at 4-3. The #67 ranked played for 10-ball, Leonette is set for a quarterfinals appearance. With the loss, Crystal finds herself as the sixty-fourth player eliminated this season. Crystal's future with the Queens Flames is beyond safe. The team found outrageously good chemistry, and the captain Crystal will return to guide this team to the next level next season. Leonette, somewhat surprisingly, recorded her first kill of the season.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Shadow v. Dani. One of the top seeds for 7-ball against one of the deeper Cinderella runs is what we have here. Web City's Shadow took an ugly win in game 1, needing three attempts at the 7 before he could sink it, barely outlasting Dani of Capital City, who rattled it out of the top right on her second try. The Spiders' Shadow took a 2-0 series lead with a game 2 win, getting the 7 to crawl into the top right off the break, preventing the Sharpshooters' Dani from getting to the table to make it interesting. Shadow had a four-ball run-out from the break in game 3, again withholding table access from Dani. The final play was absolutely nutty, with the 2 finding its way into the bottom left on a nice cut, and the 7 getting a bump from the cue that drove it to the same pocket, again with just enough juice to get there. Shadow's run of selfishness earned him a 3-0 lead. Shadow clinched the series with another 7 on the break, scoring it in the top right again after a deflection off the point of the bottom side, making it 4-0. The three-game streak of Dani not getting a shot is the most since last season when Garcia swept a 7-ball series in the first round, with three straight shots of the 7 on the break. Shadow took game 5 as well, but he finally let Dani shoot again. Shadow's three-ball run came to an end, so Dani answered with a three-ball run herself, but she rattled the 7 out and Shadow mopped it up to go up 5-0. Dani appeared visibly shaken in game 6, chipping the 7 at the top right after the game started to get a little inconsistent. Shadow tapped it in to move to 6-0, which doesn't even begin to explain the dominance. In game 7, the shooting remained at a normal level, but Dani's late scratch opened the door for Shadow, and he walked through, making the last two balls to earn a 7-0 sweep. Shadow is ranked #10 in 7-ball, but he will be traveling in the quarterfinals, going to Central to face the Warriors' Noelle at Nestle's Warriors Hall.
Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Whiskers v. Twinkie II. Finally, we close the day in the southwest with Rotation. Infinity City's Whiskers struck first, building up a nice lead in game 1 and outlasting Harrison's Twinkie II to win 8-6 once the game got a bit chippy late, going ahead 1-0 in the series. The Specters' Twinkie II mirrored that effort in game 2, building her own big lead only to see the Torpedoes' Whiskers nearly erase it before Twinkie II won 8-5, tying the series at 1. Whiskers countered in a game 3 that started off very close and ended up 8-4 for Whiskers, as Twinkie II couldn't keep up with the pace. Whiskers went to 2-1 in the series with the win. Whiskers upped the ante in game 4, building the largest lead yet. Twinkie II still pulled back, nearly tying it, before Whiskers iced it off at 8-5 with a two-ball run-out, which gave her a 3-1 series lead. Twinkie II pulled back to 3-2 in the series, getting lucky that Whiskers scratched on the 14 in game 5, giving her the chance to sink the last two balls for an 8-7 win. Whiskers clinched the series with a sloppy win in game 6, taking the game 8-3 but also taking her sweet time in doing so. Whiskers played well in a very tight game 7, winning 8-4 after Twinkie II faded near the end. Whiskers took the series 5-2, and advances to the quarterfinals, where a meeting with the Defenders' Debby Ryan in the GE Stadium Events Center in Southridge is on tap. Twinkie II became the sixty-fifth player eliminated from the tournament, and one of the steepest declines of the round. Twinkie II is likely to stick with the Harrison Specters, who are, as a team, out as well. Being well below .500, the Specters will not make the playoffs. They are the fourth team to be fully eliminated. Whiskers picked up her second kill of the season in the win.
That's all for today, a big 105 game day. I've never played that many in a day before now, and I'm feeling every bit of it. The plan for the next three days is cricket in the mornings, and 70 games tomorrow, as many as possible Wednesday, and whatever's left Thursday.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Pool: Round Four Day 2
Here's a lighter day for pool, but still a solid one. We begin with...
Apple Center, Todavía: Easter v. Shadow. The first series of a short afternoon is in 9-ball. Todavía's Easter got a lucky break in game 1, as Web City's Shadow rattled the 8 out late, while the Stills' Easter managed to take the 9 from a wide shot on the bottom left that saw it ricochet to the top side for a 1-0 lead. The Spiders' Shadow made it 1-1 in the series with a game 2 win, dominating the last half of the game with a deft double-pot that saw the 5 to the top side and the 6 drop in the top left, followed by a three-ball run-out after Easter's miss on the 7. Easter bounced back in game 3, dominating possession throughout with her finishing move being a three-ball run-out for a 2-1 series lead. Shadow again tied the series, making it 2-2 after taking a three-ball run-out in a fairly normal game 4. The only real shot of note was Easter's failed 5-9 combination attempt. Game 5 started out terribly sloppy until Shadow scratched. After the scratch, Shadow pieced together a four-ball run, only to be answered by a four-ball run-out from Easter, including a soft top rail bank to the bottom side on the 6 and a follow-up from good position to get the 9 in the bottom side as well, taking a 3-2 lead in the process. Shadow absolutely dominated in game 6, with a four-ball run included amongst the eight balls he potted, but he scratched while sinking the 9, which gave Easter the game and also the series at 4-2. Shadow took advantage of Easter's late scratch in game 7, left-handing the 9 into the bottom left to make it a 4-3 series. Easter, ranked #44 in 9-ball, will advance to the quarterfinals, where she'll host Sydnee of the Royal Crowns at this venue.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Tigerette v. Shiny. Next up, there's 10-ball on the schedule. Commerce's Tigerette finished strong in game 1, going on a six-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead over a stunned Shiny of Victoria. The Spurs' Shiny bounced back in game 2 with a strong decision-making move. Tigerette had just double-potted the 6 in the top left and 9 in the bottom left on a cluster buster that she called the 10 for, and Shiny elected to shoot. Four shots later, she won the game and tied the series at 1 with excellent positioning for all of her shots. In game 3, Shiny's positioning was again of full display, making a tough angle cut to the bottom side on the 5 that also took the 7 in the bottom right, and from there she worked four more shots that ended up being pretty easy, taking the six-ball run-out for a 2-1 lead in the series. The Tradewinds' Tigerette weathered a four-ball run from Shiny in game 4, holding out until Shiny displayed a drop in accuracy late in the game to strike with a tap-in on the 10 that retied the series at 2. Game 5 was extremely tight on both sides, with accuracy at an impressive level. In the end, Shiny had the edge with a three-ball run-out, preventing Tigerette from getting back to the table after she whiffed on a carom from the 7 to the 8 late in the game. Tigerette wasted no time for an equalizer in game 6, shooting the 1-2-10 combination to the top left on her first shot, as Shiny's break left that combination in order for Tigerette, making the series 3-3. Tigerette took the series 4-3 in game 7 as Shiny's key component, positioning, evaporated in game 7 on the 9, which she missed contact with as she snookered herself behind the 10. Tigerette took the last two balls to take the series. Ranked #41, Tigerette will host a 10-ball series in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Shiny fell out of the tournament, the fifty-third player eliminated. Despite the solid effort this series, her seasonal numbers do not look good, and her cricket numbers won't do her any favors either. Expect the Spurs to engage in a half-rebuild that sees Shiny off the team. Tigerette picked up her first kill of the season.
Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Shelley v. Taylor Swift. In the southwest, there's Survival to play. Eastside's Taylor took game 1 after grabbing the extra life ball, which stabilized her shaky early shooting enough while Infinity City's Shelley faded fast. The Sharks' Taylor went up 1-0 when the Torpedoes' Shelley missed potting the leftover ball to start the second rack. Game 2 saw the balls scattered just far enough to hit them cleanly, but just close enough to make a clean route to the pocket impossible in most cases, or with the pocket too far away. Shelley's ability to navigate this difficulty gave her an advantage that helped her win the game and tie the series at 1, as Taylor struggled mightily with the obscured shots. Taylor barely held on in game 3, fading near the end of the first rack, but holding on long enough to get the upper hand on Shelley after a bad breakup shot, earning a 2-1 lead with the narrow win. Shelley also dropped game 4 in the second rack, having no answer for Taylor getting the extra life ball to pull ahead. Taylor's win made it 3-1 in the series. Taylor's defensive tactics failed in game 5, but a return to standard play was sufficient for a win early in the second rack, topping a hapless Shelley again to secure the series at 4-1. In game 6, the players chased the leftover ball down to their last lives, where Shelley made it and drove the cue to the corner in perfect defensive form. Taylor did get weak contact on the rack, but nothing fell, giving Shelley the game to make it 4-2 in the series. In game 7, Shelley did not have a lot of fight left, taking an easy loss as Taylor claimed a 5-2 series win. Ranked #96, Taylor is on the road again in the quarterfinals, as she travels to Del Sur to face the Southern Monarchs' Panda at the Microsoft Center. Taylor picked up a kill, her first of the season, with this win. Shelley is the fifty-fourth player to be eliminated, but her future with the Infinity City Torpedoes is about 50/50 on a return.
Ebay Center, Queens: Kayla v. Nightfur. A little southeastern rivalry action gets the night going in Rotation. Queens' Kayla dominated in game 1, pulling out to a 1-0 lead with an 8-1 victory fueled by accuracy after the balls got more organized. Royal's Nightfur tied it with a four-ball run-out in game 2, winning 8-6 after the run of accuracy. The game was mostly sloppy, with many illegally potted balls and missed contacts. The Flames' Kayla played strong again in game 3, working her way to an 8-2 win as the Crowns' Nightfur continued to make a lot of errors and fouls to ruin her game. Kayla worked an 8-3 win into game 4, moving to a 3-1 series lead with the victory that ended with a four-ball run-out capped by a carom off the 11 that took the 12 in the top right. Kayla claimed the series at 4-1 with an 8-4 win in game 5, again finishing with a four-ball run-out, with the final shot coming on the 12, a sharp and thin cut that narrowly avoided the careening 15 that caromed off two rails from its original point of contact. Nightfur shot back in game 6, making the series 4-2 with a three-ball run-out in an 8-3 win. The theme of the series still remained stuck on poor shooting, with errors and scratches all over the games. Nightfur also took game 7, winning 8-6 after nearly blowing it twice late in the game. Kayla just couldn't piece together a late run. Ranked #3 in rotation, Kayla will host her next series of Rotation in the quarterfinals. Nightfur's loss meant she was the fifty-fifth player eliminated from the tournament. It's unclear what the Royal Crowns intend to do, but with a compensatory pick coming their way for a retiring player, its unlikely they'll rock the boat much, meaning Nightfur will probably return. Kayla earned her third kill of the season.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Wings v. Kayla. No rest for the Queens' Kayla, who travels a significant distance for the second half of a doubleheader, playing 15-ball. Pearl's Wings absolutely dominated the course of play in game 1, until he left the 8 too close to the 15. The Flames' Kayla cashed in with a soft carom off the 8 to tap the 15 to the bottom left, gaining a 1-0 win with her only successful shot of the game. The Surfers' Wings made it 1-1 with a win in a very back-and-forth game 2. Neither player did much to establish possession, making it a very hard game to follow. Game 3 showed better performance from both players, as they made a few caroms and generally nice looking shots. In the end, Kayla's four-ball run late meant nothing when Wings cashed in on her missing the 15 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Kayla scored a three-ball run-out in game 4, with the late positioning being key in her victory that tied the series at 2. Wings went up 3-2 in the series with a highly defensive win in game 5. Wings only got the win because Kayla jammed the 14 at the bottom right and it rattled out, but Wings still had to make a cut on the 15 with significant scratching danger that he avoided to take the win. The players exchanged runs late in game 6, but Wings' came last, a three-ball run-out that sealed up the series for him at 4-2. The play in general was tight but sloppy in the last two games with the series' fate in the balance. Kayla took a much more loose, inventive, and fast-paced game 7 after a scratch by Wings late in the game, making it a 4-3 final for Wings. Ranked #4, Wings will host his quarterfinals series in 15-ball.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Snuggle. Next up, a doubleheader of 9-ball. This particular series is the last on the blue side of the bracket for this round, a very early finish for one particular section of the bracket. Archtown's Ruby looked like the stronger player in game 1, running three balls late before scratching. Still, Oceanside's Snuggle missed on the 9, making it very easy for Ruby to take it for a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Snuggle did a good job with positioning late in game 2, despite neither player having much luck early on. Snuggle made the last two balls to tie the series at 1. The Arrows' Ruby bounced back easily in game 3, moving to 2-1 in the series by dominating possession with a four-ball run and a modest two-ball run-out when Snuggle couldn't do anything with her miss on the 7. Snuggle shot right back with a three-ball run in the frenetically-paced game 4, tying the series at 2 in what has been a very competitive battle. Game 5 lost pretty much all of that pace, but made up for it with Snuggle's highlight finish, a 3-9 combination on a slight angle to the bottom left that put him up 3-2 in the series. Ruby answered in game 6, cruising easily around the table with a three-ball run included in the middle of the game. At the end, Ruby got a nice bounce, as her bank attempt on the 8 grazed the 9 on the way by, and the spin sent it to the bottom rail while the 9 headed to the top right. About six inches from the pocket, the 8 gave the 9 another tap to send it in, tying the series at 3 with the highlight-worthy shot. Game 7 was very fast and loose, with Ruby opening with the 2 and 7 to the top left off the break as part of a three-ball run, answered by Snuggle's four-ball run late. Jockeying commenced a little bit, and then Ruby left-handed the 8 to the bottom left, getting a bounce off the 9 to position it for the top left, taking the game and series at 4-3. Ruby, ranked #29 in 9-ball, will travel to the similarly-ranked B. Chapman of the Spurs to face her in the Lay's Field Events Center in Victoria in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Snuggle is the fifty-sixth player eliminated in the tournament. However, Snuggle holds a 44-37 record, an impressive mark, while going 11-8 in series, and the Waves will be more than happy to welcome their captain back. Oceanside also was eliminated from the tournament completely, the third team to fall. Expect Snuggle to also participate for Delila Enterprises in the Club playoff tournament. Ruby tied the league lead for kills at 3.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Sprinkles. The second half of the 9-ball doubleheader features the only appearance by the red cue today. Tysini's Princess couldn't land the carom off the 3 to hit the 9 like she wanted to in game 1, but a little patience got her set up to take it in the bottom side after a late miss by Capital City's Sprinkles on the 8. Princess made it 2-0 in game 2, using a three-ball run-out to take the game quite handily, with her accuracy and bravado on full display. The Sharpshooters' Sprinkles had a three-ball run right around mid-game in game 3, but her scratch to end the run was her last action, as Princess ran out the final four balls, including a wicked cut along the top rail from behind the top side to get the 9 in the top left for the 3-0 series advantage. Sprinkles got on the board with a win in game 4, pounding a narrow angle bank of the 8 from the top rail to the bottom side, while also getting set on the 9 that made it 3-1 in the series after she converted it. Sprinkles dominated (and that doesn't begin to describe it) in game 5, running eight balls from the break, but she missed her bank off the left rail toward the bottom right for the 9, and Princess tapped it in from distance on a minor cut shot that secured the series for her at 4-1. Princess got extremely lucky in game 6, but it wasn't because she didn't earn the chance. Sprinkles didn't quite have the same level of shooting, so Princess controlled the pace of play. After taking the 5 in the top right on a kick from the left rail, Princess passed the cue between the 7 and 8 to attempt a 6-9 combination. The intended shot failed, but 9-ball is a slop game, so the second kiss the 6 planted on the 9 to steer it into the top left was perfectly acceptable to make it 5-1 for Princess. Sprinkles grabbed game 7 after a bad scratch by Princess. Princess still took the series 5-2, and it seemed more dominant than that, and she will take her #59 ranked 9-ball bid to the quarterfinals. With the loss, Sprinkles became the fifty-seventh player eliminated from the tournament. Her future is cloudy with the Capital City Sharpshooters, but one imagines the highly-successful team will be interested in bringing her back.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Stripes v. Acorn. The last series of the night brings us 12-ball against a serious clock. Lighton's Acorn remained patient in game 1, waiting for Viewpoint Sound's Stripes to face the fact that she had to clear her defense away, and struck at that moment for a 1-0 lead. The Meteors' Stripes answered in game 2, holding off a fast-approaching Acorn by tapping in her last ball with the wild card ball advantage the only thing saving her. The Prestige's Acorn surrendered that and then strategically scratched, but he couldn't sink all three remaining balls in one turn at the table, so Stripes had time to counter and then win the game to tie the series at 1. Game 3 took almost no time at all, as Acorn's three-ball run induced panic in Stripes, whose cluster buster resulted in Acorn having both a wild card ball and ball-in-hand with one ball left, so he tapped it in for the win and a 2-1 lead in the series. Stripes did just enough in game 4 to disrupt the fast attack Acorn deployed early on, as she bumped his 15 out of the way of the bottom right. On his last shot, Acorn had illegal contact, and Stripes used ball-in-hand to make her last two balls from good position to tie the series again at 2. Acorn didn't appear to be shooting anything in particular during game 5, but it became clear as he completed a six-ball run-out that he had casually positioned everything to get just the right angles, and well enough that he left himself with options late. The hardest was the 11 to the top right, but he converted that with a deft cut before take the 9 in the top side and the 14 in the bottom right as his last three shots, with the first three being fairly standard. Stripes was left stunned as Acorn soared to a 3-2 lead. Acorn's patience prevailed again in game 6, waiting for Stripes to clear away the defense and leave him a decent shot before striking big to take the game with well-placed shots. Acorn's win here made it a 4-2 series. Acorn played fairly casually in game 7, and that hurt him as Stripes played strong, working positioning to take the win and make it a 4-3 series. Ranked #72 in 12-ball, Acorn advances to the quarterfinals. Stripes is the fifty-eighth player to be eliminated from the tournament, and her numbers across both sports do not look good for her to be retained by the Viewpoint Sound Meteors. The Meteors have struggled this season, and their spark plug Stripes will likely take at least part of the blame for it. Acorn picked up his second kill of the season.
That's all for this one. There were 56 games today, and I expect slightly more tomorrow in a full schedule effort. There may be cricket tomorrow morning, but I won't commit to it.
Apple Center, Todavía: Easter v. Shadow. The first series of a short afternoon is in 9-ball. Todavía's Easter got a lucky break in game 1, as Web City's Shadow rattled the 8 out late, while the Stills' Easter managed to take the 9 from a wide shot on the bottom left that saw it ricochet to the top side for a 1-0 lead. The Spiders' Shadow made it 1-1 in the series with a game 2 win, dominating the last half of the game with a deft double-pot that saw the 5 to the top side and the 6 drop in the top left, followed by a three-ball run-out after Easter's miss on the 7. Easter bounced back in game 3, dominating possession throughout with her finishing move being a three-ball run-out for a 2-1 series lead. Shadow again tied the series, making it 2-2 after taking a three-ball run-out in a fairly normal game 4. The only real shot of note was Easter's failed 5-9 combination attempt. Game 5 started out terribly sloppy until Shadow scratched. After the scratch, Shadow pieced together a four-ball run, only to be answered by a four-ball run-out from Easter, including a soft top rail bank to the bottom side on the 6 and a follow-up from good position to get the 9 in the bottom side as well, taking a 3-2 lead in the process. Shadow absolutely dominated in game 6, with a four-ball run included amongst the eight balls he potted, but he scratched while sinking the 9, which gave Easter the game and also the series at 4-2. Shadow took advantage of Easter's late scratch in game 7, left-handing the 9 into the bottom left to make it a 4-3 series. Easter, ranked #44 in 9-ball, will advance to the quarterfinals, where she'll host Sydnee of the Royal Crowns at this venue.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Tigerette v. Shiny. Next up, there's 10-ball on the schedule. Commerce's Tigerette finished strong in game 1, going on a six-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead over a stunned Shiny of Victoria. The Spurs' Shiny bounced back in game 2 with a strong decision-making move. Tigerette had just double-potted the 6 in the top left and 9 in the bottom left on a cluster buster that she called the 10 for, and Shiny elected to shoot. Four shots later, she won the game and tied the series at 1 with excellent positioning for all of her shots. In game 3, Shiny's positioning was again of full display, making a tough angle cut to the bottom side on the 5 that also took the 7 in the bottom right, and from there she worked four more shots that ended up being pretty easy, taking the six-ball run-out for a 2-1 lead in the series. The Tradewinds' Tigerette weathered a four-ball run from Shiny in game 4, holding out until Shiny displayed a drop in accuracy late in the game to strike with a tap-in on the 10 that retied the series at 2. Game 5 was extremely tight on both sides, with accuracy at an impressive level. In the end, Shiny had the edge with a three-ball run-out, preventing Tigerette from getting back to the table after she whiffed on a carom from the 7 to the 8 late in the game. Tigerette wasted no time for an equalizer in game 6, shooting the 1-2-10 combination to the top left on her first shot, as Shiny's break left that combination in order for Tigerette, making the series 3-3. Tigerette took the series 4-3 in game 7 as Shiny's key component, positioning, evaporated in game 7 on the 9, which she missed contact with as she snookered herself behind the 10. Tigerette took the last two balls to take the series. Ranked #41, Tigerette will host a 10-ball series in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Shiny fell out of the tournament, the fifty-third player eliminated. Despite the solid effort this series, her seasonal numbers do not look good, and her cricket numbers won't do her any favors either. Expect the Spurs to engage in a half-rebuild that sees Shiny off the team. Tigerette picked up her first kill of the season.
Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Shelley v. Taylor Swift. In the southwest, there's Survival to play. Eastside's Taylor took game 1 after grabbing the extra life ball, which stabilized her shaky early shooting enough while Infinity City's Shelley faded fast. The Sharks' Taylor went up 1-0 when the Torpedoes' Shelley missed potting the leftover ball to start the second rack. Game 2 saw the balls scattered just far enough to hit them cleanly, but just close enough to make a clean route to the pocket impossible in most cases, or with the pocket too far away. Shelley's ability to navigate this difficulty gave her an advantage that helped her win the game and tie the series at 1, as Taylor struggled mightily with the obscured shots. Taylor barely held on in game 3, fading near the end of the first rack, but holding on long enough to get the upper hand on Shelley after a bad breakup shot, earning a 2-1 lead with the narrow win. Shelley also dropped game 4 in the second rack, having no answer for Taylor getting the extra life ball to pull ahead. Taylor's win made it 3-1 in the series. Taylor's defensive tactics failed in game 5, but a return to standard play was sufficient for a win early in the second rack, topping a hapless Shelley again to secure the series at 4-1. In game 6, the players chased the leftover ball down to their last lives, where Shelley made it and drove the cue to the corner in perfect defensive form. Taylor did get weak contact on the rack, but nothing fell, giving Shelley the game to make it 4-2 in the series. In game 7, Shelley did not have a lot of fight left, taking an easy loss as Taylor claimed a 5-2 series win. Ranked #96, Taylor is on the road again in the quarterfinals, as she travels to Del Sur to face the Southern Monarchs' Panda at the Microsoft Center. Taylor picked up a kill, her first of the season, with this win. Shelley is the fifty-fourth player to be eliminated, but her future with the Infinity City Torpedoes is about 50/50 on a return.
Ebay Center, Queens: Kayla v. Nightfur. A little southeastern rivalry action gets the night going in Rotation. Queens' Kayla dominated in game 1, pulling out to a 1-0 lead with an 8-1 victory fueled by accuracy after the balls got more organized. Royal's Nightfur tied it with a four-ball run-out in game 2, winning 8-6 after the run of accuracy. The game was mostly sloppy, with many illegally potted balls and missed contacts. The Flames' Kayla played strong again in game 3, working her way to an 8-2 win as the Crowns' Nightfur continued to make a lot of errors and fouls to ruin her game. Kayla worked an 8-3 win into game 4, moving to a 3-1 series lead with the victory that ended with a four-ball run-out capped by a carom off the 11 that took the 12 in the top right. Kayla claimed the series at 4-1 with an 8-4 win in game 5, again finishing with a four-ball run-out, with the final shot coming on the 12, a sharp and thin cut that narrowly avoided the careening 15 that caromed off two rails from its original point of contact. Nightfur shot back in game 6, making the series 4-2 with a three-ball run-out in an 8-3 win. The theme of the series still remained stuck on poor shooting, with errors and scratches all over the games. Nightfur also took game 7, winning 8-6 after nearly blowing it twice late in the game. Kayla just couldn't piece together a late run. Ranked #3 in rotation, Kayla will host her next series of Rotation in the quarterfinals. Nightfur's loss meant she was the fifty-fifth player eliminated from the tournament. It's unclear what the Royal Crowns intend to do, but with a compensatory pick coming their way for a retiring player, its unlikely they'll rock the boat much, meaning Nightfur will probably return. Kayla earned her third kill of the season.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Wings v. Kayla. No rest for the Queens' Kayla, who travels a significant distance for the second half of a doubleheader, playing 15-ball. Pearl's Wings absolutely dominated the course of play in game 1, until he left the 8 too close to the 15. The Flames' Kayla cashed in with a soft carom off the 8 to tap the 15 to the bottom left, gaining a 1-0 win with her only successful shot of the game. The Surfers' Wings made it 1-1 with a win in a very back-and-forth game 2. Neither player did much to establish possession, making it a very hard game to follow. Game 3 showed better performance from both players, as they made a few caroms and generally nice looking shots. In the end, Kayla's four-ball run late meant nothing when Wings cashed in on her missing the 15 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Kayla scored a three-ball run-out in game 4, with the late positioning being key in her victory that tied the series at 2. Wings went up 3-2 in the series with a highly defensive win in game 5. Wings only got the win because Kayla jammed the 14 at the bottom right and it rattled out, but Wings still had to make a cut on the 15 with significant scratching danger that he avoided to take the win. The players exchanged runs late in game 6, but Wings' came last, a three-ball run-out that sealed up the series for him at 4-2. The play in general was tight but sloppy in the last two games with the series' fate in the balance. Kayla took a much more loose, inventive, and fast-paced game 7 after a scratch by Wings late in the game, making it a 4-3 final for Wings. Ranked #4, Wings will host his quarterfinals series in 15-ball.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Snuggle. Next up, a doubleheader of 9-ball. This particular series is the last on the blue side of the bracket for this round, a very early finish for one particular section of the bracket. Archtown's Ruby looked like the stronger player in game 1, running three balls late before scratching. Still, Oceanside's Snuggle missed on the 9, making it very easy for Ruby to take it for a 1-0 series lead. The Waves' Snuggle did a good job with positioning late in game 2, despite neither player having much luck early on. Snuggle made the last two balls to tie the series at 1. The Arrows' Ruby bounced back easily in game 3, moving to 2-1 in the series by dominating possession with a four-ball run and a modest two-ball run-out when Snuggle couldn't do anything with her miss on the 7. Snuggle shot right back with a three-ball run in the frenetically-paced game 4, tying the series at 2 in what has been a very competitive battle. Game 5 lost pretty much all of that pace, but made up for it with Snuggle's highlight finish, a 3-9 combination on a slight angle to the bottom left that put him up 3-2 in the series. Ruby answered in game 6, cruising easily around the table with a three-ball run included in the middle of the game. At the end, Ruby got a nice bounce, as her bank attempt on the 8 grazed the 9 on the way by, and the spin sent it to the bottom rail while the 9 headed to the top right. About six inches from the pocket, the 8 gave the 9 another tap to send it in, tying the series at 3 with the highlight-worthy shot. Game 7 was very fast and loose, with Ruby opening with the 2 and 7 to the top left off the break as part of a three-ball run, answered by Snuggle's four-ball run late. Jockeying commenced a little bit, and then Ruby left-handed the 8 to the bottom left, getting a bounce off the 9 to position it for the top left, taking the game and series at 4-3. Ruby, ranked #29 in 9-ball, will travel to the similarly-ranked B. Chapman of the Spurs to face her in the Lay's Field Events Center in Victoria in the quarterfinals. With the loss, Snuggle is the fifty-sixth player eliminated in the tournament. However, Snuggle holds a 44-37 record, an impressive mark, while going 11-8 in series, and the Waves will be more than happy to welcome their captain back. Oceanside also was eliminated from the tournament completely, the third team to fall. Expect Snuggle to also participate for Delila Enterprises in the Club playoff tournament. Ruby tied the league lead for kills at 3.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Sprinkles. The second half of the 9-ball doubleheader features the only appearance by the red cue today. Tysini's Princess couldn't land the carom off the 3 to hit the 9 like she wanted to in game 1, but a little patience got her set up to take it in the bottom side after a late miss by Capital City's Sprinkles on the 8. Princess made it 2-0 in game 2, using a three-ball run-out to take the game quite handily, with her accuracy and bravado on full display. The Sharpshooters' Sprinkles had a three-ball run right around mid-game in game 3, but her scratch to end the run was her last action, as Princess ran out the final four balls, including a wicked cut along the top rail from behind the top side to get the 9 in the top left for the 3-0 series advantage. Sprinkles got on the board with a win in game 4, pounding a narrow angle bank of the 8 from the top rail to the bottom side, while also getting set on the 9 that made it 3-1 in the series after she converted it. Sprinkles dominated (and that doesn't begin to describe it) in game 5, running eight balls from the break, but she missed her bank off the left rail toward the bottom right for the 9, and Princess tapped it in from distance on a minor cut shot that secured the series for her at 4-1. Princess got extremely lucky in game 6, but it wasn't because she didn't earn the chance. Sprinkles didn't quite have the same level of shooting, so Princess controlled the pace of play. After taking the 5 in the top right on a kick from the left rail, Princess passed the cue between the 7 and 8 to attempt a 6-9 combination. The intended shot failed, but 9-ball is a slop game, so the second kiss the 6 planted on the 9 to steer it into the top left was perfectly acceptable to make it 5-1 for Princess. Sprinkles grabbed game 7 after a bad scratch by Princess. Princess still took the series 5-2, and it seemed more dominant than that, and she will take her #59 ranked 9-ball bid to the quarterfinals. With the loss, Sprinkles became the fifty-seventh player eliminated from the tournament. Her future is cloudy with the Capital City Sharpshooters, but one imagines the highly-successful team will be interested in bringing her back.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Stripes v. Acorn. The last series of the night brings us 12-ball against a serious clock. Lighton's Acorn remained patient in game 1, waiting for Viewpoint Sound's Stripes to face the fact that she had to clear her defense away, and struck at that moment for a 1-0 lead. The Meteors' Stripes answered in game 2, holding off a fast-approaching Acorn by tapping in her last ball with the wild card ball advantage the only thing saving her. The Prestige's Acorn surrendered that and then strategically scratched, but he couldn't sink all three remaining balls in one turn at the table, so Stripes had time to counter and then win the game to tie the series at 1. Game 3 took almost no time at all, as Acorn's three-ball run induced panic in Stripes, whose cluster buster resulted in Acorn having both a wild card ball and ball-in-hand with one ball left, so he tapped it in for the win and a 2-1 lead in the series. Stripes did just enough in game 4 to disrupt the fast attack Acorn deployed early on, as she bumped his 15 out of the way of the bottom right. On his last shot, Acorn had illegal contact, and Stripes used ball-in-hand to make her last two balls from good position to tie the series again at 2. Acorn didn't appear to be shooting anything in particular during game 5, but it became clear as he completed a six-ball run-out that he had casually positioned everything to get just the right angles, and well enough that he left himself with options late. The hardest was the 11 to the top right, but he converted that with a deft cut before take the 9 in the top side and the 14 in the bottom right as his last three shots, with the first three being fairly standard. Stripes was left stunned as Acorn soared to a 3-2 lead. Acorn's patience prevailed again in game 6, waiting for Stripes to clear away the defense and leave him a decent shot before striking big to take the game with well-placed shots. Acorn's win here made it a 4-2 series. Acorn played fairly casually in game 7, and that hurt him as Stripes played strong, working positioning to take the win and make it a 4-3 series. Ranked #72 in 12-ball, Acorn advances to the quarterfinals. Stripes is the fifty-eighth player to be eliminated from the tournament, and her numbers across both sports do not look good for her to be retained by the Viewpoint Sound Meteors. The Meteors have struggled this season, and their spark plug Stripes will likely take at least part of the blame for it. Acorn picked up his second kill of the season.
That's all for this one. There were 56 games today, and I expect slightly more tomorrow in a full schedule effort. There may be cricket tomorrow morning, but I won't commit to it.
Friday, June 5, 2015
Pool: Round Four Day 1
Welcome to the start of the fourth round of pool action. This is when things start to get really exciting, based on past experiences. This is the round that has a large number of kills, comparable to round three, but with more players getting kills out of necessity to stay alive themselves. This also sets the stage for the final three rounds, which are the most intense and competitive as the cream has risen to the top. Be aware that the next two rounds are series of seven games each, up from five. We begin with...
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Lionel. The first series is in 15-ball from the northeast. Commerce's Lionel began with a three-ball run-out in game 1, capitalizing on a miss on the 12 by Central's Dustin to take a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin tied it at 1 in game 2, converting a 13-15 combination with the 15 banking off the bottom rail to get to the top left at the end, a highlight-reel finish to a competitive game. The Tradewinds' Lionel pulled out to a 2-1 lead despite struggling thoroughly late in game 3. The struggles began with Lionel's semi-successful jump over the 10 that sank the 8 but also scratched once the spin took over. Dustin made four of the next five balls, but a miss on the 15 gave Lionel the finishing shot. Lionel moved to a 3-1 lead in the series with a two-ball run-out to answer a late five-ball run by Dustin that missed on the 14 and ultimately fell short of the mark. Lionel secured the series at 4-1 with a 6-7-15 combination to end game 5 that saw the 6 kick off the left rail, caroming the 7 into the 15, which fell in the bottom side for the winning shot to make the highlight reel again. Dustin got one back in game 6, scoring a two-ball run-out after Lionel's miss. The token highlight was Dustin's double-pot with a 10-13 combination to the top left and a carom to take the 14 at the top side. Dustin dominated possession in game 7, including a late four-ball run full of brilliant positioning, but it didn't do any good when he missed the 15. Lionel tapped it in, taking the series 5-2 with the final victory. Ranked #62 in 15-ball, Lionel will host his series in the quarterfinals.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Dusky. The leading MVP candidate brings us to the southwest as she looks to bounce back with 12-ball. Tysini's Princess showed her resilience in game 1, falling behind early but using positioning and strategy to get around Archtown's Dusky in the end for a 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Dusky evened the series in game 2, tying it at 1 with a lot of patience as the Hummingbirds' Princess employed strategic scratches and other crafty techniques to disrupt Dusky's angles, which worked for a bit but did not last as a sustainable plan. Dusky went up 2-1 after a sloppy game 3, filled with bad misses and each player taking a wild card ball but failing to really have a plan for it. Dusky ended up with the win as Princess got her positioning messed up on her last ball, and it took too long to set up, allowing Dusky to make her final two with the wild card ball in her pocket. Dusky charged out to another lead in game 4, making a lot of shots early while Princess struggled to break her shots up. Princess rallied back, but just as she got position on the 5 to the bottom side, Dusky banked the 11 into the top side, taking the game and a 3-1 series lead. Princess shot back in a fast-paced game 5, taking the sides first while Dusky worked left to right, and eventually getting down to just the 5. Dusky missed a bank on the 15 to the top right, but it was close enough that Princess needed contact. She went all-in on the shot, kicking off the bottom rail with spin just enough to cut the 5 to the top left and make it a 3-2 series. Princess tied the series with a very lopsided win in game 6. Princess had all the bottom pockets done after her first turn, and took the top side on her second turn with ball-in-hand after Dusky had no balls down and scratched. Princess then worked positioning, surrendering the 3 as a wild card ball to Dusky to clear her final pocket, the top right, which she took on the next turn after Dusky's late run fell short. The series became tied at 3. Dusky made a big mistake in game 7, scratching and surrendering a wild card ball on the same turn, which set Princess up for a three-ball run-out and a 4-3 series win, which she earned by completing the finish. Ranked #71, Princess survived the close call in this series to advance into the quarterfinals. With the loss, Dusky is the forty-sixth player to be eliminated and the first to fall in the fourth round. Dusky will return to the Archtown Arrows next season after a very good cricket performance. Princess recorded her league-leading third kill of the season in the win.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Patches. On the other half of a 12-ball doubleheader, the silver cue makes an early appearance for the red cue. Boston's Patches took a 1-0 series lead with a game 1 win, getting a wild card ball from Harrison's Twinkie II on her first turn and using it as leverage throughout with strong accuracy. The Specters' Twinkie II shot herself in the foot by missing contact late in the game, giving Patches of the Swifts all she needed to make her last two shots. Patches again had a wild card ball in game 2, and it again served her well as she got positioned efficiently and took only a handful of turns to go up 2-0, while frustrating Twinkie II with inconvenient leaves. Twinkie II blew it in game 3, even with a wild card ball, as Patches showed off her accuracy and was in the process of setting up her final shot. Twinkie II thought the leave on the 9 would be convenient to carom in her 4, but the bank attempt she had for that ended up striking the wrong side of the 9, and when it went down, Patches took a 3-0 series lead. Patches clinched the series at 4-0 with a tightly played, strategic game 4, with Twinkie II very nearly defending Patches to the end. The one mistake Twinkie II made was shooting hard on her last ball when she should have jockeyed for position. Patches had three- and two-ball runs in game 5, which helped quite a bit with pace in a quick game that she won to go up 5-0 through excellent execution. Twinkie II took two turns in game 6, with a wild card ball helping her out. She had a three-ball run, which ended with a good set up to the final two pockets. Patches, while also playing strong with a three-ball run, did not have time to set the rest of her shots up. Game 7 also went quickly, with Twinkie II again holding a wild card ball. Twinkie II nearly cost herself the game by illegally sinking one of her last two balls, but Patches struck wide on her final ball to the top right and lost when Twinkie II ran out the final two. The final in the series favored Patches 5-2. Ranked #115 in 12-ball, Patches continues to the quarterfinals.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Paps. The red cue returns to action briefly for 10-ball. Eastside's Graham had the best of the run of play in game 1, and he also dominated in luck, as Pronger's Paps rattled both the 6 and the 10 out in critical situations, giving Graham a 1-0 lead build on a foundation of tap-ins. The Sharks' Graham dominated possession in game 2, but despite sinking 8, he didn't sink the two most important balls. Those fell to the Tridents' Paps, whose disturbing lack of accuracy took a minute off so that he could pot both of them and tie the series at 1. Paps took a 2-1 series lead, winning game 3 after a scratch by Graham ahead of the 9, allowing another modest two-ball run-out as Graham appears to have lost his luck late in games. Graham retied the series in game 4, an evenly-played game, with a long shot on the 10 after a miss by Paps. Neither play controlled the course of play, and accuracy was about average, but the game was very competitive. Graham made sure a three-ball run didn't go to waste in game 5, and he got his shot to prove it at the end after an errant bank attempt by Paps. Graham held true, sinking the 9 gently in the bottom side before a slight cut on the 10 to the top left to go up 3-2. Paps tied the series again at 3, winning game 6 on a well-shot four-ball run-out, getting excellent position on all of his shots to put the pressure on Graham and making his earlier accuracy doubts disappear. Paps found a highlight reel shot, cutting a 2-5 combination that he called to the bottom left, with the cue caroming to add the 9 in the top left for the spectacular double-pot. Graham answered with a kick-cut on the 3 to the bottom right off the top rail, with the 3 sitting away from the rail. Graham nearly won it when he called a hard carom off the 4 to get the 10, but the 10 stood at the jaws of the bottom left. Paps dodged two more bullets in game 7, as Graham's 6-10 and 7-10 combination attempts both went wide, with the 7 returning to the bottom right. Paps elected to shoot, and two shots later took the game. Paps, ranked #104, won the series 4-3, and will be on the road again for a quarterfinals series. Paps picked up his first kill of the season with the win. Graham found himself eliminated in the loss, the forty-seventh player out of the tournament. Graham will return to the Eastside Sharks in the next season, with a protected contract from cricket.
Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Gabe v. Diddley. The awkward homecoming for players that swapped teams for this season is now in 7-ball. The blue cue is listed as the cue for the next six series as well, but expect the silver cue to make one appearance. Infinity City's Gabe opened with a five-ball run-out in game 1, taking a 1-0 lead over Maplewood's Diddley. The Lumberjacks' Diddley did make a double-pot with the 1 going to the bottom right and the 4 going to the top-right, but the Torpedoes' Gabe took game 2 on a three-ball run-out for a 2-0 lead. Diddley made it 2-1 by making quick work of game 3, using a three-ball run-out that was capped by a light 3-7 combination to the top left for the winner. Diddley distributed well on the break in game 4, sinking the 3 in the top left, the 2 in the bottom side, and most importantly, the 7 in the top right to win the game and tie the series at 2-2. Diddley went up 3-2 in the series after Gabe couldn't extend his three-ball run in game 5 despite good positioning. Diddley made the final two balls to pull ahead. Diddley secured the series at 4-2 in game 6, making a highlight reel-worthy bank-combination 3-7 to the top right, with the 3 coming from the left rail at the perfect trajectory. If nothing else, Torpedoes' management is questioning why they let their former captain go. Gabe got game 7, dominating possession with two three-ball runs, the last being a run-out. Diddley, ranked #89 in 7-ball, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-3 series win. Diddley's win earned him his second kill with his back against the wall. Gabe is the forty-eighth player to be eliminated, and his future with the Torpedoes is not guaranteed, but he may stay on in a leadership position for a team that lacks anyone in that role.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Debby Ryan v. Dustin. From the southeast, there's Rotation to play. Southridge's Debby took a 1-0 series lead with a win in game 1, pulling ahead of Central's Dustin around the middle of the game before cruising to an 8-4 victory after the Warriors' Dustin scratched. The Defenders' Debby took a 2-0 lead in the series with another 8-4 win, running five balls early on for another hot start, and then capitalizing on many mistakes by Dustin, whose aggressive style is not translating well in this series. Dustin built up a stronger lead in game 3, but Debby rallied back to tie it and keep the game close in the late stages until she emerged with an 8-7 win to go to 3-0 in the series. Dustin continued to improve in accuracy, and with a couple missed shots from Debby, won game 4 by an 8-5 score. Dustin's game included a five-ball run to erase an early deficit, and a two-ball run-out for the win. The difference in game 5 was each player's ability to handle a cluttered break region. Debby handled it very well, while Dustin struggled to get out of snookered positions, and therefore Debby won the game 8-3 and clinched the series at 4-1. In game 6, Debby hit the highlight reel with a go-ahead double-pot, cutting the 3 sharply to the top left while blasting the 5 on a kick into the bottom side. The game as a whole was very back-and-forth, but Debby came out on top with an 8-6 win after Dustin struggled to cut the 13 in the open. Dustin took game 7 by an 8-6 score, as Debby didn't have her best stuff in this stanza, and Dustin capitalized with more accuracy. Debby won the series 5-2, and her #9 ranked Rotation bid is set to host her series in the quarterfinals. Debby picked up a revenge win that saw Dustin get eliminated as the forty-ninth player to fall out. Dustin's Central Warriors career is in no doubt, as last year's most borderline cut has made it a point to make the Everton Eagles regret their decision, and he has succeeded in that. Debby picked up her first kill while strengthening her Rookie of the Year campaign.
Intel Center, Diamond: Cassandra v. Lionel. Out east, the game shifts to 8-ball and the silver cue makes its last appearance of the day, subbing for the blue cue. Diamond's Cassandra used a three-ball run-out at the end of game 1 to take a 1-0 series lead, while Commerce's Lionel was stunned by her less-than-textbook shooting style that worked wonderfully this time. The Gems' went up 2-0 on the break in game 2, taking the 8 in the top left. Interestingly, that's the second time the silver cue has taken the 8 on the break this season, with the other two veteran cues only doing it once combined (Twinkie III, round three). The Tradewinds' Lionel bounced back from the shocking game, winning game 3 after pushing Cassandra around early, which worked to make 2-1 in the series. Lionel tied the series at 2 with a thrilling four-ball run-out in game 4, complete with a deft bank off the top rail to the bottom right on the 8 for the winning shot. Cassandra retook the series lead at 3-2 with a game 5 win, running out the last three balls with an especially impressive cut on the 8 that saw her display situational awareness with the 13 acting as the guard of the top left pocket to prevent a scratch. Cassandra proved patient in game 6, getting off to a blistering start but getting stuck on the 8. Lionel roared back with a five-ball run, and Cassandra missed on the 8 again. Lionel made a ball but scratched, and Cassandra found a contact-only play. Finally, after Lionel was down to one ball, Cassandra finished it off and won the series at 4-2 in the process. Lionel still played hard in game 7, showing off late accuracy with a three-ball run-out with perfect positioning. Cassandra won the series 4-3, even if it never seemed that close, and takes the #14 ranked 8-ball campaign into the quarterfinals.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: B. Chapman v. Shaggy. Next up is a doubleheader of 9-ball, beginning in the southwest as the blue cue returns to action. Victoria's Chapman took a quick 1-0 series lead, caroming the cue off the 2 after potting it in the top side to run it along the top rail and double-kiss the 9 into the top left for the win. The Spurs' Chapman took a 2-0 lead by dominating the course of play in game 2. Southridge's Shaggy got one attempt at the 9, but her bank was a little too narrow, and Chapman tapped in for the win on the next shot. Chapman went up 3-0, answered a four-ball run in game 3 from the Defenders' Shaggy with a four-ball run-out, including a brilliantly executed cut on the 8 that drove the cue around the table and into a straight line position on the 9 for the winning shot. Chapman's strengths in the series have been her ability to break well and her ability to control play. Shaggy got on the board to stay alive in game 4, a very tightly played and somewhat sloppy game. Shaggy capitalized on Chapman's missed bank of the 9 off the top rail to the bottom right, which was left short for a tap-in that made it 3-1 in the series. Shaggy had a bad leave for the last shot she took, working a four-ball run late that ended when she just barely contacted the 9, but the glancing shot left Chapman in position for a straight in shot that let her secure the series at 4-1. Game 6 ended with a three-ball run-out by Shaggy, sparked by Chapman's late scratch after sinking the 5, making it 4-2. Shaggy started hot in game 7, shooting four straight, although you could say four and a half after the 4 rattled out of the top side. Chapman didn't look back, running out the last five balls to win the game and take the series 5-2. Chapman, ranked #28 in 9-ball, will host her quarterfinals series. With the loss, Shaggy is the fiftieth player out of the tournament, and her future with the Southridge Defenders is in doubt. She didn't really have much of an impact either way in cricket, and her pool performance is just slightly under .500, so it will be a game of wait and see for her. Chapman earned her second kill of the season.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Sydnee v. Spice. On the other side of the highway, we have the other half of the 9-ball doubleheader to wrap up the afternoon. Royal's Sydnee struck first with a game 1 win, taking advantage of Victoria's Spice leaving the 8 short at the bottom side for a tap-in to set herself up for the 9 in the bottom left and a 1-0 lead. The Crowns' Sydnee made it 2-0 with a six-ball run in game 2 and a little bit of luck that the Spurs' Spice rattled the 9 out of the bottom left on her chance at it. Game 3 was very sloppy, but Spice got the worst of it, scratching as the cue just avoided grazing the 1, which would have prevented the favorable ball-in-hand situation Sydnee got: a 1-9 combination to the top left for a 3-0 series lead. Spice stayed alive in game 4, making a three-ball run-out with solid positioning to back up an earlier run in the game that she finally unlocked dominance and control of possession. Spice almost had game 5, working the course of play again with strong shooting, including a four-ball run, but at the end, her attempt on the 9 that Sydnee left short at the bottom left went awry, with the glancing shot off the rail spinning into the pocket for a scratch and loss, giving Sydnee the series at 4-1. Spice got one back with a game 6 win, despite Sydnee controlling play from the get-go on a double-pot of the 2 and 3 to the left corners. Sydnee did have a late scratch, with cost her the game as Spice handled the 9 from ball-in-hand easily to make it 4-2. Sydnee finally took game 7, which ended up being pretty sloppy at the end, as the 9 took a bit of chasing down. Sydnee won the series 5-2, and takes her #51 ranked 9-ball bid into the quarterfinals.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Dusty v. Panda. Down in the farmlands, there's Survival to begin the night. Southern's Panda won a sloppy game 1, with the only advantage being not losing a life on the break like Golden's Dusty did, giving the Monarchs' Panda a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 went much better, but the result of the game was essentially the same, with Panda taking the win in a second rack for a 2-0 lead after Dusty of the Pilots was stricken with accuracy issues. Dusty couldn't force a second rack in game 3, falling near the end of the first rack to give Panda a 3-0 lead in the series. Dusty had come back from the brink once, but faltered with her second chance and Panda only got stronger late in the game. Dusty again proved to be her own worst enemy, scratching to end a very sloppily played game 4 and give Panda the series at 4-0. Dusty finally got one in game 5, taking two racks to both get ahead of Panda and then push him around through mildly defensive shooting to make it a 4-1 series. Dusty continued to find new ways to lose, missing contact on all four remaining balls while on her last life in game 6, giving another game away to Panda as he achieved a 5-1 lead without a whole lot of extra effort. Panda took the series 6-1 as Dusty revisited an old way to lose, the scratch on her last life. Ranked #28, Panda will be hosting his Survival series in the quarterfinals. Dusty's loss spelled elimination for her, the fifty-first player out, as well as her team, the Golden Pilots. Just as recently as the end of the second round, the Pilots appeared set to make the playoffs, but disaster struck, culminating in this remarkable flame-out. Last season, the Pilots finished second, so this is a major fall. Dusty is protected due to cricket, as is much of the team, so expect few changes. Panda got his first kill in the win.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Noelle v. Sprinkles. Back to the red cue for the next four series, beginning with 7-ball. Central's Noelle took game 1 with a quick three-ball run-out, ending on a 5-7 combination to the top left after Capital City's Sprinkles had a jumbled shot leave the 7 near the pocket. The Warriors' Noelle followed the same script in game 2, but a ball earlier, with the three-ball run-out culminating in a perfectly positioned 4-7 combination to the top left from a modest distance. The Sharpshooters' Sprinkles got a lucky bounce in game 3, completing a three-ball run-out of her own with a kick combination that saw the 6 kick off the bottom rail and bump the 7 to the top right to make it a 2-1 series with every game having ended early so far. Noelle got away with illegal contact in game 4, as Sprinkles couldn't run out the remaining balls because she left the 9 short. Noelle tapped it in to make it a 3-1 series lead. Sprinkles shot back in game 5, answering with an early three-ball run and control of the pace of play to make it a 3-2 series after Noelle left the 7 short. Noelle avoided disaster, making a three-ball run-out in game 6 (they appear to be the theme of the evening) with excellent positioning after a Sprinkles scratch to take the series at 4-2. Noelle took what appeared to be heading for a sloppy game 7 with a deft carom off the 1 to take the 7 in the bottom side after narrowly missing it there on the break. Noelle won the series 5-2, and her #4 ranked 7-ball campaign will return to this venue in the quarterfinals to host an undetermined opponent.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Leonette. The second half of a locational doubleheader is 12-ball. Central's Twilight was well on her way to a game 1 win when Pacific's Leonette bumped in one of her stripes, giving her a wild card ball. No amount of crafty defense would be enough for the Volcanoes' Leonette, as the Warriors' Twilight worked past strategic scratches and defense to take a 1-0 series lead. Twilight tried to shoot too big in game 2, and this backfired because she had given up a wild card ball on the break. Leonette played a smaller game, taking what was given, and eventually tying the series through good shot selection. Twilight wisely used her wild card balls up by intentionally scratching to jam out Leonette's last ball but restrict her location for the next shot. It didn't work twice, as Leonette banked the 7 off the left rail to the bottom right to win and go up 2-1 in the series. Twilight got to use a wild card ball for offense in game 4, as her shots got lined up very quickly, and she took care of sinking them to retie the series at 2, as Leonette failed to get anything organized, and also fell victim to defense. Twilight made the highlight reel in game 5 with the classic bank off the left rail to the top side, which is always a highlight shot. The miracle shot was critical for her taking a 3-2 lead, as without it, Leonette was much closer to getting set up in the pivotal stanza. Game 6 appeared to be like diffusing a bomb for Twilight, as Leonette worked her way closer and closer while Twilight struggled to unlock the combination. However, Leonette triggered the switch when she potted Twilight's defensive ball, and Twilight did the rest in the side pockets to take the series at 4-2. Twilight iced the series at 5-2 after getting a wild card ball when Leonette illegally potted one of her balls and scratched her own wild card ball away, flipping the series around. Twilight then used defense and accuracy to take the game. Ranked #68 in 12-ball, Twilight continues on to host the Boston Swifts' Patches in the quarterfinals at this venue.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Sparkles. Heading south a little bit, there's Rotation. Todavía's Sparkles executed a 2-15-9 combination early in game 1, hitting the highlight reel. All the highlights in the world wouldn't have done any good for her, as Web City's Rainmane proved extremely resilient, coming back from six down to win 8-7 and take a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Rainmane didn't let herself get behind in game 2, dominating early on with a four-ball run and eventually cruising to an 8-2 win over the Stills' Sparkles for a 2-0 lead. Rainmane started a little colder in game 3, building up a marginal lead, but Sparkles was persistent until Rainmane had a four-ball run-out for an 8-3 win that extended the series lead to 3-0. Sparkles had a little too much urgency in game 4, which cost her as she missed a lot of shots and fouled frequently. Rainmane wasn't exactly sharp, but she capitalized on enough of Sparkles' mistakes to win 8-4 and take the series at 4-0. Rainmane took a 5-0 series lead with another four-ball run-out in game 5, winning that game 8-4 after some stagnation around the 9 for both players. Sparkles got on the board with a narrow 8-6 win in game 6, working from behind against Rainmane, who built a strong lead but couldn't finish this game off as the series went to 5-1. Sparkles took another won, with a much stronger opening, as she won game 7 by a score of 8-5, making the series 5-2 for Rainmane. Ranked #1 in Rotation, Rainmane will host another series in this bracket at this venue. Sparkles' loss meant she was eliminated from the tournament as the fifty-second player ousted. Sparkles has had a bit of a rough season so far, but the Todavía Stills are the prime example of players filling their role and they have had a lot of success in such a system, so they may be reluctant to change personnel just yet. Rainmane got her first kill with the win.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Snowball v. Chicky Phil. Finally, the last series of the day comes from the center of the map in Survival. Once Westside's Chicky Phil got a piece of the lead in game 1, he didn't let go, inducing three straight misses by Swordpoint's Snowball to take a 1-0 series lead in one rack. Snowball of the Blades made an impressive 12-8-13 combination in the second rack of game 2, and it served her well because she would have lost without it instead of winning at the start of the third rack with a life left when Chicky Phil missed. The series is tied at 1. The Rockers' Chicky Phil fell fast in game 3, making maybe one shot as Snowball pulled to a 2-1 series lead in very little time. Chicky Phil worked well with his last life on the line, pushing Snowball by making two long distance shots, which Snowball failed to answer, taking the loss in game 4. The series moved to a 2-2 tie. Chicky Phil tried playing carefully in game 5, but that careful streak bit him in rack two, as his shot on the 15 with one life left ended up hanging on the bottom left pocket, but it wouldn't fall, giving Snowball a 3-2 series lead. Snowball ended up securing the series in game 6, as everything fell apart at once for both players, going from healthy totals to small very quickly. Chicky Phil ended up chipping his last shot to take the loss. Snowball took a lazily-played game 7 quite easily for a 5-2 series win. Ranked #27 in Survival, Snowball will continue on into the quarterfinals.
Just like that, 98 games down for the fourth round. I'm anticipating the end of the fourth round to be around next Wednesday or Thursday, and then we get into the rounds with actual names. I'll be back tomorrow for probably about 50-60 games, but not as much as today by any means.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Lionel. The first series is in 15-ball from the northeast. Commerce's Lionel began with a three-ball run-out in game 1, capitalizing on a miss on the 12 by Central's Dustin to take a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin tied it at 1 in game 2, converting a 13-15 combination with the 15 banking off the bottom rail to get to the top left at the end, a highlight-reel finish to a competitive game. The Tradewinds' Lionel pulled out to a 2-1 lead despite struggling thoroughly late in game 3. The struggles began with Lionel's semi-successful jump over the 10 that sank the 8 but also scratched once the spin took over. Dustin made four of the next five balls, but a miss on the 15 gave Lionel the finishing shot. Lionel moved to a 3-1 lead in the series with a two-ball run-out to answer a late five-ball run by Dustin that missed on the 14 and ultimately fell short of the mark. Lionel secured the series at 4-1 with a 6-7-15 combination to end game 5 that saw the 6 kick off the left rail, caroming the 7 into the 15, which fell in the bottom side for the winning shot to make the highlight reel again. Dustin got one back in game 6, scoring a two-ball run-out after Lionel's miss. The token highlight was Dustin's double-pot with a 10-13 combination to the top left and a carom to take the 14 at the top side. Dustin dominated possession in game 7, including a late four-ball run full of brilliant positioning, but it didn't do any good when he missed the 15. Lionel tapped it in, taking the series 5-2 with the final victory. Ranked #62 in 15-ball, Lionel will host his series in the quarterfinals.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Princess v. Dusky. The leading MVP candidate brings us to the southwest as she looks to bounce back with 12-ball. Tysini's Princess showed her resilience in game 1, falling behind early but using positioning and strategy to get around Archtown's Dusky in the end for a 1-0 series lead. The Arrows' Dusky evened the series in game 2, tying it at 1 with a lot of patience as the Hummingbirds' Princess employed strategic scratches and other crafty techniques to disrupt Dusky's angles, which worked for a bit but did not last as a sustainable plan. Dusky went up 2-1 after a sloppy game 3, filled with bad misses and each player taking a wild card ball but failing to really have a plan for it. Dusky ended up with the win as Princess got her positioning messed up on her last ball, and it took too long to set up, allowing Dusky to make her final two with the wild card ball in her pocket. Dusky charged out to another lead in game 4, making a lot of shots early while Princess struggled to break her shots up. Princess rallied back, but just as she got position on the 5 to the bottom side, Dusky banked the 11 into the top side, taking the game and a 3-1 series lead. Princess shot back in a fast-paced game 5, taking the sides first while Dusky worked left to right, and eventually getting down to just the 5. Dusky missed a bank on the 15 to the top right, but it was close enough that Princess needed contact. She went all-in on the shot, kicking off the bottom rail with spin just enough to cut the 5 to the top left and make it a 3-2 series. Princess tied the series with a very lopsided win in game 6. Princess had all the bottom pockets done after her first turn, and took the top side on her second turn with ball-in-hand after Dusky had no balls down and scratched. Princess then worked positioning, surrendering the 3 as a wild card ball to Dusky to clear her final pocket, the top right, which she took on the next turn after Dusky's late run fell short. The series became tied at 3. Dusky made a big mistake in game 7, scratching and surrendering a wild card ball on the same turn, which set Princess up for a three-ball run-out and a 4-3 series win, which she earned by completing the finish. Ranked #71, Princess survived the close call in this series to advance into the quarterfinals. With the loss, Dusky is the forty-sixth player to be eliminated and the first to fall in the fourth round. Dusky will return to the Archtown Arrows next season after a very good cricket performance. Princess recorded her league-leading third kill of the season in the win.
Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Patches. On the other half of a 12-ball doubleheader, the silver cue makes an early appearance for the red cue. Boston's Patches took a 1-0 series lead with a game 1 win, getting a wild card ball from Harrison's Twinkie II on her first turn and using it as leverage throughout with strong accuracy. The Specters' Twinkie II shot herself in the foot by missing contact late in the game, giving Patches of the Swifts all she needed to make her last two shots. Patches again had a wild card ball in game 2, and it again served her well as she got positioned efficiently and took only a handful of turns to go up 2-0, while frustrating Twinkie II with inconvenient leaves. Twinkie II blew it in game 3, even with a wild card ball, as Patches showed off her accuracy and was in the process of setting up her final shot. Twinkie II thought the leave on the 9 would be convenient to carom in her 4, but the bank attempt she had for that ended up striking the wrong side of the 9, and when it went down, Patches took a 3-0 series lead. Patches clinched the series at 4-0 with a tightly played, strategic game 4, with Twinkie II very nearly defending Patches to the end. The one mistake Twinkie II made was shooting hard on her last ball when she should have jockeyed for position. Patches had three- and two-ball runs in game 5, which helped quite a bit with pace in a quick game that she won to go up 5-0 through excellent execution. Twinkie II took two turns in game 6, with a wild card ball helping her out. She had a three-ball run, which ended with a good set up to the final two pockets. Patches, while also playing strong with a three-ball run, did not have time to set the rest of her shots up. Game 7 also went quickly, with Twinkie II again holding a wild card ball. Twinkie II nearly cost herself the game by illegally sinking one of her last two balls, but Patches struck wide on her final ball to the top right and lost when Twinkie II ran out the final two. The final in the series favored Patches 5-2. Ranked #115 in 12-ball, Patches continues to the quarterfinals.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Paps. The red cue returns to action briefly for 10-ball. Eastside's Graham had the best of the run of play in game 1, and he also dominated in luck, as Pronger's Paps rattled both the 6 and the 10 out in critical situations, giving Graham a 1-0 lead build on a foundation of tap-ins. The Sharks' Graham dominated possession in game 2, but despite sinking 8, he didn't sink the two most important balls. Those fell to the Tridents' Paps, whose disturbing lack of accuracy took a minute off so that he could pot both of them and tie the series at 1. Paps took a 2-1 series lead, winning game 3 after a scratch by Graham ahead of the 9, allowing another modest two-ball run-out as Graham appears to have lost his luck late in games. Graham retied the series in game 4, an evenly-played game, with a long shot on the 10 after a miss by Paps. Neither play controlled the course of play, and accuracy was about average, but the game was very competitive. Graham made sure a three-ball run didn't go to waste in game 5, and he got his shot to prove it at the end after an errant bank attempt by Paps. Graham held true, sinking the 9 gently in the bottom side before a slight cut on the 10 to the top left to go up 3-2. Paps tied the series again at 3, winning game 6 on a well-shot four-ball run-out, getting excellent position on all of his shots to put the pressure on Graham and making his earlier accuracy doubts disappear. Paps found a highlight reel shot, cutting a 2-5 combination that he called to the bottom left, with the cue caroming to add the 9 in the top left for the spectacular double-pot. Graham answered with a kick-cut on the 3 to the bottom right off the top rail, with the 3 sitting away from the rail. Graham nearly won it when he called a hard carom off the 4 to get the 10, but the 10 stood at the jaws of the bottom left. Paps dodged two more bullets in game 7, as Graham's 6-10 and 7-10 combination attempts both went wide, with the 7 returning to the bottom right. Paps elected to shoot, and two shots later took the game. Paps, ranked #104, won the series 4-3, and will be on the road again for a quarterfinals series. Paps picked up his first kill of the season with the win. Graham found himself eliminated in the loss, the forty-seventh player out of the tournament. Graham will return to the Eastside Sharks in the next season, with a protected contract from cricket.
Nissan Hall, Infinity City: Gabe v. Diddley. The awkward homecoming for players that swapped teams for this season is now in 7-ball. The blue cue is listed as the cue for the next six series as well, but expect the silver cue to make one appearance. Infinity City's Gabe opened with a five-ball run-out in game 1, taking a 1-0 lead over Maplewood's Diddley. The Lumberjacks' Diddley did make a double-pot with the 1 going to the bottom right and the 4 going to the top-right, but the Torpedoes' Gabe took game 2 on a three-ball run-out for a 2-0 lead. Diddley made it 2-1 by making quick work of game 3, using a three-ball run-out that was capped by a light 3-7 combination to the top left for the winner. Diddley distributed well on the break in game 4, sinking the 3 in the top left, the 2 in the bottom side, and most importantly, the 7 in the top right to win the game and tie the series at 2-2. Diddley went up 3-2 in the series after Gabe couldn't extend his three-ball run in game 5 despite good positioning. Diddley made the final two balls to pull ahead. Diddley secured the series at 4-2 in game 6, making a highlight reel-worthy bank-combination 3-7 to the top right, with the 3 coming from the left rail at the perfect trajectory. If nothing else, Torpedoes' management is questioning why they let their former captain go. Gabe got game 7, dominating possession with two three-ball runs, the last being a run-out. Diddley, ranked #89 in 7-ball, advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-3 series win. Diddley's win earned him his second kill with his back against the wall. Gabe is the forty-eighth player to be eliminated, and his future with the Torpedoes is not guaranteed, but he may stay on in a leadership position for a team that lacks anyone in that role.
GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Debby Ryan v. Dustin. From the southeast, there's Rotation to play. Southridge's Debby took a 1-0 series lead with a win in game 1, pulling ahead of Central's Dustin around the middle of the game before cruising to an 8-4 victory after the Warriors' Dustin scratched. The Defenders' Debby took a 2-0 lead in the series with another 8-4 win, running five balls early on for another hot start, and then capitalizing on many mistakes by Dustin, whose aggressive style is not translating well in this series. Dustin built up a stronger lead in game 3, but Debby rallied back to tie it and keep the game close in the late stages until she emerged with an 8-7 win to go to 3-0 in the series. Dustin continued to improve in accuracy, and with a couple missed shots from Debby, won game 4 by an 8-5 score. Dustin's game included a five-ball run to erase an early deficit, and a two-ball run-out for the win. The difference in game 5 was each player's ability to handle a cluttered break region. Debby handled it very well, while Dustin struggled to get out of snookered positions, and therefore Debby won the game 8-3 and clinched the series at 4-1. In game 6, Debby hit the highlight reel with a go-ahead double-pot, cutting the 3 sharply to the top left while blasting the 5 on a kick into the bottom side. The game as a whole was very back-and-forth, but Debby came out on top with an 8-6 win after Dustin struggled to cut the 13 in the open. Dustin took game 7 by an 8-6 score, as Debby didn't have her best stuff in this stanza, and Dustin capitalized with more accuracy. Debby won the series 5-2, and her #9 ranked Rotation bid is set to host her series in the quarterfinals. Debby picked up a revenge win that saw Dustin get eliminated as the forty-ninth player to fall out. Dustin's Central Warriors career is in no doubt, as last year's most borderline cut has made it a point to make the Everton Eagles regret their decision, and he has succeeded in that. Debby picked up her first kill while strengthening her Rookie of the Year campaign.
Intel Center, Diamond: Cassandra v. Lionel. Out east, the game shifts to 8-ball and the silver cue makes its last appearance of the day, subbing for the blue cue. Diamond's Cassandra used a three-ball run-out at the end of game 1 to take a 1-0 series lead, while Commerce's Lionel was stunned by her less-than-textbook shooting style that worked wonderfully this time. The Gems' went up 2-0 on the break in game 2, taking the 8 in the top left. Interestingly, that's the second time the silver cue has taken the 8 on the break this season, with the other two veteran cues only doing it once combined (Twinkie III, round three). The Tradewinds' Lionel bounced back from the shocking game, winning game 3 after pushing Cassandra around early, which worked to make 2-1 in the series. Lionel tied the series at 2 with a thrilling four-ball run-out in game 4, complete with a deft bank off the top rail to the bottom right on the 8 for the winning shot. Cassandra retook the series lead at 3-2 with a game 5 win, running out the last three balls with an especially impressive cut on the 8 that saw her display situational awareness with the 13 acting as the guard of the top left pocket to prevent a scratch. Cassandra proved patient in game 6, getting off to a blistering start but getting stuck on the 8. Lionel roared back with a five-ball run, and Cassandra missed on the 8 again. Lionel made a ball but scratched, and Cassandra found a contact-only play. Finally, after Lionel was down to one ball, Cassandra finished it off and won the series at 4-2 in the process. Lionel still played hard in game 7, showing off late accuracy with a three-ball run-out with perfect positioning. Cassandra won the series 4-3, even if it never seemed that close, and takes the #14 ranked 8-ball campaign into the quarterfinals.
Lay's Field Events Center, Victoria: B. Chapman v. Shaggy. Next up is a doubleheader of 9-ball, beginning in the southwest as the blue cue returns to action. Victoria's Chapman took a quick 1-0 series lead, caroming the cue off the 2 after potting it in the top side to run it along the top rail and double-kiss the 9 into the top left for the win. The Spurs' Chapman took a 2-0 lead by dominating the course of play in game 2. Southridge's Shaggy got one attempt at the 9, but her bank was a little too narrow, and Chapman tapped in for the win on the next shot. Chapman went up 3-0, answered a four-ball run in game 3 from the Defenders' Shaggy with a four-ball run-out, including a brilliantly executed cut on the 8 that drove the cue around the table and into a straight line position on the 9 for the winning shot. Chapman's strengths in the series have been her ability to break well and her ability to control play. Shaggy got on the board to stay alive in game 4, a very tightly played and somewhat sloppy game. Shaggy capitalized on Chapman's missed bank of the 9 off the top rail to the bottom right, which was left short for a tap-in that made it 3-1 in the series. Shaggy had a bad leave for the last shot she took, working a four-ball run late that ended when she just barely contacted the 9, but the glancing shot left Chapman in position for a straight in shot that let her secure the series at 4-1. Game 6 ended with a three-ball run-out by Shaggy, sparked by Chapman's late scratch after sinking the 5, making it 4-2. Shaggy started hot in game 7, shooting four straight, although you could say four and a half after the 4 rattled out of the top side. Chapman didn't look back, running out the last five balls to win the game and take the series 5-2. Chapman, ranked #28 in 9-ball, will host her quarterfinals series. With the loss, Shaggy is the fiftieth player out of the tournament, and her future with the Southridge Defenders is in doubt. She didn't really have much of an impact either way in cricket, and her pool performance is just slightly under .500, so it will be a game of wait and see for her. Chapman earned her second kill of the season.
Kraft Forum, Royal: Sydnee v. Spice. On the other side of the highway, we have the other half of the 9-ball doubleheader to wrap up the afternoon. Royal's Sydnee struck first with a game 1 win, taking advantage of Victoria's Spice leaving the 8 short at the bottom side for a tap-in to set herself up for the 9 in the bottom left and a 1-0 lead. The Crowns' Sydnee made it 2-0 with a six-ball run in game 2 and a little bit of luck that the Spurs' Spice rattled the 9 out of the bottom left on her chance at it. Game 3 was very sloppy, but Spice got the worst of it, scratching as the cue just avoided grazing the 1, which would have prevented the favorable ball-in-hand situation Sydnee got: a 1-9 combination to the top left for a 3-0 series lead. Spice stayed alive in game 4, making a three-ball run-out with solid positioning to back up an earlier run in the game that she finally unlocked dominance and control of possession. Spice almost had game 5, working the course of play again with strong shooting, including a four-ball run, but at the end, her attempt on the 9 that Sydnee left short at the bottom left went awry, with the glancing shot off the rail spinning into the pocket for a scratch and loss, giving Sydnee the series at 4-1. Spice got one back with a game 6 win, despite Sydnee controlling play from the get-go on a double-pot of the 2 and 3 to the left corners. Sydnee did have a late scratch, with cost her the game as Spice handled the 9 from ball-in-hand easily to make it 4-2. Sydnee finally took game 7, which ended up being pretty sloppy at the end, as the 9 took a bit of chasing down. Sydnee won the series 5-2, and takes her #51 ranked 9-ball bid into the quarterfinals.
Amazon Field Exhibition Hall, Golden: Dusty v. Panda. Down in the farmlands, there's Survival to begin the night. Southern's Panda won a sloppy game 1, with the only advantage being not losing a life on the break like Golden's Dusty did, giving the Monarchs' Panda a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 went much better, but the result of the game was essentially the same, with Panda taking the win in a second rack for a 2-0 lead after Dusty of the Pilots was stricken with accuracy issues. Dusty couldn't force a second rack in game 3, falling near the end of the first rack to give Panda a 3-0 lead in the series. Dusty had come back from the brink once, but faltered with her second chance and Panda only got stronger late in the game. Dusty again proved to be her own worst enemy, scratching to end a very sloppily played game 4 and give Panda the series at 4-0. Dusty finally got one in game 5, taking two racks to both get ahead of Panda and then push him around through mildly defensive shooting to make it a 4-1 series. Dusty continued to find new ways to lose, missing contact on all four remaining balls while on her last life in game 6, giving another game away to Panda as he achieved a 5-1 lead without a whole lot of extra effort. Panda took the series 6-1 as Dusty revisited an old way to lose, the scratch on her last life. Ranked #28, Panda will be hosting his Survival series in the quarterfinals. Dusty's loss spelled elimination for her, the fifty-first player out, as well as her team, the Golden Pilots. Just as recently as the end of the second round, the Pilots appeared set to make the playoffs, but disaster struck, culminating in this remarkable flame-out. Last season, the Pilots finished second, so this is a major fall. Dusty is protected due to cricket, as is much of the team, so expect few changes. Panda got his first kill in the win.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Noelle v. Sprinkles. Back to the red cue for the next four series, beginning with 7-ball. Central's Noelle took game 1 with a quick three-ball run-out, ending on a 5-7 combination to the top left after Capital City's Sprinkles had a jumbled shot leave the 7 near the pocket. The Warriors' Noelle followed the same script in game 2, but a ball earlier, with the three-ball run-out culminating in a perfectly positioned 4-7 combination to the top left from a modest distance. The Sharpshooters' Sprinkles got a lucky bounce in game 3, completing a three-ball run-out of her own with a kick combination that saw the 6 kick off the bottom rail and bump the 7 to the top right to make it a 2-1 series with every game having ended early so far. Noelle got away with illegal contact in game 4, as Sprinkles couldn't run out the remaining balls because she left the 9 short. Noelle tapped it in to make it a 3-1 series lead. Sprinkles shot back in game 5, answering with an early three-ball run and control of the pace of play to make it a 3-2 series after Noelle left the 7 short. Noelle avoided disaster, making a three-ball run-out in game 6 (they appear to be the theme of the evening) with excellent positioning after a Sprinkles scratch to take the series at 4-2. Noelle took what appeared to be heading for a sloppy game 7 with a deft carom off the 1 to take the 7 in the bottom side after narrowly missing it there on the break. Noelle won the series 5-2, and her #4 ranked 7-ball campaign will return to this venue in the quarterfinals to host an undetermined opponent.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Twilight v. Leonette. The second half of a locational doubleheader is 12-ball. Central's Twilight was well on her way to a game 1 win when Pacific's Leonette bumped in one of her stripes, giving her a wild card ball. No amount of crafty defense would be enough for the Volcanoes' Leonette, as the Warriors' Twilight worked past strategic scratches and defense to take a 1-0 series lead. Twilight tried to shoot too big in game 2, and this backfired because she had given up a wild card ball on the break. Leonette played a smaller game, taking what was given, and eventually tying the series through good shot selection. Twilight wisely used her wild card balls up by intentionally scratching to jam out Leonette's last ball but restrict her location for the next shot. It didn't work twice, as Leonette banked the 7 off the left rail to the bottom right to win and go up 2-1 in the series. Twilight got to use a wild card ball for offense in game 4, as her shots got lined up very quickly, and she took care of sinking them to retie the series at 2, as Leonette failed to get anything organized, and also fell victim to defense. Twilight made the highlight reel in game 5 with the classic bank off the left rail to the top side, which is always a highlight shot. The miracle shot was critical for her taking a 3-2 lead, as without it, Leonette was much closer to getting set up in the pivotal stanza. Game 6 appeared to be like diffusing a bomb for Twilight, as Leonette worked her way closer and closer while Twilight struggled to unlock the combination. However, Leonette triggered the switch when she potted Twilight's defensive ball, and Twilight did the rest in the side pockets to take the series at 4-2. Twilight iced the series at 5-2 after getting a wild card ball when Leonette illegally potted one of her balls and scratched her own wild card ball away, flipping the series around. Twilight then used defense and accuracy to take the game. Ranked #68 in 12-ball, Twilight continues on to host the Boston Swifts' Patches in the quarterfinals at this venue.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Sparkles. Heading south a little bit, there's Rotation. Todavía's Sparkles executed a 2-15-9 combination early in game 1, hitting the highlight reel. All the highlights in the world wouldn't have done any good for her, as Web City's Rainmane proved extremely resilient, coming back from six down to win 8-7 and take a 1-0 series lead. The Spiders' Rainmane didn't let herself get behind in game 2, dominating early on with a four-ball run and eventually cruising to an 8-2 win over the Stills' Sparkles for a 2-0 lead. Rainmane started a little colder in game 3, building up a marginal lead, but Sparkles was persistent until Rainmane had a four-ball run-out for an 8-3 win that extended the series lead to 3-0. Sparkles had a little too much urgency in game 4, which cost her as she missed a lot of shots and fouled frequently. Rainmane wasn't exactly sharp, but she capitalized on enough of Sparkles' mistakes to win 8-4 and take the series at 4-0. Rainmane took a 5-0 series lead with another four-ball run-out in game 5, winning that game 8-4 after some stagnation around the 9 for both players. Sparkles got on the board with a narrow 8-6 win in game 6, working from behind against Rainmane, who built a strong lead but couldn't finish this game off as the series went to 5-1. Sparkles took another won, with a much stronger opening, as she won game 7 by a score of 8-5, making the series 5-2 for Rainmane. Ranked #1 in Rotation, Rainmane will host another series in this bracket at this venue. Sparkles' loss meant she was eliminated from the tournament as the fifty-second player ousted. Sparkles has had a bit of a rough season so far, but the Todavía Stills are the prime example of players filling their role and they have had a lot of success in such a system, so they may be reluctant to change personnel just yet. Rainmane got her first kill with the win.
Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Snowball v. Chicky Phil. Finally, the last series of the day comes from the center of the map in Survival. Once Westside's Chicky Phil got a piece of the lead in game 1, he didn't let go, inducing three straight misses by Swordpoint's Snowball to take a 1-0 series lead in one rack. Snowball of the Blades made an impressive 12-8-13 combination in the second rack of game 2, and it served her well because she would have lost without it instead of winning at the start of the third rack with a life left when Chicky Phil missed. The series is tied at 1. The Rockers' Chicky Phil fell fast in game 3, making maybe one shot as Snowball pulled to a 2-1 series lead in very little time. Chicky Phil worked well with his last life on the line, pushing Snowball by making two long distance shots, which Snowball failed to answer, taking the loss in game 4. The series moved to a 2-2 tie. Chicky Phil tried playing carefully in game 5, but that careful streak bit him in rack two, as his shot on the 15 with one life left ended up hanging on the bottom left pocket, but it wouldn't fall, giving Snowball a 3-2 series lead. Snowball ended up securing the series in game 6, as everything fell apart at once for both players, going from healthy totals to small very quickly. Chicky Phil ended up chipping his last shot to take the loss. Snowball took a lazily-played game 7 quite easily for a 5-2 series win. Ranked #27 in Survival, Snowball will continue on into the quarterfinals.
Just like that, 98 games down for the fourth round. I'm anticipating the end of the fourth round to be around next Wednesday or Thursday, and then we get into the rounds with actual names. I'll be back tomorrow for probably about 50-60 games, but not as much as today by any means.
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