UPCL Cricket: Playoffs First Round - Day 2

Here's the game 2s for the league's playoffs. We begin from...

Nike Field, Commerce: The Tradewinds head into this game with a 1-0 series lead. Delila did much better this time, putting up 328 for Atlantic at the start. Tigerette fired back with 408 for Commerce, giving them the initial lead by a small margin. Amber fired back with 513 for the Pirates, keeping this game competitive. Ice Cream had only 240 for the Tradewinds, failing to cover the deficit at the halfway mark of the game. Americus flicked 341 for Atlantic on her turn, extending their lead a little bit. Lionel had a meager 73 for Commerce, as they have not played well from behind in this game. Dominic's 304 did well to give the Pirates 1486 overall, a total that just might win. Lorde's 144 gave the Tradewinds a sad final of 865, taking the loss. The series is tied at 1.

Chevrolet Field, Everton: On the other side of the bracket, the Eagles look to build upon their 1-0 series lead. Misty didn't have an easy time for Westside, getting overwhelmed from the offerings, and scoring only 56. Goldy did well with 506 for Everton, establishing a nice lead for the hosts. Goatee got some back with 199 for the Rockers, but they are still far behind. Puff III didn't dazzle, hitting a modest 273 for the Eagles as they lead halfway through the game. Midnight churned out 551 for Westside, narrowly covering the deficit to make things interesting. Cleo posted 425 for Everton, keeping them ahead as the final players come to bat. Chicky Phil managed 252 for the Rockers, but they took the loss on 1058. Blizzard took 376 for the Eagles, putting their final at 1580 in the win. Everton leads the series 2-0 as they head on the road westbound.

Cisco Tysini Field, Tysini: The Hummingbirds look to really push the defending champions. Central didn't get off to a great start, as Twilight scored 144 with good pace but no longevity, a fragile opener from the captain. Princess belted 1015 for Tysini in a huge performance, giving them a very strong early lead. Dustin made a noticeable dent in the lead with 379 for the Warriors, but they still face a steep climb. Leandra scooped up 420 for the Hummingbirds to cover that second wave of damage. Noelle kept Central hanging on with her 456, and a comeback isn't impossible at this point. Charli faltered a bit with 162 for Tysini, but their lead is still large late in the game. Gizmo made that rally with 714 for the Warriors, putting them at 1693 and forcing a response from the hosts. Bright obliged with 447 for the Hummingbirds, securing their win at 2044. The Hummingbirds will leave home with a 2-0 series lead.

Blades Fusion ProGlife Park, Swordpoint: The Surfers pulled off a game 1 upset, and they'd love to continue their good fortune here. Watermelon staggered at the start for Pearl, hitting just 217 on her opening turn. Snowball answered with 336 for Swordpoint, giving them the initial lead. Neopolitan got called for a 50% penalty due to a false start, and then floundered to 25 points as the Surfers are now in danger. Dreamy lined 607 for the Blades, extending their lead quite well. Wings couldn't make any progress with only 67 for Pearl, and they seem doomed to lose this game. Shawn may have left the door open a bit with his 138 for Swordpoint, shaking the lead a bit. Cowzart saw an unfortunate deflection end his turn at 84, giving the Surfers 393 in a brutal loss. Stealth tacked on 335 to give the Blades a win with 1416. Swordpoint tied the series at 1 as the action shifts to Honda Driftwood Coliseum for the next two games.

Audi Knights Pitch, Terrace City: The Cascades toppled the newer expansion franchise in the first game. Jasmine issued a stern warning with 688 for Freedom, establishing their offense very early in the game. Kiwi failed with 106 for Terrace City, making it a large deficit for the hosts to face. Stinky was betrayed by his backhand when things got cluttered, and he ended at 141 for the Cascades. Jennifer failed to capitalize with a meager 120 for the Knights. Roxy didn't break out for Freedom either, falling at 152 as they are far from safety. Oreo made a dent in the deficit with her 376 for Terrace City, but they have a lot of work left to do. Nikolai matched that with 376 for the Cascades, bringing them to a final of 1357, the established level to be reached by the hosts. Stripes failed to hit the mark, producing just 112 as the Knights lose with 714. Freedom surprisingly heads home ahead 2-0 in the series.

Amazon Field, Golden: The Volcanoes currently lead the series 1-0, but these promise to be close games. Starlight managed a meager 180 for Pacific at the start of the game. Valencia answered with 481 for Golden, giving them a noticeable lead early on. Ms. Kitty couldn't make the comeback, hitting only 63 for the Volcanoes as the deficit grows. Dusty did pretty well with 352 for the Pilots, extending their lead nicely at the halfway mark. Jack tried a quick rally for Pacific, but bowed out at 297, and they remain significantly behind. Strut struggled again, hitting a pathetic 12 for Golden as their lead once again goes unstable late in the game. Leonette stepped up with 487 for the Volcanoes, bringing their total to 1027 overall, which will force a response from the hosts. A. Charlton picked up 456 for the Pilots, meeting the challenge as they won with 1301. The series will head to the coast tied at 1.

Nissan Infinity Stadium, Infinity: The Prestige got the upper hand in game 1, but the Torpedoes are still a hot team. Acorn didn't do well to lead off game 2, hitting a poor 171 for Lighton, and they'll start off slow. Smudge didn't dazzle the fans either, giving Infinity a small lead with her 217 to begin. Spirit's 405 proved to be a much stronger second effort for the Prestige as they establish a standard lead. Shelley couldn't settle a bouncing ball on her backhand, ending with 176 for the Torpedoes, who are now trailing at the halfway mark. Twinkie I clobbered 791 for Lighton on her turn, boosting their quite a bit. Gabe plucked 337 for Infinity in a solid effort, but they're still far behind. Lydia suffered a 50% penalty for the Prestige, and hardly got going anyway, posting a sorry 6 points to give the visitors 1373 overall. Whiskers tried to rally, but got taken out with 368 for the Torpedoes, and they lost with 1098. Lighton leads the series 2-0, and they're heading home with the hopes of closing it out.

Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The game 2s end with the Swifts looking to build on their first win against the Waves. Snuggle led off with 368 for Oceanside, a reasonable start for the captain. Patches put Boston ahead with 535, not as good as her last performance but a strong one nonetheless. Bells did cover the deficit with her 196 for the Waves, but not by a large margin. Puff II added a bit to the Swifts lead, scoring 292 to cover the second wave of damage from the visitors. Alyssa failed to catch up, hitting only 63 for Oceanside in a poor showing. Gradley did enough with 200 for Boston to build their lead up to a nice level ahead of the final players' turns. Pounce was doing well until a ball came back at him, and he sent it too high, ending his turn at 256 and giving the Waves a losing total of 883. Sweetheart kept it simple with 28 to give the Swifts 1055 in the win. Boston is ahead 2-0 in the series as they leave for the coast.

Starting with the next batch of games, we'll have action from the lesser seeds' venues for games 3 and 4.

Pool: 2016 A-level Second Round - Day 12

Today may feature a shortened schedule due to podcast obligations. We begin the day as any other with afternoon games, the first series from...

Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Dreamy. The red cue steps up for a series of 8-ball to get us going. Swordpoint's Dreamy had a four-ball run in game 1, pulling ahead of Royal's Marsell mid-game and holding on to the end after he couldn't cut the 4 into the top side, allowing Dreamy to pot the 8 for a win and a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 saw poor efforts on both sides, but the Blades' Dreamy won after a failed kick from the Crowns' Marsell keyed her four-ball run-out, including a follow shot that double-potted the 10 and 12 at the top right to pace her to a 2-0 lead in the series. Marsell saved his season with a nice run in game 3, keeping pace with a much-improved Dreamy. At the end, Dreamy had a late miss, allowing Marsell to pound the 6 to the bottom left and gain position to take the 8 in the top right, winning to make it 2-1 in the series. Marsell took what was an even game 4 and brought it to a quick end, running out the final five balls himself to surge toward a victory with good positioning, and this tied the series at 2 as well. Dreamy had a five-ball run to put the pressure on Marsell in game 5, but he shot back with a five-ball run of his own that ended with him potting Dreamy's last ball. She took advantage, striking the 8 to the bottom left to win the game and take the series 3-2. Ranked #95 in 8-ball, Dreamy will next play at Verizon Field Events Center against the Volcanoes' Starlight in the third round.

Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Sally v. Citrus. The blue cue will be at the table for awhile, playing 12-ball here. Archtown's Sally was doing fine until Diamond's Citrus gave her a wild card ball, as Citrus applied defense and kept Sally out of position long enough to make her last two shots and steal a win for a 1-0 series lead for the visitor. The Gems' Citrus gave up a wild card ball on the break in game 2, and again successfully negotiated it, quickly depositing her side while the Arrows' Sally was stuck trying to use break-up shots, allowing Citrus an easy path to a 2-0 series lead. Sally had a brilliant shot to cap her four-ball run, bank-jumping off the bottom rail for the 1-2 combination in the bottom side. The only problem was that Citrus had solids, and the play resulted in a wild card ball for Citrus, plus ball-in-hand, late in game 3. Citrus later gave the wild card ball up after a scratch, and Sally got positioned and finished the game, winning to make it 2-1 for Citrus in the series. Citrus didn't waste the gift Sally gave her in game 4, as another wild card ball late in the game allowed Citrus to pick which left corner to put the 13 in, and while Sally made a nice three-ball run to put the pressure on, her defense failed, with Citrus winning and taking the series 3-1. Citrus won a frenetic game 5 after running three balls and giving up a wild card ball on the break, only to see Sally pull off a four-ball run and a good set-up shot. Citrus did enough to set herself up and defend, and it worked, allowing her to make the last two shots from ball-in-hand to win the game and the series 4-1. Ranked #67 in 12-ball, Citrus heads to Oceanside's AT&T Hall to face the Waves' Pounce in the third round.

Intel Center, Diamond: Citrus v. Spirit. The blue cue travels home with Citrus for a Rotation series in the Eastern Hills. Diamond's Citrus scored the first two on the break, but Lighton's Spirit took it from there, scoring two pairs and then a four-ball run-out in an 8-2 win to take an early 1-0 series lead in dominant form. The Gems' Citrus kept pace early in game 2 with the Prestige's Spirit, neither holding much of a lead until the end, where Citrus pulled away to win 8-5 on a bank of the 13 to the top left that tied the series at 1. Spirit looked to adopt a hesitant approach in game 3, and it backfired, as Citrus' chaotic shooting produced a lot of lucky makes, allowing her to rally to an 8-1 win and pull ahead 2-1 in the series as well with the good fortune. Spirit pushed Citrus pretty hard in game 4, but Citrus pushed back with a go-ahead three-ball run, sinking the 9-13-10 combination double-pot in the bottom right before taking the 9 cleanly, and then shooting the 14 from ball-in-hand after Spirit scratched to claim an 8-6 win and 3-1 series lead. Citrus looked to try the same tactic in game 5, but Spirit shut it down before Citrus could really get on a run in the balanced game. Spirit won 8-5, but lost the series 3-2. Ranked #13 in Rotation, Citrus advances into the third round after a thrilling set of games.

Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Kavan. Two very good players tangle in 10-ball with the blue cue here. Boston's Puff II had the slight edge in game 1 over Victoria's Kavan, and this showed when she got the chance to cut the 9 into the top right and then bury the 10 for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Kavan had a nice three-ball run in game 2, but he left the 4-10 combination lined up just nicely enough for the Swifts' Puff II to pot it in the top right, giving her a 2-0 series lead with the opportunistic shot. Kavan had a breath of life, needing just one shot in game 3 to carom the 1 off the 9-10 cluster to the top right, which sent the 10 to the bottom right in a double-pot that counted as a win, making it a 2-1 series with the highlight-reel shot. In game 4, Puff II shut him right back down, as Kavan missed the 2 and Puff II used it for a 2-10 bank combination to the top side to clinch the series at 3-1 with a perfectly executed shot. Kavan looked to be gearing up for a run in game 5, but he missed the 7 at the bottom right, and Puff II used it in a 7-10 kick combination up the right rail to the top right for the win, as she won the series 4-1. Puff II is ranked #16 in 10-ball, and will host Twinkie III of the Whitewater Shores at this venue in the third round.

AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Snuggle v. Paige. The blue cue gets this 8-ball series, which will finally resolve a typo on the written bracket documents. Queens' Paige was doing fine in game 1 until she had to shoot at the 1, which wouldn't fall legally for her, and gave Oceanside's Snuggle enough time to catch up and win for a 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Paige got derailed in a strong performance in game 2 near the end, missing the 8 narrowly, and the Waves' Snuggle cashed in to take the game and move to 2-0 in the series. Paige had to try to come back from a four-ball run that Snuggle served up in game 3, but as she rallied, she ended up illegally potting the 8, giving the series away to Snuggle as he reaches a 3-0 lead. Paige had a four-ball run to get herself back into game 4 after a strong opening surge from Snuggle, and she managed to stave him off in the end to get the win, avoiding the sweep as she cut Snuggle's series lead to 3-1. Both players had six-ball runs during game 5, but Snuggle's featured a scratch at the end, while Paige set herself up to make the 8 after Snuggle's missed contact, scoring it to get a win. Snuggle took the series 3-2, and the #44 ranked 8-ball player is set to host Puff I of the Modernistic Union in the third round.

McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Smokey. The blue cue's tour ends with 7-ball. Atlantic's Americus needed only three shots to make four balls, potting the 2 and 3 on the break, and then using a 4-7 combination to the bottom right to gain a 1-0 series lead over Eastern Hills rival Diamond's Smokey. The Pirates' Americus finally let the Gems' Smokey get a shot deep into game 2, and they battled pretty evenly from that point, with Smokey burying his second chance on the 7 after a narrow miss by both of them on their first tries. This tied the series at 1. Americus had a good four-ball run come to an end with a scratch in game 3, and Smokey took a three-ball run-out from ball-in-hand after that, gaining a 2-1 series lead with the accurate play. Americus had another four-ball run in game 4, but the ending was more muddled with misses. Smokey did eventually emerge as the winner, securing the series at 3-1 as well. Smokey had a crazy start to game 5, and while Americus challenged throughout, she couldn't steal the win, allowing Smokey to take the series 4-1. Ranked #87 in 7-ball, Smokey will be on the road for his third round series.

Chevrolet Center, Everton: Cleo v. Niki. The red cue is back on after a layoff for some 15-ball. Everton's Cleo served up a strong break and battled pretty closely with Eastside's Niki in a competitive game 1 that saw Cleo win and take a 1-0 series lead with a four-ball run-out to close the game. The Eagles' Cleo had another strong game in game 2, playing a five-ball run to add pressure for the Sharks' Niki. She nearly matched it, but after making the 14, Niki missed the 15, and Cleo tapped it in for the win to take a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 proved to be a bit more perplexing on both sides, but Niki eventually broke down the puzzle and put up a five-ball run-out after Cleo made a bit of space, making it 2-1 in the series, still favoring Cleo. Game 4 could be called nothing other than a shooting disaster, as neither player had anything resembling a good effort this time. The finale of the game came with Niki scratching on the 14, allowing Cleo the last shot to win and clinch the series at 3-1. Game 5 saw an interesting ending, where Cleo put up a five-ball run, and then the players exchanged misses before Niki did a four-ball run-out for the win. Cleo won the series 3-2, and the #63 ranked 15-ball player heads into the third round. The series was do-or-die, so Niki's loss makes her the eighteenth player eliminated this year, and Cleo's first kill of the year gives her another round to play.

Nissan Hall, Infinity: Gabe v. Ms. Puppy. The afternoon ends with the red cue up for 10-ball. Infinity's Gabe had no trouble snagging the game 1 win, working a three-ball run-out after illegal contact from Modernistic's Ms. Puppy. The final shot saw the cue deflect off the 8 to take the 10 in the bottom right, putting Gabe up 1-0 in the series. The Union's Ms. Puppy didn't handle the Torpedoes' Gabe having a poor break all that well, struggling to get any momentum. Gabe drove possession and won game 2 with a four-ball run-out to extend his series lead to 2-0. Gabe continued to be in charge during game 3, but when he made illegal contact on the 8, the 5-10 combination to the top right cleared up for Ms. Puppy to pot, making it a 2-1 series after she converted. Ms. Puppy narrowly missed on a game 4 combination attempt on the 10, but she left it vulnerable. It stayed at the bottom right until the end, where Gabe potted it for the win, sealing the series at 3-1 for himself with the victory. Gabe had no trouble in game 5 either, continuing his strong runs in possession, and taking the win for a 4-1 series win. Ranked #19 in 10-ball, Gabe advances to the third round, where he'll host Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds.

BMW RockDome, Westside: Midnight v. Precious. The red cue is up for 12-ball to lead off the night session. Pronger's Precious had no issues in taking game 1, using a pair of three-ball runs to quickly navigate the game, while Westside's Midnight barely had time to make any shots at all. Precious leads 1-0 in the series. The Tridents' Precious overcame giving a wild card ball to the Rockers' Midnight in game 2, mostly because Midnight missed contact that allowed Precious to pot two balls and set up her last shot, burying it on the next turn to make it a 2-0 series lead. Precious thought she was doing well in game 3, but Midnight came out of nowhere in the end and had one ball left, which Precious accidentally potted to give Midnight the game and cut the series to 2-1. Precious had a good start but lulled in the middle of game 4. Midnight looked set to win it when she ran four balls and set herself up for the last one, but she scratched and missed on the same shot, and Precious closed the game with a three-ball run-out to secure the series at 3-1. Game 5 saw Precious establish herself very early, and while Midnight charged back and played a bit of defense, Precious used the defending ball at the bottom left to make her last shot with a carom, making it a 4-1 series win. Ranked #83 for 12-ball, Precious advances to the third round.

Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Wings v. J. Garcia. The blue cue will wrap up its day with Accuracy. Pearl's Wings did not do well in shooting in game 1, missing a few easy shots early on that made it easier for Southridge's Garcia to pull ahead and eventually win 2-5 for a 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Garcia played very well at the start, and it proved to be just enough to stave off a stumbling Wings of the Surfers, who lost 4-5, but was far behind before Garcia started struggling late in the game. Garcia leads the series 2-0. Game 3 saw both players play perfectly for an entire rack, without a shot being missed. Garcia's luck ran out with the overtime break, and Wings shot into the cluster to get the 3 to the top right for an 0-1 win that made it a 2-1 series. Garcia didn't change her pace in game 4, playing perfectly again, and this time it counted for a win when Wings had a pair of late misses, falling 0-2, and losing any hope for the series as Garcia pulled ahead 3-1. Wings held on pretty well, matching Garcia in the early stages of game 5, but fell behind in the end as Garcia's shooting overwhelmed him in a 2-3 loss. Garcia took the series 4-1, and the #73 ranked Accuracy player travels next to Tysini's Cisco Arena to face Hummingbirds rookie Charli XCX.

Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Noelle v. Misty. The silver cue's only appearance of the day is for some 12-ball. Westside's Misty had a four-ball run over the middle of game 1, while Central's Noelle just couldn't get things set up in time, and Misty kicked the 9 into the top side to win for a 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Misty finally broke through the defensive stalemate in game 2 with a tap-in for the 5 at the bottom right, ending a standoff against the Warriors' Noelle that saw them tweak position more than attack directly. Misty leads 2-0 in the series. Misty blitzed in game 3, running five balls on her second turn and then setting things up quite nicely for her last shot, the 13, which she cut into the top side from a bad angle to clinch the series at 3-0 against Noelle, who was left shocked. Misty surrendered a wild card ball as part of a more aggressive attack in game 4, and this one cost her, as Noelle induced missed contact by Misty and used the ball-in-hand to pick the top left corner for her last shot, making it to win and move the series to 3-1. Noelle had a pretty sharp break in game 5, but it wasn't enough, as her positioning required more work than Misty allowed time for. Misty made a four-ball run-out after burying two shots very quickly, and this paced her win to give her a 4-1 series win. Misty, ranked #68 for 12-ball, will travel next to Everton's Chevrolet Center to face the Eagles' Goldy in the third round.

Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Stealth v. Cowzart. The red cue will end the day with some 15-ball. After Pearl's Cowzart missed on the 10 in game 1, Swordpoint's Stealth made it and the cue ricocheted the 15 to the bottom right pocket's edge, where Stealth then converted a 12-15 combination to win and take a 1-0 series lead after a solid game. The Blades' Stealth came out hot in game 2, working a four-ball run early on, and dominating play until a kick on the 10 to the bottom side led to a scratch. From there, the Surfers' Cowzart had his chances, but narrowly missed the 15 at the bottom right, where Stealth tapped it in and went up 2-0 in the series. In game 3, things went pretty smoothly and evenly between the players in the early stages, but Cowzart started taking a larger share in the end, and he won with a three-ball run-out to make it a 2-1 series. Things were a bit frantic early in game 4, but cooled off as the players exchanged short and chippy runs in the later stages, ending when Cowzart made the 15 after a miss by Stealth, tying the series at 2. Stealth did himself in with a bad scratch in game 5, and Cowzart made it interesting, potting the 9 behind the 15 before a 10-15 combination at the bottom right to get the win and the 3-2 series win. Ranked #94 in 15-ball, Cowzart will travel to Everton's Chevrolet Center to face Cleo of the Eagles in the third round.

That's it for now. Full-time action returns on Monday.

Pool: 2016 A-level Second Round - Day 11

We're back with a brand new day of games. Today should take up a regular amount of time, with approximately 60 games on the schedule unless the pace is good. We begin with...

Chevrolet Center, Everton: Blizzard v. Jake. After a light day yesterday, the red cue is back to lead things off with 15-ball. Everton's Blizzard got lucky on two of her three shots in game 1, making the 8 on the break and then firing toward the 2, causing the 15 to bounce into the bottom side for a stunning win and 1-0 series lead over Royal's Jake, who didn't take a shot. The Eagles' Blizzard had a highlight in game 1, kicking into the 4, which sent the 13 to the top side and the 9 to the top left for a double-pot. The Crowns' Jake answered with a spectacular kick on the 8 to the bottom left and a glancing shot off the 10 to make the 12 in the bottom right, all part of his six-ball run-out in a win that tied the series at 1. Jake stayed on the highlight reel in game 3, potting the 11 by caroming the cue off the 8 toward the top left, with the 8 banking back to the bottom side in a double-pot as part of a five-ball run. Blizzard nearly extended a late three-ball run, but she set Jake up to scratch, and he did, allowing her a tap in on the 15 to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead. Blizzard had total control in game 4, especially during an eight-ball run, but she lost her grip when she missed the 15, allowing Jake to strike it from distance for the win, retying the series at 2. The players exchanged three-ball runs late in a competitive game 5, but Jake had a narrow miss on the 15, setting Blizzard up for the tap-in, the win, and the 3-2 series win. Ranked #40 in 15-ball, Blizzard will host the Westside Rockers' Midnight in the third round from this venue.

Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Cheddar v. Roxy. The blue cue is up now for a series of Accuracy. Whitewater's Cheddar had problems making some shots in the middle of the game, and these added up over time, as Freedom's Roxy pulled away with a 1-5 victory, earning a 1-0 lead in the series. For awhile in game 2, the Shores' Cheddar looked to be pushing back against the Cascades' Roxy, but she eventually fell behind again and fell apart at the end, losing 2-5 as Roxy takes a 2-0 series lead with the win. Game 3 was even closer, as the two battled fiercely in the late stages, where Cheddar missed twice but couldn't get enough defensive positioning to stymie Roxy, who won 3-4, sealing the series at 3-0. Game 4 had to be settled in overtime after Cheddar blew a late lead with a narrow miss, but Roxy got nothing on the overtime break, and Cheddar tapped a shot in to win 3-4 and make it a 3-1 series. Roxy thought she had a chance in game 5, but missed her last two shots and gave the game away 3-4 to Cheddar. Roxy still won the series 3-2, and takes the #62 ranked Accuracy campaign to the third round.

Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Mams v. Lionel. The red cue returns in this 10-ball series. Defense featured prominently on both sides for game 1, with neither player getting great looks. Commerce' Lionel had a chance to win, but ended a three-ball run by leaving the 10 at the top right, where Viewpoint Sound's Mams tapped it in to take a 1-0 series lead. The Meteors' Mams made a good play with a three-ball run, but the Tradewinds' Lionel put on a snipe show, making a five-ball run-out on mostly long shots to win the game and tie the series at 1. Mams showed her poise, caroming the cue off the 4 to make a 7-5-8 combination at the top right in game 3. Mams later had a four-ball run, but missing the 10 twice led to Lionel potting it on his second try and stealing the win in a game where he was outplayed, and he also gained a 2-1 series lead. Lionel had Mams on the ropes in game 4, bearing down with a four-ball run that ended when he shot the 10 just wide of the top right. Mams tapped it in and won the game, retying the series at 2. Mams thought she had a good chance to make a long run in game 5, but her four-ball run ended when she missed the 9. Lionel buried the last two shots to win the game and take the series 3-2. Ranked #46 for 10-ball, Lionel will be on the road again for his third round series, with the opponent to be determined.

Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Neopolitan v. Jake. The silver cue is up for this 12-ball series. Royal's Jake had a three-ball run in the middle of game 1, putting Pearl's Neopolitan into a defensive posture that held for awhile but buckled under two straight scratches, allowing Jake to convert his final shot to win and take a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Jake had another well-timed run in game 2, stringing five straight and good position on the last ball, forcing the Surfers' Neopolitan to set up and defend, which she nearly executed. Jake snuck his last ball behind the defense to win, giving him a 2-0 lead in the series. Neopolitan dominated game 3, needing only two turns, as her shot selection and accuracy impressed the crowd during a five-ball run, and she set up nicely for her final shot, which she made around Jake's attempt at defense. The series still favors Jake 2-1. Game 4 saw both players make a quick start and then engage in a race to the finish, striking a balance between offense and defense to make for good pool. In the end, Neopolitan was just a step faster in setting up and executing than Jake, who had a chance to kick in his last ball but failed to make contact. Neopolitan's win ties the series at 2. In game 5, Neopolitan made a big rally at the start over two turns before Jake had a ball in. Jake replied with a five-ball run, setting them up for a next shot wins situation, but Jake's flawed defense gave Neopolitan an easy win, and she took the series 3-2. Ranked #21 in 12-ball, Neopolitan will host Amber of the Atlantic Pirates at this venue in the third round.

Gillette Center, Swordpoint: Shawn v. Dusky. The game is now 8-ball, and the red cue will come on for the series. Game 1 saw a lot of back and forth play between the players, especially at the end, where Archtown's Dusky missed the 8, allowing Swordpoint's Shawn to make the last two shots for a 1-0 series lead. Things looked bad for the Arrows' Dusky in game 2 after a late scratch, but the Blades' Shawn squandered a chance to win, and Dusky took a four-ball run-out to win it and tie the series at1. Game 3 saw Shawn do pretty well at the start, but a miss a few shots late. Dusky tried to rally back and looked clear when she got a straight shot at the 12 to the bottom side, but it rattled out, potted Shawn's last ball, and gave him an easy look at the 8, which he buried to win and retake the series lead at 2-1. Shawn never got going in game 4, and Dusky managed to navigate better, getting a bit of luck on her last ball before the 8, and then tapping the 8 in for a win to retie the series at 2. Dusky had the early advantage in game 5, but watched it melt away as Shawn came on strong with the pressure, eventually pulling ahead and winning, while taking the series 3-2. Shawn is ranked #4 for 8-ball, and will host Kelly of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors in the third round.

GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge: Shaggy v. Rainmane. The silver cue comes back to play 15-ball. Southridge's Shaggy didn't have a great break in game 1, and Web City's Rainmane struggled to deal with the shots available. Shaggy dominated with a six-ball run, and made the last two shots as well to win and take a 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Shaggy looked better in game 2, hardly allowing the Spiders' Rainmane a clean shot, and Shaggy eventually won the game and went up 2-0 in the series with a five-ball run-out. Rainmane thought she was clear when she had a three-ball run late in game 3, but she missed the 13. Shaggy then tricked her into a seemingly easy shot on the 14, which caused a scratch, and Shaggy took the 15 to the top side from ball-in-hand to clinch the series at 3-0. Rainmane didn't suffer a brutal loss in game 4, taking care of business with a six-ball run-out instead of having a late miss, and this served to make it a 3-1 series as Shaggy was left to watch her sweep chances die. Game 5 saw a relaxed course of play until the end, where the players exchanged shots pretty intensely. Shaggy ended up with the win when Rainmane missed the 15 with the short shaft, and Shaggy used it to pot it on the other side. Shaggy took the series 4-1, and the #33 ranked 15-ball player will host Nightfur of the Royal Crowns in the third round from this venue.

Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Ice Cream v. A. Charlton. The red cue comes back for the first of two Rotation series. Golden's Charlton had a decent first game, occasionally a bit spotty with her shooting, but more than enough to defeat an erratic Ice Cream of Commerce 8-4, taking a 1-0 series lead in the process. The Pilots' Charlton twice scratched when she was trying to tie the game, once at 3-3, and the other at 7-7, allowing the Tradewinds' Ice Cream to get safety, and in the final instance, to win 8-6 to tie the series at 1. Charlton answered back after falling behind early in game 3, rallying for a four-ball run to take the lead, and eventually taking the win 8-4 when Ice Cream scratched, allowing Charlton to work from ball-in-hand as she took a 2-1 series lead. In game 4, Charlton left no doubt early, building up a five-ball lead and then quickly cruising to an 8-2 win to seal the series at 3-1, as Ice Cream provided no challenge this game. Ice Cream offered no answer to a disjointed Charlton attack in game 5, losing in an 8-0 shutout as Charlton took the series 4-1. Ranked #95 in Rotation, Charlton will next visit Audi Hall in Terrace City to oppose the Knights' Jennifer Livilotti.

Ebay Center, Queens: Paige v. Dustin. The game is still Rotation, but this one's with the silver cue. Queens' Paige had a very strong game 1, capitalizing on the mistakes made by Central's Dustin before finishing on an 11-15 combination to win 8-5 and take a 1-0 series lead, mostly due to Dustin's scratch. Using the short shaft in game 2, the Flames' Paige potted the 1 in the top side and the 4 in the bottom right for a stunning double-pot early on. The Warriors' Dustin was working on catching up when he scratched again, and Paige made the last two shots for an 8-2 win and 2-0 series lead. Dustin had a highlight in game 3, making the 2 and 8 to the left corners in a double-pot. Paige had multiple fouls in the game, and Dustin capitalized each time, eventually caroming the cue off the 9 to pot the 10 for an 8-1 win to cut the series to 2-1. Dustin was on his likely last turn, but he answered a three-ball run from Paige with a three-ball run-out for an 8-7 win, tying the series at 2 in thrilling fashion, setting up a grand finale. Dustin pulled ahead late in game 5 after battling evenly with Paige, but he had to earn a bank on the 14 to the top left to win 8-6 and take the series 3-2. Ranked #45 for Rotation, Dustin will travel to Pearl's Honda Driftwood Coliseum for a third round series against the Surfers' Cowzart.

Cisco Arena, Tysini: Charli XCX v. Neopolitan. The blue cue is back for Accuracy in this series. Tysini's Charli had a terrible start to game 1, but Pearl's Neopolitan faltered at the end and on both of her shots in overtime, allowing Charli to take a 5-6 win for a 1-0 lead in the series in sloppy form. The Hummingbirds' Charli was far less dominant in game 2, and the Surfers' Neopolitan took advantage of that, using defense to propel her to a 1-4 win that tied the series at 1. Neopolitan nearly held on for a win in game 3, but missed a shot and forced overtime, where her break produced nothing but a good shot for Charli, who won 2-3 and took a 2-1 series lead with another extra time victory. Neopolitan played a nearly flawless game 4, only faltering on her last shot, but the win was secure at 1-5, with Charli mustering nothing to avoid the series being tied at 2. Charli finally played a perfect game in game 5, giving Neopolitan no margin for error in the 0-2 win by Charli that sealed the series at 3-2 in a thrilling finish. Charli is ranked #57 for Accuracy and advances to the third round with the emphatic victory.

UPS Hall, Maplewood: Diddley v. Kavan. The red cue returns to play for the first half of a 15-ball doubleheader. Victoria's Kavan ended up getting the win in game 1, applying late pressure against Maplewood's Diddley with a three-ball run and assorted other shots that helped Kavan to earn a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Kavan put up a three-ball run late again, but he missed on the 15, jamming it at the top left to allow the Lumberjacks' Diddley an easy tap-in to win game 2, tying the series at 1 in an unremarkable shooting show. Diddley thought he was in the clear in game 3 after a scratch by Kavan, but Diddley missed on the 15, and Kavan mopped it up after another mediocre battle to gain a 2-1 series lead. Kavan had a brilliant finish in game 4, using ball-in-hand from Diddley's illegal contact on a shot toward the 2 that clipped the 10 on the way. Kavan potted the 2, and the angle he shot caromed the cue off the 6, straight into the 15 at the top left to create a double-pot and the win, clinching the series at 3-1. Diddley came up with the win in game 5 in one of the most boring series ever, potting the 15 after Kavan missed it to make it 3-2 overall. Kavan, ranked #80 in 15-ball, will travel to Atlantic's McDonald's Hall to face the Pirates' Americus in the third round.

Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. Sleepy B. The blue cue gets its final appearance of the day in 15-ball. Royal's Marsell made the last two balls in game 1 after Archtown's Sleepy B. missed on the 14, paving the way for the host to own a 1-0 lead in the series in a decent performance on both sides. In game 2, Sleepy B. of the Arrows had a five-ball run late, and nearly lost the game when she missed the 15, but the Crowns' Marsell couldn't convert either, and Sleepy B. made it on her second try for the win to tie the series at 1. Marsell capitalized on an early scratch by Sleepy B., potting the 1 and using the position to convert a 2-15 combination to the top right for the win, regaining the series lead at 2-1. Marsell missed his shot on the 15 in game 4 after a fairly even battle, and Sleepy B. shot it in straight to retie the series at 2. Marsell finally made a big run, taking a five-ball run-out in game 5 that ended on a 14-15 combination to the bottom right to defeat Sleepy B. once and for all with the 3-2 series win. Ranked #65 in 15-ball, Marsell will host Taylor Swift of the Eastside Sharks at this venue in the third round.

BMW RockDome, Westside: Chicky Phil v. Oreo. The final series of the night is 10-ball with the red cue. Terrace City's Oreo had two brutal misses late in game 1 of this Suburban Derby series, and they led to Westside's Chicky Phil tapping in the 9 and 10 on separate turns to give him a win and a 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Chicky Phil had two chances to end the game after his five-ball run got him to the 10, but he missed it twice, and the Knights' Oreo was more than happy to eventually bury it for the win, tying the series at 1 in the process. Chicky Phil had more problems with finishing in game 3, and this was compounded by the pace brought by Oreo, who began with a three-ball run and shot dangerously throughout before taking the 10 straight to the top left for the win, giving her a 2-1 series lead. Oreo went white-hot in game 4, pulling off a seven-ball run-out with excellent positioning and execution of her shots, including the classical finish on the 10, banked into the bottom side from the top rail. Oreo secured the series at 3-1. Oreo dazzled again in game 5, avoiding a long run but stuffing Chicky Phil early before a three-ball run-out sealed another win to give her a 4-1 series win. Ranked #88 in 10-ball, Oreo will visit her brother Acorn of the Prestige at Lighton's Pepsi Arena in the third round. The loss means that Chicky Phil is the seventeenth player eliminated this year, and Oreo earns her first kill.

It took some time today, but we made it. Tomorrow may be a reduced schedule due to the recording of the pilot episode of my podcast project, which is mostly unrelated to this. Saturday will also be a short day, due to soccer watching/blogging. Sunday will be an off day altogether, but full action will return on Monday. This is an odd weekend, given Mother's Day, so expect Saturdays to generally be the off days in the future.

UPCL Cricket: Playoffs First Round - Day 1

We're finally here, in the playoffs, and we'll have eight games for the first four days of action. We begin with...

Nike Field, Commerce: The #2 Tradewinds meet the #15 Pirates, and these teams split their season series. Delila, the league's MVP, had a few jitters to start the game, hitting a sad 8 points for Atlantic. Tigerette fired back with a massive 589 for Commerce, giving them a pretty significant lead early on. Amber was whistled for a 50% penalty on her turn for a false start, and struggled anyway, earning just 10 for the Pirates. Ice Cream piled on another 584 for the Tradewinds, extending their lead very nicely. Americus gave Atlantic a decent effort with 318, but they are still far behind at this point. Lionel drilled another 392 for Commerce, keeping their lead very strong. Dominic's 204 gave the Pirates a losing total of 540 in an embarrassing return to the playoffs. Lorde did okay with 232 for the Tradewinds, and they won with 1797. Commerce leads the series 1-0.

Cisco Tysini Field, Tysini: The #6 Hummingbirds and defending champion #11 Warriors split their season series and renew pleasantries here. Twilight batted 415 to get things start solidly for Central. Princess didn't quite keep the same form, gathering 363 for Tysini as they trail slightly early on. Dustin scooped up 281 for the Warriors, giving them a smaller lead the second time around. Leandra slammed 902 for the Hummingbirds in response, giving them a lead halfway through the game. Noelle accepted 253 for Central so that she wouldn't face a penalty, leaving them still noticeable behind. Charli faltered with 54 for Tysini, destabilizing their lead ahead of the final players' appearances. Gizmo took a false start penalty and couldn't do anything with the 50% loss, hitting just 10 as the Warriors finish behind with 959. Bright tacked on 408 for the Hummingbirds, giving them 1727 in a confident win. The Hummingbirds own a 1-0 series lead now.

Amazon Field, Golden: The #8 Pilots host the #9 Volcanoes in this special Generations Derby series, with the teams splitting results in the regular season. Starlight had a modest 291 to lead things off for Pacific. Valencia answered with 496 for Golden, giving them a solid initial lead. Ms. Kitty covered that damage with 497 for the Volcanoes, keeping the game competitive. Dusty couldn't keep pace, falling behind with 128 for the Pilots. Jack couldn't gain separation for Pacific, hitting a mild 120 on his turn to leave the visitors vulnerable. Strut wasted the chance with only 81 for Golden, and they fall farther behind. Leonette hauled in 456 for the Volcanoes, icing their total at 1364. A. Charlton proved solid with 304 for the Pilots, but this resulted in them losing with 1009. Pacific has the 1-0 series lead, the first road team to make such an impact.

Audi Knights Pitch, Terrace City: The #5 Knights face off with the #12 Cascades, and the Knights pulled off the season sweep in the regular season. Jasmine didn't do great with only 196 for Freedom at the start. Kiwi produced 287 for Terrace City, giving them a marginal lead but without much confidence. Stinky fired back with 456 for the Cascades, creating a much stronger second effort. Jennifer shot back with 634, pulling the Knights into the lead again at the midway mark. Roxy carved out 371 to put Freedom back in the fight, but with a minor lead. Oreo covered the deficit with 202 for Terrace City, but their lead is narrow with a player each to go. Nikolai made a huge attack with 555 for the Cascades, giving them a total of 1578. Stripes failed to catch up with 139 for the Knights, putting them at 1262 in the loss. Freedom, somewhat surprisingly, owns a 1-0 series lead.

Nissan Hall, Infinity: The #7 Torpedoes bring in the #10 Prestige for the first game of this Southwestern Derby series, which the teams split in the regular season. Acorn scored 368 in the lead off position for Lighton, a solid performance from the captain. Smudge ripped 704 for Infinity in response, giving them the early lead. Spirit fired back with 495 against her sister as the Prestige stay competitive. Shelley kept the Torpedoes in the lead, but her 317 shrunk the margin of that lead halfway through the game. Twinkie I kept the pressure high with 439 for Lighton. Gabe narrowly missed covering the deficit with his 234 for Infinity as they've now fallen behind. Lydia went with 357 for the Prestige, bringing their final score to 1659. Whiskers had a meager 99 as the Torpedoes lost with 1354 overall. Lighton's experience has seen them through to a 1-0 series lead against a very hot rival.

Chevrolet Field, Everton: The #1 Eagles have the #16 Rockers in town, with the Eagles having swept the season series. Westside's Misty had only 60 after a false start gave her a 50% penalty, not a good start against a tough opponent. Goldy punished the mistake on offense, swatting 606 for Everton to take a big lead. Goatee tried to go big, but fell at 215 as the Rockers barely dented the deficit. Puff III pretty much kept things even with 207 for the Eagles. Midnight got shut down at 7 for Westside, squandering any hopes of a comeback. Cleo hauled in 353 for Everton on her turn, padding their lead well late in the game. Chicky Phil had 272 for the Rockers, giving them a losing final of 554. Blizzard kept the finish simple with 208, putting the Eagles at 1374 in an easy win.

Blades Fusion ProGlide Park, Swordpoint: These West Division rivals get a whole series, which might be good for the #4 Blades, who swept the #13 Surfers in the regular season. Watermelon pummeled 742 for Pearl to open the scoring in fine form. Snowball didn't do well with 144 for Swordpoint, putting them far behind. Neopolitan had a meager 28 in response, the result of a failed backhand that has the Surfers destabilized. Dreamy made a cut into the deficit with 272 for the Blades, but they're still noticeably behind. Wings restored safety for Pearl, smashing 625 in a bold performance. Shawn couldn't provide an answer with 153 for Swordpoint, and they'll probably take the loss in this game. Cowzart tapped 211 for the Surfers, putting them at 1606 in what they expect to be a win. Stealth made a rally with 687 for the Blades, putting them at 1256 in the loss. The Surfers take a 1-0 series lead.

Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The first games wrap up with the #3 Swifts hosting the #14 Waves, and these teams split their season series. Snuggle started off well with 433 for Oceanside in a strong and confident first turn. Patches slugged 2180 for Boston in response, setting the tone not only for the game, but possibly the series. Bells replied with 183 for the Waves, as they are reserved to taking a loss here. Puff II remained reliable with 384 for the Swifts, keeping their lead very strong. Alyssa did reasonably well with 289 for Oceanside in a lost game. Gradley hauled in another 407 for Boston as they play a masterful game 1. Pounce scored 376 for the Waves, giving them a losing final of 1281. Sweetheart did fine with 281 to give the Swifts 3252 in the massive win. Boston leads the series 1-0 after the big win.

Game 2s should follow tomorrow if we can stay on schedule, along with the usual standard pool action.

Pool: 2016 A-level Second Round - Day 10

We're back with another day of games to be played. Let's begin at...

Kraft Forum, Royal: Nightfur v. Kiwi. The silver cue will lead off with 15-ball today. Terrace City's Kiwi made a few short runs in game 1, impressing with her ability to pace possession, while Royal's Nightfur picked up scraps where she could. Kiwi later tapped in the 15 to win and take a 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur shot back in game 2, capitalizing on a less emphatic effort from the Knights' Kiwi, which included a more even game and Nightfur cutting the 15 to the top left for the win to tie the series at 1. Nightfur had luck on her side in game 3, winning with a four-ball run-out that saw the 14-15 combination fail as intended but succeed in the top left after the ricochets took it there, giving the host a 2-1 series lead over Kiwi. Nightfur tried to continue her play in game 4, but had a few issues with accuracy. Kiwi mopped these up, and this led to her shot on the 15 for the win that retied the series at 2. In game 5, it all came down to Kiwi scratching on the 5 from ball-in-hand with her follow shot, allowing Nightfur ball-in-hand to pot the 6 and then a 7-15 combination to the bottom right, good for the win and a 3-2 series win. Ranked #49 for 15-ball, Nightfur heads into the third round against an opponent to be determined.

Nissan Hall, Infinity: Smudge v. Cowzart. The silver cue remains in action for this series of Rotation. Infinity's Smudge had a decent start to game 1, but Pearl's Cowzart had no trouble in catching up, and rallied for a three-ball run-out in an 8-4 win that gave him a 1-0 series lead with the dominant finish. The Torpedoes' Smudge fought back harder in game 2, having very few struggles as she staked out a lead over the Surfers' Cowzart, and then calmly converted the 9-10 combination to the top side for an 8-3 win to tie the series at 1. Smudge controlled the first half of game 3 as well, but it didn't hold up for her. Cowzart had a three-ball run to pull close, and then chipped a few more shots in to take the game 8-6, scoring six unanswered in the win to take the series lead at 2-1. Cowzart continued to push Smudge around pretty easily in game 4, and while she held on for a bit, two straight fouls led Cowzart to potting the 10-14 combination in the bottom right for an 8-3 win and 3-1 series lead. Smudge made the 2-5-4 combination, with a carom off the 13, in the early parts of game 5. It helped pace her attack in an 8-4 win that saw a slight stumble late in the game that allowed Cowzart to do some damage, but ultimately lose. Cowzart still took the series 3-2, and advances his #27 ranked Rotation campaign into the third round.

Sprint Hall, Victoria: B. Chapman v. Paps. The blue cue gets its first series of the day in 8-ball. Pronger's Paps struck first in game 1, but he didn't strike often, as Victoria's Chapman rallied for a four-ball run and three-ball run-out on consecutive turns to take a 1-0 series lead with the sharp shooting. Game 2 saw the Spurs' Chapman serve a terrible break, causing a delay in the Tridents' Paps being able to break out for a five-ball run, which he used late to set the table on the 8. He made it two turns later to tie the series at 1 with the win after Chapman's defense attempt failed. Chapman managed to spend pretty much all of game 3 a step ahead of Paps, even after botching an early shot on the 8. She buried the second chance, regaining the series lead at 2-1. In game 4, Chapman had things under control before Paps pulled off a seven-ball run, but he was just short on the 8. Chapman went for a four-ball run-out with a series of well-executed shots, clinching the series at 3-1 with the win. Chapman began with a flurry, making six balls on five shots from the start, four of them her own. The players engaged in a loose game, ending with Chapman converting the 8 after Paps missed the 14, his last ball. Chapman took the series 4-1, and the #65 ranked 8-ball player moves into the third round.

Kraft Forum, Royal: Nightfur v. Sierra. The silver cue is back for another series of Rotation. Royal's Nightfur should have used the short shaft at the end of game 1, as she jammed the 15 out of the bottom right, allowing her comeback to tie the game go for nothing when Todavía's Sierra mopped up the shot for an 8-7 win and 1-0 lead in the series. Sierra of the Stills tried a few fancy finishes in game 2, but didn't get results, eventually going traditional to take the 8-4 win over the Crowns' Nightfur, giving Sierra a 2-0 series lead. Sierra pulled out to a large lead in game 3 as well, but Nightfur made no mistakes in rallying back this time, using short runs and defense to eventually win 8-6, making it a 2-1 series in favor of Sierra currently. Sierra dazzled with odd shots and stranger maneuvering to gain good positions, but it worked wonders, as she pieced together a four-ball run-out in a dominant game 4 win, winning by an 8-1 score to secure the series at 3-1 over Nightfur. Sierra didn't budge after losing much of her lead in game 5, eventually banking the 12 to the bottom side to take the game 8-6 and win the series 4-1. Ranked #38 in Rotation, Sierra's dominant effort has her in the third round.

Intel Center, Diamond: Smokey v. Lorde. The first of three straight 10-ball series starts now, with the blue cue getting the nod in the first one. Game 1 only saw three shots, but two were brilliant. Commerce's Lorde tried a 1-10 kick combination to the top right that left the 10 short, where Diamond's Smokey swerved the cue around the 7 to get a 1-10 combination for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Tradewinds' Lorde had a better game 2, winning on a mistake by the Gems' Smokey as they exchanged shots in a pretty fast-paced battle. The series is tied at 1. Game 3 ended in dramatic fashion, as Lorde sank the 10 in the wrong pocket, and Smokey was in good position to bury it to the top right from the spawn, which he did to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 saw another back-and-forth battle between the players, with Smokey's miss on the 9 being the key to Lorde making the last two balls and claiming the win to tie the series at 2. Lorde is also playing with an arm injury. Lorde made the first two balls, answered immediately by Smokey, and then she made a six-ball run-out to win the game and take the series 3-2. Ranked #79 for 10-ball, Lorde is on the road in the third round, visiting UPS Hall in Maplewood to play against the Lumberjacks' Diddley.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Shiny v. Leandra. The silver cue gets this series of 10-ball. Leandra of Tysini brought game 1 to a stunning end with her shot on the 2 bringing the cue back to do an 8-10 combination to the top right, good for a 1-0 lead over Web City's Shiny, who had a bad break and not much else in the game. The Spiders' Shiny played much better in game 2, and was rewarded for her solid effort early on with a four-ball run-out after Leandra of the Hummingbirds missed the 7. Shiny's win tied the series at 1. Shiny made a mess of a late attempt at a run in game 3, missing the 9 and setting off a series of missed shots on both sides before Leandra buried the last two balls, regaining the series lead at 2-1. Leandra butchered her chance to seal the series in game 4, missing a straight shot on the 10 wide left after another game with a bad break between these players. Shiny cut the 10 to the top side, tying the series at 2 and setting up one decisive game. Leandra looked to be in good shape near the end of game 5, but her four-ball run ended early, and Shiny potted the 10 to take the series 3-2. Ranked #33 in 10-ball, Shiny will host Leandra's Tysini Hummingbirds teammate Princess in the third round from this venue.

Kraft Forum, Royal: Jake v. Brownie. Completing the trio of 10-ball, the silver cue stays in for this series. Harrison's Brownie had a critical mistake when she missed contact toward the 3 in game 1, allowing Royal's Jake to make a 3-10 combination to the top right from ball-in-hand for a 1-0 series lead on the win. The Specters' Brownie weathered a sloppy game 2, finally getting a break with a three-ball run-out at the end after the Crowns' Jake had numerous misses that set things up, with the win tying the series at 1. Brownie was absolutely dominant in game 3, serving up a good break and a seven-ball run, only to be shut down with a miss on the 10 that Jake converted on the next shot, giving Jake the 2-1 series lead despite a distinct lack of control in the game. Jake did a bit better in earning the win in game 4, putting up a four-ball run-out after a middling start to take the win and secure the series at 3-1. Game 5 saw good shooting on both sides, with Brownie opening on a four-ball run answered by Jake's three-ball run. Brownie got unlucky when she scratched after potting the 10, and Jake buries it to win and take the series 4-1. Ranked #8 in 10-ball, Jake hosts Leonette of the Pacific Volcanoes in the third round at this venue. With the loss, Brownie is the fifteenth player eliminated this year, and her Specters career may be over after the lackluster season. Jake has his first kill of the year.

Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Sweetheart v. Taylor Swift. The blue cue gets the last series of the afternoon, playing 15-ball. Boston's Sweetheart could have offered a better break, as game 1 played slow until Eastside's Taylor rallied for an eight-ball run-out to win and earn a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 nearly saw the Sharks' Taylor do exactly the same thing as before, but she jammed the 15 to end a seven-ball run. The Swifts' Sweetheart missed on the 15, and Taylor buried it on the second try to gain a 2-0 series lead. Taylor didn't get to break out on a big run in game 3, as Sweetheart didn't give her great positions, but Taylor did make a 9-15 combination to the top left for the win on a three-ball run-out, clinching the series at 3-0. Sweetheart finally got a win with a strong game 4 effort, running six balls and then potting the 15 on a bank to the bottom left when Taylor missed it, making the series 3-1 in Taylor's favor. Game 5 tested the patience of both players, and it was out of this frustration that Sweetheart hammered a two-rail kick that banked the 15 off the top rail to the bottom left for the win. Taylor claimed a 3-2 series win, and she will take a #88 ranked 15-ball bid into the third round.

Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Sally. The blue cue starts the night session with 9-ball. Archtown's Sally came out on top in game 1, winning with a three-ball run-out after a bit of messy play early in the game against Harrison's Twinkie II. Sally has a 1-0 series lead. The Specters' Twinkie II brought game 2 to a quick end, scoring a double-pot of the 5 to the bottom right and the 9 ricocheting cleanly to the top left as part of a four-ball run-out, equalizing the series at 1 with the Arrows' Sally. Twinkie II played very well during game 3, up to the 9, where both she and Sally struggled, but Twinkie II eventually made it on an unintentional bank to the top left, giving her a 2-1 lead in the series with the happy accident. Sally had a three-ball run over the middle of game 4, but she lost control late and Twinkie II made the last two shots to nab the win and seal the series at 3-1. Twinkie II played decently in a meaningless game 5, but Sally was the one to emerge with the win after Twinkie II scratched. The series favored #22 ranked 9-ball player Twinkie II 3-2, and she hosts Zach of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors in the third round at this venue.

Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lionel v. Mr. Snowman. The red cue has its only appearance of the day in Accuracy. Commerce's Lionel did his best to hold on, but Viewpoint Sound's Mr. Snowman was just a bit stronger in the end, winning 2-4 to take a 1-0 lead in the series with solid defense on his side. The Tradewinds' Lionel had a dominant game 2, whereas the Meteors' Mr. Snowman couldn't find his shot at all, with Lionel winning 1-8 to tie the series at 1. In game 3, Lionel blew his entire lead on four consecutive misses, allowing Mr. Snowman a chance to force overtime. He missed contact on the shot, and Lionel made it for a 4-5 win to gain a 2-1 series lead. Lionel failed on a late shot in regulation for game 4, allowing Mr. Snowman to force overtime, but Lionel held the advantage throughout the extra time, eventually winning 2-3 over halfway through to secure the series at 3-1. Game 5 was mostly uneventful after a somewhat sloppy start, with Lionel winning 1-2 to claim a 4-1 series win. Ranked #52 in Accuracy, Lionel heads north to Google Hall in Modernistic to face the Union's Puff I in a third round series. With the loss, Mr. Snowman is the sixteenth player eliminated this year, and Lionel earns his first kill.

Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Gradley v. Snowball. The silver cue is up for 12-ball in its last appearance today. Boston's Gradley pounded out his last two shots when Swordpoint's Snowball missed her last ball, allowing Gradley the win even after giving up a wild card ball, good for a 1-0 series lead. The Blades' Snowball proved better suited to deal with the poor layout of the balls in game 2, maneuvering the table a bit better than the Swifts' Gradley as Snowball won, tying the series at 1. Gradley had some troubles breaking free in game 3, but once he did, Snowball was unable to restrain him with defense. She nearly cleared off her own set, but jammed the 9 at the bottom left, and Gradley potted his last ball to retake a 2-1 series lead. Snowball did herself a lot of favors with an early five-ball run in game 4, allowing her to patiently set up her lat shot while Gradley attempted helplessly to defend. Snowball eventually picked up the win and tied the series at 2. Snowball fired back, outpacing Gradley in game 5 in a tight battle to pick up the win and a 3-2 series win. Ranked #52 in 12-ball, Snowball is through to the third round.

Nissan Hall, Infinity: Shelley v. Yekaterina Vasilyeva. The last series of the day is 9-ball with the blue cue. Game 1 went pretty even between the two players, but Victoria's Yekaterina had the late advantage, potting the last two balls to keep rival Infinity's Shelley away from the table as Yekaterina took a 1-0 series lead. The Spurs' Yekaterina made the first two and the last two in game 2 to make it a 2-0 series lead, weathering a five-ball run from the Torpedoes' Shelley in a quick game. Yekaterina made the highlight reel in game 3, potting the 4 by caroming the cue off the 3, and the 3 banked to the top side, where it caromed off the 7 and in for the double-pot. The shooting became choppy in the latter part of the game, and it took a distance strike by Yekaterina on the 9 to settle things, winning when it fell in the top right to clinch the series at 3-0. Shelley finally had the bounces go her way, as Yekaterina missed narrowly on the 9, and Shelley converted it with a three-rail bank to the top side, making the series 3-1. Yekaterina ended up getting lucky when Shelley narrowly missed the 9 near the end of game 5, and Yekaterina tapped it in for an easy win and a 4-1 series win. Ranked #90 for 9-ball, Yekaterina will travel to the BMW RockDome in Westside to face the Rockers' Midnight in a third round series.

That's all for today's games, and we'll have more tomorrow. Cricket should see a post up immediately following this, and should also have one tomorrow. We're trying to get the playoffs going for cricket, but it's a slow process with other responsibilities.

Pool: 2016 A-level Second Round - Day 9

We're back, likely looking at another 60-70 games today as we progress through the round. We begin with...

Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Bryant. The first series of the day sees us playing 15-ball with the blue cue. Archtown's Ruby wasted no time at all in game 1, striking a well-placed 1-15 combination to the bottom right, stunning Maplewood's Bryant as she went up 1-0 in the series. The Arrows' Ruby applied pressure late in game 2 after a mixed start, but left the 15 short at the bottom right. The Lumberjacks' Bryant took a bad shot and missed, allowing Ruby a tap-in to win and earn a 2-0 series lead after the rookie-level mistake. Ruby stayed strong in game 3, continuing to pressure Bryant late in game 3. Ruby worked a four-ball run with some impressive makes, and then made the last two when Bryant missed on the 14 from an unfavorable position, giving Ruby the series at 3-0. Ruby stayed dominant in game 4, weathering a trying start against Bryant before unleashing a five-ball run and defense to stymie him. Ruby made the last two balls and went up 4-0 in the series. Bryant offered a challenge in game 5, and avoided the sweep when Ruby couldn't find a heavily defended 13 at the top left, allowing Bryant to pick the last two shots. Ruby still took the series 4-1, and advances her #71 ranked 15-ball bid to the third round.

Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center: Puff II v. Puff I. This is a lineage battle, and features a bit of Center Division animosity as well, with the game being 8-ball and the cue being blue. Boston's Puff II got the win in game 1, working a four-ball run in response to a five-ball run from Modernistic's Puff I, and then Puff II finished it up for a 1-0 series lead. Puff II overcame a scratch on the break for the Swifts, and rallied to the finish on a four-ball run-out after the Union's Puff I accidentally potted Puff II's 7 in the top right. Puff II charged her way to the win, and a 2-0 lead in the series. Puff I fell behind against a relentless attack from Puff II in game 3, but a miss on a kick toward the bottom right on the 8 for Puff II let Puff I execute a five-ball run-out for the win, making it a 2-1 series. Puff II took a bit of a defensive shape in game 4, and when she released it, she came up short toward the 8, allowing Puff I to polish off a good game with the win, tying the series at 2. Puff I weathered a difficult start to game 5, eventually pulling away with the win when Puff II couldn't get anything going. Ranked #81, Puff I heads to the third round with a 3-2 series win.

HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Chelsea v. Jasmine. The blue cue completes a three-pack with this Rotation series. Freedom's Jasmine started strong in game 1, building her lead and holding off a single minor challenge from Eastside's Chelsea for an 8-3 win and 1-0 series lead in dominant form. Game 2 didn't see the Cascades' Jasmine get the same immediate results, but the Sharks' Chelsea was unable to reverse her misfortunes, and Jasmine had no trouble finishing off another 8-3 win in the end, going up 2-0 in the series. In game 3, Jasmine was on the brink of victory, but Chelsea pulled herself back in with a triple-pot that sent the 8 to the bottom left, the 11 to the top right, and 14 to the bottom right in a stunning highlight-reel shot. Chelsea ultimately had a five-ball run, but missed the 13 short and lost 8-6 when Jasmine tapped it in to seal the series at 3-0. Chelsea had an impressive four-ball run in game 4, highlighted by a kick through traffic to take the 7 at the top right, and then a kick-combination 9-14 to the bottom right two shots later. Jasmine had a three-ball run to get back in the game, but missed a cut on the 13, and Chelsea made it for an 8-6 win to make it 3-1 in the series. Chelsea dominated in game 5 as well, especially on her three-ball run-out that saw her pot the 15 and 14 to the right corners by caroming off the 5 before taking the 5 outright to claim an 8-1 win. Jasmine still took the series 3-2, and she will play on the road in the third round with her #86 ranked Rotation bid.

Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Watermelon v. Americus. The red cue steps into action for 9-ball in this series. Pearl's Watermelon dominated possession in game 1, helped significantly by a monster six-ball run-out featuring brilliant positioning to take a 1-0 series lead over Atlantic's Americus. The Surfers' Watermelon won game 2 on the break, burying the 7 and 9 in the bottom right with a favorable deflection by the 5 for the latter, making it a 2-0 lead in the series. The Pirates' Americus finally got one back, as Watermelon lacked the dangerous shooting in game 3, allowing Americus to string together a three-ball run-out to cut the series to 2-1. Game 4 was the most balanced game of the series so far, as the players exchanged makes and misses pretty evenly. Americus was toppled when she missed the 5 on a kick to the top right, allowing Watermelon to cut it in and then bury the 9 in the same spot to clinch the series at 3-1. Watermelon made quick work of game 5, winning on a 1-9 combination on her second shot to take the series 4-1. Ranked #61 for 9-ball, Watermelon will travel to Tysini's Cisco Arena to face the Hummingbirds' Leandra in the third round.

HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Graham v. Sparkles. The silver cue gets into action with this 8-ball series. Todavía's Sparkles took the advantage in game 1, outplaying Eastside's Graham just enough to snag the win and get a 1-0 series lead after an unremarkable game. The Stills' Sparkles seemed to start well, but neither player could sustain any momentum until the Sharks' Graham made a three-ball run-out at the end, winning game 2 to tie the series at 1. In game 3, both players made misses on easy attempts at the 8, allowing Sparkles to cash in her second chance first to grab the win and take a 2-1 series lead after a reasonably good game. Graham showed up big in game 4, imposing his presence at the start and the finish of the game, including a four-ball run-out to really make his impact and retie the series at 2 as Sparkles could only watch. Had Sparkles not spent the first half of game 5 making a lot of Graham's balls for him, she could have had a shot to win. However, she did make at least three, helping pace Graham's attack and a patient finish on the 8 before Sparkles rallied back. Ranked #23 in 8-ball, Graham is through the third round, where he'll be in line to host another series. With the series loss, Sparkles is ousted from the tournament, the thirteenth player to fall. Graham has his first kill of the season.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Sugar v. Nightfur. The blue cue is back in action for 12-ball. Web City's Sugar got one on the break and had no trouble navigating the accidentally defensive nature of Nightfur's play for Royal. Sugar did give up a wild card ball, but made her last shot on her next turn and won the game 1-0. The Crowns' Nightfur answered despite falling behind early in game 2, allowing the Spiders' Sugar to make her easy shots before Nightfur applied defense and eventually released it on time to win the game, tying the series at 1. Nightfur overcame giving up a wild card ball from the game 3 break, using a defensive shot and a failed jump from Sugar to get ball-in-hand and win the game at the bottom side, taking a 2-1 series lead in the process. Nightfur gave up another wild card ball in game 4, and it didn't go so well for her this time, as Sugar made a four-ball run and got a favorable leave from Nightfur's last shot to win the game, retying the series at 2. Nightfur held on in a poorly played game 5, snagging the win when Sugar finally succumbed to bad position with an illegal contact foul. Nightfur made her last two shots, winning the game and taking the series 3-2. Nightfur is ranked #33 in 12-ball, and heads on to a third round series.

Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Gradley v. Stealth. The red cue is up for this series of 7-ball. Boston's Gradley did well in a trying game 1 to position himself on the 7, and he buried it after going back and forth with Swordpoint's Stealth for much of the game, giving Gradley the 1-0 series lead. The Blades' Stealth had a three-ball run going, but his shot on the 6 left him snookered. The Swifts' Gradley eventually earned ball-in-hand for the 7, tapping the straight-in shot to win and earn a 2-0 lead in the series. Stealth finally found his finishing touch in game 3, putting up a four-ball run-out that included getting good position on the 6 and then banking the 7 to the top side, making it a 2-1 series for Gradley at that point. Stealth was back to making mistakes in game 4, with a missed contact play leading to Gradley's winning shots that also sealed the series at 3-1. In game 5, Gradley scratched on the break and never gained any traction, allowing Stealth to dominate, ending on a three-ball run-out to finalize the series at 3-2 for Gradley. Ranked #32 in 7-ball, Gradley heads to the third round.

Chevrolet Center, Everton: Puff III v. Paige. The afternoon portion ends with a series of 10-ball with the silver cue. Queens' Paige had a pretty strong performance in game 1, dominating possession and closing out a five-ball run-out to take a 1-0 series lead over a decent but overmatched Puff III of Everton. The Flames' Paige came up big with a stunning finish to game 2, getting a light carom with spin off the 3 to drill the 10 to the top right, giving her a 2-0 series lead over the Eagles' Puff III. In game 3, neither player had all that much sustained possession, making it a bit sloppy. It ended up going to Paige when Puff III had a late scratch to give Paige ball-in-hand for the 10. She made it, securing the series at 3-0. Paige didn't have an answer, and barely had the chance to offer one, as Puff III surged forward with a six-ball run in game 4, and then made the 10 on her second try after Paige's miss, making it a 3-1 series. Puff III brought game 5 to an early end, sinking the 10 to the bottom right by caroming the cue off the 2, which fell in the top right for the game-winning double-pot. Paige still took the series 3-2, and her #72 ranked 10-ball bid will travel again to Starbucks Arena in Archtown for a third round series against the Arrows' Dusky.

Google Hall, Modernistic: Puff I v. Bear. The night begins with a series of Accuracy with the red cue. Modernistic's Puff I would have been clear had she not scratched on the second to last ball in regulation, but this caused overtime, where she was beaten 1-2 by Whitewater's Bear halfway through the rack as the visitor goes up 1-0 in the series. Game 2 featured less impressive shooting, but also went to overtime after the Shores' Bear had a late miss. He did nothing with the overtime break, and the Union's Puff I converted the 13-2-11 to the top side, with the 13 falling in the top left as well, to tie the series at 1 with a 3-4 win. Puff I played a nearly flawless game but still felt the pressure from Bear, who was nearly as good until he scratched and missed a bank on the 10 at the end, losing 1-2 and falling behind 2-1 in the series. Game 4 didn't see anything good happen, as the players quickly racked up misses, and Puff I needed a dramatic kick on the 3 to the top left to win 4-5 on her second attempt at it. Puff I did clinch the series at 3-1. Puff I once again held on to the end for a game 5 win, getting Bear to have two straight misses to win 1-2 and finish the series up 4-1. Ranked #20 for Accuracy, Puff I will host her third round series in this event. With the loss, Bear is the fourteenth player eliminated from the tournament. Puff I has her first kill of the year.

Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Acorn v. Stinky. The red cue makes its last appearance of the day in 12-ball. Lighton's Acorn did enough in making defensive position to draw Freedom's Stinky into giving up a wild card ball and then Acorn gained possession to make his last two shots for a 1-0 lead in the series with the win. The Prestige's Acorn nearly had the game, but the Cascades' Stinky made sure to disrupt his set-up shots, and then answered with a make of his own to win the game and tie the series at 1. Stinky made two long banks, sending the 9 to the top left and the 13 to the bottom left as part of his five-ball opening run in game 3. Stinky later scratched, but ended up winning with the last two shots after Acorn cleared some traffic, with the winner being a bank of the 14 to the bottom right to give Stinky the 2-1 series lead. Acorn couldn't get himself set up at all in game 4, allowing Stinky to use ball-in-hand from an illegal contact foul to put up a well-played three-ball run-out with superb positioning, which gave Stinky the series at 3-1. Stinky continued to surge in game 5, rallying through a lazy Acorn to take the win and claim the series at 4-1. Ranked #105 in 12-ball, Stinky will visit a former teammate when he meets the Spurs' Kavan in Victoria's Sprint Hall in the third round.

Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Shaggy. The silver cue steps up for Rotation in its night series. Southridge's Shaggy only had a short moment of worry when Harrison's Twinkie II made a four-ball run to pull ahead. Shaggy overcame it and finished with a bank of the 14 to the bottom left for the 8-6 win and 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Shaggy might have been even better in game 2, stifling the Specters' Twinkie II late as Shaggy pulled off a five-ball run-out to win 8-4 and take a commanding 2-0 series lead. In game 3, Shaggy didn't really dominate from the start, but her slow build allowed her to gain an 8-3 win over Twinkie II, who had no luck in making shots as Shaggy secured the series at 3-0. Shaggy couldn't break free from Twinkie II in game 4, and Twinkie II made a late rally to win 8-4, putting the series at 3-1 as she avoids the sweep with the strong win. Shaggy tried to keep pace in game 5, but Twinkie II pulled off a similar finish, including a 7-14-13 combination to the bottom left, which led to an 8-4 win. Shaggy still took the series 3-2, and she'll travel again in the third round, with her #32 ranked Rotation bid heading to Atlantic's McDonald's Hall to face the Pirates' Amber.

AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Alyssa v. Pounce. The night ends with a blue cue 12-ball series between Oceanside Waves teammates. Alyssa never was able to get set up in game 1, allowing Pounce to overcome a scratch and less-than-ideal positioning to get the win and take a 1-0 series lead. Alyssa answered with a game 2 victory, countering Pounce well in a messy start and defending at the end of the game to get the win, tying the series at 1 with a decent showing. Pounce gambled that Alyssa would miss the 7 on a cut to the top side, even as she outpaced him in a race-style game 3, but she didn't waver and potted it to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 went very sloppy on both sides, including a late scratch to ruin Alyssa's chances, followed by weak hits from Pounce before he eventually won the game and tied the series at 2. Alyssa had to play defensive as she worked to set herself up in game 5, but Pounce was too quick, kicking the 15 into the top side to win and take the series 3-2. Ranked #13 in 12-ball, Pounce will host a third round series at this venue.

That's it for today. Cricket is taking a bit of time to get going, but there should be some games posted tomorrow from 5/2.

Pool: 2016 A-level Second Round - Day 8

We're back in action for the final push to the finish this summer. Unlike last year, games will not be held on a daily basis. Most Saturdays will be off days, and a good portion of the Fridays will be shorter schedules, as well as an abbreviated Sunday effort at times. Still, there will be plenty of time to finish up this tournament and get next year's expanded edition going. Today, we begin with...

AT&T Hall, Oceanside: Alyssa v. Oreo. The silver cue will lead things off in a series of 15-ball to begin the day. Game 1 was definitely a feeling-out process to get things going again, until Terrace City's Oreo scratched aiming at the 5. Oceanside's Alyssa took control from there, eventually winning with the 8-15-10 and 8-15 combinations back-to-back at the top right for a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Knights' Oreo seemed to gain the late momentum, including a four-ball run, after the Waves' Alyssa missed contact, but Alyssa made a bank of the 15 to the bottom side for a win and 2-0 lead in the series. Oreo kept herself alive with a bold game 3, taking advantage of a less-sharp Alyssa, whose scratch after the 11 allowed Oreo to run out the final four balls and make it a 2-1 series. Oreo took advantage of two set up shots from Alyssa in game 4, as her early shot got the 15 to the top right, and she later made soft contact on the 8, setting up Oreo for an 8-15 combination to win the game and tie the series at 2. Oreo and Alyssa combined for a bad game in game 5, but Alyssa had the final mistake with a bad bank attempt, and Oreo buried the 15 to take the series 3-2. Ranked #67 for 15-ball, Oreo will travel to Tysini's Cisco Arena to face the Hummingbirds' Princess in the third round.

Kraft Forum, Royal: Marsell v. J. Garcia. The new red cue shaft (Red 3.0) debuts competitively in this 7-ball series, a Southeastern Rivalry to boot. Royal's Marsell wasted no time in sinking the 7 in the top side for game 1, beating Southridge's Garcia with her own trick to take a 1-0 series lead. The Defenders' Garcia shot back with a 2-7 combination from ball-in-hand to the top right after the Crowns' Marsell couldn't get legal contact on the 2 in game 2, and the play tied the series at 1. Garcia pulled off a bit more magic in game 3, getting the 2 on the break and then watching her missed cut on the 1 see the cue carom off two rails to push the 7 into the bottom right, giving her a 2-1 series lead. Garcia didn't let Marsell see the table in game 4, sinking the 7 in the top left from the break to secure the series at 3-1 with the spectacular shot. Garcia looked solid with a three-ball run in the middle of game 5, but Marsell won, using the now spare shaft in a cramped spot to take the 7 to the top right. Garcia claimed the series 3-2, advancing her #88 ranked 7-ball campaign to the third round, where she'll face the Blades' Shawn in Swordpoint's Gillette Center.

Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Gizmo v. Rainmane. The red cue will continue its three-series introduction tour with a Northeastern Rivalry series in 10-ball. Central's Gizmo took a somewhat messy game 1 from Rainmane of Web City, using her misses to chip away until he got the win and a 1-0 lead in the series. Game 2 went much better, with the players exchanging three-ball runs from the start. The Warriors' Gizmo got the advantage with a three-ball run-out at the end, scoring the 10 off a carom from the 9 to the top side, making it a 2-0 series lead for the host. The Spiders' Rainmane got revenge in game 3, battling firmly with Gizmo in a fast game that saw Rainmane take the upper hand late and use it as momentum to grab the win, making it a 2-1 series lead for Gizmo. Gizmo regained possession, dominating in game 4 and using a three-ball run-out of nicely set up shots to win and clinch the series at 3-1. Rainmane had a lot of pressure on Gizmo in game 5, outplaying him early but needing the mercy of him missing on the 10 with the spare shaft to score the 10 in the bottom right. The series ended 3-2 for Gizmo, who is ranked #44 for 10-ball and will host Chelsea of the Eastside Sharks in the third round.

Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy v. Acorn. It's a captains clash in the British Derby, as the red cue stays on with 10-ball. Everton's Goldy had a good start in game 1, but fell apart with three misses on the 9. Lighton's Acorn made it from ball-in-hand, and took the 10 at the top right for the 1-0 series lead. Game 2 didn't end any easier after the Prestige's Acorn made a three-ball run, as it took multiple shots on the 9 and the 10 before the Eagles' Goldy finished it to tie the series at 1. Early in game 3, Acorn left the 10 at the bottom right, and Goldy kicked the 1 off the top rail, contacting the 1 with the right spin to drive the cue toward the 10, potting it for a 2-1 series lead on a highlight-reel shot from the host. Acorn had a strong finish in game 4, in which Goldy did a lot of the grunt work to clear things up. Acorn ran out the last four balls with precise shooting and positioning, giving him the win to tie the series at 2. Goldy got frustrated throughout game 5, and this worked in Acorn's favor, especially with his late defense drawing her into a foul, giving him ball-in-hand for a three-ball run-out to take the series 3-2. Ranked #33 in 10-ball, Acorn is through to the third round.

Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Kirstin v. Juno. Arriving late to the party, the blue cue is finally up for 7-ball. Southern's Kirstin had a three-ball run from the break in game 1, but staggered a bit as Modernistic's Juno applied pressure, only to leave the 7 short. Kirstin tapped it in, winning the game and taking a 1-0 series lead. The Union's Juno didn't let game 2 slip away like the last one did, working a four-ball run-out to topple the Monarchs' Kirstin, including a long bank to send the 7 to the top right to tie the series at 1. Juno continued to play well with a four-ball run in game 3. Kirstin replied with a hard shot on the 6, and she scratched, allowing Juno to strike the 7 to the top side for the win and a 2-1 series lead. Kirstin had a stunning finish in game 4, equalizing the series at 2 with a double-pot of the 5 to the bottom right and a carom to send the 6 to the top right, followed by a top-rail kick to pot the 7 in the bottom right. Kirstin claimed game 3 in fine form as well, using an early double-pot of the 2 to the top right and 6 to the bottom right, as well as a sharp hit on the 7 to take the series 3-2. Ranked #56 for 7-ball, Kirstin will hit the road for a third round series with the Warriors' Dustin in Nestle's Warriors Hall in Central.

Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Cheddar v. Shiny. The silver cue comes back in for 15-ball, and the completion of this series will put round two at half completion. Whitewater's Cheddar made two big mistakes in game 1, ending a four-ball run with a scratch and missing on the 15 from ball-in-hand after Shiny's late three-ball run ended in a scratch. Shiny of Web City handled the tap-in to take a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 lacked any spectacular runs, but the Spiders' Shiny picked up the win after the Shores' Cheddar made a few additional mistakes, and Shiny now carries a 2-0 series lead. Cheddar again failed to limit her mistakes in game 3, and while Shiny was far from perfect, she was able to close the game out, with the win securing the series for her at 3-0. Cheddar finally got a win in a sloppy game 4, outlasting the poor shooting from Shiny to strike the 15 to the top left, making it 3-1 in the series. Cheddar managed a strong finish again in game 5, working a five-ball run-out with precisely taken shots, beating Shiny but falling 3-2 in the series. Ranked #32 in 15-ball, Shiny will host Shelley of the Infinity Torpedoes at Web City's Home Depot Forum.

UPS Hall, Maplewood: Fluffina v. Starlight. Here's a big series, with the two stars facing off in Accuracy with the blue cue. Maplewood's Fluffina had a suffocating performance in game 1, while Pacific's Starlight ventured around a bit and ended up with a 1-4 loss, giving Fluffina the 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Starlight played better in game 2, and it came at the expense of the Lumberjacks' Fluffina, who fell apart dramatically in the 3-7 loss, as the series is now tied at 1. Fluffina made a mess of game 3, falling behind early before Starlight slipped to tie things at the end of regulation. Fluffina scratched on both of her shots in overtime, and Starlight finished with the 7 to win 4-5 and take a 2-1 series lead. Fluffina answered back with a dominant game 4 effort, pushing Starlight around en route to an 0-6 win that retied the series at 2 and gave the host all the momentum for the final game. Starlight came to play in game 5, shooting a perfect round to beat Fluffina 0-2 and take the series 3-2. Ranked #65 in Accuracy, Starlight will host Diamond Gems captain Smokey at Verizon Field Events Center in Pacific in the third round. Fluffina became the twelfth player to be eliminated this year, and Starlight collected her second kill of the year.

Intel Center, Diamond: Cassandra v. Crystal. The silver cue is back up for 8-ball in this series. Queens' Crystal started behind and backed herself into a corner when she pinned her 4 on the 8. Diamond's Cassandra probably didn't need the help, but Crystal put herself out when the 6 bumped the 8 in, and Cassandra gained a 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Cassandra lacked a good break in game 2, and the Flames' Crystal ran six balls early to pace her attack in an easy win, tying the series at 1. Crystal didn't carry the same pace in game 3, but she still outplayed Cassandra at the start to cruise fairly easily to the finish, winning when Cassandra scratched. Crystal made the 8 easily and went up 2-1 in the series. Cassandra appeared to have game 4 in her grips until Crystal made a five-ball run to tighten the game, and she pulled back even more late to snatch the win and steal the series at 3-1. Game 5 finally worked for Cassandra, as she maneuvered around Crystal and put up a three-ball run-out for the win. Crystal took the series 3-2, and her #75 ranked 8-ball campaign travels to Commerce's Nike Field Events Center to face Tradewinds rookie Lorde in the third round.

Samsung Arena, Whitewater: Twinkie III v. Panda. The blue cue gets into 10-ball action for this series. Whitewater's Twinkie III did well in game 1, especially for a kick on the 7 to the top right through traffic, and while Southern's Panda held his own, he fell behind 1-0 in the series after a scratch gave Twinkie III the clear shot on the 10. In game 2, the Monarchs' Panda should have lost due to a scratch, but the Shores' Twinkie III butchered a 7-10 combination. She later came around after sloppy play and scored it to gain a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 saw more of the same from Panda, decent play until a late scratch, and Twinkie III made the last two shots from ball-in-hand to seal the series at 3-0 with her win. With the pressure to perform gone, Panda broke up the sweep in game 4, allowing Twinkie III to shoot some shots after illegally potting balls before capitalizing late to get a win and make it a 3-1 series. In game 5, the usual course of events got flipped, with Twinkie III's scratch leading to Panda's 7-10 combination at the bottom right, making it a 3-2 final for the series. Twinkie III is ranked #38 for 10-ball, and she'll advance to the third round.

Chevrolet Center, Everton: Goldy v. Easter. The silver cue is up for 12-ball now, as Goldy tangles in another battle between captains. Todavía's Easter put on a strong showing, making the first five balls potted in game 1, but Everton's Goldy went on a four-ball run with a defensive finish that drew illegal contact. Goldy made her last two from ball-in-hand, winning for a 1-0 lead in the series. Game 2 played much tighter, with the Stills' Easter earning a wild card ball from the Eagles' Goldy's break. However, things went awry, and Easter struggled to get positioned. A late shot saw her give Goldy a wild card ball, and two shots later, Goldy won for a 2-0 series lead. Easter held on in a scary game 3, as Goldy made a big press late but couldn't legally hit her last ball. Easter took her last two shots from ball-in-hand for the win, cutting the series to 2-1 as she tries a comeback. Goldy squashed the comeback in game 4, winning as she earned a wild card ball, while Easter couldn't quite recover from Goldy's aggressive defensive positioning and had to foul away to have any chance. Goldy claimed the series at 3-1. Easter fired back with a strong game 5, winning on a three-ball run-out after rallying back from Goldy's good opener. Goldy still took the series 3-2, and her #44 ranked 12-ball bid is through to the third round now.

Mercedes-Benz Forum, Harrison: Twinkie II v. Shannon. The blue cue gets another turn at 7-ball in this series. Harrison's Twinkie II got off to a dream start by making the 7 on the break to the top left, as well as the 1 in the bottom side, keeping Southern's Shannon at bay as Twinkie II owns a 1-0 series lead. The Specters' Twinkie II didn't have the same quick end in game 2, but the dominance was higher, as she worked a five-ball run-out to take a 2-0 series lead over a hapless Shannon of the Monarchs. Twinkie II wasted no time in securing the series at 3-0, triple-potting the 4 to the bottom right, the 2 to the bottom side, and the 7 to the top left on the game 3 break. Shannon saved some face with a good game 4 showing, winning with a four-ball run-out with a double-pot of the 5 to the bottom right that kicked the cue back to take the 6 at the top left on the carom. Twinkie II still leads 3-1. Shannon pulled back with a slower win in game 5, working a three-ball run-out to make it a 3-2 series win for Twinkie II. The #9 ranked 7-ball player, Twinkie II is set to host Misty of the Westside Rockers in the third round at this venue.

Audi Hall, Terrace City: Oreo v. Leonette. The final series of the day will see the red cue play 8-ball. Terrace City's Oreo started game 1 pretty well, but lost a bit of ground when Pacific's Leonette worked a four-ball run. They played pretty even until the end, where Oreo pulled ahead again and won for a 1-0 series lead. In game 2, the Knights' Oreo seemed to hold an advantage, but the Volcanoes' Leonette caught up and won when Oreo twice missed the 8. Leonette's win tied the series at 1. Oreo pulled back in game 3, getting a bit behind Leonette from the start but scoring a four-ball run and narrowly missing the 8 the first time before tapping it in at the bottom right for the win to take a 2-1 series lead. Leonette never saw the table in game 4, but she didn't have to when Oreo's fourth shot was a little too adventurous, and she potted the 8 illegally in the top side to hand Leonette a win and make it a 2-2 series. Leonette had the early advantage in game 5, but let Oreo back into it in the end. They tangled with a ball each to go before Leonette made two simple shots to take the win and a 3-2 series win. Ranked #56 in 8-ball, Leonette will host Twilight of the Central Warriors at Pacific's Verizon Field Events Center in the third round.

That's all for today's games. Tomorrow should be more or less the same amount.