It's the tenth day of qualifying, and we've reached a point where three players are yet to start while one is already finished, leaving the whole spectrum of games open. We begin today with...
Mr. Snowman of the Infinity Torpedoes shooting 10-ball with the silver cue to start the first group. Mr. Snowman did make a ball on the break in this game, but he took an early error. He settled in after iffy shooting early on, and closed the game with 17 shots in a good performance. Next up, Central Warriors rookie Mario plays 9-ball with the blue cue in his third career game. Mario made two balls from an excellent break, and then closed the game with one error for a late scratch, giving him 11 shots when he knocked in the 9 for a good outing. Continuing along, Crystal of the Queens Flames shoots Rotation with the red cue after a few days off to recover from deep struggles early in her qualifying campaign. Crystal played a pretty sharp game, not quite making anything on her break, but also knowing when to err, which gave her five errors mixed in over 26 shots, a good outing. The fourth player called today is Sleepy B., the Archtown Arrows veteran, who shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Sleepy B. did well in her game, taking her only error on a scratch at the break, which was otherwise empty. She sealed the game in 13 shots, ending with an 8-10 cut combination to the top right for a good performance. Rounding out the group, Zach of the Pronger Tridents shoots 8-ball with the blue cue. Zach went empty on his break, and also took no errors in the appearance, needing 21 shots to complete the outing in a fairly standard appearance for the sophomore.
The second batch of the day gets going with Charli XCX of the Tysini Hummingbirds playing 9-ball with the silver cue. Charli had a poor break that saw her take her only error, a scratch, and then she recovered with a game-ending glance off the 7 that took the 8 to the top right in combination and the 9 to the bottom side on the carom, for a score of 13 shots somewhat surprisingly. The seventh player called to shoot today is Wings, the Pearl Surfers stalwart, who is up for 10-ball with the red cue in this game. Wings didn't make a ball on the break, but he left the 10 right on the edge of the bottom right, and in a straight line for a 1-10 combination to end his game with 1 shot and no errors. That's a tough act to follow for Leandra, the Tysini Hummingbirds star, who will play 9-ball with the red cue. Leandra had a difficult spread on her shots in this game, taking a ball on the break but also an early error for a scratch. This was the only one, and she ended the game with 15 shots, abusing the bottom side as the target for many of those. Up next, Brownie, another Hummingbird, shoots 10-ball with the blue cue. Brownie couldn't make anything on her break, and then took two errors in the game, but she still had only 16 shots for a strong performance. Ending the group, Twinkie II, captain of the Harrison Specters, shoots 8-ball with the silver cue. Twinkie II went for 21 shots, including a mixed break that saw her pot a ball and also scratch for her only error.
Group three kicks off with Acorn, the Lighton Prestige captain, appearing for 9-ball with the blue cue. Acorn had two balls in on the break, a good performance from the start, and he closed the game with 13 shots and no errors after navigating the table with relative efficiency. The twelfth shooter today is Taylor Swift, star for the Eastside Sharks, who will shoot 8-ball with the blue cue. Taylor was quite inaccurate during her game, requiring 22 shots despite making a ball on the break, and she had only one error to obstruct the flow of her game. Moving along, Patches, the Boston Swifts captain, shoots 15-ball with the red cue. Patches didn't get anything on her break, and the game itself was a struggle, with five errors over 30 shots to complete the rack for a mediocre outing from one of the league's best. Panda, the Southern Monarchs captain, gets the next game, using the blue cue for Rotation. Panda got a ball on the break, and then remarkably limited his errors to only two during the game, cruising through a kind rack to score 23 shots in a league-leading effort for the event. The last player in this group is Isabella, the Atlantic Pirates rookie, who will play 9-ball with the blue cue. Isabella was all over the 9 in this game, failing to make anything on the break but needing only two chances at a 1-9 combination to sink it in the bottom right for a score of 2 with no errors.
Batch four is led off by Citrus of the Diamond Gems, who shoots her third game of qualifiers, 9-ball, with the blue cue. Citrus was dangerously close to an all-time terrible game, getting nothing on the break and three errors as no clear shots developed. Luckily, she double-potted the 3 to the bottom side and 8 to the top left, setting up to convert the 4-9 combination to end the game at 17 shots. The league hopes to see a different game for Strut of the Golden Pilots, and they'll get their wish as he shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Strut was doing just fine in his game, making a ball on the break and shooting accurately, until he had to dig the 7 away from the top right. This produced two errors for him, and forced him to take 27 shots in total to finish the game. Next up, Sydney Sierota of the Harrison Specters plays 9-ball with the silver cue with the hopes of getting that game back in form. Sydney did well early on, making a ball from the break and cruising until the 7 got stuck behind the 9. She would take one error and finish the game with 14 shots, a respectable effort for the young player. The nineteenth player called today is Snuggle, the Oceanside Waves captain, who keeps the silver cue at the table for more 9-ball. Snuggle went empty on his break, and took an early error for missed contact, but he did well from there, closing the game in 11 shots with a 5-9 combination to the bottom side after a gutsy cut to make the 4 in the bottom left. Wrapping up this group, Midland Predators rookie Fuchsia shoots Rotation with the blue cue. Fuchsia couldn't find anything good in this appearance, needing 32 shots and six errors to cover an empty break and continually bad positioning on her shots.
The fifth group opens with Flames captain Crystal shooting 15-ball with the red cue in her second appearance today. Crystal's late-qualifying resurgence continued, as she made nothing on the break but took only one error in a crisp 21 shots to complete a typically difficult event. Next up, Smokey, the Diamond Gems captain, shoots 15-ball as well with the red cue. Smokey made two balls on the break, the first to do so in this event, but also took three errors and had trouble with small space to shoot, requiring 28 total shots to complete the appearance. The 23rd player called to shoot today is Isabella, as the Pirates rookie returns to action to shoot 10-ball with the red cue. Isabella is quickly becoming known as a trick-play seeker, as she kept one eye on the 10 the whole game. She didn't get anything on the break, and she took an error for a scratch, but the persistence paid off with a deflection off the 6 to pot the 10 in the top right, ending her turn at 11 shots. Following that, Web City Spiders veteran Shiny shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Shiny had an empty break, and that was only the beginning of a rough game, as she needed 21 shots with three errors to clear off the table from there, not the best she could have done. The group closes with the last player before the mid-afternoon break. That player is Eastside Sharks captain Chelsea, who plays 9-ball with the red cue. Chelsea took nothing from her break, and did suffer an error on a scratch during the game, her only one, but she finished with a solid 16 shots by the end of the game.
After the break, group six starts with Southridge Defenders rookie Bianca shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Bianca had two balls on the break to start the game, and two errors in the end, needing 18 shots to finish the appearance despite the hot start, leaving the composed rookie frustrated. Going next is Kiwi, the Terrace City Knights superstar captain, who shoots 9-ball with the silver cue in this outing. Kiwi needed 19 shots with four errors during the game, hobbled by the temporary fix no long being a viable option for the stick. Next up, Solaris of the Infinity Torpedoes will shoot 12-ball with the red cue. Also, no more silver cue games will be played today. Any drawn will be allocated for, hopefully, tomorrow's first games. Solaris surprisingly didn't make anything from the break, but he did cruise through the game, needing only 17 shots with no errors to complete a stellar outing. The 29th player called today is Fluffina, the Maplewood Lumberjacks captain, shooting 10-ball with the blue cue. Fluffina had an iffy break, and she also committed two errors during the game as she tried to work in tight spaces, but she closed with 13 shots thanks to a planned carom off the 4 at the bottom left. Finishing this group, Modernistic Union veteran Puff I shoots Rotation with the red cue. Puff I had a ball on the break, and that was just the beginning of the good stuff, as she rallied to take just one error among 24 shots in the game, a very impressive outing.
The seventh group begins with Hughbert, the Southridge Defenders rookie, shooting 9-ball with the red cue. Hughbert saw the 4 fall late on the break, but then took two errors, unable to capitalize on the early gift as his game stretched to a painful 16 shots. Continuing along, Everton Eagles superstar captain Goldy is up for 10-ball with the red cue. Goldy couldn't quite make a ball on the break, but she did get crafty at the end, making a 3-4-10 combination with a deflection of the 4 off the 5 to get the 10 in the bottom right, ending her appearance with only a single error for missed contact earlier in the game. That will be a tough act to follow, and the opportunity comes to Citrus, the Gems star, who plays 10-ball with the red cue as well. Citrus kept it simple this game, getting nothing from the break and no errors during the course of play, and she ended with a classical finish, banking the 10 to the bottom right to end with a strong 16 shots. Dusky, the Archtown Arrows stalwart, plays the next game, keeping the red cue active for 9-ball. Dusky went big for her turn, getting a ball on the break and then hammering brilliant shots without an error for the rest of the game, scoring 11 when it was all said and done. Icing this group, Sierra of the Todavía Stills appears with the red cue for a game of 12-ball. Sierra didn't score anything from the break, and she did take a late error for missed contact, but she closed the game with 20 shots, a score she happily accepts.
The final bunch commences with the new Pacific Volcano, Chicky Phil, playing his 8-ball game with the blue cue. Chicky Phil had a ball on the break to start his game, and he played well from there, taking no errors over the 19 shots he needed to clear off a fairly average distribution. Up next, Dusty, the Golden Pilots veteran, shoots 10-ball with the blue cue. Dusty had a ball on the break for her game, and then took just one error early on before closing the game with nice mid-range shots for a score of 14, very strong in this year's environment for the event. The 38th player drawn to shoot today is Eagles captain Goldy, as she returns to the table for her 12-ball game with the red cue. Goldy had a very sturdy performance, needing only 19 shots after making a ball on the break, and she didn't take any errors, showing control and dominance in the performance. Following that, Maplewood Lumberjacks veteran Diddley shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Diddley went empty on the break, but he also took a productive error that keyed the rest of his game, allowing him to finish in 15 shots with the single error. Finally, Smudge of the Infinity Torpedoes plays 9-ball with the blue cue to end the night. Smudge had nothing on the break and one error during the course of play, with a rough start pushing her to 17 shots overall for the appearance.
An update on the silver cue to end the night: I have removed the old tip and installed the new tip with glue, which is currently being allowed to set. I will do a light amount of shaping and a little bit of reinforcement around the edge between the tip and the ferrule to hope to make this a permanent solution to the problem. The previous tip was a screw-on tip, which likely resulted in the very heavy shots the cue became known for in its first iteration. It should have a different feel going forward if this solution works.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
2017 Qualifiers - Day 9
It's a new day of qualifiers. We have not remedied the silver cue issue, but the temporary fix is holding well, so that will be used today. It gets a very early start, as...
Rainmane of the Midland Predators will use that very silver cue for 10-ball to lead off the first group today. It was a rough outing for Rainmane, as she couldn't get anything on the break and took two errors before ending the game with 24 shots, as she failed to get clear sight lines on her attempts. Next up, Marsell of the Whitewater Shores makes his debut for the team, playing 7-ball with the blue cue. Marsell couldn't make anything on his break, and he had one error for a scratch after setting himself up poorly, ending with 12 shots for the game. That takes us to the lunch break, and the first player after that is Lionel, the Commerce Tradewinds veteran, who will use the blue cue for his 12-ball qualifier. Lionel needed only 16 shots after making two balls on the break, and he had no errors in a remarkable outing. Following that, Southern Monarchs captain Panda shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Panda took 27 shots for the game, after making two balls on the break, as his three errors and bad positions on the balls made it a difficult game for the veteran. The group ends with Pacific Volcanoes veteran Leonette shooting 10-ball with the blue cue. Leonette got a ball on the break and took an error for a scratch and still managed to keep her score down at 11 in a remarkable table-clearing effort for the average veteran player.
The second group begins with Valencia of the Golden Pilots shooting 9-ball with the silver cue. Valencia had a ball on the break, and played very well over the next 10 shots, avoiding any errors to record a strong game. The seventh player of the day is Goatee, the Westside Rockers veteran, who will shoot 9-ball with the blue cue. Goatee had two balls on the break, and she kept her game pretty solid, stumbling at the 6 but taking no errors and ending the appearance with only 11 shots. Next up, Isabella, the Atlantic Pirates rookie, makes her second career appearance in 8-ball with the red cue. Isabella made a ball on the break, and then impressively remained poised despite some tough shots, finishing with a score of 18 and no errors. Continuing along, Juno, the Stonebridge Wolves captain, shoots 8-ball with the silver cue in her second qualifier of the year. Juno had a weak break, failing to shatter the rack much, but she showed well in tight spaces, taking no errors and only 18 shots after flubbing her first shot from the course of play. Ending the batch, Sierra of the Todavía Stills plays 10-ball with the silver cue. Sierra played with no regard for the rules of the game, taking six errors including a scratch on her otherwise empty break, and she finished with 23 shots for the game.
Batch three starts with Victoria Spurs rookie Wario, who shoots 9-ball with the blue cue. Wario made a ball on the break, and felt he had enough time to try a trick shot on the 9, which failed, but he rallied to clear the table with no errors in 11 shots, a good score for the inexperienced player. Oreo, the Terrace City Knights veteran, plays the next game, using the red cue for her 8-ball qualifier. Oreo had a difficult start to the game, but rounded into form after an empty break and finished with 20 shots and no errors for the appearance. Moving along, Sprinkles, the Capital City Sharpshooters stalwart, plays 8-ball with the red cue. Sprinkles couldn't get a ball on the break, and she saw her shooting accuracy dip near the end of the turn. She had five errors charged for illegally potting the 8 at the end, giving her 26 shots in a poor outing. The fourteenth player drawn to shoot today is Ted, the Web City Spiders rookie, who will use the blue cue for his 8-ball qualifier. Ted seemed to do well on his turn, despite getting nothing on the break, but he faded late, taking his only error and ending with 21 shots for the game. Wrapping up the batch, Americus of the Atlantic Pirates shoots 8-ball as well, bringing the red cue back to do so. Americus held her own despite another empty break for the league, and she needed 22 shots with one error to complete the game, with her scratch setting up a double-kiss on the 9 off the right rail to the top side.
The fourth group gets going with Acorn, the Lighton Prestige captain, shooting 8-ball with the silver cue. Acorn got a ball on the break, a feat in and of itself, and then rallied through the rack with little opposition, taking the table in 16 shots with no errors for a very good qualifying effort. The next game belongs to Yekaterina Vasilyeva, the Victoria Spurs sophomore, who shoots 10-ball with the red cue this time. Yekaterina didn't quite get anything on the break, and she didn't get very good positions to shoot from either, so her score of 19 with two errors was rather impressive given the challenges. The eighteenth player to shoot today is Ruby, the Archtown Arrows star, who is set to play 9-ball with the silver cue. Ruby had a ball on the break, and then needed only 7 shots before a remarkable double-pot that sent the 6 to the bottom side and the 9 off the right rail to the bottom left to end the game with no errors. Next up, Lorde, the Commerce Tradewinds sophomore, shoots 10-ball with the blue cue. Lorde took a ball on the break and also had two errors for an illegally potted ball via illegal contact, but she was on a roll and closed with 13 shots for the game. Finishing this group, Strut, the Golden Pilots veteran, is up to play 10-ball with the silver cue. Strut wanted a bit more in this performance, and got an empty break and three errors en route to 21 shots that weren't particularly easy for him to accomplish.
Group five opens with Precious, the Pronger Tridents captain, shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Precious needed only 11 shots despite getting just a hanger for her break, and she took no errors in a very solid appearance for the high-expectations veteran. Solaris, the Infinity Torpedoes rookie, gets the next game, shooting 10-ball with the silver cue with the hopes of a good outing. Solaris had two errors after an empty break for this game, but his pacing on cut shots, along with impeccable angling, allowed him to take the game in 18 shots, a very sturdy total for the youngster. Following that, Whitewater Shores captain Bear plays 8-ball with the red cue in his second qualifier of the year. Bear didn't have another stunning game, but played very solidly after his empty break, going for 20 shots and no errors in the game. The 24th player called to shoot today is Smokey of the Diamond Gems, shooting Rotation with the silver cue. Smokey chose to illegally err twice, raising his errors mark to six and his score to 26 shots after making a pair of balls and a scratch from the eventful break. Bringing up the rear for this bunch, Paps, the Eastside Sharks newcomer, wins the speed race as he is the first to finish qualifying, playing Accuracy with the red cue. Paps completed the game in a quick 15 shots, getting two balls on the break to help the cause, and he took no errors. He ended his qualifying session with 165 total shots.
The sixth group kicks off with Infinity Torpedoes captain Smudge shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Smudge struggled to find any clear shots after an empty break that scattered a little too well, and she took no errors in the game, working her way to 22 shots to finish it. The last player before the mid-afternoon break is Twinkie I, the Prestige veteran, who shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Twinkie I had two errors in the game that also saw her frustrated by an empty break. Her shooting was acceptable, leading to 15 shots to finish the appearance. After the downtime, play resumes with Boston Swifts superstar captain Patches shooting Rotation with the red cue. Patches played a decent game for going empty on the break and needing three errors in the middle of the appearance, as she closed with 29 shots for a solid appearance. The 29th player drawn today is Patches' Swifts teammate Sweetheart, who uses the blue cue for her 10-ball game. Sweetheart had an unfortunate three errors on one play, one for illegal contact and two for illegally potted balls, as she needed 20 shots with nothing on the break to complete the outing. The group ends with Nicole of the Capital City Sharpshooters playing 9-ball with the silver cue. Nicole had 17 shots for the game, failing to make anything on the break but also avoiding errors in a sub-standard performance.
Leading off group seven, the Waves' Caitlin is back at the table for 10-ball with the silver cue. Caitlin had one error in her game, going empty on the break as well, and she managed to finish the appearance in a crisp 19 shots, ending strong with good shots at the end. Following that, Midland Predators rookie Fuchsia plays 12-ball with the red cue. Fuchsia had two balls on the break, and she took only one error in a dominant game, navigating unfavorable positions with relative ease. She ended with a vicious spinning kick on the 15 to the bottom side, sealing the game at 19 shots. Next up, Cheddar of the North Modernistic Nighthawks plays 8-ball with the silver cue in her second game with the team. Cheddar struggled in this game, needing 22 shots with one error after making nothing from the break. Moving along, Celestia of the Oceanside Waves plays 12-ball with the red cue. Celestia had a ball on the break, but that wasn't enough to prevent her from struggling, as she took three errors to preserve positioning, giving her 22 shots in the end as she finished a challenging rack. The group ends with the 35th game of the day, belonging to Waluigi, the Maplewood Lumberjacks rookie, who will shoot 12-ball with the blue cue. Waluigi buried three balls on the break, and this game him a lot of open space, which translated to him taking no errors and only 17 shots to complete the appearance.
The eighth bunch gets going with Dusky of the Archtown Arrows making her second appearance of the year, using the blue cue for 8-ball. Dusky had a terrible game, needing 26 shots with one error after getting nothing on her break, and her performance has her near the bottom of the event's standings. The 37th player drawn today is Ted, the Spiders rookie, who is back at the table for 9-ball with the silver cue. Ted had a rough game, getting nothing from the break to help the cause, and then taking two errors among 16 shots to slow down his performance. Fluffina, the Maplewood Lumberjacks captain, gets the next game, shooting 9-ball with the blue cue in this appearance. Fluffina scored 9 for her turn, including an error and a ball on the break, which occurred just about at the same time. Following that is Sparkles of the Todavía Stills, who has the red cue in hand for her 9-ball qualifier. Sparkles did get a ball on the break, and she played a clean game with no errors, ending on 13 shots in a decent game. Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds seals this group with a game of Rotation with the red cue. Lionel took nothing on the break in this game, and had three early errors as he failed to work out of troublesome shots. He settled in well, cruising up until the 15, which pushed his score to 30 with just the three errors.
That'll be all we've got tonight, as we think this is enough for the day. We'll be back tomorrow for likely another 40-game set.
Rainmane of the Midland Predators will use that very silver cue for 10-ball to lead off the first group today. It was a rough outing for Rainmane, as she couldn't get anything on the break and took two errors before ending the game with 24 shots, as she failed to get clear sight lines on her attempts. Next up, Marsell of the Whitewater Shores makes his debut for the team, playing 7-ball with the blue cue. Marsell couldn't make anything on his break, and he had one error for a scratch after setting himself up poorly, ending with 12 shots for the game. That takes us to the lunch break, and the first player after that is Lionel, the Commerce Tradewinds veteran, who will use the blue cue for his 12-ball qualifier. Lionel needed only 16 shots after making two balls on the break, and he had no errors in a remarkable outing. Following that, Southern Monarchs captain Panda shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Panda took 27 shots for the game, after making two balls on the break, as his three errors and bad positions on the balls made it a difficult game for the veteran. The group ends with Pacific Volcanoes veteran Leonette shooting 10-ball with the blue cue. Leonette got a ball on the break and took an error for a scratch and still managed to keep her score down at 11 in a remarkable table-clearing effort for the average veteran player.
The second group begins with Valencia of the Golden Pilots shooting 9-ball with the silver cue. Valencia had a ball on the break, and played very well over the next 10 shots, avoiding any errors to record a strong game. The seventh player of the day is Goatee, the Westside Rockers veteran, who will shoot 9-ball with the blue cue. Goatee had two balls on the break, and she kept her game pretty solid, stumbling at the 6 but taking no errors and ending the appearance with only 11 shots. Next up, Isabella, the Atlantic Pirates rookie, makes her second career appearance in 8-ball with the red cue. Isabella made a ball on the break, and then impressively remained poised despite some tough shots, finishing with a score of 18 and no errors. Continuing along, Juno, the Stonebridge Wolves captain, shoots 8-ball with the silver cue in her second qualifier of the year. Juno had a weak break, failing to shatter the rack much, but she showed well in tight spaces, taking no errors and only 18 shots after flubbing her first shot from the course of play. Ending the batch, Sierra of the Todavía Stills plays 10-ball with the silver cue. Sierra played with no regard for the rules of the game, taking six errors including a scratch on her otherwise empty break, and she finished with 23 shots for the game.
Batch three starts with Victoria Spurs rookie Wario, who shoots 9-ball with the blue cue. Wario made a ball on the break, and felt he had enough time to try a trick shot on the 9, which failed, but he rallied to clear the table with no errors in 11 shots, a good score for the inexperienced player. Oreo, the Terrace City Knights veteran, plays the next game, using the red cue for her 8-ball qualifier. Oreo had a difficult start to the game, but rounded into form after an empty break and finished with 20 shots and no errors for the appearance. Moving along, Sprinkles, the Capital City Sharpshooters stalwart, plays 8-ball with the red cue. Sprinkles couldn't get a ball on the break, and she saw her shooting accuracy dip near the end of the turn. She had five errors charged for illegally potting the 8 at the end, giving her 26 shots in a poor outing. The fourteenth player drawn to shoot today is Ted, the Web City Spiders rookie, who will use the blue cue for his 8-ball qualifier. Ted seemed to do well on his turn, despite getting nothing on the break, but he faded late, taking his only error and ending with 21 shots for the game. Wrapping up the batch, Americus of the Atlantic Pirates shoots 8-ball as well, bringing the red cue back to do so. Americus held her own despite another empty break for the league, and she needed 22 shots with one error to complete the game, with her scratch setting up a double-kiss on the 9 off the right rail to the top side.
The fourth group gets going with Acorn, the Lighton Prestige captain, shooting 8-ball with the silver cue. Acorn got a ball on the break, a feat in and of itself, and then rallied through the rack with little opposition, taking the table in 16 shots with no errors for a very good qualifying effort. The next game belongs to Yekaterina Vasilyeva, the Victoria Spurs sophomore, who shoots 10-ball with the red cue this time. Yekaterina didn't quite get anything on the break, and she didn't get very good positions to shoot from either, so her score of 19 with two errors was rather impressive given the challenges. The eighteenth player to shoot today is Ruby, the Archtown Arrows star, who is set to play 9-ball with the silver cue. Ruby had a ball on the break, and then needed only 7 shots before a remarkable double-pot that sent the 6 to the bottom side and the 9 off the right rail to the bottom left to end the game with no errors. Next up, Lorde, the Commerce Tradewinds sophomore, shoots 10-ball with the blue cue. Lorde took a ball on the break and also had two errors for an illegally potted ball via illegal contact, but she was on a roll and closed with 13 shots for the game. Finishing this group, Strut, the Golden Pilots veteran, is up to play 10-ball with the silver cue. Strut wanted a bit more in this performance, and got an empty break and three errors en route to 21 shots that weren't particularly easy for him to accomplish.
Group five opens with Precious, the Pronger Tridents captain, shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Precious needed only 11 shots despite getting just a hanger for her break, and she took no errors in a very solid appearance for the high-expectations veteran. Solaris, the Infinity Torpedoes rookie, gets the next game, shooting 10-ball with the silver cue with the hopes of a good outing. Solaris had two errors after an empty break for this game, but his pacing on cut shots, along with impeccable angling, allowed him to take the game in 18 shots, a very sturdy total for the youngster. Following that, Whitewater Shores captain Bear plays 8-ball with the red cue in his second qualifier of the year. Bear didn't have another stunning game, but played very solidly after his empty break, going for 20 shots and no errors in the game. The 24th player called to shoot today is Smokey of the Diamond Gems, shooting Rotation with the silver cue. Smokey chose to illegally err twice, raising his errors mark to six and his score to 26 shots after making a pair of balls and a scratch from the eventful break. Bringing up the rear for this bunch, Paps, the Eastside Sharks newcomer, wins the speed race as he is the first to finish qualifying, playing Accuracy with the red cue. Paps completed the game in a quick 15 shots, getting two balls on the break to help the cause, and he took no errors. He ended his qualifying session with 165 total shots.
The sixth group kicks off with Infinity Torpedoes captain Smudge shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Smudge struggled to find any clear shots after an empty break that scattered a little too well, and she took no errors in the game, working her way to 22 shots to finish it. The last player before the mid-afternoon break is Twinkie I, the Prestige veteran, who shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Twinkie I had two errors in the game that also saw her frustrated by an empty break. Her shooting was acceptable, leading to 15 shots to finish the appearance. After the downtime, play resumes with Boston Swifts superstar captain Patches shooting Rotation with the red cue. Patches played a decent game for going empty on the break and needing three errors in the middle of the appearance, as she closed with 29 shots for a solid appearance. The 29th player drawn today is Patches' Swifts teammate Sweetheart, who uses the blue cue for her 10-ball game. Sweetheart had an unfortunate three errors on one play, one for illegal contact and two for illegally potted balls, as she needed 20 shots with nothing on the break to complete the outing. The group ends with Nicole of the Capital City Sharpshooters playing 9-ball with the silver cue. Nicole had 17 shots for the game, failing to make anything on the break but also avoiding errors in a sub-standard performance.
Leading off group seven, the Waves' Caitlin is back at the table for 10-ball with the silver cue. Caitlin had one error in her game, going empty on the break as well, and she managed to finish the appearance in a crisp 19 shots, ending strong with good shots at the end. Following that, Midland Predators rookie Fuchsia plays 12-ball with the red cue. Fuchsia had two balls on the break, and she took only one error in a dominant game, navigating unfavorable positions with relative ease. She ended with a vicious spinning kick on the 15 to the bottom side, sealing the game at 19 shots. Next up, Cheddar of the North Modernistic Nighthawks plays 8-ball with the silver cue in her second game with the team. Cheddar struggled in this game, needing 22 shots with one error after making nothing from the break. Moving along, Celestia of the Oceanside Waves plays 12-ball with the red cue. Celestia had a ball on the break, but that wasn't enough to prevent her from struggling, as she took three errors to preserve positioning, giving her 22 shots in the end as she finished a challenging rack. The group ends with the 35th game of the day, belonging to Waluigi, the Maplewood Lumberjacks rookie, who will shoot 12-ball with the blue cue. Waluigi buried three balls on the break, and this game him a lot of open space, which translated to him taking no errors and only 17 shots to complete the appearance.
The eighth bunch gets going with Dusky of the Archtown Arrows making her second appearance of the year, using the blue cue for 8-ball. Dusky had a terrible game, needing 26 shots with one error after getting nothing on her break, and her performance has her near the bottom of the event's standings. The 37th player drawn today is Ted, the Spiders rookie, who is back at the table for 9-ball with the silver cue. Ted had a rough game, getting nothing from the break to help the cause, and then taking two errors among 16 shots to slow down his performance. Fluffina, the Maplewood Lumberjacks captain, gets the next game, shooting 9-ball with the blue cue in this appearance. Fluffina scored 9 for her turn, including an error and a ball on the break, which occurred just about at the same time. Following that is Sparkles of the Todavía Stills, who has the red cue in hand for her 9-ball qualifier. Sparkles did get a ball on the break, and she played a clean game with no errors, ending on 13 shots in a decent game. Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds seals this group with a game of Rotation with the red cue. Lionel took nothing on the break in this game, and had three early errors as he failed to work out of troublesome shots. He settled in well, cruising up until the 15, which pushed his score to 30 with just the three errors.
That'll be all we've got tonight, as we think this is enough for the day. We'll be back tomorrow for likely another 40-game set.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
2017 Qualifiers - Day 8
We're jetting through qualifiers at a good pace, and today will see us shoot some morning games too. We begin the short morning with...
Twilight of the Central Warriors playing 12-ball with the silver cue to lead off the first group. Twilight had a ball on her break, but that caused more harm than help, as she couldn't spread her shots well and needed 28 shots with three errors to complete the appearance after numerous set-up attempts. Next up, Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Lionel had a good game, going empty on his break by a slim margin and taking one error over 17 shots in a dominant shooting display. The third player called to shoot today is Hoppy, the Southern Monarchs rookie, who will use the silver cue to play her 10-ball game. Hoppy looked confident in this game, not quite making anything on an iffy break and taking an early error for a scratch, but she settled in and scored 17 in the end with effective shooting and a highlight double deflection of the 5 off the 8 and 9 from a kick to the bottom side. Todavía Stills captain Easter gets the next game, using the red cue for 9-ball in this appearance. Easter made a rare three balls on the break and still managed to take an error in her shooting, but closed with 8 shots on a 4-9 combination to the top right to end the remarkable game. Closing out the group, Easter will shoot again, playing 10-ball with the blue cue. Easter couldn't quite make any magic for this game, ending with 20 shots after an empty break, but she had no errors for the appearance.
Group two leads off the afternoon, and it's headed by the sixth shooter of the day, Swordpoint Blades captain Snowball, who will set the new speed pace with her 15-ball game with the red cue. Snowball had a highlight mid-game, making the 4 and 9 to the top right and the 10 to the bottom right for the triple-pot. Snowball ended with only one error, a scratch, and 19 shots after pinching the 15 on a combination with the 7 at the bottom right. The next game belongs to Shiny of the Web City Spiders, who will use the red cue for 9-ball. Shiny had some tough angles for her shots, and a lot of balls were pinned on the right rail, leading to her only error after an empty break. Shiny finished the game with 17 shots. Following that, Violetta, the Queens Flames rookie, shoots 10-ball with the silver cue. Violetta had some struggles in this appearance, requiring two errors and 19 total shots to finish the game. Freedom Cascades captain Jasmine shoots next, keeping the silver cue at the table for more 10-ball. Jasmine took 18 shots for the game, as well as one error after making a ball on the break for a reasonably strong game. The group ends with Shadow, the Web City Spiders captain, keeping the 10-ball run alive as he'll shoot it with the blue cue. Shadow made a ball on the break but also took two errors to preserve the position of his shots on the table, which sufficed for him to close with 17 shots total.
The third batch kicks off with Nicole of the Capital City Sharpshooters making her second appearance with the team, playing 8-ball with the silver cue. Nicole had a rough break that saw very little scatter, but she calibrated a shot in tight space and went for 19 shots with no errors in the game. Debby Ryan, the Southridge Defenders captain, makes her season debut with the blue cue in 7-ball for the next game, officially restoring her to full playing status in the league. Debby had a ball on the break and needed just 10 shots without an error to finish the appearance in good shape. Next up is Shawn, the Midland Predators captain, shooting 8-ball with the red cue in his second game for the team. Shawn couldn't quite get anything on his break shot, but he did finish the game error-free and in a mark-tying 15 shots. The fourteenth player drawn today is Ice Cream, the Commerce Tradewinds veteran, shooting 12-ball with the red cue in this appearance. Ice Cream got worse in this appearance, needing 30 shots despite making a ball on the break, as she took one error and was generally unable to multi-task with her very difficult shots. Ending the batch, Shannon, the Southern Monarchs veteran, shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Shannon played very well, getting a good break with one ball scored from that, and she had just one error in 18 shots as she quickly navigated the rack for an impressive outing.
Batch four gets going with a game of 15-ball for Paps, who shoots with the silver cue as he rejoins the speed pace. Paps again had a tough game, but better than his more recent effort, as he took 30 shots with four errors after going empty on the break to complete the last hard game of his qualifying season. Moving along, Viewpoint Sound Meteor newcomer Dominic shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Dominic did make a ball on the break, and he charged through the game early on, but his late struggles, including an error, pushed him to take 15 shots to finish the appearance. Mario, the Central Warriors rookie, plays the next game, using the silver cue for 8-ball. Mario got through his game well, going empty on his break but then taking no errors and clearing the table in 19 shots, a very strong outing from the rookie. The nineteenth player called today is Delila, the Atlantic Pirates captain, who will also use the silver cue for 8-ball. Delila had nothing on her break, and she took a late error with the hopes of setting up her last two shots well, but it went awry, and she needed 22 shots with the single error to end the game. Rounding out this group, Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie Nibbles shoots 8-ball with the red cue. It was another game with an empty break, a common theme today, but Nibbles did well to avoid any errors and finish with 19 shots in a strong outing for the rookie.
The fifth group opens with Dani of the Web City Spiders shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Dani has played very impressively so far with her new team, as she completed this game with a ball on the break, two amazing kicks to avoid any errors, and just 11 shots in the end. The 22nd player drawn today is Patches, superstar captain of the Boston Swifts, shooting 12-ball with the blue cue. Patches did alright in this appearance, getting a ball on the break but making two simple errors during the turn, and she ultimately finished with 24 shots in a middling outing. The next game belongs to Easter, as the Stills captain is back in action for 12-ball, also using the blue cue. Easter tried the rarely-used behind the rack break, which did net a ball for her, but she struggled to corral the 12 at the end, avoiding taking an error but needing 26 shots to finish the game as she chased the shot to the top side. Continuing along, Leonette of the Pacific Volcanoes uses the blue cue in her game of 9-ball. Leonette didn't make a ball on the break, but it didn't slow her down, as she had no errors in the game and took only 10 shots before ending with the 9 in the top right after a deflected shot off the 7. The last player in the group is Spice, the Victoria Spurs captain, who shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Spice also had an empty break, and took two errors during the game, but still came out with a reasonable 16 shots for her score this time around.
Group six starts with Oceanside Waves rookie Dewey shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Dewey couldn't pot a ball on the break, and he faltered a bit early before locking in to shoot 19 shots with no errors in a solid performance for his second career game. Princess, the Tysini Hummingbirds superstar captain, gets the next game, as she'll use the silver cue in her 9-ball qualifier. Princess required 18 shots with three errors after an empty break in her appearance, and the oddity of the tip of the silver cue coming partially apart during the game. Roxy will have to make do with the silver cue, as she'll be playing her 9-ball game with it, flaws and all. Roxy didn't have any difficulty with the shooting process, but she did take two errors after an empty break, and needed 17 shots in total to end the appearance. Next up, Jake of the Royal Crowns plays 8-ball with the red cue. Jake didn't seem doomed for a bad game until he got going in it, taking three errors and a massive 29 shots to complete a terrible outing after an empty break that didn't seem all that bad. Going 30th today, the last player before the mid-afternoon break is Panda, the Southern Monarchs captain, who uses the blue cue for 10-ball. Panda couldn't make anything on the break, and took three errors quite unexpectedly for illegally potted balls, but still closed with 17 shots with the productive errors he took.
After the break, the seventh group begins with the Crowns' Jake, who will play 9-ball with the blue cue. Jake needed 16 shots for the game, making a ball on the break and taking no errors in the process of shooting a slightly below-average score. Next up, the Spiders' Dani is back at the table to shoot 10-ball with the red cue. Dani did alright in her appearance, getting a ball on the break and needing 20 shots to finish the game, also taking one error for a late scratch as she faded from the pace established earlier in the event. Following that, Everton Eagles captain Goldy shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Goldy showed off her plethora of skill in the game, using fancy kicks and banks to keep an error-free outing after her empty break. Eventually, she lined up the 5-9 combination to the bottom left and sank it, scoring 13 shots for the game. The 34th player of the day is Leandra of the Tysini Hummingbirds, shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Leandra narrowly missed potting a ball on the break, but she stayed calm, taking no errors in the game. She struggled in the middle with shot placement, which did cause her score to inflate to 22 shots. Ending the batch, Niki of the Eastside Sharks plays 8-ball with the red cue. Niki continued the trend of nose-diving for 8-ball scores, getting nothing on her break and committing two errors via scratches before finishing the difficult rack with 26 shots.
Batch eight is led by Taylor Swift of the Eastside Sharks, as the star player makes her season debut in 7-ball with the red cue. Taylor also went empty on her break, and she ended up with one late error for a scratch, giving her a total of 13 shots in a mediocre start to her qualifying season. Another debut comes next, as Bear, the Whitewater Shores captain, plays the last 7-ball game for the red cue to lead off his own season. Bear made his game count, failing to pot a ball on the break but then ending it at 2 shots with a 2-7 combination to the top left, taking no errors during the appearance. That's a tough act to follow, and it's up to Victoria Spurs rookie Wario to try by shooting 8-ball with the red cue. Wario came up empty on the break, a typical occurrence today, but rallied with a twelve-ball run before fading to 20 shots and no errors late in the game. The 39th player drawn to shoot today is Stealth of the Swordpoint Blades, who keeps the red cue at the table for more 8-ball. Stealth was very efficient in his game, taking a ball on the break and then finishing the game in only 16 shots, with no errors included due to his precision shots. Wrapping up the group, Watermelon, the Pearl Surfers co-captain, is the first to try the temporary fix for the silver cue, playing Rotation. This fix has the former shaft for the red cue that disintegrated at the screw-in part attached, with the hopes that it can hold shape well enough to act as a fix. Watermelon traded early luck, with nothing on the break but fairly favorable shooting positions, and received a tough ending, needing 29 shots and three errors to close out the appearance in still relatively good shape.
The ninth batch starts with Eastside Sharks captain Chelsea shooting 8-ball with the modified silver cue. Chelsea couldn't find any good fortune on her shot, needing 24 shots after an empty break to complete the game, although she took solace in recording no errors for the outing. Up next, Jennifer Livilotti of the Terrace City Knights plays her game of 9-ball with the red cue. Jennifer started the game very strong, not quite making a ball on the break, but the 4 slowed her down and she ended up at 16 shots with no errors in the end after chasing the 8 and the 9. The 43rd player to come to the table today is the Crowns' Jake, who returns to action to play 10-ball with the blue cue in this appearance. Jake looked very comfortable for this game, failing to pot a ball on the break and taking three errors as the sloppy side of scoring a strong 15. Moving along, Spirit, the Lighton Prestige star, shoots 9-ball with the silver cue. Spirit dominated her appearance, recovering from an empty break to conclude the game in 11 shots with no errors, picking her shots very efficiently. At the back of this group, Spirit's Prestige teammate Twinkie I keeps the silver cue at the table for 8-ball. Twinkie I had a very poor break with little shatter and no balls potted, and she had one error on missed contact, but she took only 19 shots for the game, a good score to close things out.
The final group gets going with Caitlin of the Oceanside Waves playing 9-ball with the blue cue. Caitlin had a rough outing this time, getting nothing on the break and committing one error on a late scratch, which caused her to falter to 17 shots to clear the table. The 47th player of the day is Wings of the Pearl Surfers, who will use the red cue for his 9-ball qualifier. Wings had two balls on the break and didn't take any errors in a fairly confident outing, as he needed an average 14 shots to clear the table once he got going. Going next, Prism of the Stonebridge Wolves shoots 9-ball with the red cue in her third appearance of her career. Prism went empty on her break, and she had a single error when she stuck herself in a bad position, but she managed to end the game on 14 shots, a reasonable score. Following that, Boston Swifts star Puff II shoots 8-ball with the blue cue. Puff II had a scratch around midway through the game, after getting no balls to fall on the break. She ultimately needed 23 shots to complete the game, an iffy outing for a player of her caliber. The day ends with Monarchs rookie Hoppy shooting 12-ball with the silver cue. Hoppy had a ball on the break, and shot fairly well during the game, but had two errors and needed 23 shots to complete the outing.
With the cue status as it currently is, I expect qualifiers will come under some fire for not being standardized this year. My apologies to players who have used the previous silver cue shaft that are feeling cheated currently, particularly in 8-ball, 9-ball, and 10-ball. I don't foresee this causing any unusual slowdown, and I'm exploring options for a permanent solution.
Twilight of the Central Warriors playing 12-ball with the silver cue to lead off the first group. Twilight had a ball on her break, but that caused more harm than help, as she couldn't spread her shots well and needed 28 shots with three errors to complete the appearance after numerous set-up attempts. Next up, Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Lionel had a good game, going empty on his break by a slim margin and taking one error over 17 shots in a dominant shooting display. The third player called to shoot today is Hoppy, the Southern Monarchs rookie, who will use the silver cue to play her 10-ball game. Hoppy looked confident in this game, not quite making anything on an iffy break and taking an early error for a scratch, but she settled in and scored 17 in the end with effective shooting and a highlight double deflection of the 5 off the 8 and 9 from a kick to the bottom side. Todavía Stills captain Easter gets the next game, using the red cue for 9-ball in this appearance. Easter made a rare three balls on the break and still managed to take an error in her shooting, but closed with 8 shots on a 4-9 combination to the top right to end the remarkable game. Closing out the group, Easter will shoot again, playing 10-ball with the blue cue. Easter couldn't quite make any magic for this game, ending with 20 shots after an empty break, but she had no errors for the appearance.
Group two leads off the afternoon, and it's headed by the sixth shooter of the day, Swordpoint Blades captain Snowball, who will set the new speed pace with her 15-ball game with the red cue. Snowball had a highlight mid-game, making the 4 and 9 to the top right and the 10 to the bottom right for the triple-pot. Snowball ended with only one error, a scratch, and 19 shots after pinching the 15 on a combination with the 7 at the bottom right. The next game belongs to Shiny of the Web City Spiders, who will use the red cue for 9-ball. Shiny had some tough angles for her shots, and a lot of balls were pinned on the right rail, leading to her only error after an empty break. Shiny finished the game with 17 shots. Following that, Violetta, the Queens Flames rookie, shoots 10-ball with the silver cue. Violetta had some struggles in this appearance, requiring two errors and 19 total shots to finish the game. Freedom Cascades captain Jasmine shoots next, keeping the silver cue at the table for more 10-ball. Jasmine took 18 shots for the game, as well as one error after making a ball on the break for a reasonably strong game. The group ends with Shadow, the Web City Spiders captain, keeping the 10-ball run alive as he'll shoot it with the blue cue. Shadow made a ball on the break but also took two errors to preserve the position of his shots on the table, which sufficed for him to close with 17 shots total.
The third batch kicks off with Nicole of the Capital City Sharpshooters making her second appearance with the team, playing 8-ball with the silver cue. Nicole had a rough break that saw very little scatter, but she calibrated a shot in tight space and went for 19 shots with no errors in the game. Debby Ryan, the Southridge Defenders captain, makes her season debut with the blue cue in 7-ball for the next game, officially restoring her to full playing status in the league. Debby had a ball on the break and needed just 10 shots without an error to finish the appearance in good shape. Next up is Shawn, the Midland Predators captain, shooting 8-ball with the red cue in his second game for the team. Shawn couldn't quite get anything on his break shot, but he did finish the game error-free and in a mark-tying 15 shots. The fourteenth player drawn today is Ice Cream, the Commerce Tradewinds veteran, shooting 12-ball with the red cue in this appearance. Ice Cream got worse in this appearance, needing 30 shots despite making a ball on the break, as she took one error and was generally unable to multi-task with her very difficult shots. Ending the batch, Shannon, the Southern Monarchs veteran, shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Shannon played very well, getting a good break with one ball scored from that, and she had just one error in 18 shots as she quickly navigated the rack for an impressive outing.
Batch four gets going with a game of 15-ball for Paps, who shoots with the silver cue as he rejoins the speed pace. Paps again had a tough game, but better than his more recent effort, as he took 30 shots with four errors after going empty on the break to complete the last hard game of his qualifying season. Moving along, Viewpoint Sound Meteor newcomer Dominic shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Dominic did make a ball on the break, and he charged through the game early on, but his late struggles, including an error, pushed him to take 15 shots to finish the appearance. Mario, the Central Warriors rookie, plays the next game, using the silver cue for 8-ball. Mario got through his game well, going empty on his break but then taking no errors and clearing the table in 19 shots, a very strong outing from the rookie. The nineteenth player called today is Delila, the Atlantic Pirates captain, who will also use the silver cue for 8-ball. Delila had nothing on her break, and she took a late error with the hopes of setting up her last two shots well, but it went awry, and she needed 22 shots with the single error to end the game. Rounding out this group, Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie Nibbles shoots 8-ball with the red cue. It was another game with an empty break, a common theme today, but Nibbles did well to avoid any errors and finish with 19 shots in a strong outing for the rookie.
The fifth group opens with Dani of the Web City Spiders shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Dani has played very impressively so far with her new team, as she completed this game with a ball on the break, two amazing kicks to avoid any errors, and just 11 shots in the end. The 22nd player drawn today is Patches, superstar captain of the Boston Swifts, shooting 12-ball with the blue cue. Patches did alright in this appearance, getting a ball on the break but making two simple errors during the turn, and she ultimately finished with 24 shots in a middling outing. The next game belongs to Easter, as the Stills captain is back in action for 12-ball, also using the blue cue. Easter tried the rarely-used behind the rack break, which did net a ball for her, but she struggled to corral the 12 at the end, avoiding taking an error but needing 26 shots to finish the game as she chased the shot to the top side. Continuing along, Leonette of the Pacific Volcanoes uses the blue cue in her game of 9-ball. Leonette didn't make a ball on the break, but it didn't slow her down, as she had no errors in the game and took only 10 shots before ending with the 9 in the top right after a deflected shot off the 7. The last player in the group is Spice, the Victoria Spurs captain, who shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Spice also had an empty break, and took two errors during the game, but still came out with a reasonable 16 shots for her score this time around.
Group six starts with Oceanside Waves rookie Dewey shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Dewey couldn't pot a ball on the break, and he faltered a bit early before locking in to shoot 19 shots with no errors in a solid performance for his second career game. Princess, the Tysini Hummingbirds superstar captain, gets the next game, as she'll use the silver cue in her 9-ball qualifier. Princess required 18 shots with three errors after an empty break in her appearance, and the oddity of the tip of the silver cue coming partially apart during the game. Roxy will have to make do with the silver cue, as she'll be playing her 9-ball game with it, flaws and all. Roxy didn't have any difficulty with the shooting process, but she did take two errors after an empty break, and needed 17 shots in total to end the appearance. Next up, Jake of the Royal Crowns plays 8-ball with the red cue. Jake didn't seem doomed for a bad game until he got going in it, taking three errors and a massive 29 shots to complete a terrible outing after an empty break that didn't seem all that bad. Going 30th today, the last player before the mid-afternoon break is Panda, the Southern Monarchs captain, who uses the blue cue for 10-ball. Panda couldn't make anything on the break, and took three errors quite unexpectedly for illegally potted balls, but still closed with 17 shots with the productive errors he took.
After the break, the seventh group begins with the Crowns' Jake, who will play 9-ball with the blue cue. Jake needed 16 shots for the game, making a ball on the break and taking no errors in the process of shooting a slightly below-average score. Next up, the Spiders' Dani is back at the table to shoot 10-ball with the red cue. Dani did alright in her appearance, getting a ball on the break and needing 20 shots to finish the game, also taking one error for a late scratch as she faded from the pace established earlier in the event. Following that, Everton Eagles captain Goldy shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Goldy showed off her plethora of skill in the game, using fancy kicks and banks to keep an error-free outing after her empty break. Eventually, she lined up the 5-9 combination to the bottom left and sank it, scoring 13 shots for the game. The 34th player of the day is Leandra of the Tysini Hummingbirds, shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Leandra narrowly missed potting a ball on the break, but she stayed calm, taking no errors in the game. She struggled in the middle with shot placement, which did cause her score to inflate to 22 shots. Ending the batch, Niki of the Eastside Sharks plays 8-ball with the red cue. Niki continued the trend of nose-diving for 8-ball scores, getting nothing on her break and committing two errors via scratches before finishing the difficult rack with 26 shots.
Batch eight is led by Taylor Swift of the Eastside Sharks, as the star player makes her season debut in 7-ball with the red cue. Taylor also went empty on her break, and she ended up with one late error for a scratch, giving her a total of 13 shots in a mediocre start to her qualifying season. Another debut comes next, as Bear, the Whitewater Shores captain, plays the last 7-ball game for the red cue to lead off his own season. Bear made his game count, failing to pot a ball on the break but then ending it at 2 shots with a 2-7 combination to the top left, taking no errors during the appearance. That's a tough act to follow, and it's up to Victoria Spurs rookie Wario to try by shooting 8-ball with the red cue. Wario came up empty on the break, a typical occurrence today, but rallied with a twelve-ball run before fading to 20 shots and no errors late in the game. The 39th player drawn to shoot today is Stealth of the Swordpoint Blades, who keeps the red cue at the table for more 8-ball. Stealth was very efficient in his game, taking a ball on the break and then finishing the game in only 16 shots, with no errors included due to his precision shots. Wrapping up the group, Watermelon, the Pearl Surfers co-captain, is the first to try the temporary fix for the silver cue, playing Rotation. This fix has the former shaft for the red cue that disintegrated at the screw-in part attached, with the hopes that it can hold shape well enough to act as a fix. Watermelon traded early luck, with nothing on the break but fairly favorable shooting positions, and received a tough ending, needing 29 shots and three errors to close out the appearance in still relatively good shape.
The ninth batch starts with Eastside Sharks captain Chelsea shooting 8-ball with the modified silver cue. Chelsea couldn't find any good fortune on her shot, needing 24 shots after an empty break to complete the game, although she took solace in recording no errors for the outing. Up next, Jennifer Livilotti of the Terrace City Knights plays her game of 9-ball with the red cue. Jennifer started the game very strong, not quite making a ball on the break, but the 4 slowed her down and she ended up at 16 shots with no errors in the end after chasing the 8 and the 9. The 43rd player to come to the table today is the Crowns' Jake, who returns to action to play 10-ball with the blue cue in this appearance. Jake looked very comfortable for this game, failing to pot a ball on the break and taking three errors as the sloppy side of scoring a strong 15. Moving along, Spirit, the Lighton Prestige star, shoots 9-ball with the silver cue. Spirit dominated her appearance, recovering from an empty break to conclude the game in 11 shots with no errors, picking her shots very efficiently. At the back of this group, Spirit's Prestige teammate Twinkie I keeps the silver cue at the table for 8-ball. Twinkie I had a very poor break with little shatter and no balls potted, and she had one error on missed contact, but she took only 19 shots for the game, a good score to close things out.
The final group gets going with Caitlin of the Oceanside Waves playing 9-ball with the blue cue. Caitlin had a rough outing this time, getting nothing on the break and committing one error on a late scratch, which caused her to falter to 17 shots to clear the table. The 47th player of the day is Wings of the Pearl Surfers, who will use the red cue for his 9-ball qualifier. Wings had two balls on the break and didn't take any errors in a fairly confident outing, as he needed an average 14 shots to clear the table once he got going. Going next, Prism of the Stonebridge Wolves shoots 9-ball with the red cue in her third appearance of her career. Prism went empty on her break, and she had a single error when she stuck herself in a bad position, but she managed to end the game on 14 shots, a reasonable score. Following that, Boston Swifts star Puff II shoots 8-ball with the blue cue. Puff II had a scratch around midway through the game, after getting no balls to fall on the break. She ultimately needed 23 shots to complete the game, an iffy outing for a player of her caliber. The day ends with Monarchs rookie Hoppy shooting 12-ball with the silver cue. Hoppy had a ball on the break, and shot fairly well during the game, but had two errors and needed 23 shots to complete the outing.
With the cue status as it currently is, I expect qualifiers will come under some fire for not being standardized this year. My apologies to players who have used the previous silver cue shaft that are feeling cheated currently, particularly in 8-ball, 9-ball, and 10-ball. I don't foresee this causing any unusual slowdown, and I'm exploring options for a permanent solution.
Monday, December 26, 2016
2017 Qualifiers - Day 7
We return to action after two days off to celebrate Christmas. The games today begin with...
Twinkie III of the Whitewater Shores playing 7-ball with the blue cue to lead off the day's first group. Twinkie III made two balls on the break in a very confident start, and while she did scratch while shooting the 4, it was her only error in a very quick game of 6 shots. The second player to shoot today is Shannon of the Southern Monarchs, using the blue cue as well for her 10-ball game. Shannon almost got a ball on the break, and she shot effectively in the rest of the game, taking one error for an illegally potted ball and closing with 16 shots for the game. Following that, Sleepy B. of the Archtown Arrows gets the silver cue in action for 9-ball. Sleepy B. made a ball on her break, although she did take a late scratch as her shot betrayed her near the end. She had just one error in 13 shots for a strong outing. Next up, Shaggy, the new Whitewater Shore, plays 7-ball with the red cue in her debut for the team. Shaggy had a bad error, her only one, when she lightly brushed the ball before her shot. This shook her confidence, but she ended with 12 shots and the one error after an empty break. Closing out the batch, Sally of the Archtown Arrows gets her 10-ball game with the silver cue. Sally rallied quickly in the game, getting nothing on the break but taking good shots early on and needing only 14 shots after some productive misses, as she also finished the game without an error.
Group two begins with Luigi, the North Modernistic Nighthawks rookie, shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Luigi got a ball off the break, but struggled slightly at the start and the end. This didn't matter withe fantastic middle, allowing him to have only 17 shots and no errors for his second career appearance. His fellow Nintendo Universe character, Rosalina, gets the next game, as she shoots 9-ball with the silver cue in this appearance. Rosalina was mediocre for this game, missing a couple of carom attempts to take the 9, and she ultimately needed 16 shots and no errors to finish the appearance. The eighth player of the day is Caitlin, the Oceanside Waves player, who has the silver cue up for a game of 8-ball. Caitlin did well in her game, narrowly missing a ball on the break, and then picking through 17 shots with no errors to wrap up her second appearance of the season. Up next, Neopolitan of the Pearl Surfers will shoot 9-ball with the silver cue. Neopolitan had a ball on the break, and received many chances to end the game early, but she mis-positioned herself each time, needing 16 shots with two errors to clear the table. The group ends with Bryant, the Maplewood Lumberjacks stalwart, shooting Rotation with the blue cue to join the pace-setters. Bryant did well, getting a ball on the break and then clearing the table in 25 shots, although he did have three errors for illegal contact, mostly in the early parts of the game.
The third batch is led by another Lumberjack, the rookie Waluigi, who has the red cue ready for his 10-ball appearance. Waluigi was charged with four errors in the game, but he also made a ball on the break. All this resulted in mixed feelings about scoring 19 shots for the game, but those feelings lean positive. Daisy, the Modernistic Union rookie, gets the next game, making her second career appearance in 8-ball with the red cue. Daisy had one error in her game, just missing taking the 8 on the break, and she needed 21 shots to work through the rest of the game. Continuing along, Commerce Tradewinds sophomore Lorde uses the red cue for her 8-ball game as well. Lorde's break was bad, resulting in a scratch that constituted her single error, and she settled in to score 19 the rest of the way on in a reasonably good outing. The fourteenth player to shoot today is Dewey, the Oceanside Waves rookie, who makes his career debut in 7-ball with the blue cue. Dewey shot 12 in the game, going empty on the break but also taking no errors with a few crafty kicks and deflected shooting techniques. Ending this group, Bright of the North Modernistic Nighthawks plays 9-ball with the red cue. Bright had an unlucky break, with nothing going down, and then a cluster gave him some trouble with illegal contact, resulting in him taking two errors among 15 shots before finishing the game.
Group four gets going with Crystal, the Queens Flames captain, who will shoot 9-ball with the blue cue. Crystal couldn't figure her game out at all, making two balls on the break and suffering two errors, then chasing the 8 around the table for half her shots, finally ending with a dead-last 24 shots. The league will be hoping to nip this trend quickly, putting pressure on Crystal herself to jump back on the horse and shoot 10-ball with the blue cue. Crystal was basically reduced to tears after this game, needing four errors after an empty break to just sink the 1. She looked good from 2 to 9, but then chased the 10 as well, ending with 25 shots, about half of which were probably unnecessary, and the knowledge that her career with the Flames may be in jeopardy if her season goes like qualifiers have. Snowball, the Swordpoint Blades captain, hopes to have a better game than Crystal, using the silver cue in Rotation. It's questionable if Snowball got what she wanted, making a ball on the break but also taking six errors to complete the game in 32 shots overall, a middling score. The pitiful performances need to end soon, and it's up to Crystal once again, who's now also facing fatigue as well as bad play. She'll use the red cue to shoot 12-ball in her third appearance in four games. Crystal redeemed herself a bit in this game, making a ball on the break and needing 19 shots, including a late error for missed contact, in a decent performance for the beleaguered veteran. The group finishes with Hughbert, the Southridge Defenders rookie, shooting 8-ball with the silver cue. Hughbert concluded a poor group of games with his own middling performance, getting nothing on the break, taking an error for a scratch, and then chasing at the end to finish on 24 shots for a weak outing.
Batch five starts with Salmo of the Lighton Prestige shooting 9-ball with the red cue in his third career game. Salmo did get a ball on the break, but he had some struggles for the rest of the game, taking one error for a scratch and closing on 16 shots after some poor angle choices for his shots. Next up, Watermelon of the Pearl Surfers has the blue cue ready for some 12-ball. Watermelon made a ball on the break but took two errors, the latter of which was very lazy for an illegally potted ball, and she ended with a decent 23 shots. Lorde, the Tradewinds sophomore, returned to the table for her second game of the day, 9-ball with the blue cue. Lorde came up empty on the break and a few shots after it, and took one error in the game before finding the 7 as a release valve to deflect the cue off of and pot the 9 in the bottom right, ending with a barely-acceptable 15 shots. Following that, Westside Rockers stalwart Goatee shoots 8-ball with the silver cue. Goatee didn't take an error in the game, nor did she make a ball on the break, but she wasn't very accurate, needing 23 shots to finish the appearance. The 25th and final player to shoot before today's mid-afternoon break is Central Warriors superstar Dustin, shooting 9-ball with the silver cue. Dustin couldn't get his shot calibrated at all, taking an empty break and two errors among 17 shots for the outing, a disappointment for a player of his caliber.
The sixth batch keys the post-break portion of the day, opening with Sierra of the Todavía Stills, who will also use the silver cue for 9-ball. Sierra didn't get anything on the break, and she kept her shots down at 15 despite taking two errors, as the silver cue is not performing well today. Next up, Kayla of the Royal Crowns shoots 8-ball with the blue cue in her second appearance with the team. Kayla did see a ball go down late after the break, and she needed 21 shots from there to clear the rack, including an error for a scratch that caused her some trouble on the later shots. Kayla stayed at the table and kept the blue cue in her hand, as she was called again to play her 9-ball qualifier immediately afterward. This game went very well for Kayla, who made the 4 on the break and then converted the 6-9 combination at the end of the game, taking 10 shots with no errors in the abbreviated turn. The 29th player called to shoot today is Smudge, the long-awaited Infinity Torpedoes captain making her season debut with the silver cue in 7-ball. Smudge was shooting just fine despite an empty break, but she took four errors in the appearance, and ended with 13 shots because of the disregard for legality. Rounding out this group, Web City Spiders newcomer Dani shoots 8-ball with the silver cue for her second appearance with the team. Dani made two balls on the break and looked remarkable from then on, needing only 15 shots with no errors (although she almost had one) to complete a very strong game.
The seventh group kicks off with the Crowns' Kayla getting a third appearance in rapid succession, with her 10-ball qualifier using the silver cue in this game. Kayla did the best she could in the game, scoring 18 with a ball on the break and no errors in a fairly decent performance despite some bad shooting positions early on. Moving along, Maplewood Lumberjacks veteran Diddley shoots 9-ball with the silver cue. Diddley made a ball on the break and had a single error for illegal contact around the middle of the game, but he played well and ended with 13 shots in total for the game. Precious, the Pronger Tridents captain, gets the next game, playing 8-ball with the blue cue. Precious had a great break and not much else, taking no errors over a whopping 25 shots, as her shooting accuracy was absolutely miserable despite a well-scattered rack. Following that, Nightfur, the Royal Crowns captain, also will use the blue cue in her 8-ball game. Nightfur had a poor break but showed efficiency in navigating the table, taking only 20 shots with no errors to manage to hold onto a decent performance. Closing out the batch, Kayla returns to the table for her fourth game out of the last nine for the league, shooting 12-ball with the silver cue. Kayla didn't make anything from the break, and struggled initially with the flow of the game before settling it to finish it on 23 shots and no errors.
Bunch eight starts with Missy of the Capital City Sharpshooters making her season debut with the silver cue in a game of 7-ball. Missy maintained a pretty good game, getting a ball on the break and suffering one error for illegal contact in the game, ending on a solid 10 shots. The 37th player called to shoot today is Shadow, the Web City Spiders captain, who uses the red cue in 8-ball for his second game of the year. Shadow had a lot of trouble at the start of the game, failing to get anything on his break, and he buckled down to get it done in 20 shots with no errors to weigh him down. Continuing along, Strut, the Golden Pilots veteran, plays 9-ball with the red cue. Strut came out with guns blazing in his game, shooting a ball off the break and taking a quick three in the next two shots. He did suffer an error at one point, and that threw him off, where he ended with 14 shots. Moving along, one of the two big Stonebridge Wolves acquisitions, Frosty, makes her debut with the team in 7-ball, using the red cue. Frosty had a ball on the break but also suffered three errors due to a scratching propensity, pushing her score to 12 shots despite a solid effort. The final player of the afternoon ends this group, and that player is B. Chapman of the Victoria Spurs, using the blue cue for 9-ball. Chapman continues to be an early front-runner for qualifier of the year, as she took only 8 shots despite an empty break, ending with a 7-9 combination to the top right to finish the game with no errors.
Group nine, the first of the night, is Salmo, the Prestige rookie, who plays 10-ball with the blue cue in this outing. Salmo did his best to stay legal at the end of a game that saw him end with a ball on the break, one error, and 18 shots after softly kicking the 10 into a workable position. Next up, Modernistic Union veteran Puff I shoots 12-ball with the blue cue. Puff I did well to set herself up, although later execution didn't work very well. She did get a ball on the break, but had a couple of mid-game errors for scratches among the 20 shots she needed to finish the appearance. The 43rd player drawn for today is Arrows star Sally, who will also shoot her 12-ball game with the blue cue. Sally fared very well in her game, getting two balls from the break and never looking back, as she rallied to end with 17 shots and just one error for an illegally potted ball. Following that, Spiders captain Shadow returns to action to shoot 9-ball with the red cue. Shadow continued to hover right around the averages, taking 14 shots with two errors and a ball on the break in this appearance that left him a little frustrated given how well he started the game. At the tail end of this group, Terrace City Knights veteran Jennifer Livilotti plays 8-ball with the silver cue. Jennifer didn't get anything on the break, but she kept her nose clean with no errors and played a solid game for 20 shots to clear the table off.
The tenth batch gets going with a game of 7-ball for Pounce, the new Southern Monarch, and he'll use the red cue for this debut. Pounce is not off to a good start on the south coast, shooting 15 shots with two errors after an empty break to finish this game. Hoot, the new Viewpoint Sound Meteor, gets the next game, shooting 10-ball with the blue cue. Hoot had a ball on the break for his game, and while he did take a single error, he completed the outing in a strong 15 shots to pace himself well in the event. Up next, Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds shoots 9-ball with the blue cue. Lionel did very well in this game, shooting in two balls on the break and then taking no errors for the rest of the game, which only last 11 shots and would have been less had he not been forced to use bank set-up shots on the 8 and 9. Moving along, Juno, the Stonebridge Wolves captain, makes her season debut with the team in 7-ball with the red cue. Juno didn't make anything on the break and did suffer an error early on, her only one of the game among the 14 shots it took her to finish the effort. The 50th player called to shoot today is another Wolf, Frosty, who will play her second game of the day, 8-ball with the silver cue. Frosty had a decent effort in her game, needing only 21 shots to complete the game after getting nothing on the break, and five of those were errors from illegally potting the 8 early.
That's it for the games today, as we'll try to play another long session tomorrow.
Twinkie III of the Whitewater Shores playing 7-ball with the blue cue to lead off the day's first group. Twinkie III made two balls on the break in a very confident start, and while she did scratch while shooting the 4, it was her only error in a very quick game of 6 shots. The second player to shoot today is Shannon of the Southern Monarchs, using the blue cue as well for her 10-ball game. Shannon almost got a ball on the break, and she shot effectively in the rest of the game, taking one error for an illegally potted ball and closing with 16 shots for the game. Following that, Sleepy B. of the Archtown Arrows gets the silver cue in action for 9-ball. Sleepy B. made a ball on her break, although she did take a late scratch as her shot betrayed her near the end. She had just one error in 13 shots for a strong outing. Next up, Shaggy, the new Whitewater Shore, plays 7-ball with the red cue in her debut for the team. Shaggy had a bad error, her only one, when she lightly brushed the ball before her shot. This shook her confidence, but she ended with 12 shots and the one error after an empty break. Closing out the batch, Sally of the Archtown Arrows gets her 10-ball game with the silver cue. Sally rallied quickly in the game, getting nothing on the break but taking good shots early on and needing only 14 shots after some productive misses, as she also finished the game without an error.
Group two begins with Luigi, the North Modernistic Nighthawks rookie, shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Luigi got a ball off the break, but struggled slightly at the start and the end. This didn't matter withe fantastic middle, allowing him to have only 17 shots and no errors for his second career appearance. His fellow Nintendo Universe character, Rosalina, gets the next game, as she shoots 9-ball with the silver cue in this appearance. Rosalina was mediocre for this game, missing a couple of carom attempts to take the 9, and she ultimately needed 16 shots and no errors to finish the appearance. The eighth player of the day is Caitlin, the Oceanside Waves player, who has the silver cue up for a game of 8-ball. Caitlin did well in her game, narrowly missing a ball on the break, and then picking through 17 shots with no errors to wrap up her second appearance of the season. Up next, Neopolitan of the Pearl Surfers will shoot 9-ball with the silver cue. Neopolitan had a ball on the break, and received many chances to end the game early, but she mis-positioned herself each time, needing 16 shots with two errors to clear the table. The group ends with Bryant, the Maplewood Lumberjacks stalwart, shooting Rotation with the blue cue to join the pace-setters. Bryant did well, getting a ball on the break and then clearing the table in 25 shots, although he did have three errors for illegal contact, mostly in the early parts of the game.
The third batch is led by another Lumberjack, the rookie Waluigi, who has the red cue ready for his 10-ball appearance. Waluigi was charged with four errors in the game, but he also made a ball on the break. All this resulted in mixed feelings about scoring 19 shots for the game, but those feelings lean positive. Daisy, the Modernistic Union rookie, gets the next game, making her second career appearance in 8-ball with the red cue. Daisy had one error in her game, just missing taking the 8 on the break, and she needed 21 shots to work through the rest of the game. Continuing along, Commerce Tradewinds sophomore Lorde uses the red cue for her 8-ball game as well. Lorde's break was bad, resulting in a scratch that constituted her single error, and she settled in to score 19 the rest of the way on in a reasonably good outing. The fourteenth player to shoot today is Dewey, the Oceanside Waves rookie, who makes his career debut in 7-ball with the blue cue. Dewey shot 12 in the game, going empty on the break but also taking no errors with a few crafty kicks and deflected shooting techniques. Ending this group, Bright of the North Modernistic Nighthawks plays 9-ball with the red cue. Bright had an unlucky break, with nothing going down, and then a cluster gave him some trouble with illegal contact, resulting in him taking two errors among 15 shots before finishing the game.
Group four gets going with Crystal, the Queens Flames captain, who will shoot 9-ball with the blue cue. Crystal couldn't figure her game out at all, making two balls on the break and suffering two errors, then chasing the 8 around the table for half her shots, finally ending with a dead-last 24 shots. The league will be hoping to nip this trend quickly, putting pressure on Crystal herself to jump back on the horse and shoot 10-ball with the blue cue. Crystal was basically reduced to tears after this game, needing four errors after an empty break to just sink the 1. She looked good from 2 to 9, but then chased the 10 as well, ending with 25 shots, about half of which were probably unnecessary, and the knowledge that her career with the Flames may be in jeopardy if her season goes like qualifiers have. Snowball, the Swordpoint Blades captain, hopes to have a better game than Crystal, using the silver cue in Rotation. It's questionable if Snowball got what she wanted, making a ball on the break but also taking six errors to complete the game in 32 shots overall, a middling score. The pitiful performances need to end soon, and it's up to Crystal once again, who's now also facing fatigue as well as bad play. She'll use the red cue to shoot 12-ball in her third appearance in four games. Crystal redeemed herself a bit in this game, making a ball on the break and needing 19 shots, including a late error for missed contact, in a decent performance for the beleaguered veteran. The group finishes with Hughbert, the Southridge Defenders rookie, shooting 8-ball with the silver cue. Hughbert concluded a poor group of games with his own middling performance, getting nothing on the break, taking an error for a scratch, and then chasing at the end to finish on 24 shots for a weak outing.
Batch five starts with Salmo of the Lighton Prestige shooting 9-ball with the red cue in his third career game. Salmo did get a ball on the break, but he had some struggles for the rest of the game, taking one error for a scratch and closing on 16 shots after some poor angle choices for his shots. Next up, Watermelon of the Pearl Surfers has the blue cue ready for some 12-ball. Watermelon made a ball on the break but took two errors, the latter of which was very lazy for an illegally potted ball, and she ended with a decent 23 shots. Lorde, the Tradewinds sophomore, returned to the table for her second game of the day, 9-ball with the blue cue. Lorde came up empty on the break and a few shots after it, and took one error in the game before finding the 7 as a release valve to deflect the cue off of and pot the 9 in the bottom right, ending with a barely-acceptable 15 shots. Following that, Westside Rockers stalwart Goatee shoots 8-ball with the silver cue. Goatee didn't take an error in the game, nor did she make a ball on the break, but she wasn't very accurate, needing 23 shots to finish the appearance. The 25th and final player to shoot before today's mid-afternoon break is Central Warriors superstar Dustin, shooting 9-ball with the silver cue. Dustin couldn't get his shot calibrated at all, taking an empty break and two errors among 17 shots for the outing, a disappointment for a player of his caliber.
The sixth batch keys the post-break portion of the day, opening with Sierra of the Todavía Stills, who will also use the silver cue for 9-ball. Sierra didn't get anything on the break, and she kept her shots down at 15 despite taking two errors, as the silver cue is not performing well today. Next up, Kayla of the Royal Crowns shoots 8-ball with the blue cue in her second appearance with the team. Kayla did see a ball go down late after the break, and she needed 21 shots from there to clear the rack, including an error for a scratch that caused her some trouble on the later shots. Kayla stayed at the table and kept the blue cue in her hand, as she was called again to play her 9-ball qualifier immediately afterward. This game went very well for Kayla, who made the 4 on the break and then converted the 6-9 combination at the end of the game, taking 10 shots with no errors in the abbreviated turn. The 29th player called to shoot today is Smudge, the long-awaited Infinity Torpedoes captain making her season debut with the silver cue in 7-ball. Smudge was shooting just fine despite an empty break, but she took four errors in the appearance, and ended with 13 shots because of the disregard for legality. Rounding out this group, Web City Spiders newcomer Dani shoots 8-ball with the silver cue for her second appearance with the team. Dani made two balls on the break and looked remarkable from then on, needing only 15 shots with no errors (although she almost had one) to complete a very strong game.
The seventh group kicks off with the Crowns' Kayla getting a third appearance in rapid succession, with her 10-ball qualifier using the silver cue in this game. Kayla did the best she could in the game, scoring 18 with a ball on the break and no errors in a fairly decent performance despite some bad shooting positions early on. Moving along, Maplewood Lumberjacks veteran Diddley shoots 9-ball with the silver cue. Diddley made a ball on the break and had a single error for illegal contact around the middle of the game, but he played well and ended with 13 shots in total for the game. Precious, the Pronger Tridents captain, gets the next game, playing 8-ball with the blue cue. Precious had a great break and not much else, taking no errors over a whopping 25 shots, as her shooting accuracy was absolutely miserable despite a well-scattered rack. Following that, Nightfur, the Royal Crowns captain, also will use the blue cue in her 8-ball game. Nightfur had a poor break but showed efficiency in navigating the table, taking only 20 shots with no errors to manage to hold onto a decent performance. Closing out the batch, Kayla returns to the table for her fourth game out of the last nine for the league, shooting 12-ball with the silver cue. Kayla didn't make anything from the break, and struggled initially with the flow of the game before settling it to finish it on 23 shots and no errors.
Bunch eight starts with Missy of the Capital City Sharpshooters making her season debut with the silver cue in a game of 7-ball. Missy maintained a pretty good game, getting a ball on the break and suffering one error for illegal contact in the game, ending on a solid 10 shots. The 37th player called to shoot today is Shadow, the Web City Spiders captain, who uses the red cue in 8-ball for his second game of the year. Shadow had a lot of trouble at the start of the game, failing to get anything on his break, and he buckled down to get it done in 20 shots with no errors to weigh him down. Continuing along, Strut, the Golden Pilots veteran, plays 9-ball with the red cue. Strut came out with guns blazing in his game, shooting a ball off the break and taking a quick three in the next two shots. He did suffer an error at one point, and that threw him off, where he ended with 14 shots. Moving along, one of the two big Stonebridge Wolves acquisitions, Frosty, makes her debut with the team in 7-ball, using the red cue. Frosty had a ball on the break but also suffered three errors due to a scratching propensity, pushing her score to 12 shots despite a solid effort. The final player of the afternoon ends this group, and that player is B. Chapman of the Victoria Spurs, using the blue cue for 9-ball. Chapman continues to be an early front-runner for qualifier of the year, as she took only 8 shots despite an empty break, ending with a 7-9 combination to the top right to finish the game with no errors.
Group nine, the first of the night, is Salmo, the Prestige rookie, who plays 10-ball with the blue cue in this outing. Salmo did his best to stay legal at the end of a game that saw him end with a ball on the break, one error, and 18 shots after softly kicking the 10 into a workable position. Next up, Modernistic Union veteran Puff I shoots 12-ball with the blue cue. Puff I did well to set herself up, although later execution didn't work very well. She did get a ball on the break, but had a couple of mid-game errors for scratches among the 20 shots she needed to finish the appearance. The 43rd player drawn for today is Arrows star Sally, who will also shoot her 12-ball game with the blue cue. Sally fared very well in her game, getting two balls from the break and never looking back, as she rallied to end with 17 shots and just one error for an illegally potted ball. Following that, Spiders captain Shadow returns to action to shoot 9-ball with the red cue. Shadow continued to hover right around the averages, taking 14 shots with two errors and a ball on the break in this appearance that left him a little frustrated given how well he started the game. At the tail end of this group, Terrace City Knights veteran Jennifer Livilotti plays 8-ball with the silver cue. Jennifer didn't get anything on the break, but she kept her nose clean with no errors and played a solid game for 20 shots to clear the table off.
The tenth batch gets going with a game of 7-ball for Pounce, the new Southern Monarch, and he'll use the red cue for this debut. Pounce is not off to a good start on the south coast, shooting 15 shots with two errors after an empty break to finish this game. Hoot, the new Viewpoint Sound Meteor, gets the next game, shooting 10-ball with the blue cue. Hoot had a ball on the break for his game, and while he did take a single error, he completed the outing in a strong 15 shots to pace himself well in the event. Up next, Lionel of the Commerce Tradewinds shoots 9-ball with the blue cue. Lionel did very well in this game, shooting in two balls on the break and then taking no errors for the rest of the game, which only last 11 shots and would have been less had he not been forced to use bank set-up shots on the 8 and 9. Moving along, Juno, the Stonebridge Wolves captain, makes her season debut with the team in 7-ball with the red cue. Juno didn't make anything on the break and did suffer an error early on, her only one of the game among the 14 shots it took her to finish the effort. The 50th player called to shoot today is another Wolf, Frosty, who will play her second game of the day, 8-ball with the silver cue. Frosty had a decent effort in her game, needing only 21 shots to complete the game after getting nothing on the break, and five of those were errors from illegally potting the 8 early.
That's it for the games today, as we'll try to play another long session tomorrow.
UPCL Cricket - Week 4 Part 3
We close Week 4 on Christmas, the last segment for this week. We begin with...
Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: The Crowns hope to continue a decent start to the year against a well-traveled Lumberjacks side. Fluffina showed some serious resilience in her turn, going at a low pace at first and then coasting to 1109 for Maplewood to get a larger lead at the start. Nightfur couldn't keep up for Royal, taking a measly 81 for a very weak performance. Diddley pounded 512 more for the Lumberjacks, padding the lead quite significantly. Jake shot back with 992 for the Crowns, keeping them somewhat in the game at the halfway mark. Bryant struggled, taking a technical error replay and failing to outperform the first effort, ending on 90 points and destabilizing Maplewood's lead. Kayla picked up 306 for Royal, gaining a bit of ground for the hosts late in the game. Waluigi choked as well for the Lumberjacks, taking a pathetic 33 to give them 1744 in the end. Hannah gathered 384 for the Crowns, sneaking them into the win at 1763. Royal is now 4-1 on the year, stealing the win away, while Maplewood is 7-4.
Apple Park, Todavía: The Stills, in the third of a four game home stand, host Coastal Division and Purple Derby rivals, the Viewpoint Sound Meteors, as they play the second of fourth straight on the road. Mams collected 509 for Viewpoint Sound, staking out a decent lead for the visitors. Easter replied with 300 for Todavía, regaining some of the early lost ground. Hoot had a mediocre game, scoring only 239 for the Meteors, weakening their lead. Sierra couldn't capitalize for the Stills, taking a meager 130 in her appearance. Nibbles churned out a crisp 830 for Viewpoint Sound, extending their lead to a wide margin. Sparkles snagged 495 for Todavía, trying to keep them respectable if not being able to bring them back into competitive play. Dominic missed a swing late in the game, giving him only 83 for the Meteors, producing their final of 1661. Bells tried to rally for the Stills with 366, but she failed to complete the comeback, ending their offense at 1291. Viewpoint Sound's win carried them to 4-6, while Todavía is 8-7, and both teams are now 2-1 in the Coastal Division.
Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: We return to the southeast, as the Crowns host their second in a game of a quasi-doubleheader, playing the Prestige in their first of two road games in a row. Acorn had an iffy turn, and failed to corral a long and high ball, ending on 255 for Lighton. Nightfur had her best home game of the year, picking up 192 for Royal after a technical error replay. Spirit slugged 1223 for the Prestige, cementing their lead a bit more on her strong turn. Jake had a weak 96 for the Crowns, deepening the deficit at the halfway mark. Twinkie I kept Lighton in good form, slicing 348 for the visitors to keep them well ahead. Kayla's started to enter a slump, with Royal hoping she's bottomed out with 25 in this turn. Salmo ripped 530 for the Prestige, icing their very impressive team effort at 2356. Hannah had just 69 for the Crowns, producing a total clunker from the team as they finish it at 382. Both teams are now 4-2 for the season.
Chevrolet Field, Everton: The undefeated Eagles continue their five-game home stand face the slumping Sharpshooters. Chris couldn't make a backhand save for Capital City, ending very early at 24 points for the team. Goldy hammered 675 for Everton to establish a good lead for the hosts. Missy couldn't make a dent in the deficit at all, taking a pathetic 40 points. Puff III tallied another 294 for the Eagles, keeping their lead in good shape as the game reaches half completion. Sprinkles tried to make a difference for Capital City, earning 339 but leaving them still quite far behind in the game. Kirstin managed 343 for the Eagles, cancelling out the previous damage dealt. Nicole had a sickly 166 for the Sharpshooters, leaving them at a loss with only 569 points in total. Blizzard capped the emphatic Eagles win with 506, giving them 1818 in total. Everton remains undefeated with the impressive win, going to 5-0, while Capital City is down to 5-5.
Verizon Field, Pacific: The Crowns stay busy in this segment, making a trip out to the coast to face the middling Volcanoes. Nightfur had an acceptable 281 for Royal in this appearance, not knocking out the opponents by any means. Starlight swatted 464 for Pacific in response, staking out a lead for the hosts with her strong outing. Jake replied with 479 for the Crowns, paddling his way to a good showing that covered the deficit. Ms. Kitty couldn't get herself set for the Volcanoes, taking one false start and then scoring a measly 20 points on the next turn as they are in trouble. The game seems to be taking a low-scoring turn, with Kayla picking up only 114 after dealing poorly with the cluttered pitch. Leonette capitalized on an opportunity, bashing her way to 959 for Pacific, giving them the lead with a player each to go after the big rally she posted. Hannah had a bit of an early swing for the Crowns, poking a ball out of bounds at 103 points, and leaving them with 977 total in the loss. Chicky Phil had only 96 for the Volcanoes, giving them 1539 for their final score. Pacific's win takes them to 6-5, while Royal is down to 4-3.
Chevrolet Field, Everton: The Eagles put their undefeated status on the line again against a struggling Wolves side. Juno stabbed her way to 152 for Stonebridge, failing to really adapt to the game's offerings. Goldy answered with 345 for Everton in a solid but unimpressive appearance for the captain. Frosty broke out in her turn, smashing 791 for the Wolves in a remarkable turn to flip the game around in favor of the visitors. Puff III churned out 656 for the Eagles, restoring a small lead halfway through the game as things get a bit tighter. Cobalt fell apart at 215 for Stonebridge, taking a ball off the handle of his bat and deflecting it over the wicket and then bouncing another ball out of bounds to confirm the end of his turn. Kirstin did well with 566 for Everton, but got overwhelmed with bad bounces in front of her bat, ending her turn quickly once they started. Prism also had a sub-average turn, taking only 240 to send the Wolves to another loss with 1398 total. Blizzard tacked on 361 for the Eagles finishing their win at 1928 overall. Everton has made it to 6-0, while Stonebridge's inaugural year has dropped again to 3-6.
HP Field, Midland: The Predators make a quick stop at home to welcome the Pirates back to activity after over two weeks of down time. Delila tapped 376 for Atlantic, giving them a decent start to the game. Shawn continued a recent run of solid play with 455 for Midland, staking out a marginal lead after the first attacks. Isabella ripped 487 for the Pirates, regaining a larger lead for them the second time around. Rainmane couldn't quite get it all back for the Predators, hitting 385 to put them very close behind halfway through the game. Americus pounded another 645 for Atlantic, giving them a larger lead in the later stages of the game. Leonardo faded away with 336 for Midland, deepening the deficit with a player each to go. Klaus chipped another 400 to give the Pirates their final of 1908, with the rookie using some advanced moves to keep his turn going. Fuchsia choked at the end, taking a meager 54 for the Predators as they lost with 1230. Atlantic improves to 3-1 on the year, while Midland drops to 6-5.
Cisco Tysini Field, Tysini: The Hummingbirds close out their season-opening five-game home stand, while the Wolves play their last road game for awhile. Juno cranked out 670 for Stonebridge to open the attack, even with a swing-and-miss at the end of her turn. Princess stumbled with 36 for Tysini, putting them in a deep hole from the start of the game. Frosty padded the lead with 536 for the Wolves, strengthening their position in the game. Leandra had her best effort of the year with 535 for the Hummingbirds, trying to bring them back into a competitive stance in the game. Cobalt fired back with 448 for Stonebridge, reaffirming their lead well. Charli slugged 1041 for Tysini, getting them within striking distance before the final players come to bat. Prism tallied 351 for the Wolves, putting them at 2005 overall, with the hope that will be enough for the visitors. Brownie got as close as she could for the Hummingbirds, taking 392, but this put them at 2004, a heartbreaking 1-point loss that will be pinned firmly on the captain Princess. Stonebridge escapes to home with a 4-6 record, while Tysini drops to 2-6.
The Intel Pitch, Diamond: The Gems start a pair of games at home, while the Predators are on the road for their next two. Shawn failed to make a play with his backhand for Midland, ending with 99 when a ball came back over his bat. Smokey answered with 737 for Diamond, establishing a large lead for the hosts after the initial attacks. Rainmane cut into the deficit with 399 for the Predators, but they are still significantly behind. Citrus smashed another 856 for the Gems on her turn, padding their lead even more at the midway point. Leonardo tried to help the Midland cause with 463 on his turn, but they'll need a game-changing outburst to get back in this game. Pedey didn't relent at all for Diamond, whacking 666 on his turn as they are almost assured of a victory this early. Fuchsia had a mild 108 for the Predators, and they folded into a loss with 1069 total. Rosalina let the game end quickly, taking a measly 49 to give the Gems 2308 as their winning total. Diamond's surprise win takes them to 4-4, matching the 6-6 record held by Midland.
Subway Field, Stonebridge: After meeting just two games in Tysini, the Wolves and Hummingbirds duel it out in the second game of their quick series in the Eastern Hills, kicking off a seven-game home stand for the Wolves. Princess struggled again with only 153 for Tysini this time. Juno laid out for a good effort, getting 457 for Stonebridge to give them a noticeable initial lead. Leandra had no pace on her turn, lasting for awhile but ending up with only 291 points, as the Hummingbirds are still trailing. Frosty corralled another 490 for the Wolves on her turn, which is about their leading margin at the halfway mark. Charli couldn't cover the deficit with 281 for Tysini, as they're struggling more on the road than they did at home. As pitch conditions deteriorated in the muggy northeastern stadium, Cobalt did all he could to earn replays, and he gathered 296 for Stonebridge to keep their lead solid. Brownie went on a massive rally with 514 for the Hummingbirds, but their 1239 total fell four points short, another heartbreaking loss for the struggling team. Prism tapped 90 to get out of the game, giving the Wolves a win on 1333. Stonebridge has swept the season series to go to 5-6, while Tysini is 2-7, and may already be too deep in to save this year.
Microsoft Pitch, Del Sur: The Monarchs kick off a five-game home stand against the Sharks, who are ending a five-game road trip. Chelsea seemed to be doing fine until a poor swing ended her offense at 164 for Eastside. Panda didn't get much better, spiking a ball off a dead offering on the pitch and ending with 176 as it bounced out of bounds, giving Southern a tiny lead. Taylor was moderately successful in producing points for the Sharks, taking 328 to add to their lead. Hoppy had an unfortunate bounce end her turn prematurely at 105 for the Monarchs, giving them a deficit at the midway mark. Niki broke out with 799 for Eastside, padding their lead quite a bit at an opportune time to make the lead steeper to challenge. Pounce got nearly all of it back with his 764 for Southern, keeping them in striking distance as the final players come to bat. Paps chipped 289 for the Sharks on his turn, icing their score at 1580 in the hopes that will be enough to stave off the hosts. Shannon tried to keep the Monarchs going with 460, but they fell with 1505 total in the close loss. Eastside looks to have their game back together, going to 2-7 with the win, while Southern drops to an unlucky 1-4.
Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: The Pilots make a short trip north to face Southeast Division rivals in the Crowns, who have returned home after a one-off game on the coast. Valencia wasted no time in reacquainting herself with her rivals, popping 639 for Golden to stake out a nice lead. Nightfur continues to break a little more out of her slump each game, scoring 272 for Royal in this appearance. Dusty slapped another 432 for the Pilots, giving them an even stronger lead. Jake went on a rally for the Crowns, slashing his way to 665 to bring them back to a competitive level halfway through the game. Strut parried some of the attack away, adding 472 to Golden's lead with the hopes that it will hold up. Kayla closed the gap a bit more on her turn, batting 548 for Royal to make it very close nearing the game's end. A. Charlton had a reasonable outing with 345 for the Pilots, putting them at a final score of 1888. Hannah couldn't complete the comeback for the Crowns, with her 279 putting them at a losing total of 1764. Golden battled hard to get the road divisional win and go to 4-2 overall, with a 3-1 division mark. Royal is now 4-4 on the year with the loss in their first divisional game.
That's it for this week. I'll be publishing the new standings sheet shortly, and there will be a pool post in a couple of hours or so.
Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: The Crowns hope to continue a decent start to the year against a well-traveled Lumberjacks side. Fluffina showed some serious resilience in her turn, going at a low pace at first and then coasting to 1109 for Maplewood to get a larger lead at the start. Nightfur couldn't keep up for Royal, taking a measly 81 for a very weak performance. Diddley pounded 512 more for the Lumberjacks, padding the lead quite significantly. Jake shot back with 992 for the Crowns, keeping them somewhat in the game at the halfway mark. Bryant struggled, taking a technical error replay and failing to outperform the first effort, ending on 90 points and destabilizing Maplewood's lead. Kayla picked up 306 for Royal, gaining a bit of ground for the hosts late in the game. Waluigi choked as well for the Lumberjacks, taking a pathetic 33 to give them 1744 in the end. Hannah gathered 384 for the Crowns, sneaking them into the win at 1763. Royal is now 4-1 on the year, stealing the win away, while Maplewood is 7-4.
Apple Park, Todavía: The Stills, in the third of a four game home stand, host Coastal Division and Purple Derby rivals, the Viewpoint Sound Meteors, as they play the second of fourth straight on the road. Mams collected 509 for Viewpoint Sound, staking out a decent lead for the visitors. Easter replied with 300 for Todavía, regaining some of the early lost ground. Hoot had a mediocre game, scoring only 239 for the Meteors, weakening their lead. Sierra couldn't capitalize for the Stills, taking a meager 130 in her appearance. Nibbles churned out a crisp 830 for Viewpoint Sound, extending their lead to a wide margin. Sparkles snagged 495 for Todavía, trying to keep them respectable if not being able to bring them back into competitive play. Dominic missed a swing late in the game, giving him only 83 for the Meteors, producing their final of 1661. Bells tried to rally for the Stills with 366, but she failed to complete the comeback, ending their offense at 1291. Viewpoint Sound's win carried them to 4-6, while Todavía is 8-7, and both teams are now 2-1 in the Coastal Division.
Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: We return to the southeast, as the Crowns host their second in a game of a quasi-doubleheader, playing the Prestige in their first of two road games in a row. Acorn had an iffy turn, and failed to corral a long and high ball, ending on 255 for Lighton. Nightfur had her best home game of the year, picking up 192 for Royal after a technical error replay. Spirit slugged 1223 for the Prestige, cementing their lead a bit more on her strong turn. Jake had a weak 96 for the Crowns, deepening the deficit at the halfway mark. Twinkie I kept Lighton in good form, slicing 348 for the visitors to keep them well ahead. Kayla's started to enter a slump, with Royal hoping she's bottomed out with 25 in this turn. Salmo ripped 530 for the Prestige, icing their very impressive team effort at 2356. Hannah had just 69 for the Crowns, producing a total clunker from the team as they finish it at 382. Both teams are now 4-2 for the season.
Chevrolet Field, Everton: The undefeated Eagles continue their five-game home stand face the slumping Sharpshooters. Chris couldn't make a backhand save for Capital City, ending very early at 24 points for the team. Goldy hammered 675 for Everton to establish a good lead for the hosts. Missy couldn't make a dent in the deficit at all, taking a pathetic 40 points. Puff III tallied another 294 for the Eagles, keeping their lead in good shape as the game reaches half completion. Sprinkles tried to make a difference for Capital City, earning 339 but leaving them still quite far behind in the game. Kirstin managed 343 for the Eagles, cancelling out the previous damage dealt. Nicole had a sickly 166 for the Sharpshooters, leaving them at a loss with only 569 points in total. Blizzard capped the emphatic Eagles win with 506, giving them 1818 in total. Everton remains undefeated with the impressive win, going to 5-0, while Capital City is down to 5-5.
Verizon Field, Pacific: The Crowns stay busy in this segment, making a trip out to the coast to face the middling Volcanoes. Nightfur had an acceptable 281 for Royal in this appearance, not knocking out the opponents by any means. Starlight swatted 464 for Pacific in response, staking out a lead for the hosts with her strong outing. Jake replied with 479 for the Crowns, paddling his way to a good showing that covered the deficit. Ms. Kitty couldn't get herself set for the Volcanoes, taking one false start and then scoring a measly 20 points on the next turn as they are in trouble. The game seems to be taking a low-scoring turn, with Kayla picking up only 114 after dealing poorly with the cluttered pitch. Leonette capitalized on an opportunity, bashing her way to 959 for Pacific, giving them the lead with a player each to go after the big rally she posted. Hannah had a bit of an early swing for the Crowns, poking a ball out of bounds at 103 points, and leaving them with 977 total in the loss. Chicky Phil had only 96 for the Volcanoes, giving them 1539 for their final score. Pacific's win takes them to 6-5, while Royal is down to 4-3.
Chevrolet Field, Everton: The Eagles put their undefeated status on the line again against a struggling Wolves side. Juno stabbed her way to 152 for Stonebridge, failing to really adapt to the game's offerings. Goldy answered with 345 for Everton in a solid but unimpressive appearance for the captain. Frosty broke out in her turn, smashing 791 for the Wolves in a remarkable turn to flip the game around in favor of the visitors. Puff III churned out 656 for the Eagles, restoring a small lead halfway through the game as things get a bit tighter. Cobalt fell apart at 215 for Stonebridge, taking a ball off the handle of his bat and deflecting it over the wicket and then bouncing another ball out of bounds to confirm the end of his turn. Kirstin did well with 566 for Everton, but got overwhelmed with bad bounces in front of her bat, ending her turn quickly once they started. Prism also had a sub-average turn, taking only 240 to send the Wolves to another loss with 1398 total. Blizzard tacked on 361 for the Eagles finishing their win at 1928 overall. Everton has made it to 6-0, while Stonebridge's inaugural year has dropped again to 3-6.
HP Field, Midland: The Predators make a quick stop at home to welcome the Pirates back to activity after over two weeks of down time. Delila tapped 376 for Atlantic, giving them a decent start to the game. Shawn continued a recent run of solid play with 455 for Midland, staking out a marginal lead after the first attacks. Isabella ripped 487 for the Pirates, regaining a larger lead for them the second time around. Rainmane couldn't quite get it all back for the Predators, hitting 385 to put them very close behind halfway through the game. Americus pounded another 645 for Atlantic, giving them a larger lead in the later stages of the game. Leonardo faded away with 336 for Midland, deepening the deficit with a player each to go. Klaus chipped another 400 to give the Pirates their final of 1908, with the rookie using some advanced moves to keep his turn going. Fuchsia choked at the end, taking a meager 54 for the Predators as they lost with 1230. Atlantic improves to 3-1 on the year, while Midland drops to 6-5.
Cisco Tysini Field, Tysini: The Hummingbirds close out their season-opening five-game home stand, while the Wolves play their last road game for awhile. Juno cranked out 670 for Stonebridge to open the attack, even with a swing-and-miss at the end of her turn. Princess stumbled with 36 for Tysini, putting them in a deep hole from the start of the game. Frosty padded the lead with 536 for the Wolves, strengthening their position in the game. Leandra had her best effort of the year with 535 for the Hummingbirds, trying to bring them back into a competitive stance in the game. Cobalt fired back with 448 for Stonebridge, reaffirming their lead well. Charli slugged 1041 for Tysini, getting them within striking distance before the final players come to bat. Prism tallied 351 for the Wolves, putting them at 2005 overall, with the hope that will be enough for the visitors. Brownie got as close as she could for the Hummingbirds, taking 392, but this put them at 2004, a heartbreaking 1-point loss that will be pinned firmly on the captain Princess. Stonebridge escapes to home with a 4-6 record, while Tysini drops to 2-6.
The Intel Pitch, Diamond: The Gems start a pair of games at home, while the Predators are on the road for their next two. Shawn failed to make a play with his backhand for Midland, ending with 99 when a ball came back over his bat. Smokey answered with 737 for Diamond, establishing a large lead for the hosts after the initial attacks. Rainmane cut into the deficit with 399 for the Predators, but they are still significantly behind. Citrus smashed another 856 for the Gems on her turn, padding their lead even more at the midway point. Leonardo tried to help the Midland cause with 463 on his turn, but they'll need a game-changing outburst to get back in this game. Pedey didn't relent at all for Diamond, whacking 666 on his turn as they are almost assured of a victory this early. Fuchsia had a mild 108 for the Predators, and they folded into a loss with 1069 total. Rosalina let the game end quickly, taking a measly 49 to give the Gems 2308 as their winning total. Diamond's surprise win takes them to 4-4, matching the 6-6 record held by Midland.
Subway Field, Stonebridge: After meeting just two games in Tysini, the Wolves and Hummingbirds duel it out in the second game of their quick series in the Eastern Hills, kicking off a seven-game home stand for the Wolves. Princess struggled again with only 153 for Tysini this time. Juno laid out for a good effort, getting 457 for Stonebridge to give them a noticeable initial lead. Leandra had no pace on her turn, lasting for awhile but ending up with only 291 points, as the Hummingbirds are still trailing. Frosty corralled another 490 for the Wolves on her turn, which is about their leading margin at the halfway mark. Charli couldn't cover the deficit with 281 for Tysini, as they're struggling more on the road than they did at home. As pitch conditions deteriorated in the muggy northeastern stadium, Cobalt did all he could to earn replays, and he gathered 296 for Stonebridge to keep their lead solid. Brownie went on a massive rally with 514 for the Hummingbirds, but their 1239 total fell four points short, another heartbreaking loss for the struggling team. Prism tapped 90 to get out of the game, giving the Wolves a win on 1333. Stonebridge has swept the season series to go to 5-6, while Tysini is 2-7, and may already be too deep in to save this year.
Microsoft Pitch, Del Sur: The Monarchs kick off a five-game home stand against the Sharks, who are ending a five-game road trip. Chelsea seemed to be doing fine until a poor swing ended her offense at 164 for Eastside. Panda didn't get much better, spiking a ball off a dead offering on the pitch and ending with 176 as it bounced out of bounds, giving Southern a tiny lead. Taylor was moderately successful in producing points for the Sharks, taking 328 to add to their lead. Hoppy had an unfortunate bounce end her turn prematurely at 105 for the Monarchs, giving them a deficit at the midway mark. Niki broke out with 799 for Eastside, padding their lead quite a bit at an opportune time to make the lead steeper to challenge. Pounce got nearly all of it back with his 764 for Southern, keeping them in striking distance as the final players come to bat. Paps chipped 289 for the Sharks on his turn, icing their score at 1580 in the hopes that will be enough to stave off the hosts. Shannon tried to keep the Monarchs going with 460, but they fell with 1505 total in the close loss. Eastside looks to have their game back together, going to 2-7 with the win, while Southern drops to an unlucky 1-4.
Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: The Pilots make a short trip north to face Southeast Division rivals in the Crowns, who have returned home after a one-off game on the coast. Valencia wasted no time in reacquainting herself with her rivals, popping 639 for Golden to stake out a nice lead. Nightfur continues to break a little more out of her slump each game, scoring 272 for Royal in this appearance. Dusty slapped another 432 for the Pilots, giving them an even stronger lead. Jake went on a rally for the Crowns, slashing his way to 665 to bring them back to a competitive level halfway through the game. Strut parried some of the attack away, adding 472 to Golden's lead with the hopes that it will hold up. Kayla closed the gap a bit more on her turn, batting 548 for Royal to make it very close nearing the game's end. A. Charlton had a reasonable outing with 345 for the Pilots, putting them at a final score of 1888. Hannah couldn't complete the comeback for the Crowns, with her 279 putting them at a losing total of 1764. Golden battled hard to get the road divisional win and go to 4-2 overall, with a 3-1 division mark. Royal is now 4-4 on the year with the loss in their first divisional game.
That's it for this week. I'll be publishing the new standings sheet shortly, and there will be a pool post in a couple of hours or so.
Friday, December 23, 2016
2017 Qualifiers - Day 6
We should be back in the normal range for games today, with 50 a very realistic possibility. We begin with...
Everton Eagles sophomore Kirstin leading off the first group with a game of 12-ball using the silver cue as she rejoins the lead pace. Kirstin picked up 21 shots in the game, scoring a ball on the break but also suffering an error for an illegally potted ball, her only error in a decent outing. Next up, Diamond Gems sophomore Pedey shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Pedey had another well-played light rotation style game, needing just 10 shots after making two balls on the break, and he took no errors in the quick outing. Fuchsia of the Midland Predators makes the next appearance, shooting 10-ball with the silver cue. Fuchsia couldn't get a clean shot early in the game, ending up with four errors and 21 shots after her empty break in a very difficult showing. Continuing along, Shiny of the Web City Spiders plays 8-ball with the red cue. Shiny had a rough break to start her game, but she avoided errors and completed the rack in a quick 18 shots for a very good performance in the end. The fifth player of the day ends this opening group, and that player is Midnight of the Westside Rockers, who plays 9-ball with the red cue. Midnight was unhappy with where she left herself to shoot from, particularly early in the game, but a double-pot on the 7 to the bottom right and 8 to the top right allowed her to finish the game in 18 shots and three errors, all for illegal contact.
Group two gets going with Puff III of the Everton Eagles shooting 9-ball with the silver cue. Puff III had some serious bitterness accumulated after wasting a ball on the break, as she needed 19 shots with two errors to overcome terrible positioning on her shots in a frustrating appearance. B. Chapman, the Victoria Spurs veteran, plays the next game, with the red cue in hand for her 8-ball qualifier. Chapman had a good game, only fading a bit late after a game that saw her with a ball on the break and 18 shots as well as no errors at the end. Going eighth today is Stinky of the Freedom Cascades, using the red cue for 8-ball as well. Stinky kept pace with the main portion of the group well, making a ball on the break and taking one error for a scratch, but he closed the game on 19 shots in a good outing. Following that, Leonette of the Pacific Volcanoes is up to play 8-ball, using the blue cue on her turn. Leonette was simply inefficient in her shooting, struggling early after an empty break and needing 24 shots without an error to complete the appearance. Closing out this group, Sugar of the Harrison Specters is up for 9-ball with the red cue. Sugar had some choice words at the table despite scoring a reasonable 15. She may have been ruffled by making two balls on the break and still taking two errors and a 7-9 combination to finish the game with such a score.
The third group begins with Swordpoint Blades captain Snowball using the blue cue to shoot 12-ball. Snowball had a ball on the break and appeared to do pretty well early on, but two errors in the second half of her game ruined it for a score of 19, not quite the trend-setting score she wanted. The twelfth player called to shoot today is Snowballs' daughter and recent birthday girl, Brownie of the Tysini Hummingbirds, who has the blue cue up for 9-ball. Brownie looked good for this game, playing to 13 shots with one error after making a ball on the break with her wide-angle break shot. Up next, Charli XCX, another Hummingbird player, plays 8-ball with the silver cue in the second appearance of her second season. Charli was doing mostly fine during her game, on track for an average performance after an empty break, but she struggled with accuracy late and ended up with 24 shots despite a clean error-free performance. Moving along, Puff III returns to the table for her second game today for the Eagles, using the silver cue in 10-ball this time. Puff III took a shot that presented itself to her to end this game, finishing it in 9 shots on a 4-10 combination to the bottom side after struggles early in the game from an empty break and a lone error for an illegally potted ball. The group ends with Midnight, the Rockers veteran, returning to the table for another game today, playing 10-ball with the red cue. Midnight was livid with her game, getting nothing on the break and needing three errors among her 23 shots to finish the appearance. The outburst players are having in 10-ball is making it possible for play to be stopped after the next group if things do not improve.
Batch four starts with Bryant of the Maplewood Lumberjacks using the silver cue in 10-ball, which doesn't bode well for the day's slate of games. Bryant got lucky at the end of his game, suffering two errors and a blank break before using the 6 as a carom object to strike the 10 to the top left for the finishing shot, ending his turn early at 15 shots. The league is still being evaluated after this game. Tysini Hummingbirds superstar captain Princess plays the next game, 8-ball with the blue. Princess brought calm effectiveness to her turn, going empty on the break and then submitting a thirteen-ball run before closing out the game in 16 shots, with no errors. Next up, Oceanside Waves rookie jumps into the 10-ball fire with the silver cue. Celestia remained composed despite a rough start to her game after a fruitless break shot, and she avoided unnecessary errors en route to scoring a moderate 20 in the end. The nineteenth player drawn to shoot today is Sleepy B. of the Archtown Arrows, participating in 8-ball with the blue for this game. Sleepy B. would have liked more from her break, as it didn't scatter well, but she didn't suffer an error from it, and she cleared the table with 19 shots to finish a solid outing. Finishing off this group, Puff I of the Modernistic Union plays 9-ball with the red cue. Puff I put in an acceptable performance, making a ball on the break and avoiding any errors to close with 14 shots, a fairly standard outing for the league so far. The league is permitted to continue playing.
The fifth bunch opens with Dominic of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Dominic followed suit with many of his peers, getting nothing on his break shot and then scoring 19 for the game, taking no errors in the process. Spot of the Pronger Tridents gets the next game, keeping the blue cue at the table for more 8-ball. Spot brimmed with confidence from the start of the game, making a ball on the break and then clearing the table in 17 shots without an error to be seen for a strong second career appearance. Going 23rd today, Misty, the Westside Rockers captain, again pushes the pace ahead, playing Rotation with the blue cue. Misty was plenty pleased to take 29 shots with only one error in her game, and she got a ball on the break to help a typically arduous process like Rotation along. The Union's Puff I got the next game, her second of the day, and she'll play 10-ball with the red cue in this appearance. Puff I came agonizingly close to scoring a ball on the break, and soon after that, she erred intentionally, charged as her only two errors of the game. This allowed her to cruise through the rest of the rack in 18 shots, a decent score despite the heftier penalty. The last player before the mid-afternoon break is the Eastside Sharks' Paps, who uses the blue cue for 12-ball. Paps required 26 shots and three errors to complete his game, and he also came up empty on his break.
After the break, the sixth group is led off by Ice Cream of the Commerce Tradewinds, who tries her hand at 9-ball with the blue cue. Ice Cream experienced more trouble with rotation games, needing 18 shots even after making a ball on the break, but she didn't take any errors, a lone bright spot for the outing. Next up, Stephanie Livilotti, the Southridge Defenders rookie, has the silver cue up for her 9-ball qualifier. Stephanie faltered a bit late in the game, but that didn't take away from her making a ball on the break, although she did record two errors among her 13 shots. Following that, Ice Cream is back for 10-ball with the red cue, a quick turnaround for the veteran. Despite scratching on the break, Ice Cream had a great game, finishing with the one error and two balls from the break, and then needing only 12 shots to ice it with a kick on the 10 to the top right. The 29th player called today is Wings of the Pearl Surfers, who has the blue cue ready for 8-ball. Wings had a dominant outing, making no errors and taking one ball on the break, although it could have been more, and then he cruised for 16 shots in a very effective game. The group ends with Bryant, the longtime Lumberjack, shooting 12-ball with the blue cue. Bryant had a ball on the break and no errors in this appearance, continuing a strong qualifying campaign with the 17-shot effort.
Batch seven gets going with Bandit, the Swordpoint Blades rookie, making his career debut with the red cue in 7-ball. Bandit struggled, failing to pot anything on the break and then getting unclear shooting positions that led to his one error and 13 shots. Spirit, the Lighton Prestige star, gets the next game, playing 8-ball with the red cue. Spirit got nothing on her break, but a few came close, and she had some errant shooting, but took no errors among the 20 shots she needed to finish the game, an average performance. Next up, Hoot of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors plays 9-ball with the red cue. Hoot made two balls on the break with a crisp opening shot, but also scratched for his lone error. He recovered to end the game on 12 shots, stagnating on the 5 a bit but rallying to finish from there. Moving along, the Sharks' Paps is back to rejoin the league speed lead with his Rotation game, using the silver cue in this appearance. Paps would like to forget this game, but while not historically bad, it's likely destined for the bottom of the standings this year. His 37 shots and six errors after making nothing but a scratch on the break were the root of the problem, as well as an inability to find a clear shot from the start. Rounding out the group, the Gems' captain Smokey shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Smokey had a blistering hot start, making a ball on the break and two consecutive double-pots, but then things got tough, and he needed 24 shots with one error to finish the appearance, a massively frustrating result for a start that had so much promise.
The final group begins with Watermelon, the Pearl Surfers co-captain, shooting 10-ball with the red cue. Watermelon didn't get anything on the break, but she didn't keep the game going long enough for an error, ending with 2 shots as she converted the 2-10 combination to the top right after it lined up well for her off her shot on the 1 to the bottom side. The 37th player drawn is Queens Flames captain Crystal, who is ready to use the red cue in her 8-ball qualifier. Crystal had just about a great game with no errors and a ball made on the break, but she struggled with the 8, chasing it for a few shots to run her score up to 19 for the game. Following that, Sweetheart of the Boston Swifts was called to shoot 9-ball with the silver cue. Sweetheart looked to be in for a long game despite making a ball on the break, but she held on, took no errors, and then rallied at the end to score 14. Next up, Panda, the Southern Monarchs captain, shot 10-ball with the blue cue. Panda didn't play well in the game, but he made it interesting, with no balls from the break and four errors among 25 shots. Panda's best shot actually was a scratch/missed contact double error, in which he jumped the 9, bouncing the cue ball off the right rail and into the top right pocket cleanly over the targeted 4. Today's last player is Cobalt of the Stonebridge Wolves, with the rookie's second career appearance coming in 8-ball with the silver cue. Cobalt had about as average a performance as possible, getting nothing on the break, taking no errors in the game, and finishing the rack in a clean 20 shots to end the night.
I'm not sure if I will play any pool tomorrow. The course of events today would suggest a break would be wise for me to take, and I have outside obligations to deal with. I might finish cricket week 4 tomorrow night though, so there probably won't be radio silence.
Everton Eagles sophomore Kirstin leading off the first group with a game of 12-ball using the silver cue as she rejoins the lead pace. Kirstin picked up 21 shots in the game, scoring a ball on the break but also suffering an error for an illegally potted ball, her only error in a decent outing. Next up, Diamond Gems sophomore Pedey shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Pedey had another well-played light rotation style game, needing just 10 shots after making two balls on the break, and he took no errors in the quick outing. Fuchsia of the Midland Predators makes the next appearance, shooting 10-ball with the silver cue. Fuchsia couldn't get a clean shot early in the game, ending up with four errors and 21 shots after her empty break in a very difficult showing. Continuing along, Shiny of the Web City Spiders plays 8-ball with the red cue. Shiny had a rough break to start her game, but she avoided errors and completed the rack in a quick 18 shots for a very good performance in the end. The fifth player of the day ends this opening group, and that player is Midnight of the Westside Rockers, who plays 9-ball with the red cue. Midnight was unhappy with where she left herself to shoot from, particularly early in the game, but a double-pot on the 7 to the bottom right and 8 to the top right allowed her to finish the game in 18 shots and three errors, all for illegal contact.
Group two gets going with Puff III of the Everton Eagles shooting 9-ball with the silver cue. Puff III had some serious bitterness accumulated after wasting a ball on the break, as she needed 19 shots with two errors to overcome terrible positioning on her shots in a frustrating appearance. B. Chapman, the Victoria Spurs veteran, plays the next game, with the red cue in hand for her 8-ball qualifier. Chapman had a good game, only fading a bit late after a game that saw her with a ball on the break and 18 shots as well as no errors at the end. Going eighth today is Stinky of the Freedom Cascades, using the red cue for 8-ball as well. Stinky kept pace with the main portion of the group well, making a ball on the break and taking one error for a scratch, but he closed the game on 19 shots in a good outing. Following that, Leonette of the Pacific Volcanoes is up to play 8-ball, using the blue cue on her turn. Leonette was simply inefficient in her shooting, struggling early after an empty break and needing 24 shots without an error to complete the appearance. Closing out this group, Sugar of the Harrison Specters is up for 9-ball with the red cue. Sugar had some choice words at the table despite scoring a reasonable 15. She may have been ruffled by making two balls on the break and still taking two errors and a 7-9 combination to finish the game with such a score.
The third group begins with Swordpoint Blades captain Snowball using the blue cue to shoot 12-ball. Snowball had a ball on the break and appeared to do pretty well early on, but two errors in the second half of her game ruined it for a score of 19, not quite the trend-setting score she wanted. The twelfth player called to shoot today is Snowballs' daughter and recent birthday girl, Brownie of the Tysini Hummingbirds, who has the blue cue up for 9-ball. Brownie looked good for this game, playing to 13 shots with one error after making a ball on the break with her wide-angle break shot. Up next, Charli XCX, another Hummingbird player, plays 8-ball with the silver cue in the second appearance of her second season. Charli was doing mostly fine during her game, on track for an average performance after an empty break, but she struggled with accuracy late and ended up with 24 shots despite a clean error-free performance. Moving along, Puff III returns to the table for her second game today for the Eagles, using the silver cue in 10-ball this time. Puff III took a shot that presented itself to her to end this game, finishing it in 9 shots on a 4-10 combination to the bottom side after struggles early in the game from an empty break and a lone error for an illegally potted ball. The group ends with Midnight, the Rockers veteran, returning to the table for another game today, playing 10-ball with the red cue. Midnight was livid with her game, getting nothing on the break and needing three errors among her 23 shots to finish the appearance. The outburst players are having in 10-ball is making it possible for play to be stopped after the next group if things do not improve.
Batch four starts with Bryant of the Maplewood Lumberjacks using the silver cue in 10-ball, which doesn't bode well for the day's slate of games. Bryant got lucky at the end of his game, suffering two errors and a blank break before using the 6 as a carom object to strike the 10 to the top left for the finishing shot, ending his turn early at 15 shots. The league is still being evaluated after this game. Tysini Hummingbirds superstar captain Princess plays the next game, 8-ball with the blue. Princess brought calm effectiveness to her turn, going empty on the break and then submitting a thirteen-ball run before closing out the game in 16 shots, with no errors. Next up, Oceanside Waves rookie jumps into the 10-ball fire with the silver cue. Celestia remained composed despite a rough start to her game after a fruitless break shot, and she avoided unnecessary errors en route to scoring a moderate 20 in the end. The nineteenth player drawn to shoot today is Sleepy B. of the Archtown Arrows, participating in 8-ball with the blue for this game. Sleepy B. would have liked more from her break, as it didn't scatter well, but she didn't suffer an error from it, and she cleared the table with 19 shots to finish a solid outing. Finishing off this group, Puff I of the Modernistic Union plays 9-ball with the red cue. Puff I put in an acceptable performance, making a ball on the break and avoiding any errors to close with 14 shots, a fairly standard outing for the league so far. The league is permitted to continue playing.
The fifth bunch opens with Dominic of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors shooting 8-ball with the blue cue. Dominic followed suit with many of his peers, getting nothing on his break shot and then scoring 19 for the game, taking no errors in the process. Spot of the Pronger Tridents gets the next game, keeping the blue cue at the table for more 8-ball. Spot brimmed with confidence from the start of the game, making a ball on the break and then clearing the table in 17 shots without an error to be seen for a strong second career appearance. Going 23rd today, Misty, the Westside Rockers captain, again pushes the pace ahead, playing Rotation with the blue cue. Misty was plenty pleased to take 29 shots with only one error in her game, and she got a ball on the break to help a typically arduous process like Rotation along. The Union's Puff I got the next game, her second of the day, and she'll play 10-ball with the red cue in this appearance. Puff I came agonizingly close to scoring a ball on the break, and soon after that, she erred intentionally, charged as her only two errors of the game. This allowed her to cruise through the rest of the rack in 18 shots, a decent score despite the heftier penalty. The last player before the mid-afternoon break is the Eastside Sharks' Paps, who uses the blue cue for 12-ball. Paps required 26 shots and three errors to complete his game, and he also came up empty on his break.
After the break, the sixth group is led off by Ice Cream of the Commerce Tradewinds, who tries her hand at 9-ball with the blue cue. Ice Cream experienced more trouble with rotation games, needing 18 shots even after making a ball on the break, but she didn't take any errors, a lone bright spot for the outing. Next up, Stephanie Livilotti, the Southridge Defenders rookie, has the silver cue up for her 9-ball qualifier. Stephanie faltered a bit late in the game, but that didn't take away from her making a ball on the break, although she did record two errors among her 13 shots. Following that, Ice Cream is back for 10-ball with the red cue, a quick turnaround for the veteran. Despite scratching on the break, Ice Cream had a great game, finishing with the one error and two balls from the break, and then needing only 12 shots to ice it with a kick on the 10 to the top right. The 29th player called today is Wings of the Pearl Surfers, who has the blue cue ready for 8-ball. Wings had a dominant outing, making no errors and taking one ball on the break, although it could have been more, and then he cruised for 16 shots in a very effective game. The group ends with Bryant, the longtime Lumberjack, shooting 12-ball with the blue cue. Bryant had a ball on the break and no errors in this appearance, continuing a strong qualifying campaign with the 17-shot effort.
Batch seven gets going with Bandit, the Swordpoint Blades rookie, making his career debut with the red cue in 7-ball. Bandit struggled, failing to pot anything on the break and then getting unclear shooting positions that led to his one error and 13 shots. Spirit, the Lighton Prestige star, gets the next game, playing 8-ball with the red cue. Spirit got nothing on her break, but a few came close, and she had some errant shooting, but took no errors among the 20 shots she needed to finish the game, an average performance. Next up, Hoot of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors plays 9-ball with the red cue. Hoot made two balls on the break with a crisp opening shot, but also scratched for his lone error. He recovered to end the game on 12 shots, stagnating on the 5 a bit but rallying to finish from there. Moving along, the Sharks' Paps is back to rejoin the league speed lead with his Rotation game, using the silver cue in this appearance. Paps would like to forget this game, but while not historically bad, it's likely destined for the bottom of the standings this year. His 37 shots and six errors after making nothing but a scratch on the break were the root of the problem, as well as an inability to find a clear shot from the start. Rounding out the group, the Gems' captain Smokey shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Smokey had a blistering hot start, making a ball on the break and two consecutive double-pots, but then things got tough, and he needed 24 shots with one error to finish the appearance, a massively frustrating result for a start that had so much promise.
The final group begins with Watermelon, the Pearl Surfers co-captain, shooting 10-ball with the red cue. Watermelon didn't get anything on the break, but she didn't keep the game going long enough for an error, ending with 2 shots as she converted the 2-10 combination to the top right after it lined up well for her off her shot on the 1 to the bottom side. The 37th player drawn is Queens Flames captain Crystal, who is ready to use the red cue in her 8-ball qualifier. Crystal had just about a great game with no errors and a ball made on the break, but she struggled with the 8, chasing it for a few shots to run her score up to 19 for the game. Following that, Sweetheart of the Boston Swifts was called to shoot 9-ball with the silver cue. Sweetheart looked to be in for a long game despite making a ball on the break, but she held on, took no errors, and then rallied at the end to score 14. Next up, Panda, the Southern Monarchs captain, shot 10-ball with the blue cue. Panda didn't play well in the game, but he made it interesting, with no balls from the break and four errors among 25 shots. Panda's best shot actually was a scratch/missed contact double error, in which he jumped the 9, bouncing the cue ball off the right rail and into the top right pocket cleanly over the targeted 4. Today's last player is Cobalt of the Stonebridge Wolves, with the rookie's second career appearance coming in 8-ball with the silver cue. Cobalt had about as average a performance as possible, getting nothing on the break, taking no errors in the game, and finishing the rack in a clean 20 shots to end the night.
I'm not sure if I will play any pool tomorrow. The course of events today would suggest a break would be wise for me to take, and I have outside obligations to deal with. I might finish cricket week 4 tomorrow night though, so there probably won't be radio silence.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
2017 Qualifiers - Day 5
After a rough day yesterday, the league hopes for better results today, and if they don't come, a day off will likely come to order. We begin with the hopes of a long day with...
Whiskers of the Infinity Torpedoes using the red cue for her 8-ball qualifier to lead off today's first group. Things are not looking good at the start, with Whiskers going empty on her break, taking one error, and then wasting numerous shots at the end chasing two balls, ending on 28 shots in total. Next up, Sally of the Archtown Arrows keeps the red cue at the table for her 9-ball appearance. Sally recovered from her mid-game swoon pretty well, using a five-ball run-out to end in 18 shots with just one error for a scratch. The third player of the day is Todavía Stills captain Easter, who keeps the red cue active for her 7-ball game. Easter gave the league a ray of hope in her game, making a ball on the break and taking no errors during the game for a score of 7, as she was very precise in her shooting skill and positioning. Following that, Easter's Stills teammate, Sierra, gets a look at 7-ball with the red cue as well in her season debut. Sierra wasn't quite as dominant as her team captain, but she still had the game complete in 9 shots after making a ball on the break, and she had no errors. Finishing off the group, Archtown Arrows star Ruby shoots 8-ball with the blue cue. Ruby was about as good as she could be, with the former 8-ball champion clearing the table in 15 shots after a mixed break that saw her pot a ball but take her only error, a scratch.
The second group, receiving league approval to play on, gets going with Crystal, the Queens Flames captain, who will use the red cue for her 7-ball appearance. Crystal kept the good times going with a score of 8 in her game, making a ball on the break but also suffering a scratch as she tried to position herself for the well-placed 7, her only error of the game. Shannon of the Southern Monarchs has the next game, using the silver cue in 8-ball. Shannon didn't get anything on her break, but she did well otherwise, picking simple shots and converting well, needing 21 shots with no errors to finish the game. Continuing along, Queens Flames rookie Violetta plays 9-ball with the red cue in this appearance. Violetta had her best game so far this time, making two balls on the break and taking just one early error, a scratch, among her 13 shots to finish the game in good time. The ninth player drawn today is Celestia, the Oceanside Waves rookie, who has the blue cue up for a game of 9-ball. Celestia saw no balls sink on the break, and her two errors derailed the progress of the game, forcing her to take 16 total shots to finish the outing. Closing out the batch, Mr. Snowman of the Infinity Torpedoes plays 9-ball with the silver cue. Mr. Snowman put the shots down in pretty quick succession, including a double-pot that sent the 3 to the bottom right and the 6 to the bottom left, finishing with 12 shots and one error from the scratch on the break.
Bunch three begins with Rainmane, the Midland Predators star, shooting 9-ball with the red cue. Rainmane had a ball on the break, but took two errors for scratches later in the game, and got hit with a rare rule application, as her scratch while sinking the 7-9 combination required her to clear the table, which gave her 16 shots in the end. Today's twelfth shooters is Smokey of the Diamond Gems, who will use the silver cue in his 9-ball appearance. Smokey wasted no time, potting two balls off his break and extending the run deep before slowing to a score of 11 shots with no errors. Goldy, the Everton Eagles star captain, plays the next game, debuting for the season with the blue cue in 7-ball. Goldy came tantalizingly close to potting the 7 on the break, but had to settle for 10 shots and no errors as no good combination attempt came up for the veteran. Going next, the Golden Pilots' Strut plays 8-ball with the blue cue. Strut finished the game with nothing on the break, one error, and 21 shots in a fairly standard performance these days. The group ends with Shiny, the Web City Spiders veteran, shooting 7-ball with the red cue for her season debut. Shiny didn't quite get anything on the break, but her shooting after that was fairly strong, as she took only 8 shots and no errors to complete the appearance.
The fourth group kicks off with Rosalina, the Diamond Gems rookie, shooting 8-ball with the blue cue in her second career showing. Rosalina made a ball on the break but missed too many shots in between that and her scratch, her only error, which pushed her score to 26 shots, a poor showing. The league is hoping the next player gets a good game, and that responsibility falls to Precious, the Pronger Tridents captain, who will use the red cue for her season debut in 7-ball. Precious had two balls on the break and ran the table in 5 additional shots, taking no errors in a clinical performance. That's a tough act to follow for Paps, the newest Eastside Shark, who is up for 10-ball with the red cue. Paps impressed his new fans in this game, getting nothing on the break and committing a single error but still managing to complete the game in a mere 13 shots. The Monarchs' Shannon is back for another game in this appearance, shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Shannon had a ball on the break but couldn't corral the 1 quickly, spilling over for the rest of the game to the tune of 17 shots and no errors. The twentieth player called today is Twinkie I, the Lighton Prestige veteran, who will have the red cue in hand for her season debut in 7-ball. Twinkie I went empty on her break shot, and then committed three errors during the game, running her score up to 14 since she did shoot fairly well with the errors not considered.
Opening group five, Chris, the Capital City Sharpshooters captain, makes his 9-ball appearance with the blue cue in hand. Chris dominated over the course of his game, needing just 10 shots with a ball on the break and no errors in a well-shot appearance that saw him make good choices. The 22nd player of the day is Puff II of the Boston Swifts, shooting 7-ball with the red cue in her season debut. Puff II had a great game going, making a ball on the break and cruising until the 6 proved very trick, giving her two errors on a missed contact and a scratch, and she closed with 12 shots in the game. Following that, Boots, the Pearl Surfers newcomer, is ready to play 10-ball with the silver cue. Boots was very comfortable in the second half of the game, but the first half left her with a bad empty break and two errors, which made her shooting 20 all the more impressive. Up next, Bells, the new Todavía Still, plays 8-ball with the blue cue. Bells had a good break, getting one ball, and while it appeared she would struggle, she actually played very well from there, avoiding any errors and taking 17 shots to finish the game. Eagles captain Goldy will close the group with her second game of the day, playing 8-ball with the blue cue. Neither Goldy nor her fans were pleased with the result, as she had nothing on the break and no errors among her 22 shots to finish the game.
The sixth batch sees Diddley of the Maplewood Lumberjacks playing 8-ball with the blue cue. Diddley took 20 shots in the game, getting one ball on the break and intentionally erring a single time to get through the appearance relatively unscathed. That brings us to our mid-afternoon break, and the next player up post-break is Dani, the Web City Spiders newcomer, who will shoot 7-ball with the silver cue in her first appearance with the team. Dani charged through the rack in 11 shots, taking one error on a scratch along the way, but she also made a ball on the break to help the cause. Next up, Victoria Spurs sophomore Yekaterina Vasilyeva plays 9-ball with the blue cue. Yekaterina had a ball on the break, and made a double-pot of the 2 to the top left with a cue carom into the 5 to pot it in the bottom right as her highlight. She also took two errors on one play, but still ended with 12 shots total. The 29th player of the day is Boston Swifts captain Patches playing 10-ball with the silver cue. Patches was satisfied by her performance in the game, making two balls on the break and limiting herself to one error while taking 16 shots for a good outing. The batch ends with Dustin, the Central Warriors superstar and reigning MVP, shooting 8-ball with the red cue. Dustin dominated despite coming up empty on the break shot, picking corner pockets like no tomorrow and still taking one error in 17 shots, an amazing outing from a bonafide superstar.
Group seven kicks off with Stills captain Easter returning to the table for her game of 8-ball with the silver cue. Easter was solid in this outing, making nothing on the break and scratching twice for her two errors but keeping the score at 21, a respectable score with the given circumstances. Going 32nd today, the highly-hyped Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie Nibbles plays 7-ball with the blue cue in his career debut. Nibbles was solid but unspectacular in a premiere that saw him get nothing on the break and take no errors in 11 shots, a reasonable outing for the youngster. Following that, Stonebridge Wolves rookie Prism plays 8-ball with the blue cue in her second career appearance. Prism needed 22 shots with one error in the game after a bad break left most of the shots clustered along the right rail and mostly inaccessible. Continuing along, Maplewood Lumberjacks rookie Waluigi plays 9-ball with the red cue. Waluigi made a ball on the break in this game, but also took an error for illegal contact on a kick attempt, ending with 13 shots when he cleared the table off. Bringing up the rear in this batch, Dreamy, the Swordpoint Blades stalwart, plays 9-ball with the silver cue. Dreamy's break didn't spread very favorably for her, forcing her into tough shots that eventually led to her lone error, a scratch, and 18 shots to finish the game.
The final group leads off with Stinky of the Freedom Cascades making his season debut with the silver cue in 7-ball. Stinky was very good to getting a good break, but it quickly turned into a snookered disaster, as he had two errors on the first shot of play, and needed 13 shots in total to end the game. Up next, the Stills star Sierra uses the blue cue to make her second appearance of the day in 8-ball. Sierra struggled at first in her game, getting nothing on the break, but she took no errors in the appearance and was able to shut it down in 21 shots. Smokey, the Gems captain, gets the next game, playing 10-ball with the silver cue. Smokey had a terrible break, and the game went worse than that, as he accumulated four errors, and still managed to keep his shots at 21 for the rack. The 39th player called to shoot today is Capital City Sharpshooters veteran Sprinkles, who is up with the silver cue as well for her 7-ball game. Sprinkles got stopped on the break, but she kept her game clean with no errors, finishing in 10 shots for a good outing. The last player to go today is Sugar of the Harrison Specters, who will use the red cue for 8-ball. Sugar got a ball on the break, but she didn't scatter much, and while she shot well early on, she struggled late and ended with 21 shots and one error on a scratch.
Personal stuff got in the way of playing more of everything today. Tomorrow should be more in the normal range.
Whiskers of the Infinity Torpedoes using the red cue for her 8-ball qualifier to lead off today's first group. Things are not looking good at the start, with Whiskers going empty on her break, taking one error, and then wasting numerous shots at the end chasing two balls, ending on 28 shots in total. Next up, Sally of the Archtown Arrows keeps the red cue at the table for her 9-ball appearance. Sally recovered from her mid-game swoon pretty well, using a five-ball run-out to end in 18 shots with just one error for a scratch. The third player of the day is Todavía Stills captain Easter, who keeps the red cue active for her 7-ball game. Easter gave the league a ray of hope in her game, making a ball on the break and taking no errors during the game for a score of 7, as she was very precise in her shooting skill and positioning. Following that, Easter's Stills teammate, Sierra, gets a look at 7-ball with the red cue as well in her season debut. Sierra wasn't quite as dominant as her team captain, but she still had the game complete in 9 shots after making a ball on the break, and she had no errors. Finishing off the group, Archtown Arrows star Ruby shoots 8-ball with the blue cue. Ruby was about as good as she could be, with the former 8-ball champion clearing the table in 15 shots after a mixed break that saw her pot a ball but take her only error, a scratch.
The second group, receiving league approval to play on, gets going with Crystal, the Queens Flames captain, who will use the red cue for her 7-ball appearance. Crystal kept the good times going with a score of 8 in her game, making a ball on the break but also suffering a scratch as she tried to position herself for the well-placed 7, her only error of the game. Shannon of the Southern Monarchs has the next game, using the silver cue in 8-ball. Shannon didn't get anything on her break, but she did well otherwise, picking simple shots and converting well, needing 21 shots with no errors to finish the game. Continuing along, Queens Flames rookie Violetta plays 9-ball with the red cue in this appearance. Violetta had her best game so far this time, making two balls on the break and taking just one early error, a scratch, among her 13 shots to finish the game in good time. The ninth player drawn today is Celestia, the Oceanside Waves rookie, who has the blue cue up for a game of 9-ball. Celestia saw no balls sink on the break, and her two errors derailed the progress of the game, forcing her to take 16 total shots to finish the outing. Closing out the batch, Mr. Snowman of the Infinity Torpedoes plays 9-ball with the silver cue. Mr. Snowman put the shots down in pretty quick succession, including a double-pot that sent the 3 to the bottom right and the 6 to the bottom left, finishing with 12 shots and one error from the scratch on the break.
Bunch three begins with Rainmane, the Midland Predators star, shooting 9-ball with the red cue. Rainmane had a ball on the break, but took two errors for scratches later in the game, and got hit with a rare rule application, as her scratch while sinking the 7-9 combination required her to clear the table, which gave her 16 shots in the end. Today's twelfth shooters is Smokey of the Diamond Gems, who will use the silver cue in his 9-ball appearance. Smokey wasted no time, potting two balls off his break and extending the run deep before slowing to a score of 11 shots with no errors. Goldy, the Everton Eagles star captain, plays the next game, debuting for the season with the blue cue in 7-ball. Goldy came tantalizingly close to potting the 7 on the break, but had to settle for 10 shots and no errors as no good combination attempt came up for the veteran. Going next, the Golden Pilots' Strut plays 8-ball with the blue cue. Strut finished the game with nothing on the break, one error, and 21 shots in a fairly standard performance these days. The group ends with Shiny, the Web City Spiders veteran, shooting 7-ball with the red cue for her season debut. Shiny didn't quite get anything on the break, but her shooting after that was fairly strong, as she took only 8 shots and no errors to complete the appearance.
The fourth group kicks off with Rosalina, the Diamond Gems rookie, shooting 8-ball with the blue cue in her second career showing. Rosalina made a ball on the break but missed too many shots in between that and her scratch, her only error, which pushed her score to 26 shots, a poor showing. The league is hoping the next player gets a good game, and that responsibility falls to Precious, the Pronger Tridents captain, who will use the red cue for her season debut in 7-ball. Precious had two balls on the break and ran the table in 5 additional shots, taking no errors in a clinical performance. That's a tough act to follow for Paps, the newest Eastside Shark, who is up for 10-ball with the red cue. Paps impressed his new fans in this game, getting nothing on the break and committing a single error but still managing to complete the game in a mere 13 shots. The Monarchs' Shannon is back for another game in this appearance, shooting 9-ball with the blue cue. Shannon had a ball on the break but couldn't corral the 1 quickly, spilling over for the rest of the game to the tune of 17 shots and no errors. The twentieth player called today is Twinkie I, the Lighton Prestige veteran, who will have the red cue in hand for her season debut in 7-ball. Twinkie I went empty on her break shot, and then committed three errors during the game, running her score up to 14 since she did shoot fairly well with the errors not considered.
Opening group five, Chris, the Capital City Sharpshooters captain, makes his 9-ball appearance with the blue cue in hand. Chris dominated over the course of his game, needing just 10 shots with a ball on the break and no errors in a well-shot appearance that saw him make good choices. The 22nd player of the day is Puff II of the Boston Swifts, shooting 7-ball with the red cue in her season debut. Puff II had a great game going, making a ball on the break and cruising until the 6 proved very trick, giving her two errors on a missed contact and a scratch, and she closed with 12 shots in the game. Following that, Boots, the Pearl Surfers newcomer, is ready to play 10-ball with the silver cue. Boots was very comfortable in the second half of the game, but the first half left her with a bad empty break and two errors, which made her shooting 20 all the more impressive. Up next, Bells, the new Todavía Still, plays 8-ball with the blue cue. Bells had a good break, getting one ball, and while it appeared she would struggle, she actually played very well from there, avoiding any errors and taking 17 shots to finish the game. Eagles captain Goldy will close the group with her second game of the day, playing 8-ball with the blue cue. Neither Goldy nor her fans were pleased with the result, as she had nothing on the break and no errors among her 22 shots to finish the game.
The sixth batch sees Diddley of the Maplewood Lumberjacks playing 8-ball with the blue cue. Diddley took 20 shots in the game, getting one ball on the break and intentionally erring a single time to get through the appearance relatively unscathed. That brings us to our mid-afternoon break, and the next player up post-break is Dani, the Web City Spiders newcomer, who will shoot 7-ball with the silver cue in her first appearance with the team. Dani charged through the rack in 11 shots, taking one error on a scratch along the way, but she also made a ball on the break to help the cause. Next up, Victoria Spurs sophomore Yekaterina Vasilyeva plays 9-ball with the blue cue. Yekaterina had a ball on the break, and made a double-pot of the 2 to the top left with a cue carom into the 5 to pot it in the bottom right as her highlight. She also took two errors on one play, but still ended with 12 shots total. The 29th player of the day is Boston Swifts captain Patches playing 10-ball with the silver cue. Patches was satisfied by her performance in the game, making two balls on the break and limiting herself to one error while taking 16 shots for a good outing. The batch ends with Dustin, the Central Warriors superstar and reigning MVP, shooting 8-ball with the red cue. Dustin dominated despite coming up empty on the break shot, picking corner pockets like no tomorrow and still taking one error in 17 shots, an amazing outing from a bonafide superstar.
Group seven kicks off with Stills captain Easter returning to the table for her game of 8-ball with the silver cue. Easter was solid in this outing, making nothing on the break and scratching twice for her two errors but keeping the score at 21, a respectable score with the given circumstances. Going 32nd today, the highly-hyped Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie Nibbles plays 7-ball with the blue cue in his career debut. Nibbles was solid but unspectacular in a premiere that saw him get nothing on the break and take no errors in 11 shots, a reasonable outing for the youngster. Following that, Stonebridge Wolves rookie Prism plays 8-ball with the blue cue in her second career appearance. Prism needed 22 shots with one error in the game after a bad break left most of the shots clustered along the right rail and mostly inaccessible. Continuing along, Maplewood Lumberjacks rookie Waluigi plays 9-ball with the red cue. Waluigi made a ball on the break in this game, but also took an error for illegal contact on a kick attempt, ending with 13 shots when he cleared the table off. Bringing up the rear in this batch, Dreamy, the Swordpoint Blades stalwart, plays 9-ball with the silver cue. Dreamy's break didn't spread very favorably for her, forcing her into tough shots that eventually led to her lone error, a scratch, and 18 shots to finish the game.
The final group leads off with Stinky of the Freedom Cascades making his season debut with the silver cue in 7-ball. Stinky was very good to getting a good break, but it quickly turned into a snookered disaster, as he had two errors on the first shot of play, and needed 13 shots in total to end the game. Up next, the Stills star Sierra uses the blue cue to make her second appearance of the day in 8-ball. Sierra struggled at first in her game, getting nothing on the break, but she took no errors in the appearance and was able to shut it down in 21 shots. Smokey, the Gems captain, gets the next game, playing 10-ball with the silver cue. Smokey had a terrible break, and the game went worse than that, as he accumulated four errors, and still managed to keep his shots at 21 for the rack. The 39th player called to shoot today is Capital City Sharpshooters veteran Sprinkles, who is up with the silver cue as well for her 7-ball game. Sprinkles got stopped on the break, but she kept her game clean with no errors, finishing in 10 shots for a good outing. The last player to go today is Sugar of the Harrison Specters, who will use the red cue for 8-ball. Sugar got a ball on the break, but she didn't scatter much, and while she shot well early on, she struggled late and ended with 21 shots and one error on a scratch.
Personal stuff got in the way of playing more of everything today. Tomorrow should be more in the normal range.
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