UPCL Cricket - Week 6 Part 2

We're back for the middle segment of the week, and it begins in...

Nike Field, Commerce: The Tradewinds hope to get their season back on track against a Blades team turning in another elite start to the year. Snowball had a mediocre effort to open the game, hitting 273 for Swordpoint, giving them very little cushion early on. Tigerette had only 64 for Commerce, squandering a perfect chance to establish the hosts. Dreamy carried the load for the Blades offense pretty well, smashing her way to 826 in a very productive turn for the veteran star. Ice Cream tried to chug along her turn, but she was erratic in her placement, and finished with only 272 for the Tradewinds. Bandit lost a bit of ground for Swordpoint, as the rookie managed 217 on his weak turn. Lionel couldn't get his offense going, a recurring theme for Commerce, as he took a measly 126, allowing the deficit to grow late in the game. Stealth batted 517 for the Blades in this appearance, a solid mark to bring them to 1833 in a presumptive win. Lorde led the Tradewinds in offense, scoring 282 as they took a steep loss with a total of 744. Swordpoint is 9-3 for the season, while Commerce drops to 3-6.

Subway Field, Stonebridge: The heavily-burdened Wolves host a well-rested Union side in this match, the last game of the week for the Wolves and first for the Union. Ms. Puppy nearly completed a backhand-forehand-triple hit move, but a deflection stopped her at 423 to give Modernistic a solid start. Juno had a decent first appearance against her former team, taking 368 for Stonebridge to keep them close. Daisy chipped 339 for the Union, keeping their lead fairly steady with her effort. Frosty broke her slump in a big way for the Wolves, blasting 1086 on her turn to give them a massive lead halfway through the game. Puff I couldn't make a sufficient reply, taking just 153 for Modernistic as they appear set to lose this one. Cobalt didn't do much either, with a meager 96 as his contribution to the Stonebridge offense. Strawberry managed 224 for the Union, giving them a losing final score of 1139. Prism brought the game to a quick end, taking a weak 92 for the Wolves to give them 1642 overall. Stonebridge's win takes them to 8-9 as they will rest before a long road trip, while the Union are 1-7 and now in sole possession of last place.

The Intel Pitch, Diamond: The Specters look to build off their recent win as they close a five-game road trip at the Gems. Sydney was unable to perform on a similar level, falling at 185 for Harrison. Smokey crushed 1204 in response for Diamond, staking out a massive lead for the hosts early in the game. Twinkie II was a bit surprised her backhand play worked, causing her to have an errant hit on the next offering, ending her turn at 543 for the Specters. Citrus cancelled it out with 583 for the Gems, keeping them firmly in control at the halfway mark. Lexi did alright with 340 for Harrison in this appearance, but they're still far behind. Pedey stumbled at 113 for Diamond, weakening their lead a slight bit, but not enough to cause any real danger to the hosts. Sugar fell with 199 for the Specters on a bad backhand play, giving them 1267 in the loss. Rosalina provided a solid 390 for the Gems at the end, giving them a total of 2290 in a big win. Diamond jumps to 5-7, while Harrison rejoins a tie for last at 1-7.

Amazon Field, Golden: Two teams in the midst of the playoff hunt early on battle as the Sharpshooters make a short one-off trip to face the Pilots. Chris slashed his way to 777 for Capital City at the start, giving them a nice lead. Valencia had a number of awkward swings before bowing out at 94 for Golden, setting them in a deep hole. Missy crashed and burned badly for the Sharpshooters, taking a measly 40 points for a second straight road game. Dusty got taken out by a high-arcing deflection that traveled out of bounds, giving her only 240 for the Pilots as they remain far behind. Sprinkles launched another 513 for Capital City on her turn, strengthening the lead significantly. Strut pulled back with 410 for Golden, attempting to cut into the deficit a bit before the final players come to bat. Nicole supplied the Sharpshooters with 328 on her turn, giving them a total of 1658. A. Charlton had another dud game for the Pilots, with a pathetic 96 giving them a losing score of 840. Capital City gets the win to improve to 8-5, while Golden drops to 4-4 in the loss.

UPS Ground, Maplewood: The Lumberjacks are looking for revenge against the Crowns, who are in the third of four straight road games. Nightfur didn't have the strongest opening attack, scoring 297 for Royal. Fluffina responded with a well-paced 439 for Maplewood, as they start the game with a lead. Jake answered with 527 for the Crowns, keeping them competitive as they earn at least a temporary lead. Diddley fired back with 1001 for the Lumberjacks, boosting their advantage at a critical moment halfway through the game. Kayla kept things close with her 535 for Royal, putting them within striking distance should the hosts stumble. Bryant lost a bit of ground with his 371 for Maplewood, but their lead is still significant with a player each to go. Hannah couldn't keep up for the Crowns, as she fell with 135 and gave them 1494 in the loss. Waluigi tacked on 336 for the Lumberjacks, icing their win at 2147. Maplewood is 8-0 at home and 11-7 overall, while Royal drops to 5-6 as the teams split their season series.

McDonald's Pitch at Pirates Park, Atlantic: The Pirates play the second of three straight at home, while the Spurs embark on a three-game swing through eastern cities. Spice began with a flurry of great swings for Victoria, pacing herself to 695 to establish a nice lead for the visitors. Delila tried to match her opposite's tenacity and failed, ending with 295 for Atlantic as they'll play from behind. Yekaterina popped a ball up at the end of her turn, falling with 290 for the Spurs to nearly match the damage dealt against them. Pirates rookie Isabella looked shaky and inconsistent in her turn, and it showed when she added only 79 points to their offense. B. Chapman used a backhand to rally herself into the game, and she lasted for 436, padding Victoria's lead quite well with the performance. Americus had a mere 193 for Atlantic, missing her spot on a turn that's sure to doom the game for the hosts. Wario brought in 281 more for the Spurs, icing their total at 1702 in what should be a win. Klaus put the emphasis on should, as his rally for the Pirates saw him slug his way to 1260, giving them 1827 in the win, pulling off a massive comeback seen only a handful of times each season. This rally, which made Klaus a hero in Atlantic, put the team at 9-2, while Victoria drops to 3-6 with the loss.

Toyota Pitch, Freedom: Staying in the Eastern Hills, the Cascades begin a doubleheader at home, with the Defenders the first to come in. Bianca led off with 516 for Southridge, a solid performance to establish an early lead. Jasmine countered well for Freedom, as the captain pulled in 545 to give them the marginal lead. Debby replied with 471 for the Defenders, keeping the pace of the game high as they regain a smaller lead. Stinky pounded out 645 for the Cascades, giving them a more noticeable lead at the halfway point. Stephanie lined 668 for Southridge on her turn, once again stealing the lead away. Freedom is in trouble now, as Roxy couldn't pull a ball back from the edge of the stumps, ending at 173 when she poked it the wrong way, creating a deficit. Hughbert provided 335 for the Defenders leaving them at a final of 1990, which is far from safe in this high-scoring game. Nikolai tried a rally for the Cascades, going for 476, but this was not enough to avoid taking the loss with 1839. Southridge won a very gritty game to improve to 8-8, on par with the now 4-4 Freedom side.

Toyota Pitch, Freedom: In the second game of their doubleheader, the Cascades host the Union, who are playing the first game of a road doubleheader that will see them cross the map for the next one. The Union are in the midst of a four-game road trip as well. Ms. Puppy couldn't maintain a high-pace game, bailing at 211 for Modernistic. Jasmine got unlucky as a ball skipped off the back of her bat and ended her turn at 18 points for Freedom. Daisy had 296 for the Union, just slightly unfortunate that her last swing didn't catch a safe spot. Stinky survived some early chaos, but got caught with a ball on his backhand at the end of his turn, giving the Cascades a modest lead with his 556. Puff I answered with 504 for Modernistic, doubling their output and putting the hosts in a tough spot. Roxy lifted 752 for Freedom on her turn, gaining a noticeable lead with the effort. Strawberry managed only 112 for the Union, giving them the loss with 1123. Nikolai grabbed 297 to bring the Cascades to 1623 in the win. Freedom ends the game at 5-4, going back above .500, while Modernistic falls again to 1-8 and has a long trip ahead of them.

Microsoft Pitch, Del Sur: The Union are now out on the coast, facing the Monarchs in the fifth of their six-game home stand. Ms. Puppy had another rough outing for Modernistic, managing to score 208 as they'll start with little hope for retaining the lead. Panda chugged along to 518 for Southern on his turn, giving them the initial lead. Daisy easily covered the deficit despite some early swing issues, as she put up 629 for the Union in a great outing. Hoppy took 225 for the Monarchs, but they are now slightly behind at the halfway mark in a close game. Puff I kept Modernistic fairly steady despite a very slow-developing turn, as she tacked on 351 to their lead. Pounce didn't get enough on his deflection to the back side, ending at 150 for Southern as the backhand hit failed him. Strawberry added 304 for the Union, hoping that 1492 will be enough for them to take the victory. Shannon provided quite the challenge for the Monarchs, slapping 438, but this left them short at 1331 in the loss. Modernistic improves to 2-8 with the win, while Southern is 3-5 after a competitive loss.

HP Field, Midland: The Predators play their twelfth home game already in a busy schedule, facing the Spurs in the middle of their three-game road trip. Spice got Victoria off to a hot start, lining 543 to give them a sizable opening attack. Shawn took many chaotic swings on his turn, thrashing his way to 823 for Midland as they'll take the first lead. Yekaterina showed excellent command for the Spurs, but a cluttered pitch late in the game cratered her score to a still-strong 703. Rainmane just barely covered the deficit with 448 for the Predators, keeping things very close at the halfway mark. B. Chapman faltered with 215 for Victoria, leaving them vulnerable. Leonardo was able to add marginally to the Midland lead, collecting 283 after facing a fierce blitz of offerings early in his turn. Wario drilled 627 for the Spurs at the end of the game, giving them a final of 2091 that could be tough to reach for the hosts. Fuchsia had only 304 in her for the Predators, giving them a loss with 1858. Victoria improves to 4-6 by pulling off this upset, sending Midland to 10-7 and some time off for the very busy side.

Nissan Infinity Stadium, Infinity: This Southwest Division and Cluster Derby match promises to excite, as the Prestige kick off a four-game road trip against their local rivals, the Torpedoes. Acorn opened the scoring in decent form, producing 416 to get Lighton going. Smudge never showed comfort in her swing, and she only lasted long enough to take 213 for Infinity, putting them at an early deficit. Spirit answered her sister's attack with 348 for the Prestige, padding their lead a bit. Solaris smacked his way to 664 for the Torpedoes, keeping the game close as it hits its halfway mark. Twinkie I had 329 for Lighton, covering the deficit but not by a particularly large margin. Whiskers provided a large boost for Infinity, striking 647 to extend their lead with a player each to go. Salmo couldn't keep the Prestige alive, bringing in 401 as they fell at 1494. Mr. Snowman flexed a bit of muscle without any pressure on him, taking 804 for the Torpedoes to give them 2328 in the win. Infinity won the rivalry game, going to 8-4, while Lighton's first division game is a loss that sends them down to 5-5.

Blades Fusion ProGlide Park, Swordpoint: The Blades make a quick stop at home to face an Arrows team in the fifth of six straight road games, with a bit of fatigue potentially setting in. Sally bumbled her swing early in her turn, ending at only 28 points for Archtown as they'll play from behind. Snowball didn't impress many fans either, taking 260 for Swordpoint to stake out a modest lead. Sleepy B. had only 76 for the Arrows as well, keeping them at a deficit in a low-scoring game so far. Dreamy added another 260 for the Blades, besting her sister as she saw a good turn fade very quickly in the middle. Ruby was done in by a tough deflection, also taking a meager 76 for Archtown as it appears their long journey has caught up with them a bit against a superior team. Bandit racked up 359 for Swordpoint, extending their lead again as it appears they'll take this game. Dusky refused to let the Arrows go down without a fight, bashing 768 to put them at 948 total, forcing a response from the hosts. Stealth tapped 177 for the Blades, sealing their win at 1056. Swordpoint improves to 10-3, while Archtown is knocked back to 5-10 with the loss.

I'll try to get the last portion of this week out on Friday, but life tends to get in the way, and no more so than it has this week.

2017 Qualifiers - Day 18

We're back for a Monday set of games. I'm expecting to play 40 games today. We begin with...

Group one, and the Pacific Volcanoes newcomer Chicky Phil, who will shoot Rotation with the red cue. Chicky Phil had a ball on the break to get the game going well, and he took only two errors in the game, finishing with a crisp 23 shots in the appearance. Moving along, Victoria Spurs captain spice plays Rotation with the blue cue. Spice looked confident in this appearance, needing only 23 shots with two errors after her empty break didn't give her any boosts to start the game. Next up is Southridge Defenders rookie Bianca, who plays 12-ball with the red cue. Bianca did make a ball on the break, and she had one error for a scratch around the middle of the game, leading her to taking 22 shots in the appearance. The fourth player of the day is Central Warriors superstar Dustin, who plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Dustin got by pretty well in this appearance, going empty on the break but also taking no errors in his 20 shots as he set himself up well and executed with ease. Rounding out the group, Strut of the Golden Pilots is the 28th player to finish qualifying as he plays Accuracy with the blue cue. Strut made a great effort in this game, taking two balls on the break and finishing with just 16 shots, taking no errors as he cruised through the appearance. Overall, Strut needed 165 shots for qualifying, a lackluster performance.

The second group gets going with Lighton Prestige rookie Salmo shooting Accuracy with the red cue, the 29th player to complete his qualifiers. Salmo did make a ball on the break, but he also took his lone error in the form of a scratch. He ended with 19 shots, fading late in the performance, and his overall score was a poor 171. Continuing along, Golden Pilots captain Valencia plays 15-ball with the red cue. Valencia was slightly unlucky to scratch on her break, and she took two errors in total despite making a ball early on, ending with 28 shots as her pursuit of an early finish was not fruitful. Her father, Shadow, is next, and the Web City Spiders captain is the 30th player to finish qualifying, using the blue cue in his Accuracy game. Shadow, the most aggrieved player after the resetting of scores occurred in August, came out with 17 shots in this appearance, making a ball on the break and taking no errors. His annoyance is likely tempered by knowing he finished with 140 total shots, an excellent total. Following that, Blizzard of the Everton Eagles takes her 10-ball appearance with the red cue. Blizzard did fairly well in her game, making a ball on the break and taking only one error after chasing the game a bit, ending with 20 shots, which could have been lower had bounces gone her way. Ending the group, the Volcanoes' Chicky Phil plays his second game of the day, 15-ball with the blue cue. Chicky Phil faded a bit late in the game, accruing three errors as well as having an empty break, and he took 27 shots to complete the appearance.

Batch three leads off with Spurs captain Spice returning to play 15-ball, and it's the first silver cue game of the day. Spice didn't shoot very well, but she only had one error after an empty break left a tough distribution on the table. She eventually rallied at the end to close with 29 shots. Up next, Commerce Tradewinds captain Tigerette plays 9-ball with the silver cue. Tigerette didn't have a good game in this outing, needing 18 shots with one error after an empty break to complete the appearance, her worst game so far. The thirteenth shooter of the day is Prism, the Stonebridge Wolves rookie, who will shoot 10-ball with the blue cue. Prism bought herself some time with good shooting, but when that faded after an empty break and one error for an illegally potted ball, the 4-10 combination lined up at the bottom right, and she took it to finish with 10 shots. Following that, Sally of the Archtown Arrows plays 15-ball with the red cue. Sally absolutely dazzled, with a ball on the break and good play throughout, taking only one error in her quick 22 shots to post a great score. Finishing this group, Niki, the Eastside Sharks sophomore, plays her last qualifier, Accuracy, with the red cue, the 31st player to finish. Niki did very poorly in this game, taking three errors and an empty break to bring her score to 23 shots. Overall, it was more of the same, as a sophomore slump at 177 shots seems likely for the Sharks player.

The fourth group opens with Goldy, the superstar captain of the Everton Eagles, shooting 15-ball with the red cue. Goldy couldn't get anything on her break, but her heavily positive shooting ability carried her to 22 shots, taking two errors on an intentional play to keep the game moving. The seventeenth player called today is Stripes of the Terrace City Knights, who will play Rotation with the red cue. Stripes was done in by a dreadful break shot, barely scattering anything. She would need three errors and 34 shots to complete the game, a very rough performance from the veteran. Marsell of the Whitewater Shores gets the next game, playing 10-ball with the blue cue. Marsell couldn't get anything on the break, but he had no errors as he made the 1-10 combination to the top right to finish the game with 1 shot. That's a tough act to follow, and Capital City Sharpshooters captain Chris gets the chance, using the blue cue for Rotation. Chris had another atrocious outing, taking six errors and 37 shots with nothing on the break in this appearance, almost assuredly sending him to the B-bracket. Wrapping up the group, Pearl Surfers mainstay Wings plays Accuracy with the blue cue, the 32nd player to finish qualifying. Wings produced a decent effort, but it was slow to materialize, as he had nothing on the break and no errors with 20 shots in the game. For all of his appearances, Wings was very good, ending on 137 shots.

Group five starts with Spice, the Spurs captain, playing Accuracy with the red cue as she becomes the 33rd player to finish qualifying. Spice had a good game this time, going empty on the break but spreading the distribution to allow her to finish with 17 shots. Overall, she had 173 shots for a weak qualifying season. The 22nd player to shoot today is Nightfur, the Royal Crowns captain, who will play Rotation with the blue cue. Nightfur had a bit of a rough game, getting nothing on her break, and she would end up with four errors over 29 shots in the appearance, settling in just a bit worse than average. The last player before the mid-afternoon break is Cheddar of the North Modernistic Nighthawks, who will play 15-ball with the silver cue. Cheddar made a ball on the break and had no errors in a wonderful game, ending with a spectacular 20 shots for the appearance as she cleared the table. After the break, play resumes with Nighthawks captain Peach, who will play 12-ball with the silver cue. Peach did take a ball on the break in this appearance, but she also had an error, and this got her out of position, forcing her to take 22 shots for the game. The batch closes with Jennifer Livilotti of the Terrace City Knights, who will shoot 12-ball with the silver cue. Jennifer had a ball on the break and avoided taking any errors in the appearance, cruising her way to 22 with clever set-up shots and accurate shooting.

Batch six begins with Zach of the Pronger Tridents playing 15-ball with the blue cue. Zach didn't see anything drop on the break, and his game got off to a rough start. He would take four errors throughout the appearance, and he needed 30 shots to finish it, fading late as well. Next up, Southern Monarchs veteran Shannon plays presumably her last career qualifier, using the red cue for Accuracy. She is the 34th player to finish qualifying. Shannon made nothing on a weak break, but she had no errors in the game, ending on 16 shots. Overall, Shannon used 155 shots in qualifying this year. Moving along, Gradley of the Boston Swifts shoots 12-ball with the silver cue. Gradley made three balls on the break, but he then had to be careful about his set-up play, and this meant he took one error and 20 shots for the game, a still-good effort. Pedey of the Diamond Gems gets the next game, playing Rotation with the red cue. Pedey had no issues with his shooting, as he made two balls on the break, and he made good decisions most of the time. He did take three errors, but they were practically unavoidable, and he still had a score of 24 shots. The last player in the group is Pacific Volcanoes superstar captain Starlight, who plays 15-ball with the red cue. Starlight started well but couldn't get anything on her break, and eventually picked up five errors as she chased at the end of the game, needing 34 shots for the appearance to finish.

Group seven's first participant is another Volcano, as Leonette will shoot her 15-ball qualifier with the red cue as well. Experiencing much less pressure to perform, Leonette had a dazzling first fifteen shots in the game, making a ball on the break and taking only two errors. She eventually ended with 22 shots, a strong total despite the late fade. Following that, Goldy becomes the 35th player to complete qualifiers with her Accuracy game with the silver cue. Goldy didn't make a ball on the break and didn't err during the game, taking 22 shots to finish. She closed her qualifying with 146 total shots. The last game of the afternoon belongs to Peach, the Nighthawks rookie captain, as she shoots Rotation with the blue cue. Peach needed a whopping 32 shots, with six errors in the game, taking nothing on the break and struggling with the difficulty of a game she's never seen before. Leading off the short night, Ms. Kitty of the Pacific Volcanoes plays Rotation with the blue cue. Ms. Kitty couldn't get anything going on her break, and she took three errors over the rest of the game, ending with a solid 30 shots for the appearance. The group ends as the Arrows' Ruby is back to play 15-ball with the silver cue. Ruby closed the game in 27 shots, getting nothing on her break but showing some skill to work around the rack well. She did take three errors during the course of play.

The final batch sees Eastside Sharks captain Chelsea play Rotation with the blue cue. Chelsea had very few visible shots early in the game, negating the effects of her successful break. She would rack up five errors in 27 shots as the game progressed, but she still finished reasonably well. Moving along, Sparkles of the Todavía Stills plays 10-ball with the blue cue. Sparkles didn't quite make a ball on the break, but her shooting was excellent in the game, as she took no errors over a very quick 12 shots to complete the outing. The 38th player of the day is Bandit of the Swordpoint Blades, who shoots 15-ball with the silver cue. Bandit had a dream game, making a ball on the break and then working multiple double-pots, taking two errors, and still closing on 16 shots as he rarely missed in this appearance. Continuing along, Nibbles, the Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie plays Rotation with the red cue. Nibbles had a good game, making a ball on the break and working through the solids very efficiently. The stripes gave him some trouble, but he closed out with four errors and 26 shots, plowing through without much hesitation. The night ends with Stinky of the Freedom Cascades playing 15-ball with the red cue. Stinky had a rough game, getting nothing on the break, adding four errors, ruining his instant win chances by illegally potting the 15, and then needing 29 shots to clear the table.

I think I'll do about the same tomorrow as I did today.

UPCL Cricket - Week 6 Part 1

We're set to start a new week of games, beginning with two very busy teams so far this year, in...

Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: The Surfers opening blitz of games is just a memory, while the Lumberjacks are in the midst of their spree. Fluffina opened with 361 for Maplewood, a solid but unspectacular effort from the captain. Watermelon faltered with only 103 for Pearl, putting them at an early deficit. Diddley added 463 for the Lumberjacks, giving them a stronger lead with his steady attack. Neopolitan went on a rally for the Surfers, building her offense up to 886 to give them the lead at the midway mark of the game. Bryant covered the deficit but not much else with 192 for Maplewood, further destabilizing their game with the poor outing. Boots went pretty deep on her turn, striking 750 for Pearl to extend their lead late in the game. Waluigi's poor play on the road continued with him scoring 39 for the Lumberjacks, giving them the loss with 1055. Wings didn't produce much at all, icing the Surfers win with 41 himself for 1780 total. Pearl is up to 6-5 on the year after a bye week, while Maplewood drops again to 10-7, suffering the effects of fatigue as they play.

Subway Field, Stonebridge: The Wolves begin a doubleheader within their seven-game home stand, with the Predators, an Expansion Derby rival, coming in for the first of those two games. Shawn got split by a pair of offerings, and couldn't react in time, taking only 12 for Midland. Juno's consistent play halted as she managed only 57 for Stonebridge, getting the game off to a lethargic start. Rainmane answered with 443 to bring the Predators to a more respectable level. Frosty got beat by a fast offering, and the Wolves veteran added a measly 39 to their score in the process. Leonardo padded the Midland lead with 624, a good performance that has them with a stranglehold on the game. Cobalt had a good turn going until one bad swing ruined his momentum, and he soon fell at 361 for Stonebridge, hurting their comeback. Fuchsia cobbled 399 together for the Predators, giving them a final of 1478. Prism put in a solid effort with 490, but the Wolves lost with 947 overall. Midland has swept their rivals to improve to 9-6, while Stonebridge falls to 7-8 with the loss.

Subway Field, Stonebridge: The Wolves are immediately back in action, facing a struggling Arrows team in the midst of a six-game road trip. Sally suffered a bad bounce in this game, ending with a meager 112 for Archtown. Juno found much more success for Stonebridge this game, giving them 605 to establish the early lead. Sleepy B. sliced 495 for the Arrows, covering the deficit by the slimmest of margins. Frosty couldn't play a ball off a tough bounce, ending at 121 for the Wolves and opening the door a bit at the halfway mark. Ruby was solid with 328 for Archtown, further making them a threat to their hosts. Cobalt slipped with 160 for Stonebridge, giving away the lead with a player each to go, a critical error from the rookie that could cost his team the game. Dusky hauled in 487 for the Arrows, bringing their final score to 1422, a lofty level for the offensively-challenged hosts. Prism had 279 for the Wolves, but it wasn't enough, and they suffered another defeat at 1165. Archtown is off the skids now, moving to 5-9, while Stonebridge might be skidding themselves, falling to 7-9.

Ebay Center, Queens: The Flames are in the third of five straight home games, facing the Cascades, who have played few games despite no byes yet. Jasmine didn't have the best pace for Freedom, but she had longevity, working her way to 661 to stake out a nice lead. Crystal was relentless in her response, firing back with 890 for Queens to gain the lead. Stinky couldn't keep up with the pace of the game, faltering at 204 for the Cascades as they now trail. Paige batted 505 for the Flames, boosting their lead at the midway mark. Roxy shot back with 512 for Freedom, trying to keep them within striking distance as time winds down. Violetta restored a sizeable lead for Queens with her 346, but they are far from safety. Nikolai swung for 478, giving the Cascades 1855, forcing a response from the hosts. Max choked with a measly 33 for the Flames, getting too eager to swing straight, and they lost with 1774. Freedom's snagged an unexpected win to go to 4-3, while Queens drops to 5-8.

Nike Field, Commerce: The Knights are fresh off their bye and waltzing into an Urban Division battle with the struggling Tradewinds in the second of their three straight home games. Kiwi didn't like having a week off, as her positive momentum this season has stalled with her hitting 208 for Terrace City. Tigerette answered with 354 for Commerce, giving them a small initial lead. Jennifer misplayed a bounce to end her turn early for the Knights, adding only 63 to their score. Ice Cream bounced her way to 504 for the Tradewinds, adding nicely to their strong lead at the halfway point. Oreo pushed her way to 526 for Terrace City, attempting to keep them in the game despite a once-steep deficit. Lionel drilled 506 for Commerce, basically cancelling out the visitors' most recent attack to preserve the lead. Stripes couldn't produce much on her rally, taking an optional replay chance for 368 points, which left the Knights short at 1165 total. Lorde had a mild 291 for the Tradewinds, icing their win at 1655. Commerce gets the surprise division win to go to 3-5, while Terrace City drops to 6-3.

Nestle's Warriors Park, Central: The Shores face a tough pair of road games this week, with the first against a strong Warriors team in its second game of an eight-game home stand. Bear did okay for Whitewater in the appearance, taking a solid 330 to open the scoring. Twilight answered with 521 for Central, establishing a noticeable lead for the hosts. Twinkie III added 343 for the Shores, covering the deficit on at least a temporary basis. Dustin took back a smaller lead for the Warriors, as his positive turn was disrupted and ended at 279. Marsell let the game slip away from Whitewater again, accounting for only 55 points in his turn. Mario lifted 718 for Central on his turn, likely securing their lead with the massive performance in a critical moment. Shaggy broke out for a rally for the Shores, blasting her way to 1276 to put the team at 2004 overall, forcing a sizeable response from the hosts. Gizmo did just what he had to for the win, carving out 487 to give the Warriors a one-point victory at 2005. Central's thrilling finish propelled them to 6-2, while sending Whitewater somewhat unfairly to 3-4.

Ebay Center, Queens: The Flames play the fourth of a five-game home stand, while the Meteors are in the third of four straight road games. Mams looked very comfortable with her swing in this game, calmly collecting 550 for Viewpoint Sound to start off with. Crystal continued a good stretch of home games with 688 for Queens, giving them the initial lead in a hot-starting game. Hoot dug in and tallied 523 for the Meteors, giving them another chance at leading with his performance. Paige helped the Flames regain the lead again, producing 448 on her turn as they take a small lead into the halfway point. Nibbles had a bit of a rocky start, but recovered to score 408 for Viewpoint Sound to keep the back-and-forth game going. Violetta allowed the Queens lead to slip a little more, as she added 392 to their score, and it remains close as the final players come to bat. Dominic was the first to falter, taking only 117 for the Meteors and putting them at 1598, forcing a response but not a large one from the hosts. Max needed some time to get comfortable, but he cleanly won the game with 623 personally for 2151 total for the Flames. Queens bounces back to 6-8, while Viewpoint Sound drops to 4-7.

HP Field, Midland: The Predators return home for a pair of games, with the Surfers making a one-off trip to be the first opponent in that pair. Watermelon had a good pace, but she scattered her swings, and ended with 361 for Pearl when one got a bit out of line. Shawn answered with 431 for Midland giving them a narrow lead at the start. Neopolitan fired back with 416 for the Surfers, giving them the lead again. Rainmane couldn't quite catch up for the Predators, giving them her 326 as they'll trail just slightly halfway through the game. Boots was frustrated by her road struggles again, taking a measly 25 for Pearl. Leonardo slammed 577 for Midland, giving them a much more solid lead late in the game. Wings had a big backhand save, but it was for naught, as he quickly fell with 415, leaving the Surfers in a loss with 1217. Fuchsia was challenged heavily in this appearance, but the Predators rookie picked up 291 to give them 1625 in the win. Midland improves to 10-6 on the year, doing well through a busy schedule, while Pearl's road issues send them down to 6-6.

The Intel Pitch, Diamond: The Gems are at home for a pair of games, while the Rockers will continue a five-game road trip. Misty belted 1194 for Westside to open the scoring in great form for this game. Smokey had only 128 in response for Diamond, another down effort from the captain. Goatee had just 64 for the Rockers, failing to do much to boost their lead at all. Citrus couldn't make any progress for the Gems, managing just 149 as the game has quickly fallen into a choppy and low-scoring grudge match. Midnight replied with 185 for Westside, maintaining their lead against a punchless opposition team. Pedey faded out at 168 for Diamond, losing a little more ground for the hosts as the game is very ugly so far. Slinks pummeled 1807 for the Rockers, putting their final at a likely unreachable score of 3250. Rosalina slashed 879 for the Gems, bringing them a little bit of a respectability in the loss they had with 1324 overall. Westside jumped again to 9-2, while Diamond is down to 4-7 after a brutal defeat.

Microsoft Pitch, Del Sur: The Monarchs are in the fourth of six straight home games, while the Crowns play the second of a four-game road trip. Nightfur did well to establish a lead for Royal, smacking her way to 592 for a good outing. Panda only stabbed his way to 93 points for Southern, putting them at a steep deficit early on. Jake couldn't settle a deflected offering that came at him strongly, faltering with 122 for the Crowns. Monarchs rookie Hoppy made a dent in the deficit with 424, bringing things closer at the halfway mark. Kayla chipped in with 367 for Royal on her turn, keeping their lead fairly steady. Pounce countered with a big 750 for Southern, stealing away the lead with a player each to go as it is either team's game to win. Hannah didn't have a great outing, taking 242 for the Crowns to give them 1323, forcing a small response from the hosts. Shannon covered it with 257 for the Monarchs, securing their win with 1524. Southern's upset victory sends them to 3-4, while Royal is 5-5, cooling down after an unsustainable hot start.

Audi Knights Pitch, Terrace City: These two expansion-era teams face off, with both doing well early in the year. Delila wasted little time in setting Atlantic on the right track, giving them 530 to start the game. Kiwi had her first bad game at home, taking a meager 138 for Terrace City, setting them up to play from behind in this game. Isabella broke a road skid for herself, slamming her way to 894 to extend the Pirates lead quite dramatically. Jennifer thought she'd have time to get back to a ball that got behind her, but she bumped it on her backswing and ended at 177 for the struggling Knights. Americus cancelled that out with 183, adding modestly to the Atlantic lead after the halfway mark. Oreo ripped 495 for Terrace City, denting the deficit a bit but leaving quite a steep hill to climb as the final players come to bat. Klaus slapped another 441 for the Pirates, giving them a final score of 2048 in what's presumably going to be a win. Stripes ended on a bad deflection at only 106 points, giving the Knights 916 in the loss. Atlantic is up to 7-2 for the year, while Terrace City is dropping to 6-4.

McDonald's Pitch at Pirates Park, Atlantic: The Pirates immediately head home to play the second game in a doubleheader, and the first of their three-game home stand. The Nighthawks are in game 7 of their ten-game trip to start the season. Peach had a remarkable desperation flick to the back 4s to keep her turn going for North Modernistic, eventually bailing at 532. Delila answered well for Atlantic, swatting 759 to give them the initial lead. Luigi was knocked back at 64 for the Nighthawks, damaging their attempts at a comeback. Isabella added a solid 320 for the Pirates, boosting their lead a bit halfway through the game. Cheddar rallied with 487 for North Modernistic, pulling them back into the game with her effort. Americus struck 592 for Atlantic, reestablishing the lead for the hosts late in the game. Bright went all out for the Nighthawks, gathering 720 to give them 1803 overall, forcing a response from the hosts. Klaus supplied 312 for the Pirates, taking the win at 1983 in an excellent battle between the teams. Atlantic makes another jump to 8-2 with the win, while North Modernistic's plodding journey through the league has them at 4-3.

I don't know when the next cricket post will be pressed, but I hope for Wednesday or Thursday.

2017 Qualifiers - Day 17

So much for the weekend special, as I was out and about much of yesterday. We'll begin a fairly standard Sunday with...

The first group, and its first player Mario, the Central Warriors rookie, who has the blue cue up for Rotation. The highly-hyped rookie Mario went empty on his break, and he needed 29 shots with six errors to finish the appearance, a mediocre outing for him. Next up, Web City Spiders rookie Ted plays Rotation with the red cue. Ted needed 30 shots for the appearance, going empty on his break and collecting five errors in the early stages of the appearance after unfavorable clusters developed from the break. Nikolai of the Freedom Cascades got the next game, playing 10-ball with the silver cue. Nikolai was just unlucky to not get a ball on the break, and he did take two errors during the game, but he ended on 11 shots as he dialed in the 7-10 combination to the top side for an early finish in an impressive game. The fourth player of the day is Rainmane, the Midland Predators star, who will use the silver cue for Rotation. Rainmane played a clean game after her break went empty. She had only two errors over 28 shots, electing to follow the rules and get a little lucky here and there to keep her score reasonable. Ending the group, Stinky of the Freedom Cascades plays Rotation with the red cue. Stinky had a ball on the break, and this propelled his confidence upward, as he would err only two times in the game, ending with 25 shots in a display of precise shooting.

The second group begins with Gizmo of the Central Warriors playing 9-ball with the silver cue. Gizmo played fairly well in this game, but he needed 16 shots after getting nothing on the break, and he didn't take any errors but a few shots came close to them. Following that, Snuggle, the Oceanside Waves captain, plays 12-ball with the silver cue. Snuggle made two balls on the break, and then proceeded to pick quite easily through the favorable rack, taking only 14 shots with no errors to complete the game. The eighth shooter of the day is Stonebridge Wolves captain Juno, who has the red cue in for Accuracy, becoming the 21st player to finish qualifying. Juno couldn't quite make anything on the break, but played well with no errors in the game, and she finished with 18 shots for the appearance. Overall, Juno had 154 shots in qualifying, a solid performance. Next up is Cheddar of the North Modernistic Nighthawks playing Rotation with the red cue. Cheddar played well in this game, just narrowly going empty on the break, but shooting well early on and taking no errors over a quick 21 shots. Icing the group, Eastside Sharks captain Chelsea plays 10-ball with the red cue. Chelsea had nothing at the break, and she took an error on her first shot from play, but she calmed down and finished with 16 shots after that.

Batch three starts with Bryant of the Maplewood Lumberjacks playing Accuracy with the red cue, the 22nd player to finish qualifying. Bryant made an outstanding three balls on the break, and he would finish the game with no errors in 16 shots, a great score. Even better was his overall score of 119 shots, taking a massive lead in qualifiers. Moving along, Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie Nibbles plays 12-ball with the silver cue. Nibbles went empty on his break, but still managed to complete the game in 18 shots, taking no errors for the game in a sterling performance. The thirteenth player drawn to shoot today is Snuggle, the Waves captain, who is back to play Rotation with the blue cue. Snuggle had nothing on the break, and picked up three errors accidentally early in the game, before he buckled down to finish with 28 shots for a good game. Continuing along, Blizzard of the Everton Eagles plays 9-ball with the red cue. Blizzard did make a ball on the break, but she also took an error for one scratch around the middle of the game. Blizzard would close with a solid 14 shots for the appearance. Wrapping up the group, Oreo of the Terrace City Knights plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Oreo made a ball on the break, but she also had a late error en route to scoring 18 shots, which required some fancy work to keep the score so low.

Group four leads off with Dusky of the Archtown Arrows playing Accuracy with the silver cue as the 23rd player to complete her qualifiers. Dusky needed only 16 shots after making a ball on the break, and she took no errors in the game. For all of her qualifying, she had 160 total shots, an average effort. Up next, Golden Pilots captain Valencia shoots Rotation with the blue cue. Valencia potted a ball on her break, and she took only 20 shots for the game as a whole, needing three errors to help things along in the early going before shutting it down quickly. Continuing along, Klaus of the Atlantic Pirates plays 15-ball with the blue cue. Klaus did not have a good game, taking five errors and needing 35 shots to complete the appearance after a multitude of struggles with perfecting his shot. Victoria Spurs captain Spice plays the next game, using the red cue for 12-ball. Spice had a dreadful appearance, making a ball on the break and then stumbling to five errors and 36 shots for the whole game in her worst game of the year so far. Rounding out the group, Diamond Gems sophomore Pedey plays 12-ball with the red cue, trying to redeem its reputation. Pedey did get a ball on the break, but he had two errors as he had to bust a cluster before proceeding. He would finish with those two errors and 25 shots in a decent outing.

Group five gets going with Oceanside Waves rookie Dewey playing 10-ball with the blue cue. Dewey was very much in charge despite his empty break, picking up only one error, which was unavoidable, as he completed the game in 14 shots. The 22nd player called today is Chicky Phil of the Pacific Volcanoes, who plays 12-ball with the silver cue. Chicky Phil had no issues with his game, getting a ball on the break and then needing only 18 shots with no errors to finish the appearance in fairly standard form. Boots of the Pearl Surfers was called for the next game, playing Rotation with the silver cue. Boots did pretty well early on despite going empty on her break, and while she did take three errors during the game, she finished the appearance with 25 shots, a good mark for the veteran. Going next, Missy of the Capital City Sharpshooters plays 10-ball with the blue cue in her fourth game of the year. Missy did well, getting a ball on the break and taking no errors in a short appearance that saw her make the 4-6-10 combination to the top right, double-potting with the 4 bouncing back to the bottom side to give her only 7 shots. Ending the group, Peach, the North Modernistic Nighthawks captain, plays 10-ball with the red cue. Peach's break was empty in this game, and she took two errors for uncalled shots that converted, but she still finished the game with 16 shots.

The sixth bunch opens with Waves captain Snuggle playing 15-ball with the silver cue. Snuggle couldn't get anything going in this game, seeing nothing fall on his break and then his erratic shooting produced seven errors before he was able to finish the game on 32 shots. Following that, Wings of the Pearl Surfers tries to keep his good work going in 15-ball with the silver cue. Wings didn't have the best game, going a bit weak on the break and collecting five errors over the course of the game, finishing with 29 shots after skidding around on the last two balls. Moving along, North Modernistic Nighthawks rookie Luigi plays 12-ball with the red cue. Luigi made a mess of the game, getting two balls on the break, but also scuffling with five errors, failing to acknowledge where he should put his shots. This led him to taking 28 shots in the end. Lighton Prestige rookie Salmo gets the next game, using the blue cue for Rotation. Salmo had a decent game, taking 28 shots in the game with no balls potted on the break and three errors during the game for minor offenses. Ruby, the Archtown Arrows star, will be the last player in the afternoon, and thirtieth for the day, playing Rotation with the red cue. Ruby's break didn't go as planned, leaving her with no bonus to start the game, and she spread out three more errors over 29 shots for the appearance.

The night begins with group seven and Lighton Prestige captain Acorn shooting 12-ball with the silver cue. Acorn made two balls on the break and worked a clean game from there, taking no errors over a quick 18 shots to complete the game. Moving along, Viewpoint Sound Meteors captain Mams plays 15-ball with the blue cue. Mams made a triple pot halfway through the game, using the 6 to carom the cue to take the 14 at the top side, and then driving the 6-7-14 combination to the bottom left, which sent the 6 back to the top side to complete the highlight. Mams ended with 23 shots and six errors after not making a ball on the break. Her final shot was a double-pot, sending the 15 to the bottom side and the 10 off two rails to the bottom right. Following that highlight-laden performance is Snowball, the Swordpoint Blades captain, who will finally finish qualifying with Accuracy and the silver cue, the 24th player to do so. Snowball played pretty well, although her break was empty and she did take an error early on. She finished with just the one error and 21 shots, and she closed her qualifying at 153 shots total. The 34th player of the day is Pacific Volcanoes veteran Ms. Kitty, who will shoot 12-ball with the red cue. Ms. Kitty made a ball on the break, and generally did well, but she sputtered at the end with an error before finishing the appearance with 22 shots. Ending the group, Lexi of the Harrison Specters plays 15-ball with the silver cue. Lexi ended up having a dreadful game despite making a ball on the break, as she would need 32 shots and seven errors to get through the appearance.

The eighth group kicks off with Nicole of the Capital City Sharpshooters playing 15-ball with the silver cue. Nicole did pretty well with two balls on the break, but she couldn't keep the game going, taking three errors en route to a fairly average 27 shots for the game. The 37th player to shoot today is Bells of the Todavía Stills, who will play Rotation with the blue cue. Bells had a fairly solid game, making a ball on the break and limiting her errors to two in the game, giving her 26 shots in the end, a score that should sit on the A-level bracket. After that, Meteors captain Mams is the 25th player to finish qualifying with her Accuracy game with the blue cue. Mams kind of had an average game in this appearance, playing to 18 shots with no errors and nothing on the break, almost disappointing for her. Mams had a score of 118 across all her qualifiers, taking the league lead by one shot. Continuing along, Terrace City Knights captain Kiwi shoots 10-ball with the red cue. Kiwi made a ball on the break but also took an early error in the game, ending with a score of 16 for the appearance. Closing out the group, Leandra of the Tysini Hummingbirds uses the silver cue for Rotation. Leandra didn't produce anything on her break, but she did play the game fairly honestly, still taking four errors throughout the appearance for her mistakes as the score ballooned to 28.

Group nine begins with Solaris, the Infinity Torpedoes rookie, shooting 15-ball with the red cue. Solaris made a ball on the break, giving him some early confidence. He would take three errors in the game, but a 10-15 combination to the top right halted the game early at 19 shots, a great effort. Following that, Modernistic Union newcomer Strawberry tries to recover from her previous outing by using the red cue in Rotation. Strawberry did get a modicum of retribution against the sport, as she made a ball on the break and had only one error, but mistakes late in the game cost her, pushing her score to 26 shots despite her solid shooting early on. Next up, Harrison Specters captain Twinkie II plays Accuracy with the silver cue, the 26th player to finish qualifying. Twinkie II had a good game, making a ball on the break and suffering no errors for the appearance, taking a score of 17 for the game. Overall, Twinkie II clocked in at 157 shots, a decent output. The 44th shooter of the day is Zach, the Pronger Tridents newcomer, who will play Rotation with the silver cue. Zach decided to play an honest game despite his empty break, and this didn't lead to much for him, as he took two errors and needed 31 shots once he had to chase the 15 at the end of the game, a poor showing. Ending the batch, Niki of the Eastside Sharks shoots 15-ball with the blue cue. Niki didn't have many clear shots early on, opting instead to hawk the 15 for a bit. This, combined with an empty break, led to many wasted shots when it wouldn't fall, and she ended with five errors and 32 shots for the game.

Today's final group is led by Prestige rookie Salmo playing his second game of the day, 15-ball with the silver cue. Salmo faced a merciless rack, taking seven errors and 41 shots after getting nothing but bad positioning and poor shooting attempts for the game. The 47th player of the day is Sharks captain Chelsea, who will use the blue cue in her 12-ball qualifier. Chelsea had a good start to the game, getting a ball on the break, but the rest of the game was iffy, as she had to chase her final shots a bit to get set up well, and this required her to take 26 shots with two errors for the appearance. Going next, Klaus of the Atlantic Pirates is the 27th player to finish qualifying as he plays Accuracy with the silver cue. Klaus absolutely destroyed the rack on his break, taking three balls, and he had no errors over the next 13 shots, which is the score he closed the game with in an incredible performance. Klaus had 151 total shots to finish his rookie qualifying campaign. That's a tough act to follow for Capital City Sharpshooters veteran Sprinkles, who will use the silver cue in her Rotation appearance. Sprinkles had a potentially even better game, as she made two balls on the break and took an early error and still managed to finish the game in a mere 17 shots, a remarkable performance to top the event's list. The day will try to end on a high note with Strut, the Golden Pilots veteran, shooting 15-ball with the blue cue. Strut didn't get anything on the break, and he did have two errors, but he mixed in some remarkable shots during his game as well, and he closed with 28 shots for the appearance.

After the thrilling end to the day, I can provide an update: as the third week of play ends, 800 of 1152 qualifiers have been completed. I am estimating that qualifying will end on January 17th, pending any crises in my life or problems with my shooting ability. Cricket is struggling along, with a post likely up tomorrow, and I mean it this time.

2017 Qualifiers - Day 16

We're back, as the time for finishing landed upon us in full yesterday. We'll have a short morning session today, beginning with...

Juno, the Stonebridge Wolves captain, leading off group one with a game of 15-ball with the red cue. Juno did pretty well in this game, going empty on the break and struggling at first before a mid-game burst. She ended with 29 shots, mostly due to three errors derailing her late game efforts. Moving along, Stealth of the Swordpoint Blades plays Rotation with the silver cue. Stealth impressed quite a bit, needing only 25 shots and taking just three errors while also potting a ball on the break of a very solid performance. The third player of the day is Bandit, also a Blade, and he shoots 12-ball with the blue cue. The rookie had a game for the ages, slowing himself down at the end to finish with 14 shots instead of chasing the final ball, and this was with two balls from the break and no errors. Next up, Ruby of the Archtown Arrows is up for 12-ball with the red cue. Ruby didn't need any help on the break, going empty, and she had no errors in the game, patiently working her way around the rack to 18 shots. Wrapping up this group, Slinks, the Westside Rockers veteran, plays Rotation with the red cue. Slinks went empty on her break, and the rest of the game lacked much urgency, as she slogged through four errors to close with a reasonable 28 shots for the outing.

Group two starts with Klaus of the Atlantic Pirates playing Rotation with the red cue. Klaus did very well, making two balls on the break and closing with no errors for the appearance, scoring 21 in his wonderful outing. The seventh shooter today is Eastside Sharks star Taylor Swift, who will play 9-ball with the blue cue. Taylor is almost certain to be on the B-bracket for this event, as her empty break, one error, and pitiful 24 shots made for one of the worst 9-ball efforts seen this year. Up next, Hoot of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors plays Rotation with the red cue. Hoot's break was just narrowly empty, and he had one early error before getting down to business, ending the game with 26 shots in a strong performance. Continuing along, B. Chapman of the Victoria Spurs has the blue cue in hand for her 12-ball qualifier. Chapman did fairly well in her game, making a ball on the break and avoiding any errors, but she slowed her pace at the end, finishing with 19 shots, which is still a good score. Finishing the batch, Dusty of the Golden Pilots ends her qualifying with the red cue for Accuracy, the sixteenth player to finish. Dusty knocked the rack down in 17 shots after an empty break, taking no errors in a very smooth performance. Dusty closed her qualifying with 147 total shots, a good total.

The third batch gets going with Golden Pilots captain Valencia playing 12-ball with the blue cue. Valencia did make a ball on the break, and she didn't take any errors either, making for a fairly solid game as she closed at 22 shots, just about average all around. Leanda of the Tysini Hummingbirds gets the next game, using the blue cue in 10-ball. Leandra went from dream to disaster in her game, getting nothing on the break and struggling around for a bit. Disaster came when she illegally potted the 10, which had been left at the top right. She would need four errors and 21 shots to finish the game. Following that, Stinky of the Freedom Cascades plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Stinky had an ugly break that left him with very few easy shooting options, so he scattered his shots and managed to finish the game in 20 shots, with no errors to make the most of a bad situation. The fourteenth player drawn today is Shawn, the Midland Predators captain, who will use the red cue in his 12-ball game. Shawn's quick start that saw two balls go in on the break did not last very long, as he ended up gathering three errors and ending the game with 24 shots in total. At the end of the group, Brownie of the Tysini Hummingbirds plays 15-ball with the blue cue. Brownie had a miserable start to her game, going empty on the break and needing six early errors just to stay competitive. This worked, as she would eventually close at 28 shots, a decent outing.

Group four leads off with Dusky of the Archtown Arrows, who will play Rotation with the red cue. Dusky had a highlight-worthy triple pot in the game, using the 6 to carom the cue into the 15 at the bottom left, and then the 6 took the 9 in the top side and the 11 at the top right. Dusky did end up with seven errors in the game, but it sufficed to bring her to 27 shots, a workable total. Moving along, Southridge Defenders rookie Hughbert plays 10-ball with the blue cue. Hughbert got things done very quickly, with a ball on the break and a few sharp combination shots to grease the wheels as he had only 12 shots and no errors. The eighteenth player called to shoot today is Marsell, the new Whitewater Shore, who will have the silver cue in action for 9-ball. Marsell's rocky beginning with his new team continued, as he went empty on the break and needed 16 shots with one error for this game. Next up, Wario, the Victoria Spurs rookie, plays 12-ball with the red cue. Wario had nothing on his break, a growing trend in 12-ball today, and he also took one error among his 21 shots in a decent performance. Icing the group, Mr. Snowman plays 15-ball with the silver cue in his seventh appearance for the Infinity Torpedoes. Mr. Snowman did have some interesting strategies, playing well early on despite an empty break, and then accumulating six errors later to finish with 26 shots in a strong outing.

The fifth batch opens with Chicky Phil of the Pacific Volcanoes playing 10-ball with the blue cue. Chicky Phil's game was not good, as he took two errors after an empty break and lacked precision on his shots, needing 22 of them to get out of the appearance. Continuing along, Slinks of the Rockers is back with the silver cue for 15-ball. Slinks had a great game, although it didn't start that way. Her empty break gave way to a spectacular run early on, and she had three errors among what became 23 shots in the game, a great performance. Following that, Cobalt, the Stonebridge Wolves rookie, plays 10-ball with the blue cue. Cobalt was very close to making a ball on the break, but it wouldn't go. He didn't get discouraged, using a sharp shot and easy positions to end the game with 12 shots and no errors, a wonderful game. The 24th player of the day is Infinity Torpedoes veteran Whiskers, who has the silver cue in hand for 10-ball. Whiskers has dominated the lightweight rotation games, including scoring 7 shots in this appearance, taking nothing on the break and no errors as she made the 5-10 combination to the bottom right for the early finish. At the back of the group, Sprinkles, the Capital City Sharpshooters veteran, plays 12-ball with the red cue. Sprinkles did not get a desirable result, taking an empty break and adding two errors among 27 shots for a very difficult game.

The sixth group begins as Predators captain Shawn plays Rotation with the blue cue. Shawn had nothing to indicate preparedness for the game at hand, and he made nothing on the break and added only four errors over 33 shots, a poor showing from the captain. The last player before the mid-afternoon break is Todavía Stills star Sierra, who will be the seventeenth player to finish qualifying as she plays Accuracy with the silver cue. Sierra took only 19 shots and one error in the game, getting unlucky as her break did not produce a ball potted. She ended qualifying with 150 shots even, a solid set of games for the veteran. After the break, the 28th player to shoot today is Shiny of the Web City Spiders, who will shoot 15-ball with the silver cue. Shiny didn't get anything on her break, and she played well until the end, where she faded to 28 shots with three errors included. Next up, Dusky, the Arrows veteran, shoots 15-ball with the silver cue as well. Dusky didn't like her break at all, so she ignored even the mere concept of rules until the herd had been thinned, taking 27 shots and seven errors in the game with reckless abandon. The group closes with the Hummingbirds' Leandra playing 12-ball with the blue cue. Leandra would like to forget the game ever happened, as she made a ball on the break but needed four errors and 33 shots to get through the rest of the rack, an embarrassment by most standards and especially hers.

Group seven's first player ends the afternoon, as Missy plays 9-ball with the red cue for the Capital City Sharpshooters. Missy left the table furious, as she had the 9 right at the edge of the top right for 21 shots, including two errors, and couldn't pot it until the game had already gone bad. Hoping for a better result to start the night, Yekaterina Vasilyeva, the Victoria Spurs wunderkind, plays 12-ball with the silver cue. Yekaterina had a wonderful effort, making two balls on the break and then avoiding errors as she wiped the table clean in 14 shots. After that, Queens Flames captain Crystal plays Accuracy with the silver cue, the eighteenth player to finish. Crystal had an empty break, but that was the only flaw in her game, as she took 16 shots with no errors to finish the outing. She ended with 158 total shots in qualifying. Mams, the Viewpoint sound Meteors captain, is the 34th player drawn today, and she'll shoot 10-ball with the red cue. Mams made quick work of her game, not quite potting a ball on the break, but turning the 2-10 combination to the top right to finish with 2 shots and no errors. Closing out the group, Puff III of the Everton Eagles plays 15-ball with the blue cue. Puff III had a bit of everything in this game, getting a ball on the break, taking two errors, and then finishing in 15 shots with an 11-15 bank combination to the bottom left for a stunning result.

The eighth group starts with Southern Monarchs captain Panda shooting Accuracy with the blue, becoming the nineteenth player to finish qualifying. Panda had another tough appearance, going empty on his break and needing 22 shots, with two errors, to complete the game. Overall, his 189 shots sent him to the very back of the line for those already finished. Continuing along, the Spurs' Yekaterina Vasilyeva returns to play Rotation with the silver cue. Yekaterina managed to get a ball on the break, and while she picked up four errors along the way, she ended the game with 25 shots in a strong performance. Going 38th today is the Meteors captain Mams, who plays 12-ball with the red cue in her second game of the day. Mams remained quite impressive, taking no errors after making a ball on the break, and she had the game done in 18 shots for a quick outing. Daisy, the Modernistic Union rookie, plays the next game, which is 10-ball with the red cue. Daisy fell apart in her game, narrowly missing a ball on the break, and then losing her momentum with four errors for 23 shots, a poor effort. The batch ends with Mams playing Rotation with the blue cue, continuing a spate of appearances for the Meteors captain. Mams once again performed well, taking only one error as a scratch on her otherwise empty break, and then cruising through the game in 21 shots, suggesting a star-turn may be in order for the veteran.

Group nine kicks off with Central Warriors rookie Mario playing 12-ball with the red cue. Mario suffered a rough game, taking one ball on the break and one error over the course of 24 shots as he failed to be precise with his shooting. Next up, Strut of the Golden Pilots uses the silver cue in his Rotation game. Strut didn't do too badly, getting a ball on the break, but his early success was overshadowed with four errors and a score of 29 shots after he lost his accuracy in the later stages of the appearance. Moving along, Eastside Sharks sophomore Niki plays Rotation with the blue cue. Niki didn't get anything on her break, and she would need three errors early on in the game, but she settled in nicely and ended with 25 shots for the game. The 44th player of the day is Nibbles, the Viewpoint Sound Meteors rookie who will play 10-ball with the silver cue. Nibbles didn't have too many issues in the game despite an empty break, needing only 17 shots and a couple of errors in the middle of the game to get by. Rounding out the group, Queens Flames star Paige plays 10-ball with the blue cue. Paige did not have much of a shot at long distance, contributing greatly to her struggles after an empty break and error-free game, which saw her finish with 23 shots.

The final group gets going as Infinity Torpedoes captain Smudge plays 15-ball with the blue cue. Smudge did well, just going empty on the break. The rest of her game was solid, as she took only two errors over 25 shots, a well-played game for the veteran. Following that, Gradley of the Boston Swifts plays 10-ball with the blue cue. The event continued to puzzle late-night players, as Gradley went empty on his break and needed 24 shots with one error to get through the rack, a poor score in a very spread-out score distribution. Moving along, Pearl Surfers co-captain Neopolitan is the twentieth player to finish qualifying in this Accuracy game with the red cue. Neopolitan took a ball on the break in this game, and she rallied late to finish on 18 shots after some mid-game scuffling, taking no errors. Neopolitan had a total of 166 shots, a bit higher than the average, for all of her qualifying efforts. The 49th player drawn today is Leonette of the Pacific Volcanoes, who will shoot Rotation with the silver cue. Leonette had a good start, getting a ball on the break even as she scratched, but it would take two total errors in the game, as well as a lot of chasing on the 6 to close things out at 28 shots. The last player to shoot today is Blades rookie Bandit, who will use the silver cue in Rotation as well. Bandit had a reasonably good appearance, going empty on the break, but also taking only 26 shots in the game, with three errors included.

Tomorrow will kick off the second Weekend Special edition of Qualifiers, and hopefully the long-promised cricket will get posted as well.

2017 Qualifiers - Day 15

We're back after an unexpected day off, and we're set to play a healthy schedule today should the quality of play hold up well. Let's start with...

Group one, and the first player called today is Whitewater Shores veteran Twinkie III, who plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Twinkie III got things off to a good start with a score of 20, making a ball on the break and taking only one error as collateral for an otherwise successful shot. Next up, Dusty of the Golden Pilots plays Rotation with the blue cue. Dusty did manage to take a ball on the break, but she occasionally struggled, with four errors mixed in on her way to a decent 27 shots for the game. Fluffina, the Maplewood Lumberjacks captain, gets the next game, using the silver cue in her 15-ball qualifier. Fluffina potted a ball on the break, and seemed to do well early on, but struggled with long shots late in the game needed 29 shots, with six errors, to finish the appearance. Moving along, Lexi of the Harrison Specters shoots Rotation with the silver cue. Lexi went rogue after failing to make many shots early, collecting seven errors among her 30 shots after going empty on the break in a challenging appearance. Finishing the group and the short morning session, Midland Predators rookie Fuchsia ends her qualifying session with Accuracy and the silver cue. Fuchsia had only 19 shots after an empty break, and she suffered no errors in the appearance. For the qualifying as a whole, she had 159 shots, a decent mark for the rookie.

The second group opens the afternoon, led by Dusty, as the Pilots star appears in 15-ball with the blue cue. Dusty excelled in her game, getting a ball on the break and taking four errors during the appearance before finishing on 27 shots. Following that, Diamond Gems rookie Rosalina plays 15-ball with the blue cue as well. Rosalina made a massive impact on the standings, going empty on the break but still clearing a very favorable rack in 22 shots, and she did so with just one unintentional error near the end, showing clear dominance and proficiency. That will be tough for Tysini Hummingbirds sophomore Charli XCX to top, as she plays 15-ball with the red cue. Charli went empty on the break, and she didn't want to take the game school, so she just broke the rules for five errors in 26 shots, a decent performance regardless of method. Continuing along, Queens Flames rookie Violetta plays Rotation with the silver cue. Violetta didn't bring her best game, as she needed 33 shots and six errors to navigate unfriendly positioning after her empty break gave her no cushion. The tenth player of the day closes this batch, and that is Dominic of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors, playing 12-ball with the blue cue. Dominic had a lot of control in his game, making one ball on the break and taking one error as a shot traveled long, but then he closed at 18 shots for a good outing.

The third batch gets going with Stealth of the Swordpoint Blades bringing the silver cue to the table for 12-ball for the first time since Strawberry's disastrous outing. Stealth nearly gave the league flashbacks, as he blazed out to a great start with two balls on the break, but struggled to set up the last three shots, eventually ending with no errors in 22 shots. Up next, Leonardo of the Midland Predators is the last player to make a season debut, starting with the blue cue for 7-ball. Leonardo had some issues in the game, taking two errors after an empty break to give him 12 shots in total. The thirteenth player of the day is Brownie of the Tysini Hummingbirds, playing Rotation with the silver cue. Brownie had a very unusual game, scoring the rack in 30 shots without a ball on the break, but also doing so without any errors, playing a clean and honest performance well. After that, Daisy of the Modernistic Union plays 9-ball with the silver cue. Daisy didn't quite make anything on the break, but it set her up for a seven-ball run to start play, and she closed the game in 10 shots with no errors for a sterling performance. Rounding out the group, Zach, the Pronger Trident newcomer, plays 10-ball with the red cue. Zach had a very bizarre start to the game, taking nothing on the break and a rash of early errors, eventually totaling five errors in 23 shots for the game.

Group four begins with Dominic, as the Meteors newcomer returns to the table for Rotation with the silver cue. Dominic saw nothing fall on his break, and some errant shooting led to six errors in the game, but he closed at a decent 29 shots for the outing. Continuing along, Twinkie I of the Lighton Prestige becomes the seventh player to finish qualifying as she shoots Accuracy with the silver cue. Twinkie I needed only 17 shots for the appearance, although her break was empty, the lone bad mark on an error-free performance. She had 161 total shots in qualifying. Hoot, the Viewpoint Sound Meteors veteran, plays 12-ball with the blue cue in the next game. Free-shooting games have been Hoot's downfall, as he needed 28 shots with four errors to complete this appearance after a rare empty break in this event. The nineteenth player called to shoot is Leonardo, as he returns to the table for 8-ball with the red cue. Leonardo impressed in this appearance, going empty on the break but also keeping his errors at zero as he cruised around the table in a quick 18 shots to finish the game. Icing this group, Twinkie II of the Harrison Specters plays 15-ball with the red cue. Twinkie II had a little luck and a lot of skill in this appearance, taking no errors and making a ball on the break, all helping her to score 22 shots in the fantastic performance.

The fifth group kicks off with Slinks, the newest Westside Rocker, playing 10-ball with the red cue. Slinks turned in another encouraging performance in this game, making a ball on the break and finishing with no errors and 14 shots, and the first instance of a player making a ball as it's falling in. The 5 was hanging on the bottom side, and began falling as she struck the cue, which got there in time to tap it the rest of the way. Following that, Fluffina, the Lumberjacks captain, becomes the eighth player to complete qualifying with this Accuracy game with the red cue. Fluffina went empty on the break, somehow, and then needed 21 shots to finish the game, ending on an error. She had 165 total shots for qualifying. Continuing along, Todavía Stills captain Easter is the ninth to finish qualifying, as she too plays Accuracy with the red cue. Easter had a ball on the break, and while she did take one error for a scratch, she had only 17 shots in the game, a great outing. She ended with 154 shots across all her qualifiers. The 24th player drawn today is Atlantic Pirates rookie Isabella, who keeps the Accuracy party going with the blue cue, as she'll be the tenth player to finish. Isabella made a ball on the break, and then held down the fort for 19 shots, avoiding any errors in another great performance. Many good efforts helped the rookie Isabella to score 135 shots in qualifiers, currently league-leading. At the end of the group, Stripes of the Terrace City Knights is ready to play 12-ball with the blue cue. Stripes needed 20 shots after a very good break, as her set-up work was lacking much urgency, and she took two errors in the game to contribute to the problem.

Starting group six, Celestia, the Oceanside Waves rookie, is finishing eleventh in qualifying by playing Accuracy with the blue cue. Celestia performed well after a shaky start, going empty on her break but taking no errors, and she closed at 19 shots. For the whole effort, she had 158 shots, a solid total for the youngster. The last player before today's mid-afternoon break is Rainmane of the Midland Predators, who plays 12-ball with the blue cue. Rainmane was struggling after a successful break, unable to line up her shots, and she took one error early in the game. She looked to be in a bad position on her last shot, but she did a spinning kick to bring it to the top left and end with 24 shots, earning her the nickname of Saw Blade. After the break, Boots of the Pearl Surfers plays 12-ball with the red cue. Boots had only one error after an empty break got her game off to a weak start, and she closed with 20 shots for a good outing. Continuing along, Westside Rockers captain Misty shoots Accuracy with the blue cue, becoming the twelfth player to finish qualifying. Misty needed 23 shots to get through the game, going empty on the break and also taking no errors. For all of the qualifying session, she had a very strong 140 shots. The group ends with the thirtieth player of the day, Dominic, who is back for 15-ball with the silver cue. Dominic had a terrible break, and the middle of the game really did him in with five errors, sending his score to 32.

The seventh group leads off with Queens Flames rookie Violetta shooting 15-ball with the blue cue. Violetta did the unthinkable, sinking the 15 on the break, as well as the 1, and she kept the cue on the table, so she had no errors and a score of 0, guaranteeing herself a spot atop the event table. It's impossible for Charli XCX, the Tysini Hummingbirds sophomore, to beat that, but she'll use the red cue in Accuracy to be the thirteenth player done with qualifying. Charli didn't get anything on her break, and she needed 19 shots for the game, taking no errors in her appearance. She ended qualifying with 161 total shots, a satisfactory total. The 33rd player called today is Commerce Tradewinds veteran Ice Cream, who shoots Rotation with the blue cue. Ice Cream managed to get a ball on the break, and while she did take three early errors, she settled her game down quickly and ended on 23 shots, a good total. Moving along, the Tridents' Zach is back in action for a game of 12-ball with the blue cue. Zach ended with an amazing 16 shots, even after taking an error on the break for a scratch, and he sank one other ball on the opening shot. The performance is one of the event's best. Closing out the bunch, Sweetheart of the Boston Swifts will be the fourteenth player to finish, playing Accuracy with the silver cue. Sweetheart went empty on the break in this game, and she took no errors among her 20 shots to complete the game. Overall, Sweetheart took 159 shots, a solid effort from the veteran.

The final batch begins with Slinks of the Rockers playing 12-ball with the red cue in her second game of the day. Slinks had a rough outing, going empty on a very soft break and somehow avoiding errors despite the difficult distribution, ending on 24 shots. Next up, Bandit, the Swordpoint Blades rookie, appears in 10-ball with the silver cue. Bandit had some issues in his game, requiring 21 shots with nothing on the break and a pair of errors as he couldn't execute his shots very well. The 38th player to shoot today is Pearl Surfers co-captain Neopolitan, who will use the silver cue for 15-ball in this appearance. Neopolitan struggled from the start, going empty on the break and then needing 30 shots for the game to finish, including a pitiful five errors. Following that, Debby Ryan, the Southridge Defenders captain, shoots 9-ball with the red cue. Debby nearly had a ball on the break, but it wouldn't fall, and she would need one error in her 15 shots to finish the appearance in acceptable form. Finally, the Meteors' Dominic finishes qualifying, the fifteenth player to do so. He will use the blue cue for his Accuracy game. Dominic needed 25 shots, with one error and nothing from the break, to finish this appearance. He closed qualifiers with 167 total shots, one of the worse efforts so far.

Tomorrow might get back up to 50 games, but it's a slow week as some of the longer games have taken the spotlight. Cricket is also expected to see another post tomorrow.