Heart of the Game Cutthroat 2017 - Trifinals and Finals

This is it for the preseason in pool. The first three series today will determine which three players advance to the championship series. We begin with...

Twilight v. Shaggy v. Katharine McPhee at Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central. Shaggy displayed her patented high-energy attack in game 1, with a five-ball run on her first turn. Katharine gave good support in defense of the lows, weakening Twilight early. It took some time, but Shaggy picked up the win over Katharine, her first win of the series. Twilight had a five-ball run on her second turn of game 2, defending the lows this time, but it wasn't quite enough. Twilight had taken out the early riser Katharine, but Shaggy answered with a pair of shots to take her second win of the series in clean fashion. Twilight had herself primed for a big run in game 3, but she missed on the first shot, and Katharine did the work instead, creating an eight-ball run in defense of the highs. Shaggy had a three-ball run to claim the lows to prevent Twilight from earning a point, but Katharine got the win, her first of the series. Game 4 featured a quick start and a very long ending, as Twilight and Shaggy primarily battled, with an intermittent bit of play from Katharine. Twilight had a scratch to revive Katharine once, and nearly did it again before Shaggy finally dropped Twilight's 12 in the bottom side to take her third win of the series. Twilight finally struck back in game 5, countering a seven-ball run from Shaggy with a five-ball run of her own to take Shaggy out. Katharine jumped in with a nice shot, but she missed a short second shot, and Twilight picked up her first win of the series instead. Twilight had a five-ball run to open game 6, looking to attack the lows in particular. Katharine took the mediums to defend against Twilight's highs, and she attacked with Shaggy to weaken Twilight. The game was still close at the end, but Shaggy knocked Twilight out before falling to Katharine, who took her second win of the series. Katharine had a surge from the game 7 break, smashing an eight-ball run with a little collateral damage. Shaggy fired back with a five-ball run, nearly poaching the win, but her miss allowed Katharine to get a third win in the series with a cut on the 11 to the bottom left. Twilight wouldn't let them get away easily, taking her second win in game 8 with a six-ball run-out that saw her off Shaggy on the second shot before a double-pot of the 2 and 3 and some collateral damage lined her up to beat Katharine. Shaggy stormed back into the fight in game 9 with a six-ball run-out after a gritty opening few turns. Katharine established herself with the highs, clearing the way for Shaggy's later run, which was rewarded by giving Katharine the second place point. Shaggy struggled in game 10, but Katharine did well, taking the mediums to fight with Twilight's highs. A long run from Katharine made Shaggy easy pickings for Twilight, but Katharine would win her fourth game on a three-ball run-out. Shaggy launched a fierce attack in defense of the mediums against Twilight's lows, weakening her but not enough. Katharine would fall first to Shaggy's hopeful attempt at a finish. Twilight played good defense, and then struck on a nice run, picking up her third win to keep the series alive. Twilight made a mistake by scratching on her first turn of game 12 and then missing on her second turn, allowing Shaggy to create a penetrating run against Katharine while bumping Twilight from the game. Katharine kept it close, but Shaggy walked away with her fifth win at the end, advancing to the final series.

Isabella v. Cheddar v. Goldy at McDonald's Hall, Atlantic. Cheddar had a dominant performance in game 1, with a four-ball run early on to take the mediums and then a five-ball run-out to beat Goldy and Isabella both on the fourth and fifth shots for her first win of the series. Isabella put her own spin on the fast paced series in game 2, working a five-ball run on her first turn to claim the highs. Goldy countered by taking the lows, and she nearly eliminated Cheddar, who made one shot before Isabella returned for a four-ball run-out and her first win on the series. Isabella spared Cheddar until the end to give her a point. Goldy inserted herself in the series in game 3, making a seven-ball run on her first turn and finishing the game with a three-ball run-out at the end for her first win, as neither Isabella nor Cheddar offered any resistance. Goldy started with a three-ball run to claim the lows in game 4, followed by a short run from Isabella to take the mediums. These two turns left Cheddar in danger with the highs, and Goldy took her out on a four-ball run on her second turn. Isabella tried to counter but failed, leaving Goldy to grab her second win of the series with ease. Goldy had the best first two turns in game 5, but two scratches mitigated her progress. Cheddar emerged as a force in the middle of the game, and she got into a war with Isabella after taking Goldy out. Isabella pulled out the win in the end, her second of the series, with tensions rising between the two younger players. Isabella had a six-ball run on the break of game 6, but had to be revived when Cheddar's seven-ball run ended in a scratch. Goldy then tried to take out Cheddar and scratched as well, leaving Isabella a nearly brilliant chance to double-pot both of them out of the game. It came up short, allowing Cheddar to make a four-ball run-out for her second win of the series. Game 7 saw Goldy unleash a four-ball run to make mincemeat of Cheddar before the second turn. Goldy tried to attack similarly against Isabella, but the latter's defense and an eventual five-ball run-out with collateral damage prevented that as Isabella took her third win of the series. Goldy and Cheddar both put a bit more effort into getting Isabella and the lows out of game 8, and they did it within two turns. Goldy dealt the final blow this time, but she couldn't get the better of Cheddar at the end, as Cheddar picked up her third win. Isabella had a massive seven-ball run on her first turn in game 9, taking out Cheddar and nearly beating Goldy as well, but it would be her only turn, as Goldy charged back with a four-ball run-out to even things up at three wins apiece. Isabella had a strong four-ball run negated by a scratch early on in game 10, creating a choppier game than many before in this series. Cheddar further weakened Goldy's highs, and she would take the win in the end with a four-ball run-out, knocking Isabella and Goldy out on consecutive shots for her fourth win. Cheddar again set the tone in game 11, taking the lows on her first short run. Goldy claimed the highs soon after that, but both were weakened by a four-ball run from Isabella. Cheddar tried to fall into a defensive shape, and Goldy tried to bump Isabella from the game, but both failed, leaving Isabella a four-ball run-out for her fourth win in the incredibly tight series. Cheddar had a four-ball run to claim the lows in game 12, but Goldy upstaged her quite easily with an eight-ball run-out, offing Isabella quickly before finishing on Cheddar for her fourth win of the series. Game 13 did not disappoint, as Cheddar took the highs on a short run early on. Isabella countered with a six-ball run, but it remained anyone's series to take until neither Cheddar nor Goldy could stop Isabella's three-ball run-out for her fifth and clinching win, sending Isabella on to the final series.

Chris v. Princess v. Neopolitan at Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City. Neopolitan had a grip on game 1 from the start, keeping the highs quite safe as Princess doubled down against Chris. It didn't work, as Chris offed Princess and held for awhile before falling to Neopolitan, who earned her first win. Neopolitan had to lay low with the mediums in game 2, trying to play Chris and Princess off of each other. The plan worked well, although Neopolitan was close to elimination when she burst free on a five-ball run-out. She offed Chris first this time, and then beat Princess a shot later for her second win in the series. Princess began with a five-ball run on her first turn in game 3, weakening both of her opponents. Chris wasted his first turn, allowing Neopolitan to take the mediums. Later on, Neopolitan would have knocked Chris out if not for a scratch, but it worked out later, as Neopolitan made a six-ball run-out, with a little collateral damage, to get her third win in as many games. Neopolitan raised the impressiveness of her harrowing game 4 escape. The game was slow to get going, with Chris taking the lows but failing to do much with them. Princess grabbed the mediums and took a four-ball run, but Neopolitan, on the verge of getting bumped, ripped an eight-ball run-out, finishing the game with an 11-8 combination to the bottom left over Princess for her fourth win of the series. Princess carved out a seven-ball run early in game 5, and Chris finally followed through to take out Neopolitan early. Chris went on a couple of short runs, trying to get around Princess, but Princess took the win, her first, a couple of turns later. Game 6 saw Neopolitan return with a vengeance on a seven-ball run, but Princess and Chris shut her down first, and Chris would poke in Princess' last ball a turn later for his first win of the series. Game 7 saw Princess work an early run to weaken her opponents, but Neopolitan fired back, defending the highs. A turn later, everything was even as Neopolitan stepped in, beating Princess on a cut and Chris on a bank to the bottom side for her fifth win. Neopolitan heads onto the final series, which will commence after a travel break is accounted for.

Isabella v. Shaggy v. Neopolitan at McDonald's Hall, Atlantic. This is the Final series of this preseason mini-Tournament. Isabella unleashed a seven-ball run from the break with a bit of collateral damage to start game 1. Shaggy soon countered, taking out the highs to protect the mediums, and by the end of the game, Shaggy's crafty experience earned her the first win. Shaggy couldn't pull off the same thing in game 2, her five-ball run coming up short against Isabella on her second turn. Isabella offed Shaggy, but allowed Neopolitan to escape with the win after missing contact on her last shot. Neopolitan has one win. Isabella needed to be more decisive in finishing in game 3, as she had Shaggy down and out and Neopolitan had just one ball left when she scratched. Shaggy would also scratch, bringing clutter to the table, before Shaggy charged with a four-ball run-out to take her second win of the series over Isabella. Shaggy led off game 4 with a five-ball run, and Isabella followed up with a four-ball run of her own. Neopolitan made things worse for herself with a scratch, prompting Shaggy to take her out as part of a three-ball run. Isabella wasted a chance to counter, giving Shaggy the win on her third turn, her third win of the series. Shaggy and Isabella had to deal with an erratic Neopolitan in game 5, as Neopolitan had an early scratch derail her strong offense. Things got tense in the middle and late stages of the game, until Shaggy broke through the defensive stalemate on a four-ball run-out, offing Neopolitan and then Isabella for her fourth win in the series. Isabella made sure to keep the series going, using a big seven-ball run on her first turn in game 6. The strategy worked, as it weakened both of her opponents, although another scratch by Neopolitan gave Shaggy a bit of life. Shaggy pushed a five-ball run near the end of the game, but she missed the last shot, and Isabella came up true for her first win of the series. Shaggy started off with a four-ball run to claim the mediums in game 7, and she had to hold on tight against Neopolitan and Isabella, the latter making a six-ball run to even things out a bit. The problem was, Isabella took herself out of the game, and Shaggy shot next, missing the 1 at the bottom left but getting it to drift into the top right on the two-rail carom for her fifth and championship-clinching win.

That's all for the preseason in pool. There's still 14 games of preseason cricket, which should be done by Friday at the latest. A few small maintenance and administrative tasks will be performed in the coming days ahead of the pool qualifiers and the beginning of the cricket regular season across all three divisions next week.

Heart of the Game Cutthroat 2017 - Round 3 Day 2

The third round should end with four series today. We begin with...

Precious v. Isabella v. Kirstin at Ford Forum, Pronger. Isabella had a hot start with a seven-ball run in game 1, but she had to play smart near the end, taking out Precious first before turning her attention on Kirstin. Isabella did what she had to, getting the last two shots to beat Kirstin after a tense shot, with Isabella taking her first win in the process. Kirstin had the better of play in defense of the lows in game 2, but a scratch near the end of the game ruined her performance. Precious and Isabella combined to take her out, and then Isabella beat Precious head-to-head to take her second win of the series. Game 3 saw Isabella have a weak break, followed by Precious and Kirstin each claiming suits on short runs. Isabella had a better second turn, taking Precious out of the game, but Kirstin won two shots later for her first victory of the series. Kirstin did well to take the highs off of a productive break shot, and Isabella followed up with the mediums on another short run. Precious got some shots in on her two turns, including providing the knockout against Kirstin, but Isabella bested Precious with one shot at the end to earn her third win in four games. Isabella had a slow start in game 5, as Precious would claim the mediums and go through two turns unchallenged before Kirstin took the highs. Things got gritty in the middle of the game until Isabella unlocked a four-ball run that bumped Precious from the game. Kirstin had a chance to win, but couldn't make her second shot, and Isabella walked away with her fourth win of the series instead. Kirstin had all of the good shooting game 6, which saw sloppiness abound. Isabella did pull out of the poor play late in the game, but too late to fight back against Kirstin, who took her second win of the series a shot later. Precious hauled in a massive run on her second turn in game 7, protecting her mediums with a seven-ball run-out that included a bit of collateral damage. Isabella was out on the fifth ball, while Kirstin fell to end the game with Precious taking her first win of the series. Confusion reigned after a collateral damage-filled four-ball run by Isabella. Precious quickly eliminated her, but ending up working against herself and the highs, accidentally ceding a third win to Kirstin in game 8. Confusion remained in game 9, with Isabella again making an early exit thanks to Kirstin, and then Kirstin eventually winning over Precious on a three-ball run-out for her fourth win of the series. Precious kept the series going in game 10, as neither Kirstin nor Isabella could calibrate their shots well enough to mount a strong attack. Precious would poke both of their last balls down for her second win in the end. Game 11 saw a rough start for Isabella, as both Precious and Kirstin had four-ball runs, combined with Isabella scratching. In the end, Isabella had a four-ball run-out, hanging on just enough to take the fifth win and advance to tomorrow's Trifinals.

Steven v. Nightfur v. Chris at McDonald's Hall, Atlantic. Game 1 went very slowly, including five shots before a ball was potted by Nightfur, who defended the mediums. She and Steven split most of the offense after Chris took a four-ball run for the lows. Steven would win in the end with a pair of tough shots to beat his two opponents for his first win. Steven had a five-ball run from the break end in a scratch at the start of game 2, leading to another period of mediocre play among the players. Chris had a good push toward the end and gained the win on a three-ball run-out after besting Nightfur a couple of turns earlier. Chris earned his first win of the series. Chris and Steven put on quite a show in game 3, as Nightfur took the lows but couldn't hang onto them for very long. Chris had glimmers of offense, but Steven was more consistent and shut things down at the end, beating Nightfur and Chris on consecutive shots for his second win. Nightfur showed up with more strength in game 4, and while Chris and Steven each had nice runs, Nightfur took the win on a three-ball run-out, beating Steven at the end with a kicked double-kiss on the 9 to the bottom right for her first win. Steven didn't bat an eye at Nightfur's strong attack in game 5, making two separate five-ball runs to get his third win in the series. Chris missed on his only shot of the game, finishing a distant third as Steven offed Nightfur in the end. Chris pulled back into the series in game 6, working a six-ball run-out on his only turn in defense of the mediums. He wiped out Steven first before turning on Nightfur, both of whom had played well but neglected Chris as a threat to their success. Chris has two wins now. Steven had a fierce six-ball run in game 7, pushing Chris out of the game on his first turn. Nightfur had just enough defense to hold Steven off for a pair of turns before making his last two balls to earn her second win of the series. Steven and Chris both had firm attacks, leaving Nightfur with just one ball before she unleashed her six-ball run-out in game 8. Nightfur's binge at the end gave her a third win in the series. Steven had to take Chris out first in game 9, which would have been fine had he not scratched later on. Chris shot back and bested Steven before a lucky shot drained Nightfur's 1 for his third win, bringing the series completely even. Steven had some trouble from an early scratch in game 10, and found himself very weak when Chris ripped a three-ball run. Nightfur would prevail, ousting Steven to guarantee herself a point before double-potting Chris' 3 to the bottom side while banking the 2 to the top left for her fourth win of the series. Steven pushed onward against Nightfur, taking her out first before wiping out Chris as well with a nine-ball run-out on his first and only turn. Chris had claimed the lows and weakened Nightfur, but Steven's run was unstoppable as he took his fourth win of the series. Chris shot back with a six-ball run on his first turn of game 12, a vicious run that denied Nightfur a shot in the game. Steven tried to produce a counterattack to this, but he failed, and Chris beat him two turns later for his fourth win, setting up one more decisive game. Chris and Steven had another duel in game 13, all after Nightfur established herself with the mediums. Chris would take her out near the end of the game, and then he banked Steven's 3 to the bottom left, defeating him a second time for his fifth win of the series and a trip to the Trifinals.

Potter v. Mams v. Neopolitan at Ford Forum, Pronger. Potter cranked a six-ball run from the game 1 break, but he nearly fell later in the game. Mams and Neopolitan had good second turns, but fell to Potter's pair of shots on his third turn, as the host took his first win of the series. Potter didn't have as strong of a start in game 2, but Mams and Neopolitan warred with each other on their first turns. Neopolitan bested Mams in defense of the highs, and then had enough left over to beat Potter at the end as she took her first win of the series. Neopolitan got a bit greedy toward the end of game 3, trying to assure herself of a point but failing miserably at hitting Potter's ball. Potter replied by taking Neopolitan out before falling to Mams a turn later in the latter's first win. Game 4 had a painfully slow but intriguing finish. Mams had a chance to beat Potter, and successfully made his last ball, but scratched to revive both of her opponents. Neopolitan then put Mams out but scratched her back into the game. Mams would win in the end, knocking Neopolitan out before Potter for her second win. Mams didn't have much going for her early in game 5, but she found a groove on her second turn, unleashing a six-ball run that decimated Potter and left Neopolitan without a clear shot. Neopolitan predictably missed, allowing Mams to end her third win with a simple cut on the 2. Mams went on a six-ball run at the start of game 6, but she didn't get a second turn, as Potter took her out before beating Neopolitan on his seven-ball run-out for his second win of the series. Game 7 saw a dominant three-turn win from Neopolitan, who took the lows early with a single shot, then a nine-ball run on her second turn before Mams made a shot to claim a point. That's all Mams would get, as Neopolitan won on the next turn, her second win of the series. Neopolitan had to fight a lot harder against the lows and Mams in game 8, and even Potter had some positive plays before being eliminated the first time. Mams scratched him back in the game, but Neopolitan took him out again before picking up her third win of the series over Mams. Neopolitan unleashed a seven-ball run on her second turn of game 9, eliminating Potter from the battle rather abruptly. Two turns later, Neopolitan got a proper shot off against Mams to take her out as well, this current surging lifting Neopolitan to her fourth win. Neopolitan suffered a large attack from Mams and Potter both early in game 10, but they backed off on the second turn, particularly Potter, who turned against Mams. Neopolitan used this to her advantage, winning the game, her fifth, and the series on a four-ball run-out that gave Potter the second-place point. Neopolitan moves on to the Trifinals.

Gradley v. Lize v. Princess at Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston. Game 1 saw strategy play a major role, with Gradley and Princess battling carefully to protect the highs and the mediums, while Lize poked shots around until Princess took her out. Gradley would fall to Princess a few turns later after a near stalemate at the top left. Princess and Gradley continued to feud deep into game 2, and by the time they realized Lize had a huge advantage, it was too late. Lize took out Gradley first, and had plenty of time to beat Princess as well despite the latter player's firm counterattack. Lize has her first win of the series. Game 3 went much longer than it should have. Princess struck a four-ball run to weaken the mediums to take the highs, and then Gradley took the lows to defend, leaving Lize with one ball. Lize attacked back on an eight-ball run to take Princess out of the game, and then Gradley played with her, knowing her injury would prevent her from threatening him. Gradley stole the game away for his first win with the sneaky play. Game 4 saw all three players dazzle at times. Lize had a big run early on to weaken the lows, while Princess supported that on her first turn. Gradley struck back to weaken both of his opponents, taking Lize out on a four-ball run before Princess beat Gradley for her second win of the series. Gradley didn't bow down in game 5, starting with a small run to claim the lows. He defended them well, as Lize and Princess only potted one of the lows, instead attacking each other. Gradley took out Lize first, and then beat Princess later in the three-ball run-out for his second win of the series. Game 6 went pretty even for all involved, as Gradley took the mediums early but faced resistance from the highs and Princess and the lows of Lize. At the end, Lize made a three-ball run-out, gifting the extra point to Gradley as she worked along the top rail for her second win of the series. Lize had a big eight-ball run on her second turn in game 7, a massive push that took Princess out of the game. Gradley countered it perfectly with a three-ball run-out to take his third win, against frustrating the visitor. Gradley needed a bit of time to unravel the web in game 8, as Lize protected the highs and Princess had the mediums, both more interested in harming Gradley's lows. When he broke through, it was with a five-ball run-out that took Princess out on the fourth shot before Lize fell on the game-ending shot for Gradley's fourth win. Gradley couldn't get anything on the break, allowing Lize to take the lows and Princess to snag the highs before his next turn. Gradley battled against both of them later in game 9, but Princess unleashed a collateral damage-laced seven-ball run-out that took out Lize early and Gradley at the end for her third win of the series. Game 10 saw Princess provide the series another extension. She began with a fierce six-ball run from the break, and while Gradley did take the highs on his turn, he never really had a chance. Gradley did off Lize, but Princess bested him after he couldn't make the 1 on a bank. Princess is even with Gradley at four wins. Game 11 took some time to get through, but Princess came up big at the end, completing her rally against Lize to take the series with her fifth win and earn the final ticket to the Trifinals.

Tomorrow, the preseason for pool comes to a close. I still anticipate launching the Qualifiers on Sunday, and preseason cricket will be mixed in here and there until that is complete. Regular season action is on the way soon.

Heart of the Game Cutthroat 2017 - Round 3 Day 1

This two-day round begins with five series today, while the other four are tomorrow. Points earned in the first two rounds now determine the shooting order for the first game. We begin with...

Debby Ryan v. Twilight v. Snowball at GE Stadium Events Center, Southridge. Twilight struck first in game 1, taking the highs to defend, and she protected them well. She had a later five-ball run, but also scratched, saving Snowball from the knockout. Twilight would beat Snowball down on her next turn, and took out Debby a shot later for her first win of the series. Twilight kept the pace up at the start of game 2 with her five-ball run in defense of the highs. Debby needed two turns before she could claim the mediums, leaving Snowball with just one low ball. Snowball lasted for awhile, but Debby prevailed, winning on a three-ball run-out that left Twilight with second place this time. Snowball had a big attack against Twilight, wiping her out with a five-ball run. Snowball tried to turn against Debby, but the host had a better strategy in place, defending well and chipping Snowball down until Debby took her second win of the series in three games. Snowball stepped up in game 4 to take her first win of the series, battling strongly with Debby while Twilight placed a distant third after failing to claim a suit on her first turn. Debby countered in game 5 with a four-ball run protect the mediums at the start. Debby and Twilight would quickly combine to take out Snowball before battling head-to-head, a battle which Debby won cleanly for her third win of the series. Twilight had the first good attack in game 6, claiming the mediums. Snowball had a tough position to shoot from but took the highs anyway, and she was the first one out thanks to Debby's relentless attack. Debby tried to defend against Twilight, but it didn't quite work, and Twilight took her second win of the series. Twilight surged through two unchallenged turns in game 7, making a four-ball run and a five-ball run before Debby booted Snowball out by making two mediums. Twilight cut the 15 in to quickly end the game for her third win on her third turn. Twilight saw a five-ball run on her second turn of game 8 do quite a bit of good, helping her knock Debby from the game and put Snowball on the ropes. Snowball nearly countered, but Twilight kicked her 12 in to get the win, her fourth of the series. Twilight had a decent chance with the lows despite picking her suit last in game 9, but a five-ball run by Snowball derailed that as Twilight was eliminated. Snowball couldn't finish the job, and Debby took the win, her fourth of the series, which is approaching its end now. Debby and Twilight had one more epic battle in game 10, ending when Debby missed another tap-in shot on the 8, leaving Twilight to jam in Debby's last low for her fifth win of the series. Twilight will play on Wednesday in the Trifinals.

Bandit v. Katharine McPhee v. Melissa Benoist at Gillette Center, Swordpoint. Katharine had a solid four-ball run to claim the highs in game 1, but Melissa countered to weaken her opponents and Bandit ripped a six-ball run to knock Katharine out. Melissa tried to fight him off, but Bandit picked up the win a turn later, his first win in the series. Bandit thought he had everything figured out in game 2, but a scratch on his second to last turn, followed by Melissa's scratch when both of them had just about won the game, led to Katharine having enough power to beat them both on consecutive turns for her first win. Bandit put up a nice attack after Katharine ripped a seven-ball run from the break in game 3. Bandit took Melissa out temporarily, but scratched her back in to combat Katharine's lows. It worked, and Bandit then beat Melissa at the end for his second win of the series. Bandit had a strong start to game 4 with a four-ball run that challenged both of his opponents. Melissa eventually claimed the highs, leaving Katharine with the lows. Katharine would be the first out on another short run by Bandit, but Melissa defended well and earned her first win of the series when she made the last two shots. Melissa put up a wonderful five-ball run at the start of game 5, pushing Bandit to take the lows as she guarded the mediums. Katharine restored balance to the game late, but Melissa escaped their attacks and won on a three-ball run-out that saw Bandit pick up the extra point for second place. Bandit starred with a seven-ball run in game 6, but Katharine answered on a five-ball run-out, claiming the mediums to knock out Melissa and then beating Bandit straight up for her second win. Katharine pulled out the stops after a scratch by Melissa in game 7, sending Melissa to the bench before outplaying Bandit at the end for her third win of the series in a tight battle. Katharine went down early in game 8, as both Bandit and Melissa coordinated attacks against her, but she didn't stay down, revived by both of their scratches. Melissa then had a nice run to clear things up with Bandit out of the game, and Katharine struck back to take her fourth win of the series. Melissa had a massive eight-ball run on her first turn in game 9, leaving the mediums out and the highs devastated. Katharine would claim the highs, but Melissa made the last two shots in the game for her third win of the series. Melissa kept the attack strong in game 10, surging with a six-ball run with collateral damage from the break. Both of her opponents missed shots on their only turns, as she won her fourth game of the series on a five-ball run-out in the end. Bandit managed to claw himself back into the fight in game 11, watching and patiently guarding his lows as Melissa and Katharine flailed against each other. At the end, Bandit beat them both for his third win, ending Melissa first and then Katharine. Bandit tried to follow it up in a slow-starting game 12, but Katharine and Melissa combined to take him out rather quickly on their second turns. Katharine then turned on Melissa and picked up her fifth win of the series to punch her ticket to the Trifinals.

Shaggy v. Blizzard v. Sally at Samsung Arena, Whitewater. Blizzard led the attack in game 1 in defense of the mediums, ending on a five-ball run-out that saw her spare her sister Shaggy in favor of bumping Sally's lows first. Shaggy followed on the next shot to earn the second place point. Blizzard used a short run in game 2 on a later turn to put Sally's highs in a position of weakness. The play worked well for Shaggy, who offed Sally and then finished the three-ball run-out against Blizzard for her first win of the series. Game 3 finally saw the sisters' partnership fall apart. Blizzard and Shaggy couldn't get things lined up against Sally's highs, and Sally used a six-ball run to push them both to the edge. Shaggy had a later scratch that preserved Blizzard a bit longer, but Sally won on a three-ball run-out for her first victory. Sally had a bad break in game 4, sapping her momentum. Shaggy took the highs, and Blizzard picked the lows, pummeling the mediums nearly out of the game. Shaggy held up better over time, dealing the death blow to Sally on her second turn before besting Blizzard two turns later for her second win of the series. Shaggy started a firm attack in defense of the lows, and Blizzard targeted the mediums, but a scratch would ruin her performance in game 5. Sally struck back on a massive seven-ball run, knocking Blizzard from the game, but Shaggy made a pair of shots at the end to steal the win for her third victory this series. Game 6 saw everything go to Shaggy's plans despite her empty break. Sally stepped in and took the lows quickly, allowing Blizzard her first four-ball run in the game. Shaggy helped to weaken Sally before Blizzard dished another four-ball run. Shaggy would then play to her own strength, poaching the victory as she banked Blizzard's final ball to the top left for her fourth win in the series. Sally tried to stall Shaggy in game 7, but this didn't work, as Shaggy claimed her suit and let Blizzard do more bruising work before coasting in to take the win, clinching her own advancement to the Trifinals, while beating a family member for the third time.

Slinks v. Vladimir Vasilyev v. Cheddar at BMW RockDome, Westside. Slinks started pretty well in defense of the lows, while Vladimir quickly grabbed the mediums. Slinks had a chance for a nice run on her second turn, but her four-ball run saw a scratch negate some of it. Vladimir than knocked Cheddar out with a two-rail bank of her 14 before offing Slinks for his first win. Slinks did well at the start of game 2 as well, pushing her way to claim the highs. Cheddar followed on a five-ball run to take the lows, leaving Vladimir in trouble, and while he counterattacked, he was still the first out thanks to Slinks. Cheddar would get her first win in the end when Slinks couldn't quite finish her off. Slinks tried to eradicate the highs on her first turn, but came up short with a four-ball run to protect the lows. Cheddar would get the mediums, and she balanced things out a bit, but neither of them could get a clear look at Vladimir's last high, and he went on a late four-ball run-out to get his second win in game 3. Cheddar pulled off a pretty strong performance in a tight game 4, battling evenly with Slinks at first as Vladimir lagged behind. Cheddar then took Slinks out with a three-ball run, and beat Vladimir on the next turn to take her second win of the series. Cheddar had an embarrassingly weak break in game 5, leaving Vladimir to shatter the rack a bit more. Cheddar would take the lows on her second turn, while Vladimir followed with the highs. This led to a tight battle for all three players by the end of the game, but it was Vladimir who came through with the win, taking out Cheddar first and then Slinks in his third win. Slinks established herself with the mediums earliest in game 6, after Vladimir went empty on the break. Vladimir took the lows when the time came, and the game went smoothly for him and Slinks until a five-ball run by Cheddar evened things out. Vladimir would take Slinks out but just missed finishing off Cheddar, but he did so on his second try a turn later for his fourth win. Vladimir started with a six-ball run in game 7, weakening both sides, but Cheddar turned things around on him with a seven-ball run-out, protecting her lows as she knocked him out on the fifth shot before denying Slinks a turn in Cheddar's third win of the series. Slinks did everything to get the win in game 8, pushing Cheddar to the edge as she abused the mediums in defense of the highs. Vladimir had the lows, but he fell to a run from Cheddar in the middle of the game, and Slinks beat Cheddar in turn for her first win of the series. Game 9 saw Cheddar play a bit stronger, guarding the mediums this time. Vladimir had a good first turn, but not much else, as Slinks carried the freight in defense of the highs. Cheddar shut them both down on her last turn, beating Vladimir first and then Slinks for her fourth win of the series. Slinks had a four-ball run in game 10 that put a lot of pressure on her opponents, and Vladimir doubled it on Cheddar, knocking her out with a four-ball run of his own. Slinks then shot back on a three-ball run-out to take her second win of the series. Slinks tried to keep things interesting with a strong effort in game 11, but Vladimir and Cheddar proved determine to settle the series in this game. Cheddar took out Slinks on a double-pot with one of Vladimir's balls, and then bested him a turn later for her fifth win of the series. Cheddar heads to Wednesday's Trifinals.

Shelley v. Crystal v. Goldy at Nissan Hall, Infinity. Shelley began with a big six-ball run, completely eliminating the lows. Crystal made sure that was Goldy's problem, and then unleashed her six-ball run-out in response, taking the win while Shelley had to settle for second place this time. Game 2 saw a slower start from Crystal and Shelley, allowing Goldy to crank a six-ball run that left both of them weaker. Shelley wouldn't recover, her mediums soon bumped from the game, but Crystal did just fine on the counterattack, picking up her second win of the series as Goldy couldn't finish her off. Crystal had a shaky start to game 3, and Goldy didn't get much done on her few turns either. Shelley picked up the lows last, but she defended them well, taking the win after offing Goldy and Crystal on consecutive turns. Game 4 saw a reversal of fortunes for Goldy, as her first turn was lacking, but her second turn saw a six-ball run-out for her first win in the series. Crystal and Shelley had fought a bit among themselves, but couldn't do anything to stop Goldy's fierce attack. Goldy had a weak start in game 5, allowing Crystal to claim the lows and Shelley to take the highs shortly after that. Shelley didn't do enough on defense, allowing Crystal to beat her with a six-ball run that ended in a scratch. Goldy took Shelley out for good on a three-ball run-out, also beating Crystal for her second win in the series. Shelley was thought a fool for taking the lows in game 6, but she proved the doubters wrong in the end. Goldy's highs, her other option, were a quick out this time, and while Crystal was tougher to beat, Shelley played good defense and got the win, leveling her with her visitors at two wins each. Game 7 took a bit of time to get going, with Shelley taking the lows but not producing much. Goldy gained the highs, and Crystal had the mediums, which she defended with a six-ball run. Goldy would off Shelley on the next turn, and then she kept her 14 safe from Crystal's attacks until potting Crystal's last two balls for her third win. Goldy put up a solid attack at the start of game 8, but it was the work of Crystal early on and Shelley in the middle that simplified the game. Shelley had a late four-ball run going to endanger each of her opponents, but Goldy shut things down, beating Shelley and Crystal on consecutive shots for her fourth win of the series. Goldy struggled at the start of game 9 as well, allowing a five-ball run to each of Crystal and Shelley. Shelley's run eliminated Crystal from the game, and Goldy answered with a three-ball run against Shelley. She still needed to defend, and she got lucky in the end, making the final ball for her fifth win to end the series. Goldy heads to Wednesday's Trifinals.

That's all for today. This round is scheduled to end tomorrow, and then everything goes down on Wednesday for the fun parts.

Heart of the Game Cutthroat 2017 - Round 2 Day 7

It's the last day of the second round, with just three series on. If there's time, we'll play preseason cricket after the series. We begin with...

Princess v. Katelynn v. Oreo at Cisco Arena, Tysini. Princess struck hard in game 1 with three positive turns. Her second turn spelled the end of Katelynn's game rather quickly, and she beat Oreo on her third turn with a three-ball run-out after Oreo failed to launch a counterattack. Princess challenged Oreo well in game 2, as Oreo had a five-ball run on her first turn. Princess managed to take a few shots away from Oreo, but after Katelynn was bumped again, Oreo held on and made the final two shots of the game for her first win. Princess left no doubt as to the dominant player in game 3, as she went on a ten-ball run-out after Oreo couldn't make anything on the break. The long run forced Oreo to split this point with Katelynn. Game 4 returned power to Oreo, who led a balanced battle with her four-ball run-out on her second turn. Each player got some good shots in, but Oreo closed out by beating Princess and Katelynn on the final two shots of her run for her second win. Oreo looked like she could get a late push to topple Katelynn despite devoting most of her attention to destroying Princess in game 5. Instead, Oreo pulled her third shot on her third turn out of position, and she couldn't make the combination after eliminating Princess. Katelynn made the cut for her first win of the series. Oreo went unchallenged for three turns, making a seven-ball run and a three-ball run to leave just one low on the table against her highs after some collateral damage. Princess countered on a three-ball run, and then won game 6 a turn later when Oreo missed again and Princess cut the 15 to the bottom right for her third victory. Game 7 saw a strong performance from Princess at the start in defense of the mediums. Combined with Katelynn, they put Oreo on the edge, and Katelynn knocked her out on the second turn before setting up good defense. Katelynn would best Princess at the end for her second win of the series as her defense held up on Princess' turn. Game 8 saw Katelynn pick up the pace again, taking the lows to defend first. Princess' mediums were an easy target, as Oreo attacked them and Katelynn knocked the host out of the game before dueling closely with Oreo. Katelynn got the edge late and took the win, her third, to keep the series close. Princess reasserted herself on her first and only turn of game 9, answering a short run by Oreo with an eight-ball run-out for the win, her fourth in the series. The stunning play saw her take out Katelynn's mediums before beating Oreo's highs. Game 10 saw a weak start from Princess, and her aggression toward Oreo would be her demise. Oreo shot back on a three-ball run to beat Princess, but she came up short against Katelynn, who made a single shot to pick up her fourth win at the end. Game 11 saw Katelynn and Princess combine to quickly eliminate Oreo, setting up the finale. Katelynn battled but couldn't solve Princess' defense, which lasted long enough for her to take the win, her fifth, to advance to the third round.

Tigerette v. Lize v. Caitlin Woode at Nike Field Events Center, Commerce. Lize will be hoping for quick games to save her shoulder, and she had a decent one in game 1, claiming the highs quickly. Caitlin followed up with the mediums, and Lize knocked Tigerette out on her second turn before challenging Caitlin to a gritty battle. Lize won it for her first win in the series. Game 2 started slowly, with Tigerette striking first on a short run to claim the mediums. Lize followed up to take the highs on a run of her own, and Caitlin attacked with a longer run in defense of the lows. At the end, Lize knocked Tigerette out on one turn and beat Caitlin on the next for her second win of the series. Caitlin seemed to figure something out in game 3, attacking with a huge nine-ball run to wipe out Tigerette on her second turn of the game. Caitlin then left long shots for Lize, which have been her weakness so far. The strategy worked, giving Caitlin the time to overcome her collateral damage to get Lize out on the final shot. Caitlin earned her first win of the series. Game 4 saw Caitlin work a nine-ball run with collateral damage from the break, a massive attack to pace her offense. Lize also had collateral damage on a three-ball run to claim the lows and save herself a point. Caitlin took advantage of the generosity and picked up her second win on her second turn. Caitlin burst forward with a seven-ball run, again with collateral damage, to lead off in game 5. Tigerette would make a five-ball run, sparing Lize from a second turn, and then Tigerette beat Caitlin a turn later for her first win. Lize got back into gear in defense of the mediums in game 6, keeping herself in control with measured shots and a three-ball run-out to take out both opponents on her final turn of her third win. Caitlin stormed forward on a seven-ball run late in game 7, trying to salvage her slow start in defense of the mediums. The long run booted Lize from the game, but Tigerette made the last shot for her second win of the series. Tigerette couldn't get anything on the break, leaving a six-ball run to Caitlin instead. Lize made a small response, enough to claim the lows, and Tigerette defended the highs right up to the end after she knocked Caitlin out of the game. Tigerette made the final shot a turn later for her third win in the series. Game 9 saw Caitlin try a different strategy of attack to get her third win. Tigerette also had two scratches, the latter negating her knockout on Lize, who returned the favor immediately. Caitlin ground things out on a short run, winning with a single shot on her final turn. Lize remained calm as she defended the highs in game 10, her poise coming in handy as Caitlin challenged Tigerette viciously. Both players weakened each other, leaving Lize to earn her fourth win on a pair of shots at the end, with Tigerette getting the second place point for the first time. Lize sold out to end the series in game 11, unleashing her shot a bit more. She remained defensively sound, a necessary strategy to compete with Caitlin, whose hunger would go unresolved as Lize shut her down in the end for the clinching fifth win to advance.

Gradley v. Zach v. Strut at Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston. Strut started slow but finished well in game 1, weathering the early storm before his five-ball run bumped Gradley from the game. He gave Zach a chance to get the win, but Zach failed, and Strut made the final shot for his first win. Strut had a nice run on his second turn in game 2, in defense of the mediums, but he got no reward from the game when Zach burst out with a five-ball run-out, gifting the second place point to Gradley in Zach's first win of the series. Gradley had a six-ball run on his first turn of game 3, and when Zach made a ball that Strut couldn't, Strut found himself out of the game. Gradley and Zach battled for quite awhile until Gradley pulled away on a three-ball run-out to earn his first win of the series. Gradley followed that up with a crisp effort in game 4, making a nice run at the start to protect the highs. Strut would bump the mediums and Zach off the table as he played with the lows, but Gradley had a four-ball run-out on his second turn for his second win. Strut had a nice first turn in game 5 after Gradley failed to pot anything on the break. Zach responded with a significant run to take Strut out of the game on his second turn, but he left Gradley with one ball up. Gradley made a pair of shots to close out a fortunate third win. Gradley again went empty on the break, leaving Zach to take the highs and Strut to pick up the lows. Strut and Gradley worked together to off Zach early, and then battled in close quarters before Strut made a four-ball run-out for his second win of the series. Gradley showed great determination to take the win in game 7, and he pulled through on that goal, with a seven-ball run-out on his second turn that saw Strut go down on the sixth shot before Zach fell on the final play. Game 8 saw a fierce six-ball run by Gradley take Strut out of action once again after his lows couldn't withstand the attack. Zach had to hold off Gradley, and nearly failed before turning the tide against the host. Zach took his second win of the series to keep things going for another game. Gradley finally completed the series in a tense game 9, once again watching Strut fall to Zach as the two visitors challenged each other. Gradley then won with a short run to finish Zach off for his fifth win, earning a trip to the third round.

That's all for the games today. We'll have five series of the third round tomorrow, and four more on Tuesday before the trifinals and finals on Wednesday.

UPCL Cricket Preseason 2017 - Part 1

We'll likely do three parts of preseason play, with no live commentary on Twitter. When the regular season begins, commentary will resume. All games during the preseason follow regional battles, not league tiers. Teams from any level of the cricket pyramid may meet. We begin with...

Apple Park, Todavía: Both teams plan on resting their captains in this game. Ms. Kitty led things off with 113 for Pacific, showing a bit of rust from the month taken off by the league after the conclusion of the playoffs. Sierra countered with a decent 345 for Todavía, giving them the initial lead in this preseason match. Twinkie I managed to cover the deficit with 248 for the Volcanoes, her first appearance after leaving the Prestige at the draft. Bells regained a small lead with 61 points for the Stills, a disappointing turn from the veteran. Leonette had a measly 25 for Pacific, failing to cover the deficit with the poor performance in her only preseason game. Prism gave the lead a few more legs for Todavía with her 246, giving them the advantage heading into the final players' turns. Chicky Phil did well with 493 to give the Volcanoes a bit of an advantage near the end of the game. Anton replied with 510 for the Stills, enough to give them the win against their Premier rivals.

Sprint Pitch, Victoria: These two Select rivals will let their captains take the first preseason game off. Spirit had a modest 217 for Lighton to open the scoring in this game, a fairly unimpressive performance from the veteran. Yekaterina built up some excitement with 516 for Victoria on the opening turn, creating a substantial lead. Katelynn fired back with 608 for the Prestige in her return to the league after a year overseas. Sage went with 346 for the Spurs, maintaining a small lead halfway through the game. Nicole chipped in with 456 for Lighton, overtaking their opponents as she debuts with the team. Wario got into a short groove for Victoria near the end of his turn, grabbing 408 to keep things incredibly close by the unofficial estimates. His close friend Waluigi hit 177 for the Prestige, looking very similar to the player that had brief flashes of brilliance for the Lumberjacks last season. Strawberry did enough with 368 for the Spurs to take the win outright without question against their neighboring rivals.

BMW RockDome, Westside: The Rockers only get one preseason game, while the Knights play both of theirs on the road. Kiwi showed off some flair with 811 for Terrace City on the opening turn, a big performance from the captain. Misty replied with only 256 for Westside, a slow start to the hosts' only game in the preseason. Jennifer covered that damage with 339 for the Knights this time, keeping their lead strong. Goatee flicked a poor 168 for the Rockers, causing minor concern for their low scoring so far. Oreo kept the lead steady with 231 for Terrace City in this appearance in her usual third hitting spot. Midnight batted well with 399 for Westside this time, as the hosts rest their more fragile veteran Slinks in the preseason. Melissa went with 496 for the Knights this time, which should secure a win for them as the rookie puts a nice stamp on trying to earn a starting role. Cowzart produced a solid 371 for the Rockers this time, but he is still expected to start the season in a reserve role. The Knights easily beat the Rockers in this preseason clash between Premier teams.

Nestle's Warriors Park, Central: A Premier team meets an Elite team in the first Northeastern preseason game. Sally had a modest opening with 174 for Archtown, a team mired in years of mediocrity. Dustin didn't dominate by any means, but he did take 273 for Central in the lead-off role usually occupied by captain Twilight. Sleepy B. got beat on a floating ball, ending with 256 for the Arrows as she plays a turn for the resting Ruby. Mario belted 1068 for the Warriors on his turn, making a good impression for a starting spot in the lineup on opening day. Dusky did well with 456 for Archtown, but the deficit remains large despite her efforts. Wings basically matched his mark, taking 455 for Central in a good first impression on his new team after spending his entire career with the Pearl Surfers. Wild Thing made a push to be included on the opening day lineup with 627 on his turn, but the Arrows will still take the loss. Noelle answered with 538 anyway for the Warriors, campaigning to take the final lineup spot from Wings initially. The Warriors took a commanding win.

Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: The Crowns play their first preseason game against the rival Flames in their only scheduled meeting so far this year. Crystal produced a solid 431 for Queens, as the captain leads off the first of three road preseason games for her squad. Jake, sparing Kayla from facing her former team, took 129 for Royal in a down performance from the steady veteran. Violetta tapped 323 for the Flames before a technical error, and she skipped the replay. Jeremias did alright in his return to the league, taking 328 for the Crowns to keep the deficit steady at the halfway mark. Briana, hoping to snag a starting role for Queens, slashed a huge 775 on her first appearance in the league, extending the visitors' lead nicely. The beleaguered Royal captain Nightfur had a good appearance here, chipping 512 to offset some of the damage against the struggling hosts. Kyle fell early with 231 for the Flames, a poor start to his campaign for a starting spot on a talented team. Cassie struggled with 209 for the Crowns, allowing them to take the loss as her second preseason but first season with the team starts on a sour note.

McDonald's Pitch at Pirates Park, Atlantic: The Tridents won't get to see rookie Lize play yet as she recovers from injury, while Delila takes this preseason match off for the Pirates. Precious got Pronger going with a big turn, clobbering 705 to set a high standard early in the game. Isabella erased that damage with 723 for Atlantic on her opening turn, setting up an early battle between the long-time rivals. Zach had an unfortunate deflection cut him down at 61 for the Tridents. Steven paddled 351 for the Pirates in response, keeping them in the lead at the midway point. Spot got too much lift under an early swing on his turn, crashing out with 49 as Pronger falls dramatically off the pace set by their captain. Klaus hammered 672 for Atlantic to extend the lead even further, as the sophomore starts his season in great form. Potter took 279 for the Tridents, a decent effort, but not enough to prevent them from taking the loss. Max capped the Pirates win with 320 in a modest first appearance for the team.

Volkswagen Stadium, Viewpoint Sound: When we resume, two Coastal teams in the Select division will meet for a preseason battle. Hoppy led things off with 348 for Southern, covering a turn for the rookie Avril. Hoot struggled with only 41 for Viewpoint Sound, leaving the hosts at an early deficit in their game. Panda had a bit of a jagged turn for the Monarchs, an awkward hit at the end downing him with 156 to keep the lead modest. Nibbles didn't make any progress with only 144 for the Meteors, leaving them at a similar deficit halfway through the game. Pounce drilled 566 for Southern to extend their lead quite significantly. Vincent struggled with 155 for Viewpoint Sound in his first career appearance, deepening their deficit with a player each to go. Dominic chipped 164 for the Monarchs in his second stint debut, leaving their lead a bit vulnerable. Dani looked good with 450 for the Meteors in her first game with the team, but they still took a noticeable loss in their first of two preseason games.

Capital City SuperCenter, Capital City: Spice makes her only preseason debut with 226 for Victoria in a lead-off role after resting for their first game. Chris got half of it back with 113 for Capital City in a slow start to the game on both sides. Sage chipped in with 200 for the Spurs this time, adding a little more to their lead despite the low-scoring offense. Sprinkles made progress with 343 for the Sharpshooters, giving them a narrow lead at the midway mark. Wario had a good pace going at first for Victoria, but he fell out of rhythm and ended on just 157 to leave them vulnerable. Lorde cranked a strong 567 for Capital City on her turn, making a good case for starting in the regular season as she extends their lead. Strawberry put an emphatic attack together with 838 for the Spurs, pulling them ahead for now. Pauline rallied back with 600 for the Sharpshooters, claiming the victory over their regional rivals from the Select tier.

Nike Field, Commerce: The two Urban regional rivals meet, as the Knights get their last tune-up of the season in this meeting. Kiwi produced quite well with 543 for Terrace City at the start of this game, looking like her usual self. Tigerette suffered an unfortunate deflection to bring her turn abruptly to its end at 84 points for Commerce. Jennifer did even better with 640 for the Knights on her turn, lifting them to impressive heights already. Taylor had a solid first outing with the Tradewinds, slapping 399 to mitigate the damage against them. Oreo batted 208 for Terrace City, mostly just making small additions to the lead at this late stage. Lionel hammered 529 for Commerce, making a bit of progress against the deficit. Quincy got stuck in a position to backhand for the Knights, ending his turn at 36 and potentially leaving the team vulnerable. Rosemary had a mild 113 for the Tradewinds at the end, leaving them to take a tough loss in their first preseason game.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: These Northeastern rivals tangle in each team's first of two preseason clashes. Puff III took the first swings of Everton's title defense as Goldy takes the game off, and Puff III had 536 to begin the game in good form. Shadow also took a game off, leaving Ted to hit 148 in the opening turn for Web City, giving them an early deficit. Cleo had a good pace going before a long swing ended her turn at 192 for the Eagles in her return to the league after a year away. Sugar pulled back with 456 for the Spiders in the first appearance of her second stint with the team. Kirstin weakened the Everton lead on her turn, scraping together 196 this time. Jack made a great impression with 637 for Web City, covering the deficit quite nicely with a player each to go. Blizzard restored the Eagles lead with 792 on her turn, a bold performance from the burgeoning superstar. Shiny sliced a decent 415 for the Spiders, but it appears they will take the loss this time after a slow start.

Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The Swifts meet the Flames, in the former's only preseason game and the latter's second of three, all on the road. Crystal hit the ball well, but she got out of position late and ended on 270 for Queens after a slow fade. Puff II, covering the lead-off role for the resting captain Patches, responded with 505 for Boston to give them the early lead. Violetta answered that with 602 for the Flames, reclaiming the lead with a bit more authority. Gradley countered with 407 for the Swifts, weakening the lead a bit at the midway mark. Briana suffered a tough deflection that sent a ball backward and out of play, scoring just 147 for Queens. Sweetheart flipped 512 for Boston in a strong response, strengthening their lead as the final players come to bat. Hannah looked strong with 458 for the Flames, even though it likely won't prevent them from taking the loss. Ice Cream kept things steady with 432, leaving the Swifts with a win and a tough decision for the first game of the season.

McDonald's Pitch at Pirates Park, Atlantic: This segment of preseason action ends in the Eastern Hills, with both of these teams playing their last preseason games. Rosalina began with only 64 for Diamond in her new lead-off role, a weak start from the sophomore sensation. Isabella missed her swing and popped a ball high to end on 53 for Atlantic at the start of the game in another start in place of Delila. Pedey had only 69 for the Gems in an unfamiliar role of batting second, keeping the game low-scoring. Steven picked up the pace at first, but crashed out quickly to end on 231 for the Pirates. Smokey didn't adjust to his new role with Diamond very well either, taking just 105 as they remain behind through a difficult game. Klaus smashed 932 for Atlantic in response, likely assuring them of the win with his confident performance. Cassandra buckled at 226 for the Gems, confirming a brutal loss to their regional rivals. Max had a weak 49 for the Pirates to ice their win, but the effort will likely see him start the season on the bench.

There will be more preseason cricket on the way in the coming days.

Heart of the Game Cutthroat 2017 - Round 2 Day 6

We've got another four-series day on tap this time, beginning with...

Patches v. Kiwi v. Nightfur at Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston. Patches did well to take the lows early, while Nightfur supplemented the attack with the highs. Patches did more damage on her second turn, but nearly fell out of the game thanks to Nightfur, who scratched. Kiwi took Nightfur out on the next opportunity, but Patches picked up the win, her first of the series. Kiwi had much more of a constructive impact in game 2, taking the mediums by choice this time. Patches had a seven-ball run on her second turn to push the game forward, but after a stagnant defensive effort from Nightfur, Kiwi took the win on a three-ball run-out, with Patches taking second place. Patches stormed back to dominance in game 3, with a five-ball run on her first turn matched by a five-ball run-out with collateral damage on her second turn for her second win. Kiwi claimed a point by taking the lows, but her resistance was short-lived. Game 4 saw Patches start slow, opening the door for Kiwi and Nightfur to make an impact. They took the highs and the mediums, respectively, only to fall to a five-ball run by Patches. Both stayed alive, and Kiwi made a small push before a four-ball run-out from Nightfur snagged her a win, her first of the series. Patches took the mediums again in game 5, and used them to great effect in challenging Kiwi's highs. Patches and Nightfur managed to work together to weaken Kiwi, who replied with a three-ball run that bumped Nightfur from the game and nearly took out Patches. Patches then made a three-ball run-out for the win, her third of the series. Kiwi took and defended the lows well in game 6, especially against Patches' highs. Nightfur scraped a point out of the series, as Kiwi elected to knock out Patches first on her three-ball run-out for her second win. Kiwi started with a five-ball run in game 7, making a huge impression. Nightfur flubbed her first shot, allowing Patches to take the mediums to counter Kiwi's highs. Nightfur would take Patches out on her second turn, but soon fell to Kiwi, who had much more strength in earning her third win of the series. Nightfur fired a massive performance in game 8, an eleven-ball run on her first followed by a point-splitting tap-in on the 2 on her second turn as neither Kiwi nor Patches could make one of Nightfur's remaining mediums after her collateral damage plays. Nightfur picked up her second win of the series. Nightfur did well to take the highs at first in game 9, while Kiwi made the interesting choice to defend a weakened lows set. Patches attacked with a five-ball run to endanger both of her opponents, but Kiwi would prevail at the end with a four-ball run-out that saw Nightfur fall on the first short before a bunch of cuts stalled Patches. Kiwi took her fourth win of the series. Patches had a good attack in game 10 to take the mediums, but Nightfur went on a five-ball run that knocked Kiwi from the game and left Patches in a close battle. Nightfur won in the end, good for her third win in the series. Nightfur used a similar recipe to succeed in game 11, going empty on the break and allowing Patches to claim the mediums before slicing a huge six-ball run that took out Kiwi's lows and left Patches with few good shots. Nightfur would win two turns later, her fourth victory in the series, as things get close to finishing. Patches managed to save the series for one more game, winning game 12 on a six-ball run-out on her second turn. Nightfur had taken the highs, and Patches was stuck with a weak medium set, but she beat Nightfur on four straight shots before adding two more against Kiwi to earn her fourth win. Patches set the tone in defense of the lows in game 13, but Nightfur did a lot of damage to her. Patches had a decent counterattack, leaving Kiwi a chance to win, but she too failed. Nightfur took out Patches and Kiwi on consecutive shots for the win, and the right to advance to the third round.

Potter v. Hoppy v. Sydney Sierota at Ford Forum, Pronger. Hoppy did well to pick up the highs early in game 1, but Sydney followed up with an attack in defense of the mediums. Potter's lows didn't make it through the second turns, and Sydney beat Hoppy later on a long spinning cut on the 15 that came back to make the 8-11 combination at the top right for her first win. Game 2 saw Sydney take an early exit as she tried to defend a tortured mediums set. Potter went on a seven-ball run to take Sydney out and leave Hoppy with just one high left, but Hoppy won on a three-ball run-out for her first win of the series. Potter broke out of his series-long slump in game 3, surviving an early scare to defend the mediums successfully. Potter won on a seven-ball run-out on his second turn, beating Hoppy first before offing Sydney on the last shot for his first win. Sydney emerged from game 4 in a big way with an eleven-ball run-out that started humbly and ended with great fortune. Sydney's push resulted in Potter and Hoppy splitting a point as she won her second game. Potter kept his attack strong in game 5, working a quick run to weaken his opponents. They struggled to strike back, and Hoppy had a scratch to buy them some time, but it just led to her being knocked out first before Potter turned on Sydney to grab his second win. Potter continued the attack in game 6, choosing to defend the highs. Sydney followed up to take the lows, but Hoppy had a five-ball run, answered by a five-ball run-out from Potter on his second turn for his third win. Sydney was lucky that Potter gifted the second place point to her despite her poor performance in the game. Potter and Sydney kept their current arrangement going in game 7, as she did a small amount of damage sandwiched between two major runs from the host. Hoppy again found herself first out, and Potter closed his five-ball run-out against Sydney for his fourth win of the series. Sydney undid most of her positive play in game 8 with a pair of scratches. The latter made it nearly impossible for her to win, as Hoppy and Potter protected each other and took her out first. Hoppy got the final edge on a bank of the 14 to the top side to earn her second win in the series. Potter and Sydney managed to push Hoppy out of game 9 rather quickly. Potter did it on a five-ball run, which Sydney answered with a three-ball run before falling to Potter's three-ball run-out as he took the series on his fifth win.

Ms. Puppy v. Mams v. Shawn at Google Hall, Modernistic. Mams had the biggest push in a sloppy game 1, working to take out Ms. Puppy early on. Shawn launched a counterattack, but set up his own demise as Mams deflected a shot off of her own 10 before banking the last ball in for her first win. Game 2 saw Mams go unchallenged on her first two turns, but her selection of the lows was a questionable choice quickly punished by Ms. Puppy as she defended the highs. Shawn fired back against Ms. Puppy after the latter's seven-ball run, pushing her to the edge before winning a turn later. Shawn got his first win in the series. Ms. Puppy started with a four-ball run on the first turn of game 3, and she added on a turn later, but she stalled out here and was the first player out when Shawn hit a five-ball run. Mams countered quite well, besting Shawn at the end for her second win of the series. Shawn shot back in game 4 with a big eight-ball run to set the tone of the game, but Ms. Puppy erupted at the end for a six-ball run-out, resulting in her first win of the series with a quick game. Ms. Puppy and Shawn battled hard again in game 5, quickly eliminating Mams' highs from the table before engaging in a defensive stalemate until Ms. Puppy prevailed for her second win of the series. Shawn struggled at first after Ms. Puppy took highs to start game 6, but recovered later to knock the host out on a six-ball run. With the advantage, Shawn played a bit looser, and Mams made him pay for it, taking her third win of the series after Shawn's late missed contact. Shawn continued to settle for good and not great play, attacking well in defense of the highs before Mams put everyone on edge. Late in the game, Shawn had a scratch, a take-out play on Mams, and a lazy final turn before Ms. Puppy stepped up for her third win of the series. Ms. Puppy kept the momentum going in a crazy, twisting game 8, which saw scratches from both Ms. Puppy and Mams late in the game. Shawn would take out Mams for good, but Ms. Puppy soon bested him for her fourth win in the series. Ms. Puppy looked to keep it going with a five-ball run to open game 9, but Shawn challenged her immediately, and Mams also put up a supporting run. Shawn would get his second win of the series on his next turn, beating Ms. Puppy for the victory. Shawn put up a nice effort early in game 10, and helped Ms. Puppy to take out Mams very quickly. The head-to-head duel between Ms. Puppy and Shawn took much longer, with Shawn eventually prevailing for his third win unscathed. Shawn kept the resurgence going in game 11, again working a short run from the break. Mams charged back on an eight-ball run this time, taking Ms. Puppy out of the game before succumbing to Shawn in the end, as the latter player earned his fourth win. Mams put her all into game 12, picking up a nice four-ball run on the break before another six-ball run-out in the end, leaving Shawn for last to give him another point. Mams kept herself on the right track at the start of game 13, leaving Shawn in a rough position. Ms. Puppy didn't help, but she found herself out first when Shawn counterattacked on his second turn. Mams still got the critical fifth win, leaving Shawn in an impossible position to win from.

Nikolai v. B. Chapman v. Neopolitan at Toyota Arena, Freedom. Game 1 stayed remarkably close throughout, although Chapman's ability to claim the lows early helped her later. Nikolai had a four-ball run to defend the weakened mediums, and he would take second to Chapman, who won on a four-ball run-out of her own for her first victory. Nikolai and Neopolitan had the better of the play in game 2, although it was a scratch by Chapman to end one of her better runs that determined the game. Chapman's scratch took herself out, and left Neopolitan to make a three-ball run-out for her first win of the series. Game 3 saw Nikolai set the tone in defense of the highs after a slow start. Neopolitan would grab the lows, and they combined to get Chapman out of the game on the third turn. Neopolitan then cut Nikolai's last ball in a turn later for her second win of the series. Game 4 began with a strong push from Nikolai on his first two turns to protect the mediums. Chapman had the highs, and she went on a three-ball run after that to bump Neopolitan before falling short of Nikolai, who offed her with a single shot for his first win in the series. Neopolitan claimed the highs early in game 5, but a scratch set her back a bit. Neopolitan played subdued for the middle part of the game, watching as Chapman successfully topped Nikolai, and then Neopolitan burst forward to get the win, her third in the series. Game 6 went a bit slower than the average game in the series, as Chapman couldn't support her opening run. Nikolai put quite a dent in her success, but she managed to hang on, taking out Neopolitan and Nikolai with a three-ball run-out for her second win. Chapman started game 7 on a four-ball run, and Neopolitan followed with a six-ball run. Nikolai had a chance for some big plays, but Chapman would go on a three-ball run-out after Nikolai missed his second shot. Chapman has three wins, and Neopolitan got the point for second place. Chapman and Neopolitan continued to push each other with nice runs in game 8. Chapman opened with a modest run, and Neopolitan answered it on her second turn, going on a six-ball run-out to snag her fourth win of the series. Game 9 saw Nikolai bring things to an untimely end, as his scratch late in the game allowed Neopolitan to improbably but successfully bank the 10 to the bottom left before drilling Chapman's 8 to the bottom right for her fifth win. Neopolitan heads to the third round.

That's all for today. Due to unseen circumstances, we are likely moving the round 2 finale to Sunday, and doing preseason cricket tomorrow in its place.

Heart of the Game Cutthroat 2017 - Round 2 Day 5

We're back for another four series today, beginning with...

Bryant v. Precious v. Mario at UPS Hall, Maplewood. Precious stayed reserved early in game 1, letting Bryant take the mediums and Mario claim the lows before striking on a seven-ball run. This took Mario out, but she had to beat Bryant a turn later after they each missed. Precious has her first win of the series. Precious had a slow start again in game 2, and Bryant and Mario didn't give her space for a big run. Instead, Bryant took her out late in the game before falling to Mario after his collateral damage play backfired on him. Mario has his first win of the series. Game 3 began with a nice run from Bryant as he again claimed the mediums. Precious then took the lows, and while Mario had one turn in defense of the highs, Bryant quickly offed him. Precious nearly got Bryant back on a three-ball run, but Bryant responded with a three-ball run-out for his first win. Bryant and Precious seem to have made a loose agreement as of game 4, as they both worked on getting Mario out of action before turning on each other. Bryant had the late surge, but he came up short this time, with Precious making the last shot for her second win. Bryant took the lows early in game 5, but Precious turned on him with a deep run on her second turn, claiming the mediums. None of it mattered in the end, as Mario beat them both on a six-ball run-out, ousting Bryant two shots before Precious for his second win of the series. Mario set the tone by taking the lows early in game 6, followed by Precious with the mediums. Both of them had decent runs, but a bit too much against each other, as Mario stormed back with a five-ball run-out on his second turn, again taking out Bryant first in his third win. Bryant had a good surge in a rough game 7. He protected the lows fairly well for most of the game, but his final run saw him take out Mario before a photo finish where his 3 fell just before Precious' 9. Therefore, Precious got the win, and Bryant took second place, the win being Precious' third of the series. Mario didn't gain control of game 8 readily, struggling to keep his last low on the table after Bryant's vicious attack. Bryant had a chance to get the win, but he scratched, and he would be the first one out thanks to Mario's three-ball run. Precious almost stole the win away, but Mario knocked her out a turn later for his fourth win. Precious kept herself in the series with a dominant effort in game 9. She took the mediums, and then watched as Bryant fumbled his chance to claim the lows. Instead, Mario took them, which ended up backfiring on him as Precious made a seven-ball run-out with collateral damage that gave Bryant second place in her fourth win of the series. Game 10 went very smoothly for Precious, as she made an opening run of five balls and a closing run of three without taking much damage in between. Mario took the second place point, but Precious will head into the third round after this fifth win.

Kirstin v. Wario v. Wings at Chevrolet Center, Everton. Kirstin had a forgettable start to the series, as Wario's five-ball run and Wings' run to claim the lows left her mediums devastated. Wings then brought the game to a close with a run at the end, knocking Kirstin and Wario out for his first win of the series. Wings had a nice run at the start of game 2, and Wario followed up to take the lows after Wings claimed the highs. Neither player was prepared for such an abrupt loss, as Kirstin rushed forward with an eight-ball run-out for her first win, including one late piece of collateral damage before she beat Wings. Game 3 saw a balanced performance on all sides. Wings had a hot start, but Kirstin picked up pace in the middle, and Wario brought the game to a rapid close with a four-ball run-out to beat Wings and then Kirstin for his first win. Game 4 saw empty performance on everyone's first turns, but Wario cranked a five-ball run on his second turn, followed by a four-ball run by Kirstin and another four-ball run from Wings that put Wario out of the game. Kirstin then tapped in Wings' last ball to earn her second win of the series. Kirstin assembled a seven-ball run on her second turn of game 5, combating Wario's early push in defense of the mediums. Kirstin's run took Wings out of the game, and Wario countered on a three-ball run, but he failed on the fourth shot, and Kirstin buried his 9 for her third win. Wings got badly outplayed in game 6, but a late five-ball run from Kirstin leveled the playing field, and while Wario knocked Kirstin out, he couldn't beat Wings, who made a lucky shot on the 13 to take his second win of the series. Wings showed up with a bit more intensity in game 7, guarding the lows fairly well. A scratch by Kirstin after one of her runs allowed Wings to take over, and while he started the run with collateral damage, he ended with his third win on a six-ball run-out, with Kirstin earning the second place point. Wings struggled a bit, scratching on the break in game 8. Kirstin claimed the lows with a four-ball run after that, and Wario took the highs on his turn. Wings did alright on his second turn, but Kirstin unleashed a five-ball run-out for her fourth win of the series, and Wario got the point for second place. Wings woke up again with a seven-ball run in game 9, weakening both of his opponents, but Wario would take him out before Kirstin poked in Wario's 12 for her fifth win to advance to the third round.

Nibbles v. Starlight v. Chris at Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound. Starlight had the first run in the game, making six balls in a row with a little collateral damage. Chris followed up with a short run, but he couldn't hang on in the end, as a five-ball run-out from Nibbles took Chris down just before Starlight. Nibbles picked up his first win in the series. Nibbles had a similar start in game 2, with Starlight stepping in to claim the highs on a three-ball run followed by Chris taking the lows on a five-ball run. Nibbles countered a bit late, but Starlight beat Chris and Nibbles with a four-ball run-out for her first win of the series. Starlight ripped a six-ball run from the break of game 3, but the game slowed down, an unfavorable pace for the energetic star player. Chris and Nibbles ground their way to a successful outing, and Chris took the win on a pair of shots at the end, besting Starlight on the last shot for his first win. Starlight had a four-ball run early in game 4, giving herself some leverage with the lows, but after a couple of hangers-on, Chris emerged with a win on a six-ball run-out, with Nibbles getting second place this time. The win was Chris' second. Chris and Nibbles had a quick battle in game 5, with Chris cranking two mediums on the break. Nibbles followed on a seven-ball run to take Starlight out, and while Chris had a chance to counterattack, he failed, and Nibbles won with collateral damage on a pair of shots on his second turn. Nibbles has two wins in the series. Game 6 didn't feature any dominance, but a couple of scratches brought Starlight to frustration. She would end up being the first one out, as Chris had a late breakthrough to win on a six-ball run-out, earning his third victory. Chris didn't have his best performance in game 7, but he was definitely better than Starlight. Nibbles made sure of that with a late five-ball run in defense of the highs, but he couldn't make Chris' 9, and Chris took a pair of shots at the end for his fourth win of the series. Nibbles again took Starlight out of game 8 in quick fashion, choosing to battle head-to-head with Chris. This didn't work out for Nibbles, as Chris made the last pair of shots for his fifth win, punching his ticket to the third round.

Daisy v. Steven v. Dreamy at Google Hall, Modernistic. Steven stole the show in game 1, making a ten-ball run-out after Daisy couldn't get anything from the break. Steven orchestrated the performance very delicately, and picked up his first win with a wonderful and clean performance. Game 2 saw some bitterness between Steven and Daisy as they guarded the lows and highs respectively. The combined efforts of the two of them led Dreamy to slipping under the radar until she knocked out Daisy, and beat Steven a turn later for her first win of the series. Steven cracked out another big run in game 3, this time on his second turn after Daisy selected the mediums to combat his highs. Dreamy had an unproductive second turn, leaving Steven to win on an eight-ball run-out for his second victory. Daisy got a break from being relentlessly attacked in game 4, instead launching most of the offense herself. Daisy made sure to pummel the highs at her first opportunity, while Dreamy ultimately knocked Steven from the game. Daisy then beat Dreamy one-on-one for her first win of the series. Daisy scratched on the break in game 5, ruining any chance of getting a jump on her opponents. Steven and Dreamy combined with force to keep her down, pitting her with the mediums. Steven would knock her out as he attacked the lows, but Dreamy took the win, her second, a couple of turns later. Dreamy knocked an eight-ball run from the break in game 6, including collateral damage, but the speculative play failed her. Steven responded on a five-ball run-out, bumping Dreamy down to third and gifting the second place point to Daisy as he took his third win. Steven had another binge run in game 7, an eight-ball epic that wiped Daisy out of the game after her misguided selection of highs. Steven couldn't make Dreamy's last medium, and she shot back for her third win with a three-ball run-out to keep the series close. Daisy decided to poke into the series again with a win in game 8. Her second victory came as she and Steven combined to take Daisy out of the game with their various runs. Daisy then bested Steven by giving him an unwinnable situation, good enough to get herself back on track for now. Steven took the highs in game 9, and he did so on a five-ball run. Dreamy replied with a short run to take the lows, and then used a seven-ball run-out on her second turn to get the win, her fourth of the series, giving her an inside edge in the late stages here. Steven chose to defend the mediums, and got a huge boost at the start with his five-ball run. Daisy selected the highs, and guarded them well, earning herself a point as Dreamy was bumped from the game first. Daisy had a chance to get the win, but she missed her shot, and Steven made his to take his fourth win. Steven started with a five-ball run again in game 11, taking the highs, and when Dreamy and Daisy couldn't slow him down, he won on a four-ball run-out, giving Daisy another point after bumping Daisy early. Steven won his fifth game to earn passage for a rematch in the third round.

Reminder: no games tomorrow, then four series on Friday and three more on Saturday to close out the round. Sunday will be an off-day for administrative purposes, and then we should finish this preseason adventure a week from today.