Clubs often don't get much recognition in the league, but these fraternal units bring players of similar heritage together in a closer way than the teams often do. This year, eight of the nine clubs compete for the Clan Cup on teams of five. The games take place from Pepsi Arena in Lighton. Some questions exist: Will Reality go back-to-back in Clan Cups as they have in President's Cups? Can they complete the treble for the second year in a row, after also taking the Club Cricket Challenge for a second year running? Can Youth Movement or Brute Force deal with having to dig deep to construct their roster? How about the other clubs, who didn't post a winning record in the course of play. The series will be eight games each, with a tiebreaker if necessary. Determined by a coin flip, the tiebreaker would be either left-handed 8-ball (exactly what it says on the tin) or Quidditch Rules 10-ball, which is played like 9-ball, save for the instant win feature, until the 7 is potted, at which time the 10 is spotted on the foot spot. With that, we lead off with...
Solid Core holding breaking rights over Humanity-. In 7-ball, Shadow opposes Lorde. Shadow gave Solid Core a 1-0 series lead, battling cleanly with Humanity-'s Lorde as they exchanged three-ball runs early on. They both missed on the 7, but Shadow made it the second time for the win. Leonette is against Cassandra in 8-ball, and this saw Leonette fail to really establish herself, allowing Cassandra to charge with a four-ball run at one point. Cassandra navigated Leonette's weak defenses, and got the win to tie the series at 1 for Humanity-. We're back to Shadow and Lorde in 9-ball, and the two players battled closely in this tussle as well, but Lorde emerged with the win when she completed a three-ball run-out, pulling Humanity- ahead of Solid Core 2-1 in the series. For 10-ball, Sweetheart matches up with Kelly. Sweetheart showed quite a bit of rust in her first game since the second round of the A-level tournament, but even a three-ball run from Kelly couldn't prevent Sweetheart from swooping in at the end to make two balls and win, tying the series again at 2 for Solid Core. For 12-ball, the players are Misty and Amber. Misty started off well, claiming a suit and making some shots, but she got generous and gave away two wild card balls, making it much easier for Amber to pull back into the game with the added flexibility. Amber would get the win by going behind Misty's defense, giving Humanity- a 3-2 series lead. Crystal matches with Shawn for Rotation. Shawn started off well but faltered after Crystal assembled a three-ball run to take the lead with a double-pot of the 11 and 4 to the bottom right. Crystal kept her pace strong and won 8-4, once again tying the series at 3 for Solid Core. Crystal stays on to play 15-ball against Kelly. The game started with an iffy break from Crystal, resulting in many illegal contact fouls. The end was much more spectacular, as Kelly won with a kick on the 15 to pot it in the bottom right, giving Humanity- the 4-3 series lead and the last edge toward advancement. Leonette will try to keep Solid Core alive in Accuracy, going against Amber. Amber had two big misses right at the start, and that proved critical, as Leonette took an easy 3-6 win, tying the series at 4 for Solid Core and forcing a tiebreaker to be conducted. Sweetheart and Cassandra were selected to participate in the deciding game. This extra game was left-handed 8-ball, and it took some time for the players to get comfortable. Cassandra did score a four-ball run before scratching, and Sweetheart was getting into gear before she missed the 14 and hit the 15 into the 8, which was potted. Humanity- won 5-4 with the fluke play, and they advance into the semifinals.
The second series is Brute Force against Delila Enterprises. Midnight leads off against Americus in 7-ball. Brute Force's Midnight got them off to a good start despite a shaky look in her appearance. Midnight made the 7 by deflecting the cue lightly off the 3 to drive it to the top right, leaving Delila Enterprises' Americus without much to work with as Brute Force leads 1-0 in the series. Rainmane, a former Delila Enterprises player, draws Max for 8-ball. Game 2 played out with a defensive tilt, as the 8 protected a cluster around the top right from the pocket. Eventually, Max dug the 10 out and broke the cluster, and Rainmane replied with three balls over her last two turns to steal the win and put Brute Force up 2-0. Max will stay up, but his new opponent for 9-ball is Brute Force's Midnight. Midnight had a dominant share of possession thanks to a four-ball run, but her miss on the 9, leaving it short at the top left, breathed life into Delila Enterprises when Max made it to cut the series to 2-1. Nightfur and Snuggle go at it for 10-ball, with Nightfur another former Delila Enterprises player representing Brute Force in its reboot year. Nightfur seemed to be the better player in the game, as Snuggle struggled to obtain any momentum, and his last chance was squandered with a bad bank attempt on the 9. Nightfur made the last two balls to lift Brute Force ahead 3-1 in the series. For 12-ball, Bright and Precious are the players, and the game saw a controversial ending. Precious fired her 14 in off the 2 to the top side, but Bright thought it was illegally potted and took the ball in his hand. The disruption of the playing surface after a legal shot gave Delila Enterprises' Precious ball-in-hand to continue her three-ball run-out, grabbing the win and making it 3-2 in the series after an odd win. For Rotation, Juno and Snuggle battle it out as prominent leaders in a pivotal game. Snuggle built up a nice lead and nearly lost it all, but Juno had a five-ball run reduced with a scratch. Snuggle missed the winning 13 the first time around, but Juno also missed it, and Snuggle made it the second time for the 8-5 win, tying the series at 3 with his win for Delila Enterprises. Juno stays on for Brute Force, trying her hand against Ruby of Delila Enterprises. Juno had a really good late effort, double-potting the 8 to the top side and 12 to the bottom right, but her miss on the 11 at the top side allowed Ruby to ignite for a four-ball run-out, highlighted by the Delila Enterprises star banking the 14 away from the 15 and into the top left while getting position to pot the 15. Delila Enterprises leads 4-3 going into the final regulation game. Rainmane and Precious are called on for the Accuracy game. Rainmane did what she had to, earning Brute Force the tying victory by a 2-4 score as Precious faltered a couple of times late in the game to give it away. With the series tied at 4, the tiebreaker players are Nightfur for Brute Force and Ruby for Delila Enterprises. The tiebreaker was Quidditch Rules 10-ball, and Nightfur didn't do well at all at the start, scratching on the break. Ruby had a five-ball run, and her next turn netted a three-ball run before she missed the 9. Nightfur made it, but rattled the 10 out, and Ruby struck the 10 to the top left from distance, winning and sending Delila Enterprises through on a 5-4 series win to reach the semifinals.
For the third series, Youth Movement meets Empyre. Ice Cream and Dusky will handle 7-ball to open things up. Empyre's Dusky ended up with the 7-ball win in a pitiful game that saw her and Youth Movement's Ice Cream miss more than they made. Empyre has a far from comfortable 1-0 series lead. Sprinkles and Tigerette played in 8-ball, with the game playing out pretty tightly until the end, as Tigerette surged ahead on a five-ball run-out, taking the win and a 2-0 series lead for Empyre. Youth Movement sent Ice Cream back on for 9-ball against Empyre's Jake. Ice Cream certainly didn't have the better of play in this appearance, but Jake collapsed late in the game, and ultimately missed his attempt on the 9 with a kick shot, leaving Ice Cream to take it from short range and put Youth Movement on the board in a 2-1 series. Jake has little time to ponder his mistakes, as Twinkie III is in to break 10-ball. Once again, Jake did everything but win, assembling a six-ball run on his final turn before ending in a scratch to give Twinkie III ball-in-hand on the 10, which she made. The series is brand new now that it's tied at 2. Sprinkles and Marsell will contest 12-ball. Sprinkles gave a wild card ball at the start of the game, allowing Marsell some flexibility as he answered her three-ball run with a four-ball run. However, Marsell couldn't get his last ball in position, and Sprinkles had quickly set herself up, needing only two turns to pot her final ball for the win, lifting Youth Movement up 3-2 in the series. Neopolitan and Cubby will have the next two games, squaring off for both Rotation and 15-ball. Neopolitan's break wasn't that good, and this made it a long and tedious game. Cubby eventually emerged with a nice finish to gain the 8-3 win and retie the series at 3 for Empyre. Had it been the 15-ball game, it would have been over quickly. Instead, a quick-paced 15-ball game saw Neopolitan shoot honorably at the 5 from ball-in-hand, avoiding going for the combination on the 15. She thought good karma would come around, and she did indeed dominate the rest of the game, but her miss on the 15 allowed Cubby to tap it in at the bottom left, giving Empyre the inside lane with a 4-3 series lead. Valencia and Dusky get the nods for Accuracy, with the Youth Movement star needing to win to keep her team alive. Valencia couldn't get the win they needed, as Dusky came up big this time, winning 1-2, with Valencia missing a chance to bury Dusky deep after Dusky's only miss. Empyre took the series 5-3, and will do battle with Delila Enterprises in the semifinals.
Finally, Reality comes in to play Humanity+ in the final series of the quarterfinals. Puff I and J. Garcia make the 7-ball starts. The shooting was a bit iffy at times, but Reality's Puff I locked in when she needed to, grabbing a win with a three-ball run-out to down Garcia to give Reality the 1-0 series lead. Starlight and B. Chapman draw the 8-ball appearances, with Starlight putting up two four-ball runs, between which Chapman had a decent run of her own but not enough to avoid Starlight's savvy shooting on the latter run that earned her the win and gave Reality a 2-0 series lead. Puff I is back for 9-ball, opposing Gabe this time. The 5 proved troublesome in this game, and it was the last ball before the 9, so when Gabe missed contact and then Puff I couldn't pot it from ball-in-hand, tensions rose. Gabe missed it again, and Puff I finally ended the game to give Reality the win and 3-0 series lead. Sugar and A. Charlton meet for 10-ball now. Charlton overcame the bulk of possession that Sugar used well early in the game, as Charlton closed with a three-ball run-out to get Humanity+ a much needed win, cutting the series to 3-1. Starlight and Chapman meet again for their 12-ball series, as Humanity+ is still in deep trouble. The game featured Starlight breaking out for a five-ball run from the break and Chapman answering on a four-ball run late before stagnation and poor shooting took over. Eventually, Starlight made her last ball, helping Reality to a 4-1 series lead. For Rotation, Dusty faces off with Charlton, and Humanity+ is in must-win mode for the rest of the time. Charlton did her part for Humanity+ beating a rusty and lazy Dusty by an 8-2 score in the game to make it 4-2 in the series. For 15-ball, Dusty will try again, with Garcia opposing her this time. Dusty failed Reality again, leaving Garcia open to cut the 3-15 combination to the top right for a quick end, and Humanity+ has pulled as close as being behind 4-3. Missy and Paige get the nods for Accuracy, with everything on the line for Humanity+. Paige held on after she fell behind late in the game, and then forced Missy to miss on her last shot of regulation time. Paige made it, and Missy played well early in overtime before a scratch did her in for a 2-3 Paige win, tying the series at 4. The same players were called on for the tiebreaker, which was left-handed 8-ball. The shots were surprisingly good this time around, with each player making a combination (intent or not, it's tough to do with the weak hand). In the end, it was close, but Paige got greedy with position. She made her last ball, but made the 8 on the same shot with a bit too much power, and Missy got the win for Reality, taking the series 5-4 in the most narrow way possible. Reality will try to off the other Humanity side, the Humanity- team, in the semifinals.
For the first semifinals, Delila Enterprises and Empyre are shooting. Americus and Dusky will handle the 7-ball duties. Americus of Delila Enterprises made quick work of Empyre's Dusky in this appearance, dominating possession and icing the game with a three-ball run-out after Dusky missed contact, giving Delila Enterprises a 1-0 series lead. Max and Tigerette are up for 8-ball. Tigerette had a nice five-ball run cut down by her scratch, and this killed the momentum she had built up, allowing Max to do a three-ball run and then make the 8 on his next shot for the win and a 2-0 series lead for Delila Enterprises. Max stays on to play Jake in 9-ball. Max did very well in this appearance, capitalizing on Jake's missed contact with the 2 by potting it from ball-in-hand and then making a glancing bank combination, 3-9, to the top right for the win to put Delila Enterprises up 3-0 in the series. Snuggle is in for Delila Enterprises, while Jake remains for Empyre. Jake got one back with a gritty performance in 10-ball, getting the win after leaving the 10 at the top left and watching himself and Snuggle take pot-shots at it. Jake finally buried it with a 9-10 combination double-pot to end the game, making it 3-1 in the series that still favors Delila Enterprises. For 12-ball, the players are Precious and Marsell. This game featured a couple of wild card balls given away early on, although Precious promptly returned hers to the table. This ultimately was costly, as Marsell got into a favorable position he might not have otherwise had on his winning shot, giving Empyre another boost as the series is cut to 3-2. Snuggle returns to action, opposing Cubby in Rotation in a pivotal game. Cubby rode a sloppy wave of momentum in Rotation, eventually picking his way to victory as Snuggle proved inefficient in his efforts. Cubby's 8-2 win tied the series at 3. Ruby will step in for Delila Enterprises as she battled Cubby in 15-ball in the tied series. This game went at a stronger pace, driven by Ruby's stronger play on the ball. In the end, Ruby and Cubby exchanged short runs evenly until Cubby missed on the 15 to the bottom side and Ruby knocked it into the top left for the win, putting Delila Enterprises back on top 4-3 in the series. Precious and Dusky will try their hands at Accuracy to see if there will be overtime or if Delila Enterprises will advance. Precious hardly received a challenge at all, as Dusky missed her first five shots en route to a 2-6 loss to Precious. The win gave Delila Enterprises a 5-3 series win, and they are in the Clan Cup Finals. This isn't totally unpredictable, as they had surged late in the tournament season.
On the other semifinal series, Reality matches with Humanity-. Puff I and Lorde handle the duties in 7-ball to lead things off. Neither player managed to take control of the game, so it went back and forth until Lorde potted the 7 and gave Humanity- an improbable 1-0 series lead over Reality. Starlight battles Cassandra for 8-ball, with Cassandra nearly shutting out Starlight before getting shut down multiple times on the 8, and Starlight rallied all the way back with a three-ball and four-ball run on consecutive turns to pull even before making the 8. This tied the series at 1. Puff I and Lorde come back for their 9-ball game. Puff I got her revenge this time, watching Lorde scratch as she sank the 9, which allowed Puff I to work from ball-in-hand to make the last two shots for the win. Reality has a 2-1 series lead, but Humanity- won't back down easily. For 10-ball, Sugar breaks against Kelly. Sugar had a highlight reel shot when she swerved the cue around the 9 to strike the 5 into the top left. While it was the most impressive shot of the game, it wasn't a winner, as Kelly made the 8 and 10 to the bottom and top right corners in a double-pot to get the win, making it a tied series again, standing at 2-all. Starlight returns to the table against Amber for a critical 12-ball match. Starlight burst out with a five-ball run on her second turn, setting the tone. Amber very nearly caught up, but Starlight nearly won until a scratch invalidated her shot. Amber banked the 6 to the bottom left from the kitchen, a mighty task, but missed on the 5. Starlight set up the 15, the spotted ball from her scratch, at the bottom left, and Amber did the rest, knocking it in accidentally as she missed on the 5 again. Starlight's gifted (but would have been earned) win puts Reality ahead again 3-2 in the series. Dusty and Shawn draw the Rotation bids. Dusty couldn't gain much traction after serving up a bad break, and Shawn held the lead for most of the game. Dusty did pull even at one point, but her scratch shortly after allowed Shawn to make the winning shot a few shots later, winning 8-5 to retie the series at 3. Dusty stays at the table, going against Kelly in 15-ball. Dusty preferred to do her work in runs, while Kelly was a bit more chippy and went for crazy shooting, twice navigating out of defense Dusty left her in. Dusty failed to do the same, missing on the 15 after Kelly left her on the jaws of a pocket. Kelly replied with a good cut to get the win, giving Humanity- the 4-3 series lead with the hopes of an upset glittering in their eyes. Missy and Amber will play in Accuracy to determine the fate of the series. In the game, Missy scratched on the break, but the two stayed fairly even until Missy induced a miss by Amber on the last ball to win 3-4, tying the series at 4 and forcing a tiebreaker. Missy stayed up at the table, putting Reality's fate in her hands against Shawn of Humanity- in Quidditch Rules 10-ball. Missy seemed to control the pace of play, barely letting Shawn get any shots off. When he did, his accuracy was poor. Missy made a late three-ball run but missed on the 9. Shawn missed contact with the 9, and that was it, as Missy made the last two balls to send Reality through on a 5-4 series win, heading into the Clan Cup Finals.
The last series has Reality against Delila Enterprises in a battle of best against hottest. Puff I once again comes in for 7-ball for Reality against Americus of Delila Enterprises. Reality's Puff I had the game under control until a scratch after making the 5 gave Delila Enterprises' Americus ball-in-hand for the last two shots, which she made to win and give her side a 1-0 series lead. Starlight and Max are the next ones up, playing 8-ball. Starlight performed a six-ball run to get herself in the game after falling behind early, but it went for nothing, as Max replied with a five-ball run-out a few turns later to get the win and a 2-0 series lead for Delila Enterprises. Puff I comes back while Max stays up for 9-ball. Puff I had a relatively good start to the game, but Max never let her back to the table once he gained control, rallying for a six-ball run-out to get the win and a 3-0 series lead for Delila Enterprises, sending their fellow club-mates into a frenzy. Sugar and Snuggle step up to play 10-ball with the Delila Enterprises faithful buzzing. Snuggle didn't disappoint in his appearance, battling closely with Sugar for the first half before breaking free on a four-ball run-out in the end, with Snuggle's win putting Delila Enterprises in a great position. They lead the series 4-0 and need just one more win to secure it. Starlight will try to spoil that against Precious in 12-ball, the first of four attempts for Delila Enterprises to clinch. Starlight surrendered a wild card ball early in the game, making things look dire for Reality, but Precious had trouble with getting out of clusters, and she gave away two wild card balls to Starlight. She used these to pick corners only for the win, getting Reality on the board at 4-1. Now, Reality's fate lies with the winless Dusty, who will break in Rotation against Snuggle. The game couldn't have been much tighter, going down to the final ball as Snuggle came from just barely behind to take the win 8-7 and seal the series at 5-1 for Delila Enterprises, keying off their first round of celebration. Dusty must stay at the table to oppose Ruby for 15-ball. Dusty finally won one for Reality, taking the 15-ball game early as she shot the 3-4-15 combination to the bottom right, and Ruby offered very little challenge to Dusty anyway during the series. The finale has Missy against Precious in Accuracy, which could be a bit of a long game. It proved to be as expected, with both players putting in less than 100% effort. Precious emerged with the win, allowing Delila Enterprises to claim the Clan Cup on a 6-2 series win.
Don't forget, the City Cup will now be over three days. The first round is tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Monday, June 13, 2016
The 2016 Pool Tournament of Champions
After a grueling, on-and-off span of ten months, seven players laid claim to the eight championships in their individual events. Now, those players will face off head to head in a one-day spectacular to crown the ultimate champion for the year. The site is Chevrolet Center in Everton, and many questions exist. Primarily, will it be the Player's Cup recipient Dustin, who has two bids in the tournament to come out on top? What about the league #1 for winning percent, Chelsea? Can the other five players make any noise? Due to Dustin having two bids, he will have one of his bids facing Chelsea in the first round finale, setting up a marquee series in the middle of the event. Should Dustin advance both of his bids to the final on each side of the bracket, he will automatically be declared the champion. Now, let's begin with...
Acorn v. Leandra, playing in the style of 10-ball as Acorn won the coin-flip. All games in this playoff will be contested with the silver cue. Tysini's Leandra waited patiently in game 1, watching Lighton's Acorn make a few shots early on, but Leandra broke free with a four-ball run-out in the end, taking the game for a 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Leandra led off game 2 with a three-ball run, but she lost control in the middle. She nearly gained it back, but a miss on the 9 allowed the Prestige's Acorn to make the last two balls, tying the series at 1. Acorn took a firm grasp of the series in game 3, dominating from start to finish against a much shakier Leandra. Acorn closed the game with a four-ball run and a three-ball run-out on consecutive turns that he had nearly strung together. This gave him a 2-1 series lead. Acorn faded out a bit in game 4, losing control to Leandra, who deferred shots back to him after multiple illegally potted balls. Leandra capitalized in the end, as Acorn brushed the 10 and scratched, giving Leandra free shot to end the game, and she did to tie the series again at 2. Leandra took game 5 on her second shot, calling and making the 1-10 bank combination to the top side to gain a 3-2 series lead over Acorn. She hadn't anticipated the 1 deflecting off the 4 to hit the 10, but the shot worked out in the end for an applause-worthy victory. Leandra made another dazzling shot to end game 6 with a win, driving the 2 to the bottom left and then using the 3 to bump the cue into the 10 and pot it in the bottom right on the next shot. This secured her the series at 4-2 in Acorn's own event. Leandra finished off the series with a win in game 7, making the 10 on her second try after Acorn missed himself. Leandra won the series 5-2 and advances into the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions.
Twinkie II v. Bryant is the second series, and Twinkie II won the coin flip to make the game 7-ball. Game 1 was a tale of two flukes for Harrison's Twinkie II. Her break saw the 4, 6, and 7 undisturbed from their spots. After she and Bryant of Maplewood picked off the 1 and 2, Twinkie II cut the 3 into the 4, which hit the 7 off the 6 and into the bottom right to win for a 1-0 series lead as these Northeastern rivals battle in a third rival's home venue. Twinkie II started off with a tricky three-ball run from the break for the Specters, but the Lumberjacks' Bryant took control after his early scratch, and eventually lined up and knocked down a three-ball run-out to tie the series at 1 with his win. Bryant deserved and earned the game 3 win, but it was a comedy of errors after his four-ball run to get him there. Twinkie II missed a kick combination and scratched, allowing Bryant to miss the 7 on a miscue, and then Twinkie II missed it again before Bryant buried his third try for the win and 2-1 series lead. Bryant rounded back into form with a dominant effort in game 4, getting the win with a four-ball run-out after Twinkie II didn't make much of her two turns in the game and fell behind 3-1 in the series. In game 5, Twinkie II had her attempts, but her precision left something to be desired. Her miss on the 6 was the most critical, as Bryant used the leave to make the last two shots, securing the series at 4-1 with his win. Twinkie II never took a shot in game 6, as Bryant went from break to finish in five shots, ending on a 4-7 combination to the top left in wondrous form to get the win and move ahead 5-1 in the series. Twinkie II got one last punch in during game 7, glancing the cue off the 3 to take the 7 in the bottom side for a win. Bryant still took the series, advancing to the Tournament of Champions semifinals.
Dustin v. Lorde makes up the third series of the day, and once again the better seed gets their game of choice, as Dustin's 8-ball was selected on the coin flip. Central's Dustin had a very rocky start in game 1, but rebounded nicely after Commerce's Lorde missed contact with the 2. Dustin did a three-ball run, and when Lorde couldn't pot the 2 again, he made his last two shots for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Tradewinds' Lorde went from boldly pushing the 8 near the top right to looking genius as she surged through game 2, getting the win when the Warriors' Dustin saw his defense finally falter. The series went to a 1-1 tie. Dustin had a much better effort in game 3, nearly keeping up with Lorde until he potted her last ball on illegal contact, giving her ball-in-hand to make the 8 for the win and a 2-1 series lead. Dustin looked sure to win game 4 as he surged at the end on a three-ball run, but he missed on the 8, and Lorde came back with a bank to make the 14 in the bottom left before twisting a shot on the 8 to the same spot for the win, making it a stranglehold 3-1 series lead. Dustin got one back in game 5, keeping Lorde off of the ball with his five-ball run at one point, and then he continued with the smart shooting in the end until he struck the 8 from distance to the bottom right, cutting the series to 3-2. Dustin was a bit sloppy in the opening turns of game 6, but he got going with a four-ball run to dent Lorde's efforts. She couldn't make a shot on her last turn, and Dustin made his last two shots to snag the win and retie the series at 3 to set up a big finale. Dustin went big in game 7, starting with a long run to take an advantage. Lorde charged back with a four-ball run late, but missed on the last ball in her suit, and Dustin made the 8 to get the win, finishing the comeback and his 4-3 series win. Dustin will meet Bryant in the next round with this bid.
Chelsea v. Dustin is the final quarterfinals pairing, and Dustin again won the coin flip, so they'll play Rotation. Eastside's Chelsea beat Central's Dustin at his own game, working a magical five-ball run-out in game 1 to get the 8-2 win before Dustin could make a comeback. Chelsea leads 1-0 in the series. The Sharks' Chelsea continued to create strong defensive leaves when she knew she had no shot, and this frustrated the Warriors' Dustin, as he again saw her make a late run and then win 8-3 to gain a 2-0 series lead. Dustin played his strongest game in game 3, pulling out to a significant lead early on. He couldn't stop Chelsea in the end, as she tore through with a four-ball run-out, including a game-ending double-pot of the 14 to the bottom left and the 15 to the top side for the 9-6 win and 3-0 series lead. Chelsea got exactly the type of start she wanted in game 4, charging out to a big lead. Chelsea got too complacent in the end, allowing Dustin to twice tie the game, and then letting him get a second try and successful shot on the 15 to steal the 8-7 win, making it 3-1 in the series. Dustin had fallen behind early in game 5, but brought things level when he made the 7-14-10 combination, which became a double-pot when the 14 followed the 10 into the bottom right. Chelsea didn't do great after the game was tied, but she managed to hold on in the end, making the last two shots for an 8-6 win, clinching the series at 4-1. Dustin appeared to lose his heart for this series, allowing Chelsea a virtually free rein to do whatever she wished, and that proved to be winning 8-2, as Dustin provided little resistance before falling behind 5-1 in the series. Dustin fired back with an 8-2 win of his own in game 7, working from behind to defeat Chelsea this time. Chelsea took the series 5-2, and will play in the next series, the first of the two semifinals.
Chelsea v. Leandra is going next, and will be conducted in 15-ball, so as to avoid giving Dustin a tripleheader as he is in the other series. Game 1 started out fine but staled quite quickly until a thrilling finish saw Tysini's Leandra shoot the 11 in on a cut, bringing the cue back to take the 15 at the top side, and then scratching in the bottom side to gift Eastside's Chelsea with a win and 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Leandra looked far more composed when she brought game 2 to an end with her four-ball run-out, leaving the Sharks' Chelsea without a chance to reply as the series went to a 1-1 tie. Leandra had to weather Chelsea spending three consecutive turns making deep, slashing runs all over the table before she missed on the 15, allowing Leandra a tap-in to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 was very much like game 2, starting with a terrible break and featuring lackadaisical play throughout. Chelsea came out the winner in this one after Leandra left the 15 short at the bottom right and she tapped it in to retie the series at 2. Chelsea came out with pure fire on her game 5 break, making three on the initial shot and three more for a six-ball run. Leandra fired back on a four-ball run later, but Chelsea made the final four balls over two turns for the win and a 3-2 series lead. Chelsea didn't play as well in game 6, nearly getting pushed around by Leandra, but Leandra couldn't handle the 15 on her one try at it, and Chelsea's patient game earned a win and sealed the series at 4-2. Chelsea made sure to get one more winning, taking game 7 on a crafty and well-played three-ball run-out to send Leandra backing as Chelsea won the series 5-2 and earned a Tournament of Champions Final bid.
Dustin v. Bryant is the other semifinals series, and it will be conducted in 8-ball as Dustin wins another coin flip. Another Northeastern battle started with Maplewood's Bryant playing pretty well, but things turned for Central's Dustin as he made a five-ball run, and won two turns later on a three-ball run-out after Bryant missed on the 8, giving Dustin the 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin had a better start in game 2, barely letting the Lumberjacks' Bryant into the game at all. Bryant tried to double his defense late in the game, but Dustin smoothly glanced the cue off the rail to get the 8 in the bottom left for a win and 2-0 series lead. In a technical sense, Bryant ended game 3 on a six-ball run-out, but it was the location of where he put the 8 that gifted Dustin a win, as Bryant missed the top side and instead made it in the bottom right, a miscall that sees Dustin leading the series 3-0. Bryant had to take desperate measures in the desperate times of game 4 to keep himself alive, and that involved corralling five balls to the top right and then shooting them down with three different combinations before a kick on the 8 to the bottom left gave him the win to make it 3-1 in the series against a stunned Dustin. Bryant started game 5 with a four-ball run to establish himself. Dustin fired back on a five-ball run, but ran out of steam. Bryant nearly let him back into the game when he missed contact on the 15, but Dustin scratched on his next turn, and Bryant made the last two shots starting from the kitchen for the win, cutting the series to 3-2. Bryant has officially dug himself out of the hole he found himself in, winning game 6 by making a huge comeback on a five-ball run-out to deny Dustin the clinching game for the third time as the series moves to a 3-3 tie with one decisive game to go. Dustin had to really struggled to stay in the mix in game 7, but he did, pulling back as Bryant couldn't get the finish. Dustin did a four-ball run-out for the win, positioning himself perfectly, and this lifted him to a 4-3 series win.
Chelsea v. Dustin: This is the final series, featuring a rematch from the first round as the top two players of the year square off in the last individual series of tournament year 2016. The game is 12-ball, and the Champion's Cup is on the line. Eastside's Chelsea had the better positioning for herself in a slow-to-develop game 1, and Central's Dustin resorted to aggressive defense. It failed, and Chelsea earned the win with her last two shots for a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin was frustrated again in game 2, unable to get himself set as the Sharks' Chelsea played a light defense at the pocket they both needed. Dustin pinned his ball on hers, but Chelsea cut it into the top left, keying a three-ball run-out to win and take a 2-0 series lead. In game 3, Dustin had the slightly better set up, although a cluster in the middle had to be broken up to get him where he wanted to be. After Chelsea had a miss on the 4, Dustin went to work with a three-ball run-out, collecting the win to make it 2-1 in the series. Chelsea played like she was on a mission with a wild card ball credited to her after a wild break from Dustin, but he didn't let it get him down. Dustin forced Chelsea into removing her defense, and then he charged in and made her pay for it, grabbing the win to tie the series at 2. Game 5 started with a break from Dustin that didn't pot a ball but left Chelsea dumbfounded. She ended up taking stripes, and it worked for her, as she had the better positions later in the game. Still, she barely scraped the 15 at the top right, allowing Dustin to send a scare with his perfect kick on the 7 to the bottom left. He just missed a difficult cut on the 3 to the top left, and Chelsea made sure to get the 15 this time, winning for a 3-2 series lead in a thrilling finish to the game. Dustin broke free with a massive five-ball run on his first turn in game 6, but he burned out, scratching late as a last ditch attempt to disrupt Chelsea, who ignited in the end for a three-ball run-out after playing patiently early on to get in good position. Chelsea clinched the title as the series goes to 4-2. Dustin nearly had game 7 won, potting his last ball but with too much power as he also scratched, and Chelsea used the ball-in-hand to take the game on a three-ball run-out of very well played shots, securing the 5-2 series lead. Chelsea, the regular season's #1 player by winning percentage, will also own the title of Champion of Champions, receiving the Champion's Cup for her efforts as she won in her own style for the finale.
Tomorrow, we'll have the Clan Cup tournament. It's slightly larger, with eight teams of five battling in eight-game series, employing a tiebreaker if necessary. The tiebreakers will either be left-handed 8-ball or Quidditch Rules 10-ball, and a refresher on the latter will be posted if necessary. There is a minor schedule change as well, as my attendance at the Copa America match on 6/16 will preclude my ability to complete the City Cup on Thursday. The new end date of the City Cup is 6/17, and will feature only the last two rounds. Thursday will still see a bit of action, with the quarterfinals being played as much as possible that day.
Acorn v. Leandra, playing in the style of 10-ball as Acorn won the coin-flip. All games in this playoff will be contested with the silver cue. Tysini's Leandra waited patiently in game 1, watching Lighton's Acorn make a few shots early on, but Leandra broke free with a four-ball run-out in the end, taking the game for a 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Leandra led off game 2 with a three-ball run, but she lost control in the middle. She nearly gained it back, but a miss on the 9 allowed the Prestige's Acorn to make the last two balls, tying the series at 1. Acorn took a firm grasp of the series in game 3, dominating from start to finish against a much shakier Leandra. Acorn closed the game with a four-ball run and a three-ball run-out on consecutive turns that he had nearly strung together. This gave him a 2-1 series lead. Acorn faded out a bit in game 4, losing control to Leandra, who deferred shots back to him after multiple illegally potted balls. Leandra capitalized in the end, as Acorn brushed the 10 and scratched, giving Leandra free shot to end the game, and she did to tie the series again at 2. Leandra took game 5 on her second shot, calling and making the 1-10 bank combination to the top side to gain a 3-2 series lead over Acorn. She hadn't anticipated the 1 deflecting off the 4 to hit the 10, but the shot worked out in the end for an applause-worthy victory. Leandra made another dazzling shot to end game 6 with a win, driving the 2 to the bottom left and then using the 3 to bump the cue into the 10 and pot it in the bottom right on the next shot. This secured her the series at 4-2 in Acorn's own event. Leandra finished off the series with a win in game 7, making the 10 on her second try after Acorn missed himself. Leandra won the series 5-2 and advances into the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions.
Twinkie II v. Bryant is the second series, and Twinkie II won the coin flip to make the game 7-ball. Game 1 was a tale of two flukes for Harrison's Twinkie II. Her break saw the 4, 6, and 7 undisturbed from their spots. After she and Bryant of Maplewood picked off the 1 and 2, Twinkie II cut the 3 into the 4, which hit the 7 off the 6 and into the bottom right to win for a 1-0 series lead as these Northeastern rivals battle in a third rival's home venue. Twinkie II started off with a tricky three-ball run from the break for the Specters, but the Lumberjacks' Bryant took control after his early scratch, and eventually lined up and knocked down a three-ball run-out to tie the series at 1 with his win. Bryant deserved and earned the game 3 win, but it was a comedy of errors after his four-ball run to get him there. Twinkie II missed a kick combination and scratched, allowing Bryant to miss the 7 on a miscue, and then Twinkie II missed it again before Bryant buried his third try for the win and 2-1 series lead. Bryant rounded back into form with a dominant effort in game 4, getting the win with a four-ball run-out after Twinkie II didn't make much of her two turns in the game and fell behind 3-1 in the series. In game 5, Twinkie II had her attempts, but her precision left something to be desired. Her miss on the 6 was the most critical, as Bryant used the leave to make the last two shots, securing the series at 4-1 with his win. Twinkie II never took a shot in game 6, as Bryant went from break to finish in five shots, ending on a 4-7 combination to the top left in wondrous form to get the win and move ahead 5-1 in the series. Twinkie II got one last punch in during game 7, glancing the cue off the 3 to take the 7 in the bottom side for a win. Bryant still took the series, advancing to the Tournament of Champions semifinals.
Dustin v. Lorde makes up the third series of the day, and once again the better seed gets their game of choice, as Dustin's 8-ball was selected on the coin flip. Central's Dustin had a very rocky start in game 1, but rebounded nicely after Commerce's Lorde missed contact with the 2. Dustin did a three-ball run, and when Lorde couldn't pot the 2 again, he made his last two shots for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Tradewinds' Lorde went from boldly pushing the 8 near the top right to looking genius as she surged through game 2, getting the win when the Warriors' Dustin saw his defense finally falter. The series went to a 1-1 tie. Dustin had a much better effort in game 3, nearly keeping up with Lorde until he potted her last ball on illegal contact, giving her ball-in-hand to make the 8 for the win and a 2-1 series lead. Dustin looked sure to win game 4 as he surged at the end on a three-ball run, but he missed on the 8, and Lorde came back with a bank to make the 14 in the bottom left before twisting a shot on the 8 to the same spot for the win, making it a stranglehold 3-1 series lead. Dustin got one back in game 5, keeping Lorde off of the ball with his five-ball run at one point, and then he continued with the smart shooting in the end until he struck the 8 from distance to the bottom right, cutting the series to 3-2. Dustin was a bit sloppy in the opening turns of game 6, but he got going with a four-ball run to dent Lorde's efforts. She couldn't make a shot on her last turn, and Dustin made his last two shots to snag the win and retie the series at 3 to set up a big finale. Dustin went big in game 7, starting with a long run to take an advantage. Lorde charged back with a four-ball run late, but missed on the last ball in her suit, and Dustin made the 8 to get the win, finishing the comeback and his 4-3 series win. Dustin will meet Bryant in the next round with this bid.
Chelsea v. Dustin is the final quarterfinals pairing, and Dustin again won the coin flip, so they'll play Rotation. Eastside's Chelsea beat Central's Dustin at his own game, working a magical five-ball run-out in game 1 to get the 8-2 win before Dustin could make a comeback. Chelsea leads 1-0 in the series. The Sharks' Chelsea continued to create strong defensive leaves when she knew she had no shot, and this frustrated the Warriors' Dustin, as he again saw her make a late run and then win 8-3 to gain a 2-0 series lead. Dustin played his strongest game in game 3, pulling out to a significant lead early on. He couldn't stop Chelsea in the end, as she tore through with a four-ball run-out, including a game-ending double-pot of the 14 to the bottom left and the 15 to the top side for the 9-6 win and 3-0 series lead. Chelsea got exactly the type of start she wanted in game 4, charging out to a big lead. Chelsea got too complacent in the end, allowing Dustin to twice tie the game, and then letting him get a second try and successful shot on the 15 to steal the 8-7 win, making it 3-1 in the series. Dustin had fallen behind early in game 5, but brought things level when he made the 7-14-10 combination, which became a double-pot when the 14 followed the 10 into the bottom right. Chelsea didn't do great after the game was tied, but she managed to hold on in the end, making the last two shots for an 8-6 win, clinching the series at 4-1. Dustin appeared to lose his heart for this series, allowing Chelsea a virtually free rein to do whatever she wished, and that proved to be winning 8-2, as Dustin provided little resistance before falling behind 5-1 in the series. Dustin fired back with an 8-2 win of his own in game 7, working from behind to defeat Chelsea this time. Chelsea took the series 5-2, and will play in the next series, the first of the two semifinals.
Chelsea v. Leandra is going next, and will be conducted in 15-ball, so as to avoid giving Dustin a tripleheader as he is in the other series. Game 1 started out fine but staled quite quickly until a thrilling finish saw Tysini's Leandra shoot the 11 in on a cut, bringing the cue back to take the 15 at the top side, and then scratching in the bottom side to gift Eastside's Chelsea with a win and 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Leandra looked far more composed when she brought game 2 to an end with her four-ball run-out, leaving the Sharks' Chelsea without a chance to reply as the series went to a 1-1 tie. Leandra had to weather Chelsea spending three consecutive turns making deep, slashing runs all over the table before she missed on the 15, allowing Leandra a tap-in to win the game and take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 was very much like game 2, starting with a terrible break and featuring lackadaisical play throughout. Chelsea came out the winner in this one after Leandra left the 15 short at the bottom right and she tapped it in to retie the series at 2. Chelsea came out with pure fire on her game 5 break, making three on the initial shot and three more for a six-ball run. Leandra fired back on a four-ball run later, but Chelsea made the final four balls over two turns for the win and a 3-2 series lead. Chelsea didn't play as well in game 6, nearly getting pushed around by Leandra, but Leandra couldn't handle the 15 on her one try at it, and Chelsea's patient game earned a win and sealed the series at 4-2. Chelsea made sure to get one more winning, taking game 7 on a crafty and well-played three-ball run-out to send Leandra backing as Chelsea won the series 5-2 and earned a Tournament of Champions Final bid.
Dustin v. Bryant is the other semifinals series, and it will be conducted in 8-ball as Dustin wins another coin flip. Another Northeastern battle started with Maplewood's Bryant playing pretty well, but things turned for Central's Dustin as he made a five-ball run, and won two turns later on a three-ball run-out after Bryant missed on the 8, giving Dustin the 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin had a better start in game 2, barely letting the Lumberjacks' Bryant into the game at all. Bryant tried to double his defense late in the game, but Dustin smoothly glanced the cue off the rail to get the 8 in the bottom left for a win and 2-0 series lead. In a technical sense, Bryant ended game 3 on a six-ball run-out, but it was the location of where he put the 8 that gifted Dustin a win, as Bryant missed the top side and instead made it in the bottom right, a miscall that sees Dustin leading the series 3-0. Bryant had to take desperate measures in the desperate times of game 4 to keep himself alive, and that involved corralling five balls to the top right and then shooting them down with three different combinations before a kick on the 8 to the bottom left gave him the win to make it 3-1 in the series against a stunned Dustin. Bryant started game 5 with a four-ball run to establish himself. Dustin fired back on a five-ball run, but ran out of steam. Bryant nearly let him back into the game when he missed contact on the 15, but Dustin scratched on his next turn, and Bryant made the last two shots starting from the kitchen for the win, cutting the series to 3-2. Bryant has officially dug himself out of the hole he found himself in, winning game 6 by making a huge comeback on a five-ball run-out to deny Dustin the clinching game for the third time as the series moves to a 3-3 tie with one decisive game to go. Dustin had to really struggled to stay in the mix in game 7, but he did, pulling back as Bryant couldn't get the finish. Dustin did a four-ball run-out for the win, positioning himself perfectly, and this lifted him to a 4-3 series win.
Chelsea v. Dustin: This is the final series, featuring a rematch from the first round as the top two players of the year square off in the last individual series of tournament year 2016. The game is 12-ball, and the Champion's Cup is on the line. Eastside's Chelsea had the better positioning for herself in a slow-to-develop game 1, and Central's Dustin resorted to aggressive defense. It failed, and Chelsea earned the win with her last two shots for a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin was frustrated again in game 2, unable to get himself set as the Sharks' Chelsea played a light defense at the pocket they both needed. Dustin pinned his ball on hers, but Chelsea cut it into the top left, keying a three-ball run-out to win and take a 2-0 series lead. In game 3, Dustin had the slightly better set up, although a cluster in the middle had to be broken up to get him where he wanted to be. After Chelsea had a miss on the 4, Dustin went to work with a three-ball run-out, collecting the win to make it 2-1 in the series. Chelsea played like she was on a mission with a wild card ball credited to her after a wild break from Dustin, but he didn't let it get him down. Dustin forced Chelsea into removing her defense, and then he charged in and made her pay for it, grabbing the win to tie the series at 2. Game 5 started with a break from Dustin that didn't pot a ball but left Chelsea dumbfounded. She ended up taking stripes, and it worked for her, as she had the better positions later in the game. Still, she barely scraped the 15 at the top right, allowing Dustin to send a scare with his perfect kick on the 7 to the bottom left. He just missed a difficult cut on the 3 to the top left, and Chelsea made sure to get the 15 this time, winning for a 3-2 series lead in a thrilling finish to the game. Dustin broke free with a massive five-ball run on his first turn in game 6, but he burned out, scratching late as a last ditch attempt to disrupt Chelsea, who ignited in the end for a three-ball run-out after playing patiently early on to get in good position. Chelsea clinched the title as the series goes to 4-2. Dustin nearly had game 7 won, potting his last ball but with too much power as he also scratched, and Chelsea used the ball-in-hand to take the game on a three-ball run-out of very well played shots, securing the 5-2 series lead. Chelsea, the regular season's #1 player by winning percentage, will also own the title of Champion of Champions, receiving the Champion's Cup for her efforts as she won in her own style for the finale.
Tomorrow, we'll have the Clan Cup tournament. It's slightly larger, with eight teams of five battling in eight-game series, employing a tiebreaker if necessary. The tiebreakers will either be left-handed 8-ball or Quidditch Rules 10-ball, and a refresher on the latter will be posted if necessary. There is a minor schedule change as well, as my attendance at the Copa America match on 6/16 will preclude my ability to complete the City Cup on Thursday. The new end date of the City Cup is 6/17, and will feature only the last two rounds. Thursday will still see a bit of action, with the quarterfinals being played as much as possible that day.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Postseason Rosters
In case you're wondering which of your favorite players have received opportunities to play in the postseason, this post will let you know just that. You'll also know what events they are doing. First, for the clubs.
Reality: Puff I (7, 9), Starlight (8, 12), Missy (A, T), Sugar (10, T), Dusty (R, 15).
Youth Movement: Sprinkles (8, 12), Twinkie III (10, T), Neopolitan (R, 15), Valencia (A, T), Ice Cream (7, 9).
Brute Force: Midnight (7, 9), Bright (12, T), Rainmane (8, A), Juno (R, 15), Nightfur (10, T).
Solid Core: Crystal (R, 15), Leonette (8, A), Misty (12, T), Shadow (7, 9), Sweetheart (10, T).
Humanity -: Lorde (7, 9), Cassandra (8, T), Amber (12, A), Shawn (R, T), Kelly (10, 15).
Delila Enterprises: Snuggle (10, R), Ruby (15, T), Max (8, 9), Precious (12, A), Americus (7, T).
Empyre: Jake (9, 10), Tigerette (8, T), Dusky (7, A), Marsell (12, T), Cubby (R, 15).
Humanity+: J. Garcia (7, 15), Paige (A, T), B. Chapman (8, 12), A. Charlton (10, R), Gabe (9, T).
As you can see, Oriental United players will be free from club duty this time around. Now, the city rosters.
Boston Swifts: Puff II (8, 10, A), Patches (9, 12, T), Gradley (7, R, 15).
Diamond Gems: Smokey (8, 15, A), Citrus (7, 9, R), Pedey (10, 12, T).
Tysini Hummingbirds: Charli (8, R, A), Princess (7, 10, T), Leandra (9, 12, 15).
Maplewood Lumberjacks: Diddley (12, R, 15), Fluffina (7, 9, 10), Bryant (8, A, T).
Central Warriors: Dustin (8, R, 15), Twilight (10, 12, A), Gizmo (7, 9, T).
Eastside Sharks: Chelsea (9, 10, 12), Graham (7, A, T), Niki (8, R, 15).
Victoria Spurs: Spice (8, 12, A), Kavan (7, 9, T), Yekaterina (10, R, 15).
Lighton Prestige: Spirit (8, 12, A), Acorn (10, R, 15), Lydia (7, 9, T).
Everton Eagles: Goldy (7, 9, 10), Blizzard (8, 12, A), Cleo (R, 15, T).
Pearl Surfers: Watermelon (8, 12, A), Cowzart (10, R, 15), Wings (7, 9, T).
Infinity Torpedoes: Smudge (7, 9, 10), Whiskers (8, 12, A), Shelley (R, 15, T).
Freedom Cascades: Roxy (7, 9, R), Stinky (8, 12, A), Nikolai (10, 15, T).
Todavía Stills: Sierra (12, 15, A), Easter (7, 9, R), Leonardo (8, 10, T).
Terrace City Knights: Jennifer (8, 12, A), Kiwi (7, 9, 10), Oreo (R, 15, T).
Southern Monarchs: Shannon (8, 10, A), Panda (12, R, 15), Nicole (7, 9, T).
Harrison Specters: Twinkie II (7, 8, 10), Sydney (9, 12, A), Brownie (R, 15, T).
Reality: Puff I (7, 9), Starlight (8, 12), Missy (A, T), Sugar (10, T), Dusty (R, 15).
Youth Movement: Sprinkles (8, 12), Twinkie III (10, T), Neopolitan (R, 15), Valencia (A, T), Ice Cream (7, 9).
Brute Force: Midnight (7, 9), Bright (12, T), Rainmane (8, A), Juno (R, 15), Nightfur (10, T).
Solid Core: Crystal (R, 15), Leonette (8, A), Misty (12, T), Shadow (7, 9), Sweetheart (10, T).
Humanity -: Lorde (7, 9), Cassandra (8, T), Amber (12, A), Shawn (R, T), Kelly (10, 15).
Delila Enterprises: Snuggle (10, R), Ruby (15, T), Max (8, 9), Precious (12, A), Americus (7, T).
Empyre: Jake (9, 10), Tigerette (8, T), Dusky (7, A), Marsell (12, T), Cubby (R, 15).
Humanity+: J. Garcia (7, 15), Paige (A, T), B. Chapman (8, 12), A. Charlton (10, R), Gabe (9, T).
As you can see, Oriental United players will be free from club duty this time around. Now, the city rosters.
Boston Swifts: Puff II (8, 10, A), Patches (9, 12, T), Gradley (7, R, 15).
Diamond Gems: Smokey (8, 15, A), Citrus (7, 9, R), Pedey (10, 12, T).
Tysini Hummingbirds: Charli (8, R, A), Princess (7, 10, T), Leandra (9, 12, 15).
Maplewood Lumberjacks: Diddley (12, R, 15), Fluffina (7, 9, 10), Bryant (8, A, T).
Central Warriors: Dustin (8, R, 15), Twilight (10, 12, A), Gizmo (7, 9, T).
Eastside Sharks: Chelsea (9, 10, 12), Graham (7, A, T), Niki (8, R, 15).
Victoria Spurs: Spice (8, 12, A), Kavan (7, 9, T), Yekaterina (10, R, 15).
Lighton Prestige: Spirit (8, 12, A), Acorn (10, R, 15), Lydia (7, 9, T).
Everton Eagles: Goldy (7, 9, 10), Blizzard (8, 12, A), Cleo (R, 15, T).
Pearl Surfers: Watermelon (8, 12, A), Cowzart (10, R, 15), Wings (7, 9, T).
Infinity Torpedoes: Smudge (7, 9, 10), Whiskers (8, 12, A), Shelley (R, 15, T).
Freedom Cascades: Roxy (7, 9, R), Stinky (8, 12, A), Nikolai (10, 15, T).
Todavía Stills: Sierra (12, 15, A), Easter (7, 9, R), Leonardo (8, 10, T).
Terrace City Knights: Jennifer (8, 12, A), Kiwi (7, 9, 10), Oreo (R, 15, T).
Southern Monarchs: Shannon (8, 10, A), Panda (12, R, 15), Nicole (7, 9, T).
Harrison Specters: Twinkie II (7, 8, 10), Sydney (9, 12, A), Brownie (R, 15, T).
Friday, June 10, 2016
Protected Players List + Draft List
This post will detail which players are required to be saved by their teams prior to the 2016-17 UPCL Expansion Draft. This will also explain which players are expected to be saved based on team choice, and which players are to be cut. This year, we're trying a trade system, although it is unclear if any trades will materialize during the offseason.With that, here's a run down by team along with the official draft list to be used in about two weeks.
Archtown Arrows: Protected: Ruby. Likely saves: Sally and Sleepy B. Trade target: Dusky.
Atlantic Arrows: Protected: Delila. Likely saves: Americus. Cut: Dominic. Owns compensatory pick.
Boston Swifts: Protected: Patches, Gradley, Puff II. Likely saves: Sweetheart.
Capital City Sharpshooters: Protected: Sprinkles. Likely saves: Chris, Missy. Cut: Dani.
Central Warriors: Protected: Twilight, Dustin. Likely saves: Gizmo. Owns compensatory pick.
Commerce Tradewinds: Protected: Tigerette, Ice Cream, Lionel. Likely saves: Lorde.
Diamond Gems: Protected: Smokey, Citrus. Likely saves: Pedey. Owns compensatory pick.
Eastside Sharks: Protected: Chelsea. Likely saves: Taylor Swift, Niki. Owns compensatory pick.
Everton Eagles: Protected: Goldy, Puff III, Blizzard. Owns compensatory pick.
Freedom Cascades: Protected: Jasmine, Roxy. Likely saves: Stinky, Nikolai.
Golden Pilots: Protected: Dusty, Strut. Likely saves: Valencia, A. Charlton.
Harrison Specters: Protected: Twinkie II, Sydney Sierota. Cuts: Brownie, Slinks.
Infinity Torpedoes: Protected: Smudge. Likely saves: Whiskers. Owns two compensatory picks.
Lighton Prestige: Protected: Acorn, Twinkie I, Spirit. Owns compensatory pick.
Maplewood Lumberjacks: Protected: Fluffina, Diddley, Bryant. Owns compensatory pick.
Midland Predators: Expansion franchise; would have to protect if they trade for a player.
Modernistic Union: Protected: Puff I. Likely saves: Ms. Puppy. Trade target: Juno. Owns compensatory pick.
North Modernistic Nighthawks: Expansion franchise; would have to protect if they trade for a player.
Oceanside Waves: Protected: Snuggle. Trade target: Alyssa. Cuts: Bells, Pounce.
Pacific Volcanoes: Protected: Starlight, Ms. Kitty. Likely saves: Leonette. Owns compensatory pick.
Pearl Surfers: Protected: Watermelon, Neopolitan. Likely saves: Wings. Owns compensatory pick.
Pronger Tridents: Protected: none. Likely saves: Precious. Cuts: Hoot, Strawberry, Paps.
Queens Flames: Protected: none. Likely saves: Paige, Crystal. Trade target: Max. Cut: Kayla.
Royal Crowns: Protected: Jake. Likely saves: Nightfur. Cuts: Marsell, Frosty.
Southern Monarchs: Protected: none. Likely saves: Shannon, Panda. Cuts: Kirstin, Nicole.
Southridge Defenders: Protected: none. Likely saves: Debby Ryan. Cuts: Boots, Shaggy. Owns compensatory pick.
Stonebridge Wolves: Expansion franchise; would have to protect if they trade for a player.
Swordpoint Blades: Protected: Dreamy. Likely saves: Snowball, Stealth. Cut: Shawn.
Terrace City Knights: Protected: Kiwi, Jennifer. Likely saves: Stripes, Oreo.
Todavía Stills: Protected: Sierra. Likely saves: Easter. Cuts: Leonardo, Sparkles.
Tysini Hummingbirds: Protected: Princess, Leandra, Charli XCX. Cut: Bright.
Victoria Spurs: Protected: Spice. Likely saves: Yekaterina, Brooke. Owns compensatory pick.
Viewpoint Sound Meteors: Protected: Mams. Cut: Mr. Snowman, Kelly, Zach.
Web City Spiders: Protected: Shadow. Trade targets: Rainmane, Shiny. Cut: Sugar.
Westside Rockers: Protected: Goatee. Likely saves: Misty, Midnight. Cut: Chicky Phil.
Whitewater Shores: Protected: Bear. Likely saves: Twinkie III. Cut: Cheddar. Owns compensatory pick.
The Draft order is as follows.
Archtown Arrows: Protected: Ruby. Likely saves: Sally and Sleepy B. Trade target: Dusky.
Atlantic Arrows: Protected: Delila. Likely saves: Americus. Cut: Dominic. Owns compensatory pick.
Boston Swifts: Protected: Patches, Gradley, Puff II. Likely saves: Sweetheart.
Capital City Sharpshooters: Protected: Sprinkles. Likely saves: Chris, Missy. Cut: Dani.
Central Warriors: Protected: Twilight, Dustin. Likely saves: Gizmo. Owns compensatory pick.
Commerce Tradewinds: Protected: Tigerette, Ice Cream, Lionel. Likely saves: Lorde.
Diamond Gems: Protected: Smokey, Citrus. Likely saves: Pedey. Owns compensatory pick.
Eastside Sharks: Protected: Chelsea. Likely saves: Taylor Swift, Niki. Owns compensatory pick.
Everton Eagles: Protected: Goldy, Puff III, Blizzard. Owns compensatory pick.
Freedom Cascades: Protected: Jasmine, Roxy. Likely saves: Stinky, Nikolai.
Golden Pilots: Protected: Dusty, Strut. Likely saves: Valencia, A. Charlton.
Harrison Specters: Protected: Twinkie II, Sydney Sierota. Cuts: Brownie, Slinks.
Infinity Torpedoes: Protected: Smudge. Likely saves: Whiskers. Owns two compensatory picks.
Lighton Prestige: Protected: Acorn, Twinkie I, Spirit. Owns compensatory pick.
Maplewood Lumberjacks: Protected: Fluffina, Diddley, Bryant. Owns compensatory pick.
Midland Predators: Expansion franchise; would have to protect if they trade for a player.
Modernistic Union: Protected: Puff I. Likely saves: Ms. Puppy. Trade target: Juno. Owns compensatory pick.
North Modernistic Nighthawks: Expansion franchise; would have to protect if they trade for a player.
Oceanside Waves: Protected: Snuggle. Trade target: Alyssa. Cuts: Bells, Pounce.
Pacific Volcanoes: Protected: Starlight, Ms. Kitty. Likely saves: Leonette. Owns compensatory pick.
Pearl Surfers: Protected: Watermelon, Neopolitan. Likely saves: Wings. Owns compensatory pick.
Pronger Tridents: Protected: none. Likely saves: Precious. Cuts: Hoot, Strawberry, Paps.
Queens Flames: Protected: none. Likely saves: Paige, Crystal. Trade target: Max. Cut: Kayla.
Royal Crowns: Protected: Jake. Likely saves: Nightfur. Cuts: Marsell, Frosty.
Southern Monarchs: Protected: none. Likely saves: Shannon, Panda. Cuts: Kirstin, Nicole.
Southridge Defenders: Protected: none. Likely saves: Debby Ryan. Cuts: Boots, Shaggy. Owns compensatory pick.
Stonebridge Wolves: Expansion franchise; would have to protect if they trade for a player.
Swordpoint Blades: Protected: Dreamy. Likely saves: Snowball, Stealth. Cut: Shawn.
Terrace City Knights: Protected: Kiwi, Jennifer. Likely saves: Stripes, Oreo.
Todavía Stills: Protected: Sierra. Likely saves: Easter. Cuts: Leonardo, Sparkles.
Tysini Hummingbirds: Protected: Princess, Leandra, Charli XCX. Cut: Bright.
Victoria Spurs: Protected: Spice. Likely saves: Yekaterina, Brooke. Owns compensatory pick.
Viewpoint Sound Meteors: Protected: Mams. Cut: Mr. Snowman, Kelly, Zach.
Web City Spiders: Protected: Shadow. Trade targets: Rainmane, Shiny. Cut: Sugar.
Westside Rockers: Protected: Goatee. Likely saves: Misty, Midnight. Cut: Chicky Phil.
Whitewater Shores: Protected: Bear. Likely saves: Twinkie III. Cut: Cheddar. Owns compensatory pick.
The Draft order is as follows.
- North Modernistic Nighthawks
- Stonebridge Wolves
- Midland Predators
- Pronger Tridents
- Viewpoint Sound Meteors
- Royal Crowns
- Southridge Defenders
- Whitewater Shores
- Queens Flames
- Southern Monarchs
- Atlantic Pirates
- Web City Spiders
- Harrison Specters
- Westside Rockers
- Modernistic Union
- Golden Pilots (currently projected full team)
- Archtown Arrows (currently projected full team)
- Capital City Sharpshooters
- Swordpoint Blades
- Victoria Spurs
- Pacific Volcanoes
- Oceanside Waves
- Todavía Stills
- Eastside Sharks
- Diamond Gems
- Commerce Tradewinds (currently projected full team)
- Freedom Cascades (currently projected full team)
- Pearl Surfers
- Maplewood Lumberjacks
- Terrace City Knights (currently projected full team)
- Infinity Torpedoes
- Lighton Prestige
- Central Warriors
- Everton Eagles
- Tysini Hummingbirds
- Boston Swifts
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Pool: 2016 A-level Finals - Championships
This is it. After the Boston Swifts took the Hutton Cup, these eight series decided the participants for the Champions Cup. The winners of the regular season awards will be announced at the end of post. As stated on the schedule, the Tournament of Champions begins on Monday. Without any more delay, we begin with...
Intel Center Diamond: Citrus v. Twinkie II. The 7-ball title will be decided by the silver and blue cues. The only good thing about game 1 is that the rest of the day couldn't possibly be much worse, with both players missing plenty of chances. Diamond's Citrus had the worst of it, missing the 7 short to give Harrison's Twinkie II a tap-in for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Citrus saw her scratching issue pop up again in game 2, and the Specters' Twinkie II made her pay for it, using the ball-in-hand to ignite a six-ball run-out for the win, earning a 2-0 series lead. Citrus tried to play off the 1 in a rocky game 3, but she missed contact with the 7. From a more difficult angle, Twinkie II succeeded on the same play, winning as the 7 fell in the top right off the deflection that gave her a 3-0 series lead. Citrus finally had a good game, and deserved to win in game 4, but her four-ball run come to an abrupt end when the 7 rattled out of the bottom right. Twinkie II sliced it to the top right, making it 4-0 in the series and all but assuring her title. Twinkie II made sure Citrus never had a chance to get back into the series, making both the 3 and 7 to the top right off the game 5 break, clinching the series at 5-0. Citrus lost only 5 games on her trip through the bracket, and will lose at least that many here. Citrus finally put all her skill together in game 6, winning after the second time Twinkie II rattled the 3 out of a pocket. Citrus went on a five-ball run-out, using precision and strong finishing ability to cut the series to 5-1. Game 7 was far less dominant of an effort from Citrus, but since Twinkie II scratched on her second failed attempt at the 7, Citrus made it from ball-in-hand on her third try to earn the win and make it 5-2 in the series. Citrus continued the face-saving campaign in game 8, getting the last four balls over two turns to steal another win away from Twinkie II, which leaves the audience wondering why she couldn't do it when it mattered as the series moves to 5-3. Twinkie II iced the series at 6-3 with a quiet but dominant five-ball run-out after one more Citrus scratch in game 9, and Twinkie II advances into the postseason individually. The #9 ranked 7-ball player is the champion of the sport. Citrus is the 118th player eliminated this year, and Twinkie II has her sixth and final kill of the tournament. Twinkie II's victory song is Saturday in the Park by Chicago.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Diddley v. Dustin. The silver cue stays in action, now the road opponent against the red cue in the Rotation championship. Maplewood's Diddley gave the home faithful and Delila Enterprises fans a treat with a five-ball run to liven the place up. Central's Dustin got a couple back, but Diddley finished the game with an 8-3 win and 1-0 series lead in a confident showing. The Lumberjacks' Diddley is barely letting the Warriors' Dustin to the table, winning game 2 by an 8-1 score with a mix of brilliant defense and pinpoint shooting as Diddley takes a 2-0 series lead over his Northeastern rival. Game 3 saw Dustin finally get a grip, battling evenly back and forth throughout the game with Diddley. The game seemed to be tied more often than not, and this was critical when Diddley scratched to make the 15. Dustin got a free shot at it and buried it for the 8-7 win, getting back into the now 2-1 series. Diddley was holding his own pretty well until Dustin went for a four-ball run from ball-in-hand in game 4, giving Dustin total control over the game. Diddley didn't mount a comeback, scratching instead to give Dustin the last shot he needed for an 8-2 win to tie the series at 2, bringing a quiet to the crowd. Dustin played pretty well in game 5, bursting out for a six-ball run to take a commanding lead. Diddley fired back with a three-ball run to make it close, and he later tied the game after finally potting the tricky 12, but Dustin got the 14 to take the 8-7 win and pull ahead 3-2 in the series. Dustin made sure game 6 was significantly faster than the last one, ripping off a seven-ball run from the break. Diddley got a couple back, but Dustin wasted no time on his second turn, making the 8 for an 8-2 win to give himself a 4-2 series lead with no signs of slowing down. Dustin came out strong in game 7 again, but Diddley finally struck back after absorbing Dustin's offense for games on end. Diddley rallied for the lead, and then staved off Dustin's late offensive surge to get the 8-5 win in the end, pulling back to 4-3 in the series. Diddley had a poor break in game 8, but he made it work for him pretty effectively, limiting Dustin's chances at clean shots. Diddley made pairs of balls sandwiched around a four-ball run, and Dustin only got two of those back in the 8-2 win for Diddley that helped him retie the series at 4 and set up one big finale. Game 9 was just as thrilling as it should be, with Diddley carrying a lead late into the game before a defensive standoff ensued. At the end of it all, Dustin broke free on a four-ball run-out, taking the win 8-6 and the series 5-4. Dustin was ranked #45 in Rotation as he charged to the championship. Diddley is the 119th player to be knocked out, and Dustin has his eighth kill, with a chance for one more later today. Dustin won the series to Walk Away (Maybe) by Good Charlotte.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Charli XCX v. Bryant. The Accuracy final is one of five series to be contested between the blue cue and red cue, with the blue hosting this one, as well as three others. Maplewood's Bryant didn't have a lot of fans in the building, but he put on a show in enemy territory, playing a strong game that ended 1-4 in his favor to top a shaky Charli of Tysini for the 1-0 series lead. Game 2 was much closer and much less visually appealing, as both players missed quite a few shots. The Hummingbirds' Charli was the worst off, and the Lumberjacks' Bryant capitalized on this, buckling down late for a 5-6 win to make it a 2-0 series lead. Bryant returned to a more confident and dominant form in game 3, losing his lead once but holding on when it came back around to him on another Charli miss, and he finished the game ahead 1-2 for the win, moving to 3-0 in the series with the effort. Charli finally got herself on track in game 4, playing a near perfect game until her second-to-last shot went in the books as a miss, but she already had Bryant beat and ended up on the right side of the 1-4 game as she cut the series to 3-1, giving herself a chance to keep going. Charli excelled at simply doing her job in game 5, navigating a horrendous break she started the game with and coming out unscathed, while Bryant was far from as lucky. Bryant struggled to pick the shots off that he wanted, and he lost the game 0-4, while his series lead shrunk to 3-2 after such a great start to the series. Game 6 required overtime to be decided, as Bryant tricked Charli into a miss on the last ball with a good defensive position. Charli shot a soft break in overtime, and it worked, as Bryant couldn't make anything. Charli also did a cluster buster to score one, but two turns later, she missed, and Bryant made the 8 for a 3-4 win to take a 4-2 series lead in the pivotal game. Charli stood tall in game 7, facing elimination from here on out. She didn't let it get to her, and Bryant was unable to keep pace around halfway through the game, taking a couple of misses. Charli's perfect game meant Bryant's misses didn't matter all that much, as she won 0-3 and regained some ground in the 4-3 series that still favors Bryant. Charli had to play from behind through all of game 8, and just when she tied it late as the 4 proved tricky, she missed her last shot, falling behind and eventually losing 2-3 to Bryant, who secured the series at 5-3 with the win. Charli took game 9 in a similar to fashion to how she lost game 8, with Bryant just catching her at the end only to blow it apart with a miss that gave Charli the 2-3 win. Bryant won the series 5-4, and the #74 ranked Accuracy player is the champion of the sport. Charli is the 120th player to be eliminated, and Bryant has his sixth kill. Out of the Wood by Taylor Swift is Bryant's victory song for the series.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Mams v. Leandra. The silver cue has its last series, hosting the red in 15-ball. The silver cue will conduct the Tournament of Champions on Monday. Once again, the visitor struck first without much fan support. Tysini's Leandra broke the monotony of game 1 with a six-ball run-out to fell Viewpoint Sound's Mams and get a 1-0 series lead. The Meteors' Mams promised to make the series a bit more interesting, pulling off a six-ball run and then making the 15 on her next turn when the Hummingbirds' Leandra missed it, tying the series at 1. Leandra countered right back in game 3, dealing with a mediocre break by Mams. Once Leandra got out to the open end of the table, she made a three-ball run-out, knocking the 15 in with a deflection off the 7 to the bottom left, earning her a win and a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 returned to a more cautious approach, and that lasted the whole game. The shots were exchanged fairly evenly, up to Leandra missing and Mams making the 15 to retie the series at 2. Mams set the tone in game 5 pretty easily, pounding the 1 into a cluster and depositing the 6 into the bottom right. Leandra has been the better player at ending games early, and that's what she did in a directionless game 5. Mams had a scratch on the 7, setting Leandra up to make the 8-15 combination to the bottom right to get the win and a 3-2 series lead. Mams made a sick double-pot in game 6, burying the 9 on a cut with the right pace and angle for the cue to come back and take the 12 as well, going to the left corners. Mams had all the momentum late in the game, but missed the 15 by cutting too much on it. Leandra shot it into the top right from distance, moving to a 4-2 series lead in the process. Leandra and Mams combined for a much faster paced game 7, but the result was the same as before, as Leandra took the game away from Mams, who couldn't make a late cut shot to save her life or her series. Leandra's win clinched the series for her at 5-2. Mams shot back in the meaningless game 8, making the last two balls after Leandra's late scratch in a game that saw the players adopt a decent pace of play throughout. Leandra still leads the series 5-3. Mams iced the series at 5-4 in Leandra's favor, getting the game 9 win after Leandra illegally hit the 9. Mams shot the 6-15-14 to the top right, and followed it with a 6-15 combination to the same spot to win. Leandra was ranked #81 in 15-ball at the start of the year, but made it all the way to be the champion. Mams, however valiant in her comeback, is the 121st player eliminated, and Leandra took her third kill. Leandra officially won to the tune of Me and the Devil by the Fratellis.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Chelsea v. Precious. The blue cue will host the red cue in the next three series, not that hosting has been a benefit so far today. This series is 12-ball. Eastside's Chelsea gave very little regard to Precious of Pronger using defense to slow down game 1. When Chelsea got onto her last ball, she put the defense away, and then won the game on her next turn when Precious couldn't finish the game, giving Chelsea the 1-0 series lead. After a wild start that saw three wild card balls exchanged in the first four shots, the Tridents' Precious used her two-ball advantage to work a four-ball run-out to all the corners for the win, punishing the poor tactics from the Sharks' Chelsea as the series moved to a 1-all tie. Chelsea went bold in game 3, surrendering a wild card ball to Precious while she was behind. Precious couldn't find position on her shots, and Chelsea ignited for a four-ball run-out, overcoming the disadvantage to win for a 2-1 series lead. Chelsea caught a lucky break in game 4, as Precious gave her a wild card ball because it was in her way. Precious wasn't counting on amazing late defense by Chelsea, which prevented Precious from making the 1 from distance. Chelsea took the ball-in-hand and went on a three-ball run-out to win and make it 3-1 in the series, disheartening the Delila Enterprises faithful. Chelsea got a bit behind in game 5, battling with Precious a little more than she would have liked thanks to a scratch. Precious was unable to dig herself out of bad positions, while Chelsea made the most, and the scratch ended up helping her as she made a three-ball run-out along the top pockets for the win, pushing the series to 4-1. Chelsea pummeled her way through game 6, making eight balls in total. She started with a big three-ball run while also giving away two wild card balls to Precious. However, Precious gave one of those up on a later turn, and Chelsea had an easy route to victory with Precious out of position. Chelsea secured the series at 5-1. In game 7, Chelsea again gave a wild card ball in reckless fashion, unwavering in her solid shoot as she put up another tone-setting three-ball run. Precious came close to threatening at times, but Chelsea made her last two balls before Precious could make the final strike, moving the series to 6-1. Chelsea didn't give away a wild card ball in game 8, but she still found a way to make things more difficult for herself, scratching a couple of times when she was set up to go on a long run. Precious made strides to get herself set, but Chelsea swooped in with a three-ball run and then a final shot from Precious' leave to take the game and go ahead 7-1 in the series. Chelsea was well-defended by Precious in game 9, but Chelsea found a way yet again, picking through the table and waiting until she could clearly pot the 15 to the bottom side for the win. Chelsea won the series in big form with an 8-1 final. Ranked #27, Chelsea is crowned the 12-ball champion. Precious is the 122nd player to get knocked out, and goes as Chelsea's fourth kill.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Acorn. We're into the second blue versus red series, and the first of the big three, as we play 10-ball. The remaining series are all the high-profile professional styles of pool. Game 1 got off to a shaky start, but Lighton's Acorn fixed that very early in this Cola Wars Derby match. When Boston's Puff II missed the 1, Acorn saw his chance to pot it and then make the 2-10 combination from a good position, which he did to earn a 1-0 series lead with his win. The Prestige's Acorn fell apart early in game 2, and the Swifts' Puff II waited patiently for the right moment, eventually attacking full-out with a five-ball run-out to get the win and tie the series at 1. Acorn was a bit too enthusiastic in game 3, double-potting the 9 to the top left with the 7 he used as a carom going in the top right. This left him no shot on the 10, and Puff II was able to capitalize on his miss to make it herself after a five-ball run early on. Puff II won to take a 2-1 series lead. Acorn managed to keep the series tight, making sure Puff II couldn't get off on another long run during game 4, and then Acorn closed things out with a three-ball run-out to pick up the win, retying the series at 2 with the nice finish. Game 5 was a tale of two halves for the players, with Puff II getting an early five-ball run. The middle segment of the game played out slowly, with neither player gaining momentum until Acorn stepped up with a four-ball run-out to grab another win and take a 3-2 series lead with his dominant stretch. Game 6 was going perfectly normal throughout before an exciting finish that saw Acorn cut the 9 in and then make the 10, but also scratch, allowing Puff II a free shot that she made for the win, tying the series again at 3. Acorn had a three-ball run of illegally potted plays before Puff II took over the possession. The players got stuck on the 3, but Acorn got out of it. However, his miss on the 6 would cost him the game, as Puff II exploded for a five-ball run-out to get the win, regaining the series lead at 4-3 and putting the extra pressure on her visitor. Acorn got the 10 dangerously close to the edge of the bottom right pocket, and while both players had attempts to deflect onto it, Acorn went direct a handful of turns later to make the 6-10 combination and get the win, tying the series for the last time at 4 and setting up a big finale. Game 9 started well with a good break by Acorn, and the players each took halfhearted swipes at the 10 when they could. When it got to the end of the game, Puff II couldn't cut the 10 in. Acorn had it from a bad angle, and used the rare bridge shot (maybe used 1 in 100,000 times) to cut the 10 into the top right for the win and 5-4 series win. Acorn was ranked #33 for 10-ball, but became the champion with the gutsy shot, winning to Who Wrote Holden Coulfield? by Green Day. Puff II's great season will end short of a gold medal and likely short of the MVP title as well, but she is the 123rd eliminated player, and Acorn took his fifth kill.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Leonette. The final blue-hosts-red series is in 8-ball, and this is also the last club Rivalry series. Delila Enterprises has already won, but lower places are up for grabs. Pacific's Leonette had the better of play in game 1, even as Central's Dustin applied a ton of pressure with his six-ball run. He couldn't get past that point, and Leonette cut the 8 to the top side for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin fired back in a sloppy game 2, finally breaking free with a four-ball run that saw him cut the 12 to the top side and take the 13 in the top left on a double-pot. His next turn saw him make the last two balls to defeat the Volcanoes' Leonette to tie the series at 1. Leonette had just deftly made the 3 and 6 along the left rail, and went to turn back for a 2-4 combination when disaster struck. Leonette's shot caught the corner of the bottom side, poking back across the table and taking the 8 to the top side, while also scratching to compound the pain of handing a win and 2-1 series lead to Dustin. In game 4, Dustin kept the good times rolling for himself, scoring a three-ball run as the big portion of his steady but not flashy effort. In the end, Dustin made the last two balls when Leonette's defense was porous enough for him to do so, and he made it 3-1 in the series. Leonette took a defensive stance again in game 5, even going to the length of scratching a couple of times to keep Dustin away from a good shooting position. Dustin never got a clean look at the 8 or his last ball after he scratched it back onto the table. Leonette eventually won with a three-ball run-out to cut the series to 3-2. Dustin stagnated a bit more in game 6, developing a bit of a scratching problem that prevented him from breaking out effectively. Leonette wasn't that good either, but she was able to work her shots a bit quicker and get the win to tie the series again at 3. Leonette kept up the surge in game 7, working an early five-ball run before battling back-and-forth with Dustin for much of the rest of the game. Dustin played decent defense, but Leonette found a way to make her last two shots to snag the win and pull ahead 4-3 in the series. Dustin had a four-ball run to pace his attack in game 8, but it was the finish that made the crowd cheer and rise as one. Dustin kicked the 15 hard from the left rail, and it plucked the corner of the bottom side, coming across in front of the cue to fall in the top side, while the cue set the 8 up for a straight shot at the top right. Dustin converted, tying the series at 4 as he is renewed to battle one more time. Dustin had a five-ball run come out of nowhere in game 9, pacing his attack as he tried to keep Leonette at bay. Despite a multitude of balls near pockets, Leonette couldn't find a shot, and Dustin was able to both set up and knock in the 8 at the bottom right without a challenge, taking the series 5-4. Ranked #10 in 8-ball, Dustin sends a second campaign into the Tournament of Champions as 8-ball's best player. Leonette is the 124th player knocked out, and Dustin will finish the regular season with nine kills out of the 125 players that will be eliminated. Dustin won to Below My Feet by Mumford & Sons.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lorde v. Midnight. Finally, the red cue hosts the blue cue for 9-ball, in which Lorde hosts the player she replaced on the Tradewinds roster. Commerce's Lorde started hot with two balls on the break, but was quick to cool, allowing Westside's Midnight to take over from there, making the last six balls over three turns for the win and a 1-0 series lead against her former team. Game 2 was not played with any urgency from either side, although the Tradewinds' Lorde did show a bit more liveliness at the end, making the last two balls with pace to top the Rockers' Midnight to tie the series at 1 with her win. Lorde played much more confidently in game 3, running five balls at the start from the break and then making the last two to control possession over Midnight and get another win for a 2-1 series lead. Lorde kept the crowd on their feet, roaring with excitement as she buried the 9 to the bottom right from the break, and the 5 also fell in the top left. Midnight never saw the table in game 4, falling behind 3-1 in the series. Lorde's break didn't do anything impressive in game 5, but her second turn was stunning. A sharp cut on the 1 to the bottom left, and then the 2-8 combination to the top right followed by the 2-9 combination to the bottom right earner her another win and put her on the brink of advancing with a 4-1 series lead. Midnight went all-in on her one and only shot of game 6, and it failed ever so narrowly, as she missed the 1-9 combination in such a way to leave it open for Lorde to convert, which was the series-clinching shot as Lorde took the 5-1 lead in the series. Midnight saved some face with her game 7 win, weathering a four-ball run by Lorde and the doldrums at the end of the game to make a very long distance cut shot on the 9 to the top left for the win that made it a 5-2 series. Lorde started to get a bit lazy during game 8, not shooting with any real urgency or authority. Midnight wasn't a lot better, but it was obvious she was trying harder. Midnight was reward for the effort, as Lorde left the 9 short at the top side, one of many such poor leaves, and Midnight scored it for the game 8 to make it 5-3 in the series. Game 9 featured a bit more casual play for both sides, ending when Midnight scratched on the 9, giving Lorde ball-in-hand for the final shot of the regular season. Lorde buried it, winning the series 6-3 to the tune of English Town by Matchbox Twenty. Midnight is the 125th and final eliminated player of the year, and the #32 ranked 9-ball player Lorde collected her second kill.
Here's the awards that I promised to mention.
Player's Cup for MVP: Dustin, Central Warriors. Dustin went 83-51 in games, 20-6 in series, and advances two bids to the Tournament of Champions while also recording a league-high nine kills.
Rookie of the Year: Charli XCX, Tysini Hummingbirds. Favored to win after taking the cricket version of this award, Charli went 44-33 in games and 11-8 in series, making it to the finals and placing second in Accuracy.
President's Cup: Reality. Another dominant sporting season from Reality saw them start slow but then hold the first place slot down for many rounds to earn another piece of hardware as a club.
Governor's Cup: Boston Swifts. The Swifts ended up on top at the end of the season, earning the #1 seed in the City Cup playoffs after holding off a strong Gems team during the finals.
I will post a standings update shortly, and a pre-draft guide will also be published either tonight or tomorrow morning with the protected players, the likely saves, and the likely cuts. The next three days are administrative days for me, as I work to be prepared for the start of the playoff season.
Intel Center Diamond: Citrus v. Twinkie II. The 7-ball title will be decided by the silver and blue cues. The only good thing about game 1 is that the rest of the day couldn't possibly be much worse, with both players missing plenty of chances. Diamond's Citrus had the worst of it, missing the 7 short to give Harrison's Twinkie II a tap-in for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Gems' Citrus saw her scratching issue pop up again in game 2, and the Specters' Twinkie II made her pay for it, using the ball-in-hand to ignite a six-ball run-out for the win, earning a 2-0 series lead. Citrus tried to play off the 1 in a rocky game 3, but she missed contact with the 7. From a more difficult angle, Twinkie II succeeded on the same play, winning as the 7 fell in the top right off the deflection that gave her a 3-0 series lead. Citrus finally had a good game, and deserved to win in game 4, but her four-ball run come to an abrupt end when the 7 rattled out of the bottom right. Twinkie II sliced it to the top right, making it 4-0 in the series and all but assuring her title. Twinkie II made sure Citrus never had a chance to get back into the series, making both the 3 and 7 to the top right off the game 5 break, clinching the series at 5-0. Citrus lost only 5 games on her trip through the bracket, and will lose at least that many here. Citrus finally put all her skill together in game 6, winning after the second time Twinkie II rattled the 3 out of a pocket. Citrus went on a five-ball run-out, using precision and strong finishing ability to cut the series to 5-1. Game 7 was far less dominant of an effort from Citrus, but since Twinkie II scratched on her second failed attempt at the 7, Citrus made it from ball-in-hand on her third try to earn the win and make it 5-2 in the series. Citrus continued the face-saving campaign in game 8, getting the last four balls over two turns to steal another win away from Twinkie II, which leaves the audience wondering why she couldn't do it when it mattered as the series moves to 5-3. Twinkie II iced the series at 6-3 with a quiet but dominant five-ball run-out after one more Citrus scratch in game 9, and Twinkie II advances into the postseason individually. The #9 ranked 7-ball player is the champion of the sport. Citrus is the 118th player eliminated this year, and Twinkie II has her sixth and final kill of the tournament. Twinkie II's victory song is Saturday in the Park by Chicago.
UPS Hall, Maplewood: Diddley v. Dustin. The silver cue stays in action, now the road opponent against the red cue in the Rotation championship. Maplewood's Diddley gave the home faithful and Delila Enterprises fans a treat with a five-ball run to liven the place up. Central's Dustin got a couple back, but Diddley finished the game with an 8-3 win and 1-0 series lead in a confident showing. The Lumberjacks' Diddley is barely letting the Warriors' Dustin to the table, winning game 2 by an 8-1 score with a mix of brilliant defense and pinpoint shooting as Diddley takes a 2-0 series lead over his Northeastern rival. Game 3 saw Dustin finally get a grip, battling evenly back and forth throughout the game with Diddley. The game seemed to be tied more often than not, and this was critical when Diddley scratched to make the 15. Dustin got a free shot at it and buried it for the 8-7 win, getting back into the now 2-1 series. Diddley was holding his own pretty well until Dustin went for a four-ball run from ball-in-hand in game 4, giving Dustin total control over the game. Diddley didn't mount a comeback, scratching instead to give Dustin the last shot he needed for an 8-2 win to tie the series at 2, bringing a quiet to the crowd. Dustin played pretty well in game 5, bursting out for a six-ball run to take a commanding lead. Diddley fired back with a three-ball run to make it close, and he later tied the game after finally potting the tricky 12, but Dustin got the 14 to take the 8-7 win and pull ahead 3-2 in the series. Dustin made sure game 6 was significantly faster than the last one, ripping off a seven-ball run from the break. Diddley got a couple back, but Dustin wasted no time on his second turn, making the 8 for an 8-2 win to give himself a 4-2 series lead with no signs of slowing down. Dustin came out strong in game 7 again, but Diddley finally struck back after absorbing Dustin's offense for games on end. Diddley rallied for the lead, and then staved off Dustin's late offensive surge to get the 8-5 win in the end, pulling back to 4-3 in the series. Diddley had a poor break in game 8, but he made it work for him pretty effectively, limiting Dustin's chances at clean shots. Diddley made pairs of balls sandwiched around a four-ball run, and Dustin only got two of those back in the 8-2 win for Diddley that helped him retie the series at 4 and set up one big finale. Game 9 was just as thrilling as it should be, with Diddley carrying a lead late into the game before a defensive standoff ensued. At the end of it all, Dustin broke free on a four-ball run-out, taking the win 8-6 and the series 5-4. Dustin was ranked #45 in Rotation as he charged to the championship. Diddley is the 119th player to be knocked out, and Dustin has his eighth kill, with a chance for one more later today. Dustin won the series to Walk Away (Maybe) by Good Charlotte.
Cisco Arena, Tysini: Charli XCX v. Bryant. The Accuracy final is one of five series to be contested between the blue cue and red cue, with the blue hosting this one, as well as three others. Maplewood's Bryant didn't have a lot of fans in the building, but he put on a show in enemy territory, playing a strong game that ended 1-4 in his favor to top a shaky Charli of Tysini for the 1-0 series lead. Game 2 was much closer and much less visually appealing, as both players missed quite a few shots. The Hummingbirds' Charli was the worst off, and the Lumberjacks' Bryant capitalized on this, buckling down late for a 5-6 win to make it a 2-0 series lead. Bryant returned to a more confident and dominant form in game 3, losing his lead once but holding on when it came back around to him on another Charli miss, and he finished the game ahead 1-2 for the win, moving to 3-0 in the series with the effort. Charli finally got herself on track in game 4, playing a near perfect game until her second-to-last shot went in the books as a miss, but she already had Bryant beat and ended up on the right side of the 1-4 game as she cut the series to 3-1, giving herself a chance to keep going. Charli excelled at simply doing her job in game 5, navigating a horrendous break she started the game with and coming out unscathed, while Bryant was far from as lucky. Bryant struggled to pick the shots off that he wanted, and he lost the game 0-4, while his series lead shrunk to 3-2 after such a great start to the series. Game 6 required overtime to be decided, as Bryant tricked Charli into a miss on the last ball with a good defensive position. Charli shot a soft break in overtime, and it worked, as Bryant couldn't make anything. Charli also did a cluster buster to score one, but two turns later, she missed, and Bryant made the 8 for a 3-4 win to take a 4-2 series lead in the pivotal game. Charli stood tall in game 7, facing elimination from here on out. She didn't let it get to her, and Bryant was unable to keep pace around halfway through the game, taking a couple of misses. Charli's perfect game meant Bryant's misses didn't matter all that much, as she won 0-3 and regained some ground in the 4-3 series that still favors Bryant. Charli had to play from behind through all of game 8, and just when she tied it late as the 4 proved tricky, she missed her last shot, falling behind and eventually losing 2-3 to Bryant, who secured the series at 5-3 with the win. Charli took game 9 in a similar to fashion to how she lost game 8, with Bryant just catching her at the end only to blow it apart with a miss that gave Charli the 2-3 win. Bryant won the series 5-4, and the #74 ranked Accuracy player is the champion of the sport. Charli is the 120th player to be eliminated, and Bryant has his sixth kill. Out of the Wood by Taylor Swift is Bryant's victory song for the series.
Volkswagen Stadium Events Center, Viewpoint Sound: Mams v. Leandra. The silver cue has its last series, hosting the red in 15-ball. The silver cue will conduct the Tournament of Champions on Monday. Once again, the visitor struck first without much fan support. Tysini's Leandra broke the monotony of game 1 with a six-ball run-out to fell Viewpoint Sound's Mams and get a 1-0 series lead. The Meteors' Mams promised to make the series a bit more interesting, pulling off a six-ball run and then making the 15 on her next turn when the Hummingbirds' Leandra missed it, tying the series at 1. Leandra countered right back in game 3, dealing with a mediocre break by Mams. Once Leandra got out to the open end of the table, she made a three-ball run-out, knocking the 15 in with a deflection off the 7 to the bottom left, earning her a win and a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 returned to a more cautious approach, and that lasted the whole game. The shots were exchanged fairly evenly, up to Leandra missing and Mams making the 15 to retie the series at 2. Mams set the tone in game 5 pretty easily, pounding the 1 into a cluster and depositing the 6 into the bottom right. Leandra has been the better player at ending games early, and that's what she did in a directionless game 5. Mams had a scratch on the 7, setting Leandra up to make the 8-15 combination to the bottom right to get the win and a 3-2 series lead. Mams made a sick double-pot in game 6, burying the 9 on a cut with the right pace and angle for the cue to come back and take the 12 as well, going to the left corners. Mams had all the momentum late in the game, but missed the 15 by cutting too much on it. Leandra shot it into the top right from distance, moving to a 4-2 series lead in the process. Leandra and Mams combined for a much faster paced game 7, but the result was the same as before, as Leandra took the game away from Mams, who couldn't make a late cut shot to save her life or her series. Leandra's win clinched the series for her at 5-2. Mams shot back in the meaningless game 8, making the last two balls after Leandra's late scratch in a game that saw the players adopt a decent pace of play throughout. Leandra still leads the series 5-3. Mams iced the series at 5-4 in Leandra's favor, getting the game 9 win after Leandra illegally hit the 9. Mams shot the 6-15-14 to the top right, and followed it with a 6-15 combination to the same spot to win. Leandra was ranked #81 in 15-ball at the start of the year, but made it all the way to be the champion. Mams, however valiant in her comeback, is the 121st player eliminated, and Leandra took her third kill. Leandra officially won to the tune of Me and the Devil by the Fratellis.
HP Field Events Center, Eastside: Chelsea v. Precious. The blue cue will host the red cue in the next three series, not that hosting has been a benefit so far today. This series is 12-ball. Eastside's Chelsea gave very little regard to Precious of Pronger using defense to slow down game 1. When Chelsea got onto her last ball, she put the defense away, and then won the game on her next turn when Precious couldn't finish the game, giving Chelsea the 1-0 series lead. After a wild start that saw three wild card balls exchanged in the first four shots, the Tridents' Precious used her two-ball advantage to work a four-ball run-out to all the corners for the win, punishing the poor tactics from the Sharks' Chelsea as the series moved to a 1-all tie. Chelsea went bold in game 3, surrendering a wild card ball to Precious while she was behind. Precious couldn't find position on her shots, and Chelsea ignited for a four-ball run-out, overcoming the disadvantage to win for a 2-1 series lead. Chelsea caught a lucky break in game 4, as Precious gave her a wild card ball because it was in her way. Precious wasn't counting on amazing late defense by Chelsea, which prevented Precious from making the 1 from distance. Chelsea took the ball-in-hand and went on a three-ball run-out to win and make it 3-1 in the series, disheartening the Delila Enterprises faithful. Chelsea got a bit behind in game 5, battling with Precious a little more than she would have liked thanks to a scratch. Precious was unable to dig herself out of bad positions, while Chelsea made the most, and the scratch ended up helping her as she made a three-ball run-out along the top pockets for the win, pushing the series to 4-1. Chelsea pummeled her way through game 6, making eight balls in total. She started with a big three-ball run while also giving away two wild card balls to Precious. However, Precious gave one of those up on a later turn, and Chelsea had an easy route to victory with Precious out of position. Chelsea secured the series at 5-1. In game 7, Chelsea again gave a wild card ball in reckless fashion, unwavering in her solid shoot as she put up another tone-setting three-ball run. Precious came close to threatening at times, but Chelsea made her last two balls before Precious could make the final strike, moving the series to 6-1. Chelsea didn't give away a wild card ball in game 8, but she still found a way to make things more difficult for herself, scratching a couple of times when she was set up to go on a long run. Precious made strides to get herself set, but Chelsea swooped in with a three-ball run and then a final shot from Precious' leave to take the game and go ahead 7-1 in the series. Chelsea was well-defended by Precious in game 9, but Chelsea found a way yet again, picking through the table and waiting until she could clearly pot the 15 to the bottom side for the win. Chelsea won the series in big form with an 8-1 final. Ranked #27, Chelsea is crowned the 12-ball champion. Precious is the 122nd player to get knocked out, and goes as Chelsea's fourth kill.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Puff II v. Acorn. We're into the second blue versus red series, and the first of the big three, as we play 10-ball. The remaining series are all the high-profile professional styles of pool. Game 1 got off to a shaky start, but Lighton's Acorn fixed that very early in this Cola Wars Derby match. When Boston's Puff II missed the 1, Acorn saw his chance to pot it and then make the 2-10 combination from a good position, which he did to earn a 1-0 series lead with his win. The Prestige's Acorn fell apart early in game 2, and the Swifts' Puff II waited patiently for the right moment, eventually attacking full-out with a five-ball run-out to get the win and tie the series at 1. Acorn was a bit too enthusiastic in game 3, double-potting the 9 to the top left with the 7 he used as a carom going in the top right. This left him no shot on the 10, and Puff II was able to capitalize on his miss to make it herself after a five-ball run early on. Puff II won to take a 2-1 series lead. Acorn managed to keep the series tight, making sure Puff II couldn't get off on another long run during game 4, and then Acorn closed things out with a three-ball run-out to pick up the win, retying the series at 2 with the nice finish. Game 5 was a tale of two halves for the players, with Puff II getting an early five-ball run. The middle segment of the game played out slowly, with neither player gaining momentum until Acorn stepped up with a four-ball run-out to grab another win and take a 3-2 series lead with his dominant stretch. Game 6 was going perfectly normal throughout before an exciting finish that saw Acorn cut the 9 in and then make the 10, but also scratch, allowing Puff II a free shot that she made for the win, tying the series again at 3. Acorn had a three-ball run of illegally potted plays before Puff II took over the possession. The players got stuck on the 3, but Acorn got out of it. However, his miss on the 6 would cost him the game, as Puff II exploded for a five-ball run-out to get the win, regaining the series lead at 4-3 and putting the extra pressure on her visitor. Acorn got the 10 dangerously close to the edge of the bottom right pocket, and while both players had attempts to deflect onto it, Acorn went direct a handful of turns later to make the 6-10 combination and get the win, tying the series for the last time at 4 and setting up a big finale. Game 9 started well with a good break by Acorn, and the players each took halfhearted swipes at the 10 when they could. When it got to the end of the game, Puff II couldn't cut the 10 in. Acorn had it from a bad angle, and used the rare bridge shot (maybe used 1 in 100,000 times) to cut the 10 into the top right for the win and 5-4 series win. Acorn was ranked #33 for 10-ball, but became the champion with the gutsy shot, winning to Who Wrote Holden Coulfield? by Green Day. Puff II's great season will end short of a gold medal and likely short of the MVP title as well, but she is the 123rd eliminated player, and Acorn took his fifth kill.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Leonette. The final blue-hosts-red series is in 8-ball, and this is also the last club Rivalry series. Delila Enterprises has already won, but lower places are up for grabs. Pacific's Leonette had the better of play in game 1, even as Central's Dustin applied a ton of pressure with his six-ball run. He couldn't get past that point, and Leonette cut the 8 to the top side for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin fired back in a sloppy game 2, finally breaking free with a four-ball run that saw him cut the 12 to the top side and take the 13 in the top left on a double-pot. His next turn saw him make the last two balls to defeat the Volcanoes' Leonette to tie the series at 1. Leonette had just deftly made the 3 and 6 along the left rail, and went to turn back for a 2-4 combination when disaster struck. Leonette's shot caught the corner of the bottom side, poking back across the table and taking the 8 to the top side, while also scratching to compound the pain of handing a win and 2-1 series lead to Dustin. In game 4, Dustin kept the good times rolling for himself, scoring a three-ball run as the big portion of his steady but not flashy effort. In the end, Dustin made the last two balls when Leonette's defense was porous enough for him to do so, and he made it 3-1 in the series. Leonette took a defensive stance again in game 5, even going to the length of scratching a couple of times to keep Dustin away from a good shooting position. Dustin never got a clean look at the 8 or his last ball after he scratched it back onto the table. Leonette eventually won with a three-ball run-out to cut the series to 3-2. Dustin stagnated a bit more in game 6, developing a bit of a scratching problem that prevented him from breaking out effectively. Leonette wasn't that good either, but she was able to work her shots a bit quicker and get the win to tie the series again at 3. Leonette kept up the surge in game 7, working an early five-ball run before battling back-and-forth with Dustin for much of the rest of the game. Dustin played decent defense, but Leonette found a way to make her last two shots to snag the win and pull ahead 4-3 in the series. Dustin had a four-ball run to pace his attack in game 8, but it was the finish that made the crowd cheer and rise as one. Dustin kicked the 15 hard from the left rail, and it plucked the corner of the bottom side, coming across in front of the cue to fall in the top side, while the cue set the 8 up for a straight shot at the top right. Dustin converted, tying the series at 4 as he is renewed to battle one more time. Dustin had a five-ball run come out of nowhere in game 9, pacing his attack as he tried to keep Leonette at bay. Despite a multitude of balls near pockets, Leonette couldn't find a shot, and Dustin was able to both set up and knock in the 8 at the bottom right without a challenge, taking the series 5-4. Ranked #10 in 8-ball, Dustin sends a second campaign into the Tournament of Champions as 8-ball's best player. Leonette is the 124th player knocked out, and Dustin will finish the regular season with nine kills out of the 125 players that will be eliminated. Dustin won to Below My Feet by Mumford & Sons.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Lorde v. Midnight. Finally, the red cue hosts the blue cue for 9-ball, in which Lorde hosts the player she replaced on the Tradewinds roster. Commerce's Lorde started hot with two balls on the break, but was quick to cool, allowing Westside's Midnight to take over from there, making the last six balls over three turns for the win and a 1-0 series lead against her former team. Game 2 was not played with any urgency from either side, although the Tradewinds' Lorde did show a bit more liveliness at the end, making the last two balls with pace to top the Rockers' Midnight to tie the series at 1 with her win. Lorde played much more confidently in game 3, running five balls at the start from the break and then making the last two to control possession over Midnight and get another win for a 2-1 series lead. Lorde kept the crowd on their feet, roaring with excitement as she buried the 9 to the bottom right from the break, and the 5 also fell in the top left. Midnight never saw the table in game 4, falling behind 3-1 in the series. Lorde's break didn't do anything impressive in game 5, but her second turn was stunning. A sharp cut on the 1 to the bottom left, and then the 2-8 combination to the top right followed by the 2-9 combination to the bottom right earner her another win and put her on the brink of advancing with a 4-1 series lead. Midnight went all-in on her one and only shot of game 6, and it failed ever so narrowly, as she missed the 1-9 combination in such a way to leave it open for Lorde to convert, which was the series-clinching shot as Lorde took the 5-1 lead in the series. Midnight saved some face with her game 7 win, weathering a four-ball run by Lorde and the doldrums at the end of the game to make a very long distance cut shot on the 9 to the top left for the win that made it a 5-2 series. Lorde started to get a bit lazy during game 8, not shooting with any real urgency or authority. Midnight wasn't a lot better, but it was obvious she was trying harder. Midnight was reward for the effort, as Lorde left the 9 short at the top side, one of many such poor leaves, and Midnight scored it for the game 8 to make it 5-3 in the series. Game 9 featured a bit more casual play for both sides, ending when Midnight scratched on the 9, giving Lorde ball-in-hand for the final shot of the regular season. Lorde buried it, winning the series 6-3 to the tune of English Town by Matchbox Twenty. Midnight is the 125th and final eliminated player of the year, and the #32 ranked 9-ball player Lorde collected her second kill.
Here's the awards that I promised to mention.
Player's Cup for MVP: Dustin, Central Warriors. Dustin went 83-51 in games, 20-6 in series, and advances two bids to the Tournament of Champions while also recording a league-high nine kills.
Rookie of the Year: Charli XCX, Tysini Hummingbirds. Favored to win after taking the cricket version of this award, Charli went 44-33 in games and 11-8 in series, making it to the finals and placing second in Accuracy.
President's Cup: Reality. Another dominant sporting season from Reality saw them start slow but then hold the first place slot down for many rounds to earn another piece of hardware as a club.
Governor's Cup: Boston Swifts. The Swifts ended up on top at the end of the season, earning the #1 seed in the City Cup playoffs after holding off a strong Gems team during the finals.
I will post a standings update shortly, and a pre-draft guide will also be published either tonight or tomorrow morning with the protected players, the likely saves, and the likely cuts. The next three days are administrative days for me, as I work to be prepared for the start of the playoff season.
Hutton Cup Finals 2016: 3) Boston Swifts VS. 9) Pacific Volcanoes
This is it for the cricket season, acting as the prelude to the pool tournament's finals day with a finals series of its own. The Swifts and Volcanoes have done well to get this far, but only one can lift the cup. We begin with...
Coca-Cola Field, Boston: Game 1: The Swifts swept the season series, but the Volcanoes have been more resilient in the playoffs. Starlight opened the game with 264 for Pacific, a middling start from the captain. Patches answered with 544 for Boston, giving them the initial lead in this game. Ms. Kitty suffered a bad deflection that ended her turn at 145 for the Volcanoes, failing to cover the deficit. Puff II answered with 433 for the Swifts, extending their lead quite nicely at the halfway mark. Jack undid that damage, slashing 439 for Pacific to keep them in range for now. Gradley stood strong for Boston, flicking 457 to keep their lead safe with a player each to go. Leonette played a solid game, producing 375 for the Volcanoes, but they'll take the first loss with 1223 overall. Sweetheart went a bit soft with 271 for the Swifts, but they got the win with 1705. Boston leads the series 1-0.
Game 2: Starlight lost a bit more steam in this game, with only 208 for Pacific as they'll likely play from behind again. Patches turned a bit streaky with 145 for Boston, putting them behind narrowly at the start of a lower-scoring game. Ms. Kitty carved out 548 for the Volcanoes this time, extending their lead quite a bit. Puff II couldn't do anything about a ball going over her head, and she was forced to stop at 209 for the Swifts. Jack added 350 for Pacific as they begin to run away with this game. Gradley picked up 311, going with good pace but not for a long enough time to really help Boston get back in the game. Leonette faltered with 21 for the Volcanoes, giving them 1127 as their final, with a bit of vulnerability late in the game. Sweetheart came up big with 554 for the Swifts, saving the day as they completed a comeback to win with 1219. Boston leads the series 2-0 thanks to the heroics by Sweetheart, and they'll take that lead on the road.
Verizon Field, Pacific: Game 3. The Volcanoes hope some home cooking will save their season. Patches had only 69 for Boston after taking a 50% penalty for a false start, and that's not a good start for the visitors. Starlight improved in the home appearance, scoring 384 to stake out a Pacific lead. Puff II covered the deficit with 426 for the Swifts, giving them a narrow lead. Ms. Kitty picked the worst time to stumble, scoring a pathetic 8 for the Volcanoes and drawing the ire of her captain. Gradley took 231, far from the confident effort Boston would have preferred from their underrated veteran. Jack covered the deficit quite narrowly, using theatrics with the bat to collect 361 and give Pacific an edge late in the game. Sweetheart went big again at the end for the Swifts, posting 550 to give them a final of 1276, setting a high bar for the hosts to clear. Leonette came up short with 227 for the Volcanoes despite her nice pace, and they lost with 980. Boston leads 3-0 in the series, but the last two games could have gone either way were it not for Sweetheart.
Game 4: The Swifts are trying to close out the series against a deep-running Volcanoes side. Patches, clearly energized by the previous game's comeback, belted 983 for Boston to set the tone in their potential clincher. Starlight fired back with 780 for Pacific, keeping them in range early on. Puff II could have been better, but her 271 still leaves the Swifts with a decent lead. Ms. Kitty had a 50% penalty for her false start, a very inopportune time for such a thing, and she added just 129 for the Volcanoes. Gradley clobbered another 512, extending the Boston lead as the few traveling fans start to bounce in their seats. Jack further hurt Pacific's chances, also suffering a 50% penalty for a false start, and that cut his score to 191 as the deficit grows larger. Sweetheart tapped 281 more for the Swifts, giving them 2047 to finish with. Leonette came up short again with 263, putting the Volcanoes in a loss with 1363. As Road Trippin' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers blares through the stadium speakers, the Swifts hoist the Len M. Hutton Cup after their 4-0 sweep.
The MVP of the playoffs went to Patches, the Swifts captain, who was streaky more often than not, but she set the tone. Said Patches: "It's great to finally get my hands on a trophy for the city. We've been in the playoffs a lot and we've got a good team, but we've always been a bit short, and now we have something to show for all the hard work. This is the best feeling we've had. We're a great, really tight team, and we are very proud to own the Hutton Cup for a year."
Puff II: "Obviously, I'm a bit distracted by having a pool final today as well, but it's great to get this win for Boston, and the whole region really. We might all be rivals, but they'll be happy to know they got beat by the best. Southeast pride!"
Gradley: "I've been here for the entire cricket era, and we've always been in the playoffs. This year we had a good fight for a division title. The Tradewinds took that, but we got the big prize, and that's all that really matters at the end of the year. I know I'm looking forward to defending this title next year, and I know my teammates are as well. It'll be a fun year.
Sweetheart: "This wasn't my best year in the red and black, but I'm glad I could make an impact when the team needed it most. We had some shaky games their, and to be that supplementary scorer, that veteran presence, it's a role you don't always want to be but the team needs it. It took all four of us being brilliant at different times. That's what makes this Swifts team so dangerous, and what will keep us dangerous for years to come. I know I'll be back next season, despite the rumors. They're only rumors after all."
Pacific captain Starlight: "They played us well in every game, had a different player beat us each time. We got a bit unlucky with the bounces, but we should have carried a series lead into game 4 and we couldn't close out games, so this is where we are. We'll grow from this loss and be better next year."
Coca-Cola Field, Boston: Game 1: The Swifts swept the season series, but the Volcanoes have been more resilient in the playoffs. Starlight opened the game with 264 for Pacific, a middling start from the captain. Patches answered with 544 for Boston, giving them the initial lead in this game. Ms. Kitty suffered a bad deflection that ended her turn at 145 for the Volcanoes, failing to cover the deficit. Puff II answered with 433 for the Swifts, extending their lead quite nicely at the halfway mark. Jack undid that damage, slashing 439 for Pacific to keep them in range for now. Gradley stood strong for Boston, flicking 457 to keep their lead safe with a player each to go. Leonette played a solid game, producing 375 for the Volcanoes, but they'll take the first loss with 1223 overall. Sweetheart went a bit soft with 271 for the Swifts, but they got the win with 1705. Boston leads the series 1-0.
Game 2: Starlight lost a bit more steam in this game, with only 208 for Pacific as they'll likely play from behind again. Patches turned a bit streaky with 145 for Boston, putting them behind narrowly at the start of a lower-scoring game. Ms. Kitty carved out 548 for the Volcanoes this time, extending their lead quite a bit. Puff II couldn't do anything about a ball going over her head, and she was forced to stop at 209 for the Swifts. Jack added 350 for Pacific as they begin to run away with this game. Gradley picked up 311, going with good pace but not for a long enough time to really help Boston get back in the game. Leonette faltered with 21 for the Volcanoes, giving them 1127 as their final, with a bit of vulnerability late in the game. Sweetheart came up big with 554 for the Swifts, saving the day as they completed a comeback to win with 1219. Boston leads the series 2-0 thanks to the heroics by Sweetheart, and they'll take that lead on the road.
Verizon Field, Pacific: Game 3. The Volcanoes hope some home cooking will save their season. Patches had only 69 for Boston after taking a 50% penalty for a false start, and that's not a good start for the visitors. Starlight improved in the home appearance, scoring 384 to stake out a Pacific lead. Puff II covered the deficit with 426 for the Swifts, giving them a narrow lead. Ms. Kitty picked the worst time to stumble, scoring a pathetic 8 for the Volcanoes and drawing the ire of her captain. Gradley took 231, far from the confident effort Boston would have preferred from their underrated veteran. Jack covered the deficit quite narrowly, using theatrics with the bat to collect 361 and give Pacific an edge late in the game. Sweetheart went big again at the end for the Swifts, posting 550 to give them a final of 1276, setting a high bar for the hosts to clear. Leonette came up short with 227 for the Volcanoes despite her nice pace, and they lost with 980. Boston leads 3-0 in the series, but the last two games could have gone either way were it not for Sweetheart.
Game 4: The Swifts are trying to close out the series against a deep-running Volcanoes side. Patches, clearly energized by the previous game's comeback, belted 983 for Boston to set the tone in their potential clincher. Starlight fired back with 780 for Pacific, keeping them in range early on. Puff II could have been better, but her 271 still leaves the Swifts with a decent lead. Ms. Kitty had a 50% penalty for her false start, a very inopportune time for such a thing, and she added just 129 for the Volcanoes. Gradley clobbered another 512, extending the Boston lead as the few traveling fans start to bounce in their seats. Jack further hurt Pacific's chances, also suffering a 50% penalty for a false start, and that cut his score to 191 as the deficit grows larger. Sweetheart tapped 281 more for the Swifts, giving them 2047 to finish with. Leonette came up short again with 263, putting the Volcanoes in a loss with 1363. As Road Trippin' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers blares through the stadium speakers, the Swifts hoist the Len M. Hutton Cup after their 4-0 sweep.
The MVP of the playoffs went to Patches, the Swifts captain, who was streaky more often than not, but she set the tone. Said Patches: "It's great to finally get my hands on a trophy for the city. We've been in the playoffs a lot and we've got a good team, but we've always been a bit short, and now we have something to show for all the hard work. This is the best feeling we've had. We're a great, really tight team, and we are very proud to own the Hutton Cup for a year."
Puff II: "Obviously, I'm a bit distracted by having a pool final today as well, but it's great to get this win for Boston, and the whole region really. We might all be rivals, but they'll be happy to know they got beat by the best. Southeast pride!"
Gradley: "I've been here for the entire cricket era, and we've always been in the playoffs. This year we had a good fight for a division title. The Tradewinds took that, but we got the big prize, and that's all that really matters at the end of the year. I know I'm looking forward to defending this title next year, and I know my teammates are as well. It'll be a fun year.
Sweetheart: "This wasn't my best year in the red and black, but I'm glad I could make an impact when the team needed it most. We had some shaky games their, and to be that supplementary scorer, that veteran presence, it's a role you don't always want to be but the team needs it. It took all four of us being brilliant at different times. That's what makes this Swifts team so dangerous, and what will keep us dangerous for years to come. I know I'll be back next season, despite the rumors. They're only rumors after all."
Pacific captain Starlight: "They played us well in every game, had a different player beat us each time. We got a bit unlucky with the bounces, but we should have carried a series lead into game 4 and we couldn't close out games, so this is where we are. We'll grow from this loss and be better next year."
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Pool: 2016 A-level Finals - Preliminaries
Here we are, on the eve of the final day of pool. We'll see who gets to play on, as the winners today will compete for the championships tomorrow, while all losers are awarded third place in their event. All series over the next two days are split-cue and nine games. Let's begin with...
BMW RockDome, Westide: Midnight v. Ms Puppy. The blue cue champion hosts the silver cue champion of 9-ball. Modernistic's Ms. Puppy dominated game 1 to get the activities going, working a seven-ball run after Westside's Midnight scratched on the break. When Midnight then missed the 8, Ms. Puppy made the last two shots to get the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Midnight played better in game 2, getting a few shots in, while the Union's Ms. Puppy was visible worse. However, none of that mattered in the end, as Midnight missed the 9 and Ms. Puppy tapped it in to end a back-and-forth game with a 2-0 series lead. Midnight struck back with a four-ball run-out in game 3 after another choppy start saw Ms. Puppy flounder a bit while Midnight was barely steadier. Midnight's big finish gave her a win to make it a 2-1 series in favor of Ms. Puppy. The play opened up quite a bit in game 4, with Ms. Puppy scoring a four-ball run answered by a four-ball run from Midnight. The 9 created some trouble for both players, with each one missing it twice before Midnight buried it to get the win, tying the series at 2. Midnight needed only two shots to win game 5. She made the 1 on the break, and then cut the 2 gently to the bottom side, with the cue going off the right rail and kicking the 9 back to the top left for the win, giving Midnight a stunning 3-2 series lead. Midnight played well early in game 6, but it looked like Ms. Puppy was going to swoop in late as she pieced together a three-ball run. Ms. Puppy missed her bank attempt on the 9, and Midnight stowed it to the top left to win again, surging to a 4-2 lead in the series with her fourth straight win. Ms. Puppy tried to get too fancy shooting at 6 during game 7, with her season the line. She missed contact, and Midnight used the ball-in-hand to put up a three-ball run-out, securing the series at 5-2. Midnight scratched on the 4 in the middle of game 8, and Ms. Puppy did as best she could to save some face for the series, rallying with a fairly simple four-ball run-out to take a win back, making it a 5-3 series. Ms. Puppy had a four-ball run over the middle of game 9, but she couldn't make anything of it in the end, missing the 9 late that allowed Midnight to strike it from distance to the top left, giving her a 6-3 series win. Midnight is ranked #18 for 9-ball, and will face Lorde of the Commerce Tradewinds for the 9-ball championship in tomorrow's eighth series. Ms. Puppy is the 110th player to be eliminated, and the first with a medal, while Midnight scores her second kill of the year.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Leandra. The blue cue has another appearance, this time opposing the red cue in 15-ball. Archtown's Ruby came up with the game 1 win in a tight game against Tysini's Leandra. Neither player had a long run, with Leandra scoring a three-ball run as the longest one, but Ruby's steady play earned her the 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Leandra had a stunning and completely unintentional win in game 2, shooting a kick-combination 4-9 attempt toward the top left that failed. Where she succeeded was driving the cue back across the table to get the 15, glancing it off the 5 and into the top right for the win to tie the series at 1 with the Arrows' Ruby. Game 3 was the most open one so far, seeing Leandra rally with a six-ball run over the middle and a hefty share of possession. Ruby made a late challenge with a three-ball run, but twice missed the 15, and Leandra potted it on her second try for the win to make it 2-1 in the series in her own favor. Game 4 returned to the chippy, short-burst style of play that appeared in game 1, and this is most favorable to Ruby, who was on the right end of the alternating momentum to get the last two balls and take the win, retying the series at 2. Leandra twice levied threats on the 15 early in game 5, missing it narrowly at the bottom side both times on complex combination plays. Leandra ended up getting the win on a three-ball run-out after a long game due to serious congestion on the table near the bottom rail that took time to clear up. Ruby had a couple of dangerous shots as well, but Leandra won by caroming the cue off the 14 to pot the 15 in the top right, retaking the series lead at 3-2. Leandra seemed to have the better shooting early in game 6, as Ruby appeared a bit lost navigating around the table. That all changed when Ruby came up for her last turn, which ended with a six-ball run-out, shooting with strong authority and precision to get the win and bring the series to a 3-all tie. Leandra had a threatening 3-7-15 combination try in game 7, but she pulled the 3 too wide and the 7 never connected. Leandra found a highlight when she banked the 4 off the left rail and it came back to take the 9 in the bottom right, narrowly missing the 15 on the way up. Leandra thought she was doomed when she scratched on the 12, but Ruby missed the 14 three shots later, and Leandra made the last two balls to get something for her active efforts, taking a 4-3 lead in the series. Leandra had a few more interesting shots in game 8, really putting the pressure on. Both players missed shots involving the 9 and 15 as the crowd was on its feet. Eventually Ruby got a three-ball run-out after Leandra missed the 12 at the top side, and Ruby did all those shots as tap-ins, tying the series once more at 4. Game 9 was slower due to a poor break by Ruby. This clogged a few shots up. Leandra looked to be making a late break, but missed contact on the 14. Ruby made the 14 and got good position on the 15, but missed it, and Leandra tapped it in to win the series 5-4. Ranked #81 in 15-ball, Leandra will play for the championship tomorrow against Mams of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors in the fourth series. Ruby is the 111th player eliminated, and Leandra recorded her second kill of the year.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Spirit v. Precious. The silver cue hosts the red cue in their first of four meetings today, this one in 12-ball. Game 1 started with plenty of pace, but quickly turned boring when each player got to their final ball. Lighton's Spirit bought herself some time with a scratch that kept Pronger's Precious in bad position, but Precious pulled back and made her last shot to win and take a 1-0 series lead. Each player gave the other a wild card ball in game 2, but the Prestige's Spirit had a scratch and lost hers. She could have used the extra flexibility, as the Tridents' Precious exploited the advantage in the end, picking the top side for her final shot to win and lead the series 2-0. Precious had a three-ball run from the break early in game 3, and then made another at the end of the game after getting into position after Spirit took a few turns to shoot aimlessly. Precious' big and commanding victory put her ahead 3-0 in the series. Precious continued to fly in game 4, making a five-ball run from the break, but ending it with illegal contact. Spirit was also ruled for illegal contact on her third shot, and Precious won from ball-in-hand to make it a 4-0 series lead. Spirit had her best game of the series in game 5, making a four-ball run and nearly getting herself set up for a nice finish. Precious spread her shots out a bit more, but a crafty shot on the 9 and 10 allowed her to set both up nicely. Spirit missed on her last ball, and Precious made her last two for the win, securing the series at 5-0. Spirit did a five-ball run in game 6, only to be answered by Precious double-potting the 11 to the bottom right and 14 to the bottom side, although she did scratch. It took her awhile to get the 1 lined up, but a good kick did it for Spirit, and she made it on her next turn after Precious illegally potted the 9. The series is now at 5-1, with Spirit avoiding a full sweep. The end of game 7 was quite interesting. It began when Spirit missed contact with the 7, giving Precious ball-in-hand. She shot the 11 to the bottom left, and then banked the 10 to the top side, but her cue struck the cue ball on its way by. The 10 was respotted. Spirit then made the 7 to the top left, and narrowly missed the 4 at the bottom left. Precious got the win when the 10 fell legally in the top side, giving her a 6-1 series lead. Spirit gave away a wild card ball early in game 8, and this one also came back to haunt her. Spirit had gotten set up for her last two shots, but Precious playing strong defense. When Spirit missed contact, Precious put away her last ball for the win and a 7-1 series lead. In game 9, nobody really had any interest in getting things going, making for a sluggish game that took many shots to finish. Spirit eventually made her last shot, cutting the 2 to the bottom right, making it a 7-2 final for the series. The #83 ranked 12-ball player, Precious will play in the finals against Chelsea of the Eastside Sharks, in the fifth series on tomorrow's schedule. Spirit is the 112th player to be eliminated, and Precious takes her fourth kill of the tournament.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Leonette v. Crystal. The red cue is the host to the silver cue this time, with the game shifting to 8-ball. Queens' Crystal struck first in game 1, but Pacific's Leonette struck the hardest, ripping a six-ball run after Crystal thinned things out. Leonette made her last two balls on her next turn, good for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Leonette made a four-ball run in game 2, but went silent from there, allowing the Flames' Crystal to pick away until she finished the game, getting the win to tie the series at 1. Crystal had a bad break in game 3, and for her, the game ended just as it started. She shot into a cluster from the kitchen, trying to get the 7 closer to a pocket. The 8 rolled out of the chaos and fell into the top side, gifting Leonette a win to shift the series back in her favor at 2-1. Crystal looked fairly frustrated to take a scratch late in a pitiful game 4 performance, but Leonette couldn't corral the 8 when she had the chance, and Crystal got to make two shots in a row for the win, retying the series at 2. The poor breaking is beginning to wear on these two players with long games. Crystal looked much better in this game, gaining a bit more patience as she did all her damage in two turns, with a five-ball run and a three-ball run-out to get the win as she came from behind on Leonette. Crystal leads the series 3-2 now. Crystal could have had the series by now if she hadn't made so many mistakes. In game 6, she took a four-ball run to get onto the 8, but then made the 8 illegally on the next turn after Leonette chipped back with a three-ball run. Leonette took another gifted game, and this made it a tied series at 3, as the players have not played at a championship level to this point. Clearly having not learned her lesson yet, Crystal gave away another game to Leonette, losing game 7 as she tried to extend a fledgling run but instead ended up with the 4 rocketing back to carom the 8 into the top right illegally. Leonette has only earned one win, but leads the series 4-3 thanks to Crystal's generosity. Crystal continued to have a dominant share of possession, and she didn't squander it all in game 8, making a four-ball run early and meandering around until a four-ball run-out became convenient at the end, giving her a win to retie the series with Leonette at 4. Crystal made a huge effort to play defense with one ball left, but Leonette cleverly picked it apart and then exploited the opening as part of her four-ball run-out, winning the game and the series 5-4 despite making only two 8 balls during the series. Ranked #56 for 8-ball, Leonette is lucky to advance into the finals to play in tomorrow's seventh series against Dustin of the Central Warriors. Crystal is the 113th player knocked out, despite putting up a very valiant effort, and Leonette claimed her fourth kill of the tournament.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Gradley v. Twinkie II. The red cue stays in, but the blue cue is returning to action for 7-ball. Harrison's Twinkie II continued to keep her team rooting for something, using a missed contact by Boston's Gradley to ignite for a finishing run, earning an easy win for a 1-0 series lead. The Specters' Twinkie II looked to be in danger when she snookered herself for the 6, but the Swifts' Gradley missed an easy shot on the 7, and Twinkie II collected the rebound to make it a 2-0 lead in the series for herself. Game 3 didn't see either player using much in the way of good shooting techniques. Many easy shots were missed, allowing Twinkie II to hang in long enough to put up a four-ball run-out, good enough to win and increase her grip on the series as she leads 3-0. The usually composed Gradley lost his cool in game 4, slamming his stick after a senseless scratch, and Twinkie II made a three-ball run-out in short order to take another sloppy win and make it a 4-0 series lead as she hurtles toward the championship series. Game 5 was a little bit better than the previous installments, but the shooting was still bordering on poor. Twinkie II lost it when her attempt to get the 7 with a carom off the 6 failed, and Gradley made both balls to snag the win, cutting the series to 4-1 as he starts to mount an improbable comeback effort. Twinkie II killed the comeback quite swiftly, pardon the pun, in game 6. Gradley had a miss on the 3 after making the 2, and Twinkie II used the 3 as the catalyst to her five-ball run-out for the win, clinching the series at 5-1 in the process. Gradley saved a bit of face in game 7, watching Twinkie II assemble two three-ball runs but miss narrowly on the 7 at the bottom right. Gradley tapped the 7 in, getting a win back to make it 5-2 in the series. Twinkie II fired back in another poor game, as game 8 barely went in her favor and required a handful of misses from both players before it could be decided. Twinkie II owns a 6-2 series lead going into the final game. Twinkie II appeared to have the game 9 win after a slow start, but her five-ball run-out ended in a scratch, handing another freebie over to Gradley, with the series final at 6-3. Twinkie II is ranked #9 in 7-ball, and will oppose Citrus of the Diamond Gems in tomorrow's first series. Gradley is the 114th player to get eliminated, and Twinkie II scored her fifth kill of the year, just one off the league lead.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Acorn v. Nightfur. The red cue hosts the silver again as both return to Lighton for a series of 10-ball. Lighton's Acorn had a good share of the possession in game 1, even with a scratch. Royal's Nightfur messed up her chance from ball-in-hand with a scratch herself, and two shots later, Acorn made the 7-10 combination to the top right for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur thought she had some positive momentum building in game 2, but her miss on the 7 wiped it all away when the Prestige's Acorn burst out for a four-ball run-out, taking the game and a 2-0 series lead. Nightfur definitely took the better of play in game 3, putting up a four-ball run late in the game but making a critical miss on the 9. Nightfur didn't expect Acorn to find position on the 10, but he did anyway, and he made the last two shots to get the win and move to 3-0 in the series. Nightfur worked in a tight space in game 4 after Acorn was called for illegal contact. Nightfur didn't change the position, burying the 2-5 combination and 2 to the top right, and then two shots later, she made the 10 by caroming the cue hard off the 4 to drive it to the top right as well for the win, cutting the series lead owned by Acorn to 3-1. Nightfur kept her pace up in game 5, but she lost a bit of accuracy in this game, and Acorn capitalized on it pretty readily. Acorn ended the game with a sharp four-ball run-out to get the win and move to a 4-1 series lead, getting himself on the verge of advancing. As the sixth series of the day, there's a break for refreshing in the middle, and they resumed in the evening. Acorn dominated in game 6, needing only two turns to clinch the series as he went for a four-ball run from the break and a six-ball run-out after Nightfur's solitary miss on her only shot of the game. Acorn took the series at 5-1 with this win. Nightfur played better in game 7, in part because it couldn't have been worse than before. She had a three-ball run at the end, but the last ball was potted illegally. Acorn deferred possession back to Nightfur, and she shot the 10 wide at the top right, allowing Acorn to come in and make it as a tap-in to move ahead 6-1 in the series. Nightfur made a big push in game 8, scoring a four-ball run early on and answering Acorn's three-ball run with a pair herself. The only problem she faced was on the 10, where she scratched as she made it, allowing Acorn to take it from ball-in-hand and steal another win to move to a 7-1 series lead. Nightfur again played a strong game, finding a three-ball run in game 9, but Acorn had a better finish, closing out with his second attempt at the 10 to get the win and ice the series at 9-1. Acorn is ranked #33 in 10-ball, and the dominant series effort sees him through to the finals, where he meets Puff II of the Boston Swifts in the year's last Cola Wars Derby during tomorrow's sixth series. Nightfur fell as the 115th player eliminated, and Acorn took his fourth kill.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Bryant. The silver cue hosts the red cue in their last meeting, playing Accuracy. Maplewood's Bryant didn't face much of a challenge from Southern's Shannon in game 1, watching her fade late to the tune of Bryant taking a 3-6 win to earn a 1-0 series lead with his solid performance. With all the cue switching, it's tough to get comfortable, hence a high final score in game 2. Thing were going well until the Lumberjacks' Bryant missed a couple shots. From there, he and the Monarchs' Shannon were tied more often than not, causing overtime. Both missed their first shots in the extra rack, and then Bryant lost it 5-6 with a second miss, allowing Shannon to tie the series at 1. Bryant started game 3 with absolute dominance, hardly letting Shannon in the game at all, but he faded around the middle of the game, and the last ball gave both of them fits. Shannon missed it twice, allowing Bryant to win with his second try by a 4-5 score, and he took a 2-1 series lead. Shannon got a bit gutsy in game 4, losing a small lead at one point and then holding even until Bryant scratched as he made a ball. Shannon made the second-to-last ball, and Bryant couldn't avoid the 2-3 loss, with Shannon's win tying the series again at 2. Bryant had a slick double-pot of the 13 to the bottom right and the 4 to the top side in game 5, making the highlight reel. He nearly regretted that play, missing his next shot, but Shannon had a pair of late misses, and Bryant struck the 10 from distance to the top left to seal up a 1-2 win and regain the series lead at 3-2. Bryant played a perfect game in game 6, and Shannon wasn't all that far behind him, keeping pace as well as she could until she took a miss. This was all it took to tip the game to Bryant, who held on for an 0-1 win to extend his series lead to 4-2. Game 7 had a thrilling finish to its regulation time, as the players made exceedingly more difficult shots to keep things level. Bryant got the last laugh, leaving Shannon with a bad position to shoot the overtime break from, and he made his one shot to win 2-3 and seal the series at 5-2. Game 8 was taken a bit lazily, with many misses throughout the game. These misses were evenly distributed, and led to Bryant taking the overtime break. He couldn't make a ball, and Shannon was there to finish the game, winning 6-7 as she cut the series to 5-3 with the sloppy win. Shannon played much better in game 9, taking the game pretty sharply to Bryant, who held on for awhile before falling behind, and he eventually lost the game 1-3. Bryant still took the series 5-4, and the #74 ranked Accuracy player heads into the finals against Charli XCX of the Tysini Hummingbirds, playing in tomorrow's third series. Shannon is the 116th player to be eliminated from the tournament, and Bryant recorded his fifth kill to stay one step back of the lead in that category.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Easter. The final series pits silver against blue in Rotation for the last championship round bid. Todavía's Easter struck first in game 1, and while Central's Dustin tied it early on, Easter had a wacky three-ball run to pace the late-game attack, cruising to an 8-3 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin didn't stay down long, rallying with a four-ball run in game 2 to stake out a lead. The Stills' Easter had a fairly crazy five-ball run to gain the lead over Dustin, but Dustin closed an 8-6 win with a solid three-ball run-out, tying the series at 1 in the process. Dustin took control of game 3 fairly early on, and he tangled with Easter a couple of times along the way, as the leads alternated between the two until Dustin pulled away for another 8-6 win to make it a 2-1 series lead for himself. Easter broke away from Dustin in game 4 with a five-ball run, before missing on a shot. Dustin played a bit defensively for awhile, keeping Easter away from the target ball and the 14 she left at the top left. Finally, Dustin made his reply with a six-ball run-out, executing his shots brilliantly to take the 8-7 win and make it 3-1 in the series. Dustin had a bad break in game 5, but he used it to his advantage, keeping the main cluster intact for a long time to prevent Easter from getting to her shots. Dustin scored a lot off of ball-in-hand, but Easter eventually broke through with a five-ball run, including a crazy cluster-buster that double-potted the 14 and 15. Easter tied it on her next turn, but Dustin iced the game at 8-6 a couple turns later, moving his series lead to 4-1. Easter expertly made the highlight reel in game 6 as she tried to mount a comeback against the heavily-leading Dustin. Easter made the 10 to the bottom right on the 8-10 combination, and the 11-15-13 to the top right on the deflection by the cue ball for the double-pot. Easter made it a four-ball run, adding a crazy around-the-table shot on the 8 that drilled the 11 to the bottom right, but she scratched while making the 8. Dustin made the 8-12 combination to win 8-5, securing the series at 5-1. Dustin had his worst break in game 7, barely scattering anything, but after a tussle with Easter, he charged up for two three-ball runs, the latter earning him the win by an 8-4 score as he pushes the series lead to 6-1 in an absolutely dominant series for the veteran. Dustin was shakier than usual with his effort in game 8, taking a large lead early but finding himself unable to shut it down quickly. Easter chipped back often, but failed to catch all the way up, and her missed contact on the 12 allowed Dustin to ice an 8-6 win to make it 7-1 in the series. Easter finally got one back in game 9, although her late shenanigans nearly allowed Dustin to find his way back into the series. She finally made the last shot she needed to win the game 8-6. Dustin still took the series easily by a 7-2 score, advancing his #45 ranked bid into the finals to face off against Diddley in a Rivalry match in Rotation, which is tomorrow's second series. Easter is the 117th player eliminated, and Dustin's clinched the league lead with seven kills.
Tomorrow, the main portion of the tournament ends, preceded by the Hutton Cup Finals that should wrap up tomorrow morning. It's Championship Thursday, June 9, 2016 for the UPCL to wrap up the bulk of the sixth tournament and third cricket season. The blog will go a bit quieter once those things are done, as administrative tasks will be done behind the scenes to get organized for the end of this season and the beginning of the next one. Sleep well and get ready for the biggest day in league history.
BMW RockDome, Westide: Midnight v. Ms Puppy. The blue cue champion hosts the silver cue champion of 9-ball. Modernistic's Ms. Puppy dominated game 1 to get the activities going, working a seven-ball run after Westside's Midnight scratched on the break. When Midnight then missed the 8, Ms. Puppy made the last two shots to get the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Rockers' Midnight played better in game 2, getting a few shots in, while the Union's Ms. Puppy was visible worse. However, none of that mattered in the end, as Midnight missed the 9 and Ms. Puppy tapped it in to end a back-and-forth game with a 2-0 series lead. Midnight struck back with a four-ball run-out in game 3 after another choppy start saw Ms. Puppy flounder a bit while Midnight was barely steadier. Midnight's big finish gave her a win to make it a 2-1 series in favor of Ms. Puppy. The play opened up quite a bit in game 4, with Ms. Puppy scoring a four-ball run answered by a four-ball run from Midnight. The 9 created some trouble for both players, with each one missing it twice before Midnight buried it to get the win, tying the series at 2. Midnight needed only two shots to win game 5. She made the 1 on the break, and then cut the 2 gently to the bottom side, with the cue going off the right rail and kicking the 9 back to the top left for the win, giving Midnight a stunning 3-2 series lead. Midnight played well early in game 6, but it looked like Ms. Puppy was going to swoop in late as she pieced together a three-ball run. Ms. Puppy missed her bank attempt on the 9, and Midnight stowed it to the top left to win again, surging to a 4-2 lead in the series with her fourth straight win. Ms. Puppy tried to get too fancy shooting at 6 during game 7, with her season the line. She missed contact, and Midnight used the ball-in-hand to put up a three-ball run-out, securing the series at 5-2. Midnight scratched on the 4 in the middle of game 8, and Ms. Puppy did as best she could to save some face for the series, rallying with a fairly simple four-ball run-out to take a win back, making it a 5-3 series. Ms. Puppy had a four-ball run over the middle of game 9, but she couldn't make anything of it in the end, missing the 9 late that allowed Midnight to strike it from distance to the top left, giving her a 6-3 series win. Midnight is ranked #18 for 9-ball, and will face Lorde of the Commerce Tradewinds for the 9-ball championship in tomorrow's eighth series. Ms. Puppy is the 110th player to be eliminated, and the first with a medal, while Midnight scores her second kill of the year.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Leandra. The blue cue has another appearance, this time opposing the red cue in 15-ball. Archtown's Ruby came up with the game 1 win in a tight game against Tysini's Leandra. Neither player had a long run, with Leandra scoring a three-ball run as the longest one, but Ruby's steady play earned her the 1-0 series lead. The Hummingbirds' Leandra had a stunning and completely unintentional win in game 2, shooting a kick-combination 4-9 attempt toward the top left that failed. Where she succeeded was driving the cue back across the table to get the 15, glancing it off the 5 and into the top right for the win to tie the series at 1 with the Arrows' Ruby. Game 3 was the most open one so far, seeing Leandra rally with a six-ball run over the middle and a hefty share of possession. Ruby made a late challenge with a three-ball run, but twice missed the 15, and Leandra potted it on her second try for the win to make it 2-1 in the series in her own favor. Game 4 returned to the chippy, short-burst style of play that appeared in game 1, and this is most favorable to Ruby, who was on the right end of the alternating momentum to get the last two balls and take the win, retying the series at 2. Leandra twice levied threats on the 15 early in game 5, missing it narrowly at the bottom side both times on complex combination plays. Leandra ended up getting the win on a three-ball run-out after a long game due to serious congestion on the table near the bottom rail that took time to clear up. Ruby had a couple of dangerous shots as well, but Leandra won by caroming the cue off the 14 to pot the 15 in the top right, retaking the series lead at 3-2. Leandra seemed to have the better shooting early in game 6, as Ruby appeared a bit lost navigating around the table. That all changed when Ruby came up for her last turn, which ended with a six-ball run-out, shooting with strong authority and precision to get the win and bring the series to a 3-all tie. Leandra had a threatening 3-7-15 combination try in game 7, but she pulled the 3 too wide and the 7 never connected. Leandra found a highlight when she banked the 4 off the left rail and it came back to take the 9 in the bottom right, narrowly missing the 15 on the way up. Leandra thought she was doomed when she scratched on the 12, but Ruby missed the 14 three shots later, and Leandra made the last two balls to get something for her active efforts, taking a 4-3 lead in the series. Leandra had a few more interesting shots in game 8, really putting the pressure on. Both players missed shots involving the 9 and 15 as the crowd was on its feet. Eventually Ruby got a three-ball run-out after Leandra missed the 12 at the top side, and Ruby did all those shots as tap-ins, tying the series once more at 4. Game 9 was slower due to a poor break by Ruby. This clogged a few shots up. Leandra looked to be making a late break, but missed contact on the 14. Ruby made the 14 and got good position on the 15, but missed it, and Leandra tapped it in to win the series 5-4. Ranked #81 in 15-ball, Leandra will play for the championship tomorrow against Mams of the Viewpoint Sound Meteors in the fourth series. Ruby is the 111th player eliminated, and Leandra recorded her second kill of the year.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Spirit v. Precious. The silver cue hosts the red cue in their first of four meetings today, this one in 12-ball. Game 1 started with plenty of pace, but quickly turned boring when each player got to their final ball. Lighton's Spirit bought herself some time with a scratch that kept Pronger's Precious in bad position, but Precious pulled back and made her last shot to win and take a 1-0 series lead. Each player gave the other a wild card ball in game 2, but the Prestige's Spirit had a scratch and lost hers. She could have used the extra flexibility, as the Tridents' Precious exploited the advantage in the end, picking the top side for her final shot to win and lead the series 2-0. Precious had a three-ball run from the break early in game 3, and then made another at the end of the game after getting into position after Spirit took a few turns to shoot aimlessly. Precious' big and commanding victory put her ahead 3-0 in the series. Precious continued to fly in game 4, making a five-ball run from the break, but ending it with illegal contact. Spirit was also ruled for illegal contact on her third shot, and Precious won from ball-in-hand to make it a 4-0 series lead. Spirit had her best game of the series in game 5, making a four-ball run and nearly getting herself set up for a nice finish. Precious spread her shots out a bit more, but a crafty shot on the 9 and 10 allowed her to set both up nicely. Spirit missed on her last ball, and Precious made her last two for the win, securing the series at 5-0. Spirit did a five-ball run in game 6, only to be answered by Precious double-potting the 11 to the bottom right and 14 to the bottom side, although she did scratch. It took her awhile to get the 1 lined up, but a good kick did it for Spirit, and she made it on her next turn after Precious illegally potted the 9. The series is now at 5-1, with Spirit avoiding a full sweep. The end of game 7 was quite interesting. It began when Spirit missed contact with the 7, giving Precious ball-in-hand. She shot the 11 to the bottom left, and then banked the 10 to the top side, but her cue struck the cue ball on its way by. The 10 was respotted. Spirit then made the 7 to the top left, and narrowly missed the 4 at the bottom left. Precious got the win when the 10 fell legally in the top side, giving her a 6-1 series lead. Spirit gave away a wild card ball early in game 8, and this one also came back to haunt her. Spirit had gotten set up for her last two shots, but Precious playing strong defense. When Spirit missed contact, Precious put away her last ball for the win and a 7-1 series lead. In game 9, nobody really had any interest in getting things going, making for a sluggish game that took many shots to finish. Spirit eventually made her last shot, cutting the 2 to the bottom right, making it a 7-2 final for the series. The #83 ranked 12-ball player, Precious will play in the finals against Chelsea of the Eastside Sharks, in the fifth series on tomorrow's schedule. Spirit is the 112th player to be eliminated, and Precious takes her fourth kill of the tournament.
Verizon Field Events Center, Pacific: Leonette v. Crystal. The red cue is the host to the silver cue this time, with the game shifting to 8-ball. Queens' Crystal struck first in game 1, but Pacific's Leonette struck the hardest, ripping a six-ball run after Crystal thinned things out. Leonette made her last two balls on her next turn, good for the win and a 1-0 series lead. The Volcanoes' Leonette made a four-ball run in game 2, but went silent from there, allowing the Flames' Crystal to pick away until she finished the game, getting the win to tie the series at 1. Crystal had a bad break in game 3, and for her, the game ended just as it started. She shot into a cluster from the kitchen, trying to get the 7 closer to a pocket. The 8 rolled out of the chaos and fell into the top side, gifting Leonette a win to shift the series back in her favor at 2-1. Crystal looked fairly frustrated to take a scratch late in a pitiful game 4 performance, but Leonette couldn't corral the 8 when she had the chance, and Crystal got to make two shots in a row for the win, retying the series at 2. The poor breaking is beginning to wear on these two players with long games. Crystal looked much better in this game, gaining a bit more patience as she did all her damage in two turns, with a five-ball run and a three-ball run-out to get the win as she came from behind on Leonette. Crystal leads the series 3-2 now. Crystal could have had the series by now if she hadn't made so many mistakes. In game 6, she took a four-ball run to get onto the 8, but then made the 8 illegally on the next turn after Leonette chipped back with a three-ball run. Leonette took another gifted game, and this made it a tied series at 3, as the players have not played at a championship level to this point. Clearly having not learned her lesson yet, Crystal gave away another game to Leonette, losing game 7 as she tried to extend a fledgling run but instead ended up with the 4 rocketing back to carom the 8 into the top right illegally. Leonette has only earned one win, but leads the series 4-3 thanks to Crystal's generosity. Crystal continued to have a dominant share of possession, and she didn't squander it all in game 8, making a four-ball run early and meandering around until a four-ball run-out became convenient at the end, giving her a win to retie the series with Leonette at 4. Crystal made a huge effort to play defense with one ball left, but Leonette cleverly picked it apart and then exploited the opening as part of her four-ball run-out, winning the game and the series 5-4 despite making only two 8 balls during the series. Ranked #56 for 8-ball, Leonette is lucky to advance into the finals to play in tomorrow's seventh series against Dustin of the Central Warriors. Crystal is the 113th player knocked out, despite putting up a very valiant effort, and Leonette claimed her fourth kill of the tournament.
Coca-Cola Field Exhibition Center, Boston: Gradley v. Twinkie II. The red cue stays in, but the blue cue is returning to action for 7-ball. Harrison's Twinkie II continued to keep her team rooting for something, using a missed contact by Boston's Gradley to ignite for a finishing run, earning an easy win for a 1-0 series lead. The Specters' Twinkie II looked to be in danger when she snookered herself for the 6, but the Swifts' Gradley missed an easy shot on the 7, and Twinkie II collected the rebound to make it a 2-0 lead in the series for herself. Game 3 didn't see either player using much in the way of good shooting techniques. Many easy shots were missed, allowing Twinkie II to hang in long enough to put up a four-ball run-out, good enough to win and increase her grip on the series as she leads 3-0. The usually composed Gradley lost his cool in game 4, slamming his stick after a senseless scratch, and Twinkie II made a three-ball run-out in short order to take another sloppy win and make it a 4-0 series lead as she hurtles toward the championship series. Game 5 was a little bit better than the previous installments, but the shooting was still bordering on poor. Twinkie II lost it when her attempt to get the 7 with a carom off the 6 failed, and Gradley made both balls to snag the win, cutting the series to 4-1 as he starts to mount an improbable comeback effort. Twinkie II killed the comeback quite swiftly, pardon the pun, in game 6. Gradley had a miss on the 3 after making the 2, and Twinkie II used the 3 as the catalyst to her five-ball run-out for the win, clinching the series at 5-1 in the process. Gradley saved a bit of face in game 7, watching Twinkie II assemble two three-ball runs but miss narrowly on the 7 at the bottom right. Gradley tapped the 7 in, getting a win back to make it 5-2 in the series. Twinkie II fired back in another poor game, as game 8 barely went in her favor and required a handful of misses from both players before it could be decided. Twinkie II owns a 6-2 series lead going into the final game. Twinkie II appeared to have the game 9 win after a slow start, but her five-ball run-out ended in a scratch, handing another freebie over to Gradley, with the series final at 6-3. Twinkie II is ranked #9 in 7-ball, and will oppose Citrus of the Diamond Gems in tomorrow's first series. Gradley is the 114th player to get eliminated, and Twinkie II scored her fifth kill of the year, just one off the league lead.
Pepsi Arena, Lighton: Acorn v. Nightfur. The red cue hosts the silver again as both return to Lighton for a series of 10-ball. Lighton's Acorn had a good share of the possession in game 1, even with a scratch. Royal's Nightfur messed up her chance from ball-in-hand with a scratch herself, and two shots later, Acorn made the 7-10 combination to the top right for the win and 1-0 series lead. The Crowns' Nightfur thought she had some positive momentum building in game 2, but her miss on the 7 wiped it all away when the Prestige's Acorn burst out for a four-ball run-out, taking the game and a 2-0 series lead. Nightfur definitely took the better of play in game 3, putting up a four-ball run late in the game but making a critical miss on the 9. Nightfur didn't expect Acorn to find position on the 10, but he did anyway, and he made the last two shots to get the win and move to 3-0 in the series. Nightfur worked in a tight space in game 4 after Acorn was called for illegal contact. Nightfur didn't change the position, burying the 2-5 combination and 2 to the top right, and then two shots later, she made the 10 by caroming the cue hard off the 4 to drive it to the top right as well for the win, cutting the series lead owned by Acorn to 3-1. Nightfur kept her pace up in game 5, but she lost a bit of accuracy in this game, and Acorn capitalized on it pretty readily. Acorn ended the game with a sharp four-ball run-out to get the win and move to a 4-1 series lead, getting himself on the verge of advancing. As the sixth series of the day, there's a break for refreshing in the middle, and they resumed in the evening. Acorn dominated in game 6, needing only two turns to clinch the series as he went for a four-ball run from the break and a six-ball run-out after Nightfur's solitary miss on her only shot of the game. Acorn took the series at 5-1 with this win. Nightfur played better in game 7, in part because it couldn't have been worse than before. She had a three-ball run at the end, but the last ball was potted illegally. Acorn deferred possession back to Nightfur, and she shot the 10 wide at the top right, allowing Acorn to come in and make it as a tap-in to move ahead 6-1 in the series. Nightfur made a big push in game 8, scoring a four-ball run early on and answering Acorn's three-ball run with a pair herself. The only problem she faced was on the 10, where she scratched as she made it, allowing Acorn to take it from ball-in-hand and steal another win to move to a 7-1 series lead. Nightfur again played a strong game, finding a three-ball run in game 9, but Acorn had a better finish, closing out with his second attempt at the 10 to get the win and ice the series at 9-1. Acorn is ranked #33 in 10-ball, and the dominant series effort sees him through to the finals, where he meets Puff II of the Boston Swifts in the year's last Cola Wars Derby during tomorrow's sixth series. Nightfur fell as the 115th player eliminated, and Acorn took his fourth kill.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Shannon v. Bryant. The silver cue hosts the red cue in their last meeting, playing Accuracy. Maplewood's Bryant didn't face much of a challenge from Southern's Shannon in game 1, watching her fade late to the tune of Bryant taking a 3-6 win to earn a 1-0 series lead with his solid performance. With all the cue switching, it's tough to get comfortable, hence a high final score in game 2. Thing were going well until the Lumberjacks' Bryant missed a couple shots. From there, he and the Monarchs' Shannon were tied more often than not, causing overtime. Both missed their first shots in the extra rack, and then Bryant lost it 5-6 with a second miss, allowing Shannon to tie the series at 1. Bryant started game 3 with absolute dominance, hardly letting Shannon in the game at all, but he faded around the middle of the game, and the last ball gave both of them fits. Shannon missed it twice, allowing Bryant to win with his second try by a 4-5 score, and he took a 2-1 series lead. Shannon got a bit gutsy in game 4, losing a small lead at one point and then holding even until Bryant scratched as he made a ball. Shannon made the second-to-last ball, and Bryant couldn't avoid the 2-3 loss, with Shannon's win tying the series again at 2. Bryant had a slick double-pot of the 13 to the bottom right and the 4 to the top side in game 5, making the highlight reel. He nearly regretted that play, missing his next shot, but Shannon had a pair of late misses, and Bryant struck the 10 from distance to the top left to seal up a 1-2 win and regain the series lead at 3-2. Bryant played a perfect game in game 6, and Shannon wasn't all that far behind him, keeping pace as well as she could until she took a miss. This was all it took to tip the game to Bryant, who held on for an 0-1 win to extend his series lead to 4-2. Game 7 had a thrilling finish to its regulation time, as the players made exceedingly more difficult shots to keep things level. Bryant got the last laugh, leaving Shannon with a bad position to shoot the overtime break from, and he made his one shot to win 2-3 and seal the series at 5-2. Game 8 was taken a bit lazily, with many misses throughout the game. These misses were evenly distributed, and led to Bryant taking the overtime break. He couldn't make a ball, and Shannon was there to finish the game, winning 6-7 as she cut the series to 5-3 with the sloppy win. Shannon played much better in game 9, taking the game pretty sharply to Bryant, who held on for awhile before falling behind, and he eventually lost the game 1-3. Bryant still took the series 5-4, and the #74 ranked Accuracy player heads into the finals against Charli XCX of the Tysini Hummingbirds, playing in tomorrow's third series. Shannon is the 116th player to be eliminated from the tournament, and Bryant recorded his fifth kill to stay one step back of the lead in that category.
Nestle's Warriors Hall, Central: Dustin v. Easter. The final series pits silver against blue in Rotation for the last championship round bid. Todavía's Easter struck first in game 1, and while Central's Dustin tied it early on, Easter had a wacky three-ball run to pace the late-game attack, cruising to an 8-3 win for a 1-0 series lead. The Warriors' Dustin didn't stay down long, rallying with a four-ball run in game 2 to stake out a lead. The Stills' Easter had a fairly crazy five-ball run to gain the lead over Dustin, but Dustin closed an 8-6 win with a solid three-ball run-out, tying the series at 1 in the process. Dustin took control of game 3 fairly early on, and he tangled with Easter a couple of times along the way, as the leads alternated between the two until Dustin pulled away for another 8-6 win to make it a 2-1 series lead for himself. Easter broke away from Dustin in game 4 with a five-ball run, before missing on a shot. Dustin played a bit defensively for awhile, keeping Easter away from the target ball and the 14 she left at the top left. Finally, Dustin made his reply with a six-ball run-out, executing his shots brilliantly to take the 8-7 win and make it 3-1 in the series. Dustin had a bad break in game 5, but he used it to his advantage, keeping the main cluster intact for a long time to prevent Easter from getting to her shots. Dustin scored a lot off of ball-in-hand, but Easter eventually broke through with a five-ball run, including a crazy cluster-buster that double-potted the 14 and 15. Easter tied it on her next turn, but Dustin iced the game at 8-6 a couple turns later, moving his series lead to 4-1. Easter expertly made the highlight reel in game 6 as she tried to mount a comeback against the heavily-leading Dustin. Easter made the 10 to the bottom right on the 8-10 combination, and the 11-15-13 to the top right on the deflection by the cue ball for the double-pot. Easter made it a four-ball run, adding a crazy around-the-table shot on the 8 that drilled the 11 to the bottom right, but she scratched while making the 8. Dustin made the 8-12 combination to win 8-5, securing the series at 5-1. Dustin had his worst break in game 7, barely scattering anything, but after a tussle with Easter, he charged up for two three-ball runs, the latter earning him the win by an 8-4 score as he pushes the series lead to 6-1 in an absolutely dominant series for the veteran. Dustin was shakier than usual with his effort in game 8, taking a large lead early but finding himself unable to shut it down quickly. Easter chipped back often, but failed to catch all the way up, and her missed contact on the 12 allowed Dustin to ice an 8-6 win to make it 7-1 in the series. Easter finally got one back in game 9, although her late shenanigans nearly allowed Dustin to find his way back into the series. She finally made the last shot she needed to win the game 8-6. Dustin still took the series easily by a 7-2 score, advancing his #45 ranked bid into the finals to face off against Diddley in a Rivalry match in Rotation, which is tomorrow's second series. Easter is the 117th player eliminated, and Dustin's clinched the league lead with seven kills.
Tomorrow, the main portion of the tournament ends, preceded by the Hutton Cup Finals that should wrap up tomorrow morning. It's Championship Thursday, June 9, 2016 for the UPCL to wrap up the bulk of the sixth tournament and third cricket season. The blog will go a bit quieter once those things are done, as administrative tasks will be done behind the scenes to get organized for the end of this season and the beginning of the next one. Sleep well and get ready for the biggest day in league history.
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