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Olinger, Little and Gray win a trio of tournaments on the Midwest 9-Ball Tour

Joey Gray

They sound a little like a law firm (Olinger, Little and Gray), and as such, laid down the law on the weekend of August 8-11. Each took one of a trio of tournaments on the Midwest 9-Ball Tour that weekend. Alex Olinger won the $3,500-added 9-Ball Tournament. Melissa Little took the $500-added Ladies event and Joey Gray captured the $1,000-added One Pocket title. The One-Pocket event, which started the weekend on Thursday, drew 58 entrants. The 9-Ball tournament drew 139, while the Ladies 9-Ball tournament drew 28; all to Shooters in Olathe, KS.
 
Woodward comes from the loss side to challenge Gray in One Pocket
 
Joey Gray, who captured the One-Pocket title, gave up only three games in the entire tournament, and none at all over his last three matches. He was challenged in the finals by Skyler Woodward, who'd been defeated in the opening round by Chip Compton, and won nine straight on the loss side. 
 
Gray faced Shane McMinn in one of the winners' side semifinals, as John Gabriel squared off against Marc Vidal in the other. Gray shut McMinn out, while Gabriel was busy surviving a double hill match against Vidal. Gray went on to shutout Gabriel and claim the hot seat.
 
On the loss side, Woodward, with four down and five to go to get back to the finals, defeated Kevin Carron 3-1, and survived a double hill match against Mark Haddad to pick up McMinn. Vidal drew Will Freeman, who'd defeated Compton 3-1 and shut out Dale Pence
 
Vidal defeated Freeman 3-1 and in the quarterfinals met Woodward, who'd shut out McMinn. Woodward won the quarterfinal match 3-1 over Vidal, and then took out Gabriel in the semifinals 3-1. Gray, though, chalked up his third straight shutout, stopping Woodward's loss-side run in the finals to claim the event title.
 
Olinger and Compton battle three times to decide Open 9-Ball event
 
In the end, Alex Olinger and Chip Compton faced off in a single match to claim the 9-ball event title, each with one loss, both by 9-6 scores. Olinger had advanced to the hot seat match after defeating Dustin Gunia 9-6, and was met by Compton, who'd sent Jonathan (Hennessee from Tennessee) Pinegar west 9-5. Olinger took the first of three against Compton 9-6.
 
Gunia and Pinegar moved west and picked up Billy Thorpe and Mark Haddad, respectively. Thorpe had gotten by Johnny Neels and Marc Vidal 9-4. Haddad had downed former US Open 9-Ball Champion Gabe Owen 9-7 and David Matlock 9-4. Pinegar eliminated Haddad 9-6, while Thorpe was handing Gunia his second straight loss 9-7. Thorpe took the quarterfinal match against Pinegar that followed 9-7, but had his loss-side streak ended by Compton in the semifinals; 9-7, as well.
 
Both sets of the true double elimination final ended with 9-6 scores. Compton took the opening set, but Olinger took the second to claim the title.
 
Little goes undefeated to claim Ladies title
 
Melissa Little faced different opponents in the hot seat match and finals, defeating them both to claim the top prize. She faced Brittany Colbert in the battle for the hot seat, and defeated her 7-1. Colbert moved over to face Nicole Keeney, who'd just downed Liz Lovely 7-5 in the quarterfinals. Keeney thwarted Colbert's chance for a second shot against Little with a 7-3 win in the semifinals. Little, though, stopped Keeney's loss-side run with a 7-3 victory of her own that put the top prize in her pocket.

Haddad goes undefeated on Midwest 9-Ball One-Pocket Event

Mark Haddad withstood a loss-side challenge from Joey Gray in the finals to go undefeated in the One-Pocket event of the Midwest 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of February 23-26. The $500-added, One-Pocket event drew 55 entrants to Shooters in Olathe, KS. Still ongoing, as of early Sunday evening, were a 9-ball and ladies event.

From among the winners’ side final four, Haddad sent Taylor Anderson west 3-1, as Shane McMinn was downing Gary Lutman 3-1. Lutman had just sent Gray over 3-1. Haddad got into the hot seat with a double hill win over McMinn and waited on Gray.

Following victories over Justin Richardson and John Gabriel, both double hill, Gray met up with Anderson. Lutman drew Chip Compton, who’d shut out James Baraks and defeated Dale Pence 3-1. A quarterfinal Lutman/Gray re-match was avoided when Gray chalked up his third straight double hill win, against Anderson, but Compton eliminated Lutman 3-1. Gray then recorded his fourth straight double hill win with a quarterfinal victory over Compton.

Gray, seemingly tired of dodging ‘double hill’ bullets, shut McMinn out in the semifinals. Haddad, though, turned the tables on him, shutting Gray out in the opening set of the finals, to complete his undefeated run.