They're quick, unhandicapped races to three on bar box tables; over before you know it. No time for long-term match strategies or tactics, you just get in there, win quick and move on. Or not. Marc Creamer went undefeated through a short field of 16 during the April 26 stop on the Western New York Tour. He got by tour director Nick Brucato early, and then faced him late, in the finals, winning both matches to claim the title. The $100-added event was hosted by the Main Place in Rochester, NY.
With Brucato at work on the loss side, Creamer advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Bob Simmons. Dave Grau faced Al McGuin in the other. Grau gave up only one to advance to the hot seat match, while Creamer survived a double hill battle versus Simmons to meet him.
Creamer gave up only one in the winners' side final against Grau, and waited for his re-match against Brucato.
Brucato was coming on, loss-side strong, giving up only a single rack, over two matches against Jeff White (0) and Phil Johnson (1), to pick up McGuin. Simmons drew Rick Cicotti, who'd gotten by Andre Ianello 3-2 and Jarid Sanders 3-1. Brucato and Cicotti advanced to the quarterfinals with identical 3-1 victories over McGuin and Simmons.
Brucato took the quarterfinal match, double hill, and then gave up only a single rack to Grau in the semifinals, earning his re-match against Creamer. In a single, race to 5, Brucato and Creamer battled to a 4-4 tie, before Creamer completed his undefeated, twice-against-Brucato run to claim the event title.
Things got progressively tighter for Shaun Wilkie, as he worked his way through a field of 73 entrants, on hand for Stop # 2 on the Action Pool Tour, hosted by Champions Billiards in Frederick, MD on the weekend of February 8-9. After surviving two straight double hill matches that left him in the hot seat, Wilkie had to contend with Brett Stottlemyer, who'd won seven on the loss side to challenge him in the finals. Wilkie prevailed in those finals to complete an undefeated weekend and claim the event title.
After an opening round bye, Wilkie defeated RAndy Davis, Dan Madden and T.J. Moore, by an aggregate score of 21-7. Trevor Dentz challenged him from among the winners' side final eight, chalking up five against him. Wilkie then moved into a winners' side semifinal against Ryan Jones, while Tony Long met up with Sean Sporleder. In the first of two double hill matches, Wilkie sent Jones to the losers' bracket, as Long defeated Sporleder 7-4. The hot seat match went to a deciding game, as well, with Wilkie prevailing to watch the progress of his eventual finals opponent, Stottlemyer.
On the loss side, it was Sporleder who had the misfortune of running into Stottlemyer, in the midst of his seven-match, loss-side winning streak. Stottlemyer had already defeated Dan Madden, Meredith Lynch, Trevor Dentz and Jimmy Varias. Ryan Jones drew Alan Duty, who had most recently eliminated Chris Garrett 7-4 and Jeremy Perkins, double hill.
Stottlemyer gave up only a single rack to Sporleder and advanced to the quarterfinals against Jones, who'd defeated Duty, double hill. Stottlemyer downed Jones 7-4 and then, in the semifinals, spoiled Tony Long's bid for a re-match against Wilkie with a 7-2 victory.
Stottlemyer had that intangible – momentum – on his side as he squared off against Wilkie in the finals. Wilkie, though, shrugged off the equally intangible factor of waiting for an opponent and completed his undefeated run with a 9-3 victory to claim the event title.
A Second Chance Tournament, held on Sunday, drew 16 entrants and saw Dan Madden return from the loss side to defeat Tom Helmstetter 7-4 in the finals. Helmstetter had sent Madden to the losers' bracket in a double hill, winners' side semifinal. Madden moved over and took down Kyle Ray 5-3, Jeff White, double hill, in the quarterfinals and Will Moon 5-1 in the semifinals. A 7-4 win in the finals over Helmstetter gave Madden the Second Chance title.
