Douglas Forgason
Braselman loses opener, returns to double-dip Bayaua in finals of short-field One Pocket event
In what Tour Director D’Andrea Lessear described as the “Best Tournament (she has) ever had,” her DL Billiards Tour’s Stop #3 crowned two competitors in separate events; a $500-added ‘600 and under FargoRate’ 8-Ball event that drew 49 entrants and a One Pocket event that drew 7 entrants, both to Big Tyme Billiards in Spring, TX. Both winners – Douglas Forgason in 8-Ball and Ryan Braselman in One Pocket – came from the loss side to claim their titles.
In the races-to-7, 8-Ball event, Forgason, awarded an opening-round bye, defeated Trung Nguyen (2), Donald Proctor (5) and Colton Hays (4) to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Will Felder. Felix Galindo, in the meantime, also with a bye, downed Isaiah Casarez (3), Nam Nguyen Van (4) and Len Knox (double hill) to arrive at his winners’ side final versus Jason Velarde.
By 7-5 scores, Felder and Galindo sent Forgason and Velarde to the loss side and advanced to the hot seat match. Galindo and Felder then battled to double hill before Galindo claimed the seat and waited for Forgason to return from his three-match, loss-side trip.
Of the two loss-side competitors who met Forgason and Velarde upon their arrival from the winners’ side semifinal, it was Michael Pawlowski who showed up sporting the longest loss-side winning streak. Pawlowski had lost his opening match, double hill, to Austin Buthod and headed out on a five-match trip that had recently eliminated Len Knox 5-1 and in a rematch, Buthod 5-3. Pawlowski picked up Forgason. Velarde drew Colton Hayes, who’d followed his loss to Forgason with wins over Scott Forgason 5-2 and Alex Ramon 5-3.
Hays advanced to the quarterfinals 5-2 over Velarde and was joined for a rematch by Forgason, who’d given up just a single rack to Pawlowski. In their rematch, Forgason stopped Hays’ loss-side streak at three, downing him 5-3 to meet up with Felder in the semifinals.
Forgason gave up zero racks to Felder in their semifinal rematch and turned his attention to the necessity of winning two against Galindo in the true, double-elimination finals. Forgason took the opening set 7-5, moving him into the ‘most matches played’ category. A reduced-race to 5 in the second set became a double-hill battle, before Forgason prevailed to claim the title.
Hot seat match, two-set final go double hill for Braselman as he wins One Pocket event
In races to two, in any kind of pool match, you win either by shutout or surviving a double-hill match. In the 12 matches of the seven-entrant One Pocket event (one forfeit), six went double hill; five on the winners’ side, and one on the loss side. Winner Ryan Braselman alone played in four of the six double-hill matches and one of the shutouts. One of his double-hill matches (a loss in the opening round) and his one shutout (in the semifinals) were against the same competitor, Raed Shabib.
With Braselman off early for his three-match, loss-side journey, Shabib advanced to shutout Richard Romero and face Ernesto Bayaua in the hot seat match. Bayaua had been awarded a bye in his opening round and shut out Darryl Amos to get into the hot seat match with Shabib. Bayaua and Shabib battled to double hill before Bayaua prevailed to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, Braselman benefited from a forfeit before shutting out all three opponents that he faced; Darryl Amos, Louis Vickio and in their semifinal rematch, Raed Shabib. Braselman and Bayaua battled to double hill twice in the true double-elimination final that followed. Braselman won them both to claim the DL Billiards’ One Pocket title.
Tour director D’Andrea Leassear thanked the ownership and staff at Big Tyme Billiards for their hospitality, as well as cue sponsor, McDermott Cues, her “wonderful husband,” Dennis, for his “support and encouragement for her to keep pushing herself” and Teresa Garland for helping out when her husband has to deal with a family emergency. She also congratulated Jim D. Hall for winning the McDermott Cue Raffle and gift bag.
The next stop on the DL Billiards Tour, scheduled for this weekend (April 6-7), will be a dual event. In addition to a Scotch Doubles tournament, the weekend will feature a Juniors Tournament, both to be hosted by Big Tyme Billiards in Spring, TX.
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