Tom Schine and Walter Palomino
The 2023/2024 season of the NE 9-Ball Series, which began last October 15, has been a ‘return to normal’ for the pool tour. It marked the end of a year-long hiatus, prompted by the COVID-related illness and associated complications endured by of one of its tour directors, Jennifer Berghelli. Its other tour director, Marc Dionne, noted at the beginning of the new season Berghelli was “doing much better” and the tour was “happy to be back.” The tour closed out its ’23-’24 season with a finale this past weekend (Sun., Oct. 6).
Two relative unknowns made their first appearance in our AZBilliards database as a result; Tom Schine, who went undefeated to claim the title and Walter Palomino, who finished as the event runner-up. The two battled twice in the $1,000-added event which drew 28 entrants to Yale Billiards in Wallingford, CT.
Schine opened with victories over NE 9-Ball Series veterans Anthony Petruzelli, Jesus Garcia, and Kevin Bauccio to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal against Steven Romann. Palomino defeated Russell Rhodes, Evan Moreau, and Mike DeMarco to draw Kiely in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Schine defeated Romann 4-4 (Romann racing to 7), while Palomino and Kiely locked up in a double-hill match that eventually sent Palomino to the hot seat match versus Schine. In their first matchup, they, too, battled to double hill, before Schine closed it out to claim the hot seat.
Kiely and Romann moved to the loss side and picked up Beau Powers and Nuno Cotto, respectively. Powers had lost his opening match to Bauccio and won four straight, including a shutout over Oscar DeLeon and a 5-2 rematch against Bauccio that advanced him to face Kiely. Cotto had lost a winners’ side quarterfinal to Kiely and defeated Charles McMahon 4-4 (McMahon racing to 6) and Richard Senna 4-5 (Senna racing to 8) to reach Romann.
Kiely shut Bowers out and was joined in the quarterfinal match by Cotto, who’d survived a double-hill match against Romann. Cotto survived another double-hill match, downing Kiely in that quarterfinal.
Palomino stopped Cotto’s loss-side run at four. He gave up just a single rack in the semifinals for his second shot at Schine.
Schine began the final match with four ‘beads on the wire’ in a race to 8 against Palomino. He didn’t need any of them. He gave up only a single rack to claim the NE 9-Ball Series’ season finale title.
Marc Dionne and Jennifer Berghelli thanked the ownership and staff at Yale Billiards for their hospitality, as well as sponsors USAPL New England, BEF, FargoRate, AZBilliards, Professor Q-Ball’s National Pool and 3-Cushion News, MJS Construction, OTLVISE, Outsville, Cue Pocket LLC and Just The Tip Cue Repair and Custom Accessories.
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