Bustamante doubles up, winning West Coast Challenge One-Pocket and 10-Ball events

Francisco Bustamante

In the One-Pocket event of the 2012 West Coast Challenge, which began on Wednesday, April 25, Francisco Bustamante got into the hot seat and then had to face a strong, loss-side challenge from John Schmidt, who won nine straight to meet him in those finals. On Sunday, April 29, Bustamante, once again in the hot seat, this time for the 10-ball event, found himself, for the second time, playing from behind against Raj Hundal. He withstood both challenges to capture the title in both events. The $4,000-added One-Pocket event drew 60 entrants to the California Billiard Club in Mountain View, CA, while the $10,000-added 10-Ball event drew 87 to the same location, from April 25-29.

In the One-Pocket event, Bustamante faced Corey Deuel in the winners' side semifinals, as Scott Frost squared off against Louis Ulrich. Two double hill matches advanced Frost and Bustamante to the hot seat match. Another double hill match left Bustamante in the hot seat, waiting on Schmidt.

Schmidt, who'd been working the 'left side' since he'd lost his opening match to Manny Chau, chalked up wins # 5 and # 6 against Brandon Shuff and John Morra to pick up Ulrich. Deuel drew Chau, who'd gotten by Dan Louie and Rafael Martinez. Schmidt advanced to the quarterfinals with a victory over Ulrich, but was denied a re-match versus Chau, when Deuel defeated him. Schmidt then defeated Deuel, and survived a double hill match against Frost in the semifinals to get a crack at Bustamante. Bustamante ended Schmidt's nine-match winning streak with a 4-2 victory that earned him his first title of the weekend.

The 10-Ball event featured a hot seat match and finals with Bustamante and Raj Hundal. Hundal defeated John Morra to get into the hot seat match, while Bustamante sent Jeremy Sossei west. Hundal took an early lead in the battle for the hot seat, but ahead 5-2, he watched as Bustamante settled in to win six in a row.

Morra moved over and picked up Scott Frost (third in the one-pocket event), who'd defeated Oscar Dominguez and Corey Deuel to reach him. Sossei drew Brandon Shuff, who'd advanced past Santos Sanbajon and Ramon Mistica. Three of the next four matches went double hill. Morra and Shuff survived double hill matches against Frost and Sossei to face each other in the quarterfinals. In those quarterfinals, Morra defeated Shuff 8-4 to pick up Hundal. Hundal survived the double hill semifinals for a second chance against Bustamante.

In a mirror image of their earlier match, when they battled for the hot seat, Hundal came out strong and took an early lead. But ahead 4-2, Hundal watched again, as Bustamante settled in to win six in a row and capture his second event title of the weekend.

One-Pocket

1st Francisco Bustamante $3,000

2nd John Schmidt $2,000

3rd Scott Frost $1,000

4th Corey Deuel $600

5th Louis Ulrich $450

Manny Chau

7th John Morra $300

Rafael Martinez

9th Freddy Boggs $200

Brandon Shuff

Dan Louie