Herrell hangs on to win on the GSBT

When you're sitting in the hot seat, as Mac Herrell was at the end of the Great Southern Billiard Tour stop on the weekend of July 30-31, it's hard not to notice someone in the midst of an eight-game, one-loss-side winning streak that could well put him in the finals against you. Whatever one may think of the intangible commodity known as momentum, a man (Herrell) with only one, possibly two matches, between him and an event victory is more than likely going to root for the man he defeated in the hot seat match (in this case, Greg Smith), than the guy on the eight-match winning streak (Ron Park) that he hasn't faced at all.

One can only imagine Herrell's sigh of relief, when it was Smith who emerged from those semifinals, although in very short order, Herrell found himself thinking maybe Park wouldn't have been such a bad idea after all, as Smith came back and in their second meeting, took him to the brink of elimination, or at the very least, a second set. Herrell hung on to win and complete an undefeated weekend. The $1,500-added event had drawn 41 entrants to Mickey Milligan's Pub and Billiards in New Bern, NC.

From among the winners' side final four, Herrell sent Larry Faulk west, as Smith downed Chad Pike 9-6. Herrell got into the hot seat with a 9-6 win over Smith and waited (see above) for his return.

Faulk moved to the one-loss side and drew Park, who'd been sent over in the opening round, and was in the midst of that eight-match winning streak. With four behind him, he'd defeated Brandon Walton 9-4 and Sam Monday double hill to reach Faulk. Pike picked up Chris McSorley, who'd defeated J.R. Poste 7-3 and Glenn Russell 9-7 to reach him.

Pike eliminated McSorley 9-5, to advance to the quarterfinals, where he was joined by Park, who'd made it seven in a row, with a 9-6 win over Faulk.  Park then made it eight, downing Pike 9-6, and advancing to the semifinals against Smith, where his streak came to an end.

Smith defeated Park 9-6 and stepped to the tables for his re-match versus Herrell, potentially, the first set of two. They battled back and forth to a 4-4 tie, at which point, Smith started to pull away, winning four of the next five, and reaching the hill ahead by three. Herrell fought back to reach the hill himself, and when Smith missed a 4-ball, he ran the rack to complete his undefeated weekend.

Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked owner, Gerry Shephard, and his staff at Mickey Milligan's Pub and Billiards in New Bern, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products, and Delta-13 Racks. The GSBT was scheduled to visit Diamond Billiards in Midlothian, VA next weekend (August 6-7).