2016 ACCU-STATS MAKE IT HAPPEN 8-BALL INVITATIONAL
Nov. 17-20 - Sandcastle Billiards - Edison NJ
MATCH #8
Corey Deuel 10 – Rodney Morris 8
In this contest between two long time pros and former US Open winners, both players got off to a hot start. Rodney Morris struck first with a break and run, and Corey Deuel then put together one of his own. They repeated this with B&Rs in games 3 and 4, at which point the score was tied at 2-2.
Deuel had a chance in game 5 after Morris scratched on the break, but he missed an easy shot and Morris ran out. Deuel was unfazed by his mistake as he broke and ran out to tie the match at 3-3, then pulled ahead when Morris broke dry and he ran out. Morris missed tough shots in the next two games and Deuel took them both, and now led, 6-3.
A safety battle in game 10 was won by Morris, and he took that game and the next to pull to within one rack. It looked like Deuel would win game 12, but he hung a ball late in his run and Morris ran out to tie the match at 6-6.
Deuel played careless position on the 8-ball, got hooked, and missed a kick shot. Morris then cleared off the easy layout and pulled a game in front. In game 14, however, Morris missed position on the 8-ball, played a tough bank, missed it, and Deuel ran out. The score: 7-7.
Morris had a difficult position play to the key ball and he scratched. Deuel took ball-in-hand and ran out, then played super precise shape on his way to breaking and running the next rack. Morris came back with a super B&R of his own. With the score now 9-8 in his favor Deuel broke and ran out to win the match.
Deuel is now in contention to make the finals with a record of 2-1 while Morris fell to 0-3.
The Score:
M – D – M – D – M – DDDD – MMMM – DDD – M – D
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2016 ACCU-STATS MAKE IT HAPPEN 8-BALL INVITATIONAL
Nov. 17-20 - Sandcastle Billiards - Edison NJ
MATCH #7
#7 – Shane Van Boening 10 - John Morra 8
If you enjoy attending a master class in runout 8-Ball, then this one was right up your alley. The proof: Shane Van Boening broke and ran out 6 times in 9 tries while John Morra was 5 for 9. In addition, on the four dry breaks, the second player ran out three times. Now to the match.
Morra won the lag and opened with a break and run. Van Boening answered with a B&R and Morra came back with another to lead, 2-1.
In game 4 Van Boening looked ready to run out again, but he took too much time, so Morra got ball-in-hand and he ran out to the 8-ball – and then missed! Van Boening ran 3 balls to tied up the score at 2 each.
Morra quickly bounced back from his miss with break and runs in two of the next 3 games sandwiched around one by Van Boening. In game 8 Morra missed an easy shot, but Van Boening also missed and Morra ran out to take a 5-3 lead.
But he failed to make a ball on his break and Van Boeing ran out, then pocketed a frozen bank and ran out again. This scenario repeated itself as Morra again broke dry and Van Boening ran out, the broke and ran again to win his fourth straight game and move into a 7-5 lead.
In game 13 Morra missed a super tough jacked up shot, and Van Boening ran out to the 8-ball – and missed and easy shot. Morra ran out to pull to within a game. Unfazed by his lapse, Van Boening broke and ran out for the fifth time to take an 8-6 lead. After Morra scratched on the break, Van Boening ran out to reach the hill. But Van Boening came up empty and Morra ran out, then broke and ran out for the fifth time, and now trailed, 9-8. Van Boening, pool’s ultimate closer, then broke and ran out to win this superbly played match, 10-8.
Van Boening improved his record to 2-1 while Morra is now at 1-2.
The Score
M – V – M – V – M – V – MM – VVVV – M – VV – MM – V
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2016 ACCU-STATS MAKE IT HAPPEN 8-BALL INVITATIONAL
Nov. 17-20 - Sandcastle Billiards - Edison NJ
MATCH #6
Jayson Shaw 10 – Darren Appleton 6
The first game turned out to be an outlier as the players traded safeties until Shaw finally ran 6 and out to end this 7 inning affair. Then The Greatest Pool Show on Earth errupted.
In game 2 Appleton missed an opening combo and Shaw ran out to a long cut on the 8-ball and fired it in to take a 2-0 lead. After he failed to make a ball on the break Appleton methodically cleared the table, then broke and ran to tie the match at 2 apiece.
Shaw replied with a B&R, Appleton B&R again, and Shaw countered with another B&R! The score now read 4-3 in Shaw’s favor. In game 10 Appleton scratched on the break and Shaw ran out. Then he scratched on his break and Appleton ran out. See a trend here? Appleton broke dry and Shaw ran out. Then Shaw broke dry and Appleton cleared the table. Shaw now led 6-5 and the players had won on 9 straight chances to run out!
Game 12 was outlier #2 – it started with Appleton scratching on his break. Then Shaw blundered by tying up one of his balls. They traded defensive maneuvers until Appleton scratched in the side when his attempted cluster break hopped after contact, changing the cue ball’s path. Shaw ran out and now led, 7-5.
The players then returned to the high octane offensive mode as Shaw drilled in a long shot on the 8-ball to complete a B&R. Appleton broke and ran the next game, but Shaw followed with his fourth break and run, which ended with a thin cut on the 8-ball that saw it travel 6 diamonds down the long rail. After Appleton came up dry, Shaw ran out again to cap off an amazing display of pocket billiards.
Shaw boosted his record to 2-0 and is looking more and more like the favorite while Appleton is now at 1-1. A big plus for both players is that they don’t have to play each other again in the round robin portion of the competition.
The Score:
SS – AA – S – A – SS – A – S – A – SS – A – SS
2016 ACCU-STATS MAKE IT HAPPEN 8-BALL INVITATIONAL
Nov. 17-20 - Sandcastle Billiards - Edison NJ
MATCH #5
John Morra 10 – Rodney Morris 7
Both players entered this contest with records of 0-1, so this was basically a battle for survival in this five match event where only the top two make it to the finals on Sunday evening.
In game 1 Morris missed using inside english and Morra executed a precision run out. In game 2 Morra got back to the table after breaking dry and played another super run out. Then, after Morris scratched on the break, Morra ran out again, then broke and ran out to take a 4-0 lead.
Morris responded with a break and run, but Morra countered with his second B&R, so after 6 games he now led, 5-1. Then the mistakes began in earnest.
Morra missed and Morris ran out, then won again after Morra missed twice, closing the gap to 2 games. Game 9 was a Battle of the C Players as each player committed multiple errors before Morra mercifully ran 3 balls and out to take a 6-3 lead.
In game 10 Morra played an all world removal of a ball on the rail, then completed the best run of the first 5 matches. Morris came right back with a B&R, and the score now was 7-4 in Morra’s favor.
In game 12 Morra scratched on the break and Morris ran out. He then made nothing on his break in game 13 and Morra ran out. Morra made zero on his break and Morris ran out! End of the broken record.
Morris was on the verge of completing what he thought was a super runout when he looked up table and realized that he forgot to pocket the 4-ball! He then missed a long rail bank and Morra ran the duck pond to reach the hill with a 9-6 lead.
After Morra broke dry, Morris ran out. He then made nothing on his break, but Morra hooked himself and missed a kick shot. Morris returned the favor by missing an easy shot and Morra cleared the last few balls to win the match. He is now 1-1 while Morris fell to 0-2, and most likely out of contention for the MIH 8-Ball title.
The Score: John Morra (J), Rodney Morris (R)
JJJJ – R – J – RR – JJ – RR – J – R – J – R – J
STANDINGS W L
Jayson SHAW 2 0
Shane VAN BOENING 2 1
Corey DEUEL 2 1
Darren APPLETON 1 1
John MORRA 1 2
Rodney MORRIS 0 3
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