Atwell double dips McMinn to take Midwest 9-Ball event

Had it been scripted by Hollywood, the finals of the Midwest 9-Ball Tour stop on the weekend of March 26-27, would have pitted Shane McMinn in the hot seat versus Jesse Bowman, who'd worked his way back from an opening round defeat to win 10 straight. Bowman, though, fell one game short of making that happen in the semifinals, which sent Glenn Atwell back for a re-do of his hot seat match against McMinn. Atwell then double-dipped McMinn to win the event title (so much for Hollywood scripts). The $2,500 event drew 73 entrants to The Break in Cahokia, IL.

From among the winners' side final four, McMinn got into the hot seat match with a 9-3 victory over Kevin Gabriel, as Atwell was busy surviving a double hill match that sent Brandon Thomas west. In their first of three, McMinn downed Atwell 9-4 and sat in the hot seat waiting for him to come back.

Bowman, in the meantime, with five notches on his loss-side belt already, defeated Jared Speckmeyer 9-3 and Gary Lutman 9-4, to pick up Thomas. Gabriel drew Jimmy Eberhart, who'd been sent west by Thomas from among the final eight winners, and then defeated John Snyder and Will Freeman, both 9-5 to reach him. Bowman prevented an Eberhart/Thomas re-match with a 9-3 victory over Thomas, as Eberhart downed Gabriel 9-5.

Bowman then picked up his ninth in a row with a 9-4 victory over Eberhart in the quarterfinals, and turned to face Atwell in the semifinal match. The two fought back and forth to double hill before Atwell prevailed for a second chance versus McMinn.

In his second straight double hill struggle, Atwell won the opening set of the true double elimination final. The two continued to battle, coming within a game of a second double hill match. Atwell, though, reached the hill first, and completed second two of three against McMinn 9-7, securing the event title.