Liz Cole (Courtesy of Sandro Menzel)
Liz Cole came back from a defeat in a winners' side semifinal to meet and defeat hot seat occupant, Kimberly Kirk, during the second stop on the 2016 Northwest Women's Pool Association Tour. The $500-added event drew 27 entrants to The Cue Bar in Salem, OR.
Cole, following victories over Linda Smith, Claire Binci and Rebecca Slyter, faced Mary Coffman in one winners' side semifinal, while Suzanne Smith, winner of the first tour stop in February, met up with Kirk in the other. In a double hill match, Coffman sent Cole to the loss side, as Kirk downed Smith 7-3. Kirk and Coffman locked up in another double hill battle,which eventually sent Coffman to a semifinal re-match against Cole.
On the loss side, Cole and Smith, Kirsten Fery and Patricia Tipton, respectively. A four-match, loss-side run, including victories over Melyssa Chasteen (6-5) and Stephanie Hefner (6-4), set Fery up to face Cole. Tipton, who'd been defeated in the event's opening round by Claire Binci, was on a six-match, loss-side run of her own that saw opponents chalk up an average of only two racks against her. She eliminated Elaine Eberly 6-3 and Rebecca Slyter 6-2 to draw Smith.
Tipton took it a step further with a 6-4 win over Smith, as Cole was eliminating Fery 6-4. Cole took the quarterfinal match that followed, 6-2 over Tipton, to earn a re-match against Coffman in the semifinals.
A 6-4, successful re-match victory by Cole over Coffman gave Cole a shot at Kirk in the hot seat. Cole completed her comeback from the loss side with a 7-3 win over Kirk and claimed the event title.
