Valerie Dukich had to have entered into the finals of the Bay Area Amateur Tour's August 21 stop with just a touch of concern. She'd watched as her eventual finals opponent, Stephanie Mitchell, played 15 games in her final two matches on the one-loss side and gave up only two racks. Dukich, though, ended Mitchell's run with a final 5-2 victory that gave her the first place prize. The $420-added event drew 21 entrants to Stix Billiards in St. Pete Beach, FL.
As Mitchell was battling her way back to the finals, Dukich moved among the winners' side final four to take on Christine Brenner. Sabra MacArthur Beahm, in the meantime, was busy with Lana Loomis. Dukich moved into the hot seat match with a 6-3, double hill win over Brenner. McArthur-Beahm joined her by defeating Loomis 8-2. Dukich gained the hot seat with a 5-2 win and waited for Mitchell.
Over on the one-loss side, Mitchell advanced to meet Brenner, after victories over Deanna Foster 6-3 and Chris Fields 6-2. Loomis drew Melissa Morlan, who'd defeated Jessica Barnes 5-2 and Kelly Cavanaugh 5-1. The two battles in the first money rounds that determined the event's quarterfinalists were double hill matches. In what would prove to be the last match in which she would give up more than two racks, Mitchell defeated Brenner 7-3 (Brenner needed only four), and Loomis defeated Morlan 4-6; Morlan needing seven.
Mitchell defeated Loomis 8-1 to get into the semifinals versus MacArthur Beahm, and then promptly eliminated her 5-1. This could not have been good news to Dukich, waiting in the wings to play in the finals. Mitchell's run, though, ended in those finals with the 5-2 win that sealed the deal.
