Mary Hopkin gave up the hot seat to Liz Cole, but returned from a semifinal victory to take her down in the finals of the second stop on the Northwest Womens' Pool Association tour. The $500-added event drew 20 entrants to The Cue Ball in Salem, OR on the weekend of April 20-21.
Hopkin played one more round in this contest than her finals opponent, Cole. She was one of six players who played an opening round, defeating Andrena Brown before moving on to a second round of 16. Hopkin then advanced past Stacy Eilts and Elaine Eberly to move among the winners' side final four and a matchup against Kit Denis. Cole, in the meantime, defeated Denice White and Adrianne Beach to meet Sheila Clark in the other winners' side semifinal. Hopkin downed Denis 7-2, as Cole was sending Clark west by the same score. Cole gave up only a single rack to Hopkin and sat in the hot seat, awaiting her return.
Denis moved over and picked up Debbie Welfringer, who'd defeated Joyce Robinson 6-1, Beach 6-4 and Eilts 6-2. Clark picked up Brown, who, after falling to Hopkin in the opening round, embarked on a six-match, loss-side streak that moved her as far as a semifinal match against Hopkin. She survived a double hill win over Alisha Rogers, and a 6-3 win over Eberly to face Clark.
It was Brown and Denis advancing to the quarterfinals, both with double hill wins; Brown over Clark and Denis over Welfringer. Brown gave up only two against Denis in those quarterfinals for a shot against the woman who'd stretched her day, Hopkin.
Hopkin, though, determined for a second chance against Cole, ended Brown's long, loss-side run with a 6-3 win. In the single, race-to-9 final, Hopkin then defeated Cole 9-6 to capture the event title. The victory, and the ranking points it represents on the NWPA Tour will put Hopkin at the top of the tour rankings, ahead of the absent Jana Montour and Sandy Badger, and ahead, as well of Welfringer, whose fifth place finish will move her up to second place.
1st Mary Hopkin $335
2nd Liz Cole $225
3rd Andrena Brown $185
4th Kit Denis $100
5th Sheila Clark $65
Debbie Welfringer
