Joe Kaulenas went undefeated on the J. Pechauer Ride the 9 Tour stop on Sunday, December 11, and stopped a seven-match, loss-side winning streak by Josh Gormley to do it. The $1,000-added event drew 63 entrants to Rhode Island Billiards Bar & Bistro in Providence, RI.
From among the winners' side final four, Kaulenas defeated Paul Torri 3-3 (Torri needing to reach four games), as his eventual hot seat opponent, Roarke Dickson, was sending Ian McKelvey to the loss side 4-1. Kaulenas got into the hot seat on the heels of a second 3-3 victory, with his opponent (Dickson) needing to reach four games.
Over on the loss-side, Kaulenas' eventual opponent in the finals, Gormley, was in the midst of his seven-match winning streak. Following his third and fourth win, against Tim Perry and Cleiton Rocha, he squared off against the man who'd sent him to the loss side, McKelvey. Torri drew Dave Gavrish, who, like Gormley, had been sent west by McKelvey, and then defeated Mike Minichello and Rob Piersa.
Every match from that point through the single set of the finals turned into a double hill battle. Gormley wreaked his vengeance on McKelvey that way, and in the quarterfinals, faced Gavrish, who'd eliminated Torri that way, as well. Gormley took his last hurdle into the finals with his third straight, double hill win.
Gormley engaged in his fourth double hill battle in the opening set of the finals. His seven-match winning streak ended there, with Kaulenas' third straight, 3-3 victory to capture the event title.
Tour director Gloria Magnano thanked Rhode Island Billiards Bar & Bistro owner, Anthony Costanzo, for his hospitality and money-added to the prize pool. Cleiton Rocha was the raffle winner of a J. Pechauer Cue, valued at $500.
