In the end, it came down to a single game and the drop of the last ball. Rich Minichello, denied the hot seat by Nick Conner, came back from the semifinals of the New England 9-Ball Series stop on Sunday, May 2 and took both sets of the true double elimination final to win it. The $100-added, B-D handicapped event drew 24 entrants to the Westgate Lanes in Brockton, MA.
Minichello got into the hot seat match on the heels of a double hill victory over Dennis Levesque among the winners' side final four. Conner joined him after a 5-3 win over Brandon Cole. Conner gained the hot seat with a 5-2 win.
On the one-loss side, Garith Steele, having defeated Joe Kalauns 6-3 and fresh off a shutout over Dave Fernandez, was waiting for Cole. Levesque picked up Rich Senna, who'd defeated John Dennis 6-2 and John Korapusic 5-3. Cole advanced to the quarterfinals with a 4-4 win over Steele and faced Senna, who'd downed Levesque 5-3. Senna defeated Cole 5-2 and then took third, when Minichello dropped in for a 5-3 win on his way back to the finals.
The true double elimination final was a straight-up race to 5 for the two A- handicapped players. Offering evidence to the benefits of momentum, Minichello took the opening set 5-1. Conner, though, would not go quietly. He battled in the second set, forcing a ninth and deciding game, that ended when Minichello sunk the final ball.
