In the $8,000-added 10-Ball event of the 5th Annual Sparkle City Shootout, Alex Pagulayan went undefeated through a field of 96, including final back-to-back victories over Warren Kiamco, Dennis Orcollo and Carlos Biado to claim the title. In the $2,000-added, single elimination One Pocket event with 12 players, he downed Jonathan (Hennessee from Tennessee) Pinegar, Francisco Bustamante and Danny Smith to claim that event title. Held on the very long weekend of Oct. 30-Nov. 4, both events were hosted by Steakhorse Restaurant & Billiards in Spartanburg, SC.
The strength of the pool-star-studded 10-ball field of 96 could be found in a couple of the players who were eliminated in the first money round (13th-16th); Tony Chohan and JT Ringgold. In the following round (9th-12th), Loree Jon Hasson, Zoren James Aranas, Skyler Woodward and a local player Chase Smith were eliminated.
Meanwhile, Pagulayan had worked his way through the field to a winners’ side semifinal match against Kiamco, while Orcollo squared off against Biado. Pagulayan advanced to the hot seat match and downed Orcollo to claim it.
On the loss side, Kiamco drew Francisco Bustamante, who’d eliminated Woodward and “The Scorpion” Johnny Archer to reach him. Biado picked up Mark Bosch, who’d eliminated Hasson and defeated Robb Saez.
Biado and Bustamante advanced to the quarterfinals, where Biado prevailed. He went on to down Orcollo in the semifinals, but couldn’t unseat Pagulayan from the hot seat.
Pagulayan wins first of two with three-win march in One Pocket event
Once Kiamco, John Morra, Can Salim and J Bird were eliminated from the opening round of One Pocket play (Danny Smith, Josh Roberts, Pagulayan and Tony Chohan were awarded byes), the event moved immediately into its quarterfinal matches.
Orcollo and Smith matched up, as did Roberts and Brandon Shuff. Pinegar and Pagulayan squared off, with Bustamante and Chohan rounding out the field of quarterfinalists. Moving into the semifinals, Smith defeated Orcollo, Roberts eliminated Shuff, Pagulayan downed Pinegar and Bustamante knocked out Chohan.
Smith moved into the finals with a victory over Roberts. Pagulayan joined him after eliminating Bustamante. Pagulayan claimed the first of his two weekend undefeated titles with a victory over Smith in the finals.
