Taormina goes undefeated on Tri-State stop

Chris Taormina, who's rapidly gaining on a potential advance in his B+ handicap, added another feather to that advancement cap with an undefeated day on the Tri-State Tour on May 30. The $500-added event drew 32 entrants to Sandcastle Billiards in Edison, NJ.

Taormina worked his way through three regular Tri-State competitors – Gary Murgia (7-3(, Tony Eglesias (7-6) and Teddy Lubis (7-4) – to meet Ben Sadowski among the winners' side final four. Taormina defeated Sadowski 7-4, as Raj Vannala was besting Steve Fette 7-2, to join him in the hot seat match. Taormina sent Vannala to the semifinals 7-4 and waited for him to come back.

Over on the one-loss side, George Osipovich defeated Sam Li 6-4 and Jason Egeln 6-5 to meet Sadowski. Gary Murgia got by Kevin Early 7-4 and in a hill-hill struggle, Tony Eglesias, for the right to meet Fette. In his second straight double hill contest, Osipovich dropped Sadowski into the tie for fifth place, as Murgia did likewise to Fette 7-3. Osipovich won the quarterfinal match versus Murgia 7-5, but dropped into third place when Vannala defeated him by the same score.

Vannala took an early 2-0 lead in the extended format race-to-seven finals that followed. Taormina came back to tie it and go up by one, at 3-2. Vannala came back to tie it a second time, but Taormina won four of the next five racks to win it 7-4.

George Osipovich won the break and run tournament $300 – random pick (nine-ball on the break) – next week at Master Billiards$1,500-added A-D – double points for Player of the Year; A-B and C-ds play separately and then they mingle at the end. . next week at Master's Billiards. .