Toney records second Tri-State win

Duane Toney joined a small handful of players to have recorded multiple victories on the Tri-State Tour with a win on the weekend of September 5-6. Toney was part of a small field of 20 entrants, who signed on for the $500-added, B-D handicapped event, hosted by Amsterdam Billiards in Manhattan.

Toney, a C+ player, completed his last three steps to the victory by a combined score of 21-8; giving up three racks in a winners' side final four battle and the finals, while surrendering only two racks in the hot seat match. He sent Scott Simonetti west on the first leg of that three-match journey, as Andrew Kane sent Tony Eglesias over in a straight up race to 7 that went double hill. Toney dominated the hot seat match, giving up just the two racks and waited for what turned out to be Eglesias' return.

Simonetti and Eglesias were greeted by Gina Kim-Lipsky and Sam Li on the one-loss side. Kim-Lipsky had advanced past Rhio Anne Flores 7-4 and Dave Shlemperis in a hill-hill contest to meet Eglesias, as Li got by Gary Murgia 7-3 and Peter Lee 6-5 to pick up Simonetti.  Li advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-6 win over Simonetti. Eglesias joined him on his march back to the finals with a 7-4 win over Kim-Lipsky.

Eglesias repeated his 7-4 score in the quarterfinal match versus Li and then, dominated fellow B player, Andrew Kane 7-2 in a straight-up race to 7 in the semifinals. He met a determined Toney in the true double elimination finals that followed. Toney, a C+ player (though likely to be advancing soon), defeated Eglesias (a B) 7-3 to capture his first Tri-State tour event on the current season and his second, overall.