The second World Professional League semi-final match was played at the WPBL Arena in Las Vegas, NV. On Thursday February 13, 2014. The match-up featured the #2 seed Minnesota Outlaws vs. the #9 seed Pittsburg Poison.
The Poison's dramatic run in the WPBL Championship Playoffs ended with a heartbreaking 7-5 loss to the Outlaws Thursday February 13th, sending Minnesota to Saturday's WPBL Championship game to face the Atlanta Scorpions. Pittsburgh needed to win the final game in regulation to stay alive, but failed to score when given the opportunities down the stretch. That left the door open for Minnesota to run out the clock in regulation and clinch the match.
Pittsburgh fell behind in the match 4-0 in the first three games before storming back to take a 5-4 lead when Shawn Putnam outlasted Ralf Souquet in a singles shoot-out 27-19. Adam Smith, who played the biggest role in Pittsburgh's comeback, tied the match a 4-4 in the previous game by defeating Jesse Engel 30-6.
Smith was also key in helping the Poison pick up their first match points of the night, cutting a pair of tough scoring shots in along the way to a 30-6 win paired with Sylver Ochoa, as they defeated Engel and Thorsten Hohmann. But Hohmann would get the last laugh in singles, shutting out Ochoa 30-0 in the final singles game, putting the Outlaws up 7-5 before clinching the match for a spot in the finals.
The WPBL’s first Championship match can be seen Saturday February 15, 2014 at 1pm PT live to viewers in the United States on ESPN3, viewers outside the US able to see the live stream at www.wpbltv.com/subscribe. This historic match will have Thorsten Hohmann’s Outlaws taking on Johnny Archer’s Scorpions to become the first ever WPBL Champions. Atlanta’s rise to the finals has been unexpected as they were seeded last in the league, but have continually gained momentum as a team landing them in season’s final match. On the other hand, the Outlaws have played consistent all season therefore securing a spot in the finals seemed inevitable.
Friday February 14, 2014, the league will hold the All Star Charity Billiards Challenge match for Philippine typhoon relief as Filipino stars Dennis Orcullo and Carlo Biado join Warren Kiamco and face Hohmann, Darren Appleton, and John Morra. Proceeds will be donated to the Rising Asian Pacific Americans Coalition for Diversity (501c3) in Las Vegas. That match can be purchased at: www.wpbltv.com/subscription.
Follow the WPBL as we near the league championship, additional announcements and updates will be made frequently. For a complete listing of broadcast matches, standings, merchandise and more visit the WPBL website.
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