By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
THE Saipan Billiards Association Budweiser Open 8-Ball League witnessed a night of sharp angles and relentless pocketing during Thursday’s Plumeria Division matchups, as Tom Yum Fighters and Pinoy Strikers secured decisive victories on the road.
In a thrilling matchup hosted at Last Shot Bar, the Tom Yum Fighters proved too strong for Last Shot Hobbies Chokie Chokie.
The Fighters opened the night with a dominant sweep of the initial singles 8-Ball round. Rey, Lance, John, and Franklin all secured wins right out of the gate, leaving Chokie Chokie’s Alex, Gerald, Adam, and Brian searching for answers.
Chokie Chokie showed signs of life in the first partner’s round when Gerald and Adam secured a hard-fought win over Nolan and Oliver. However, the Tom Yum Fighters’ Rey and John quickly neutralized the momentum by defeating Minnie and Brian to maintain a 5-1 lead.
A second wave of singles matches saw the Fighters extend their advantage, with Franklin, Rey, Oliver, and John sweeping all four games to put the match out of reach. Despite the deficit, Chokie Chokie closed the night strongly by sweeping the final two partner’s frames — Brian and Minnie, and Gerald and Adam winning their respective matches — followed by Brian and Alex taking the final game. The final tally stood at 9-4 in favor of the Fighters.
Meanwhile, in an all-Tom Yum showdown, Tom Yum Eleven Tiger faced Tom Yum Strikers.
The Strikers opened with a commanding 4-0 sweep in the singles matches, as Jerry, Rolan, Dom, and Mario defeated Warlee, Matthew, Pepsi, and Jack, respectively.
The Strikers carried their momentum into doubles play, where Joel and Dom defeated Matthew and Warlee. The Tigers responded through Jack and Pepsi, who secured a win over Rolan and Jerry.
Mario, Jerry, and Rolan continued the pressure by winning three of the next four singles matches. The Strikers then closed out the night in the second partner’s round, with Jerry and Mario, along with Joel and Rolan, securing back-to-back victories.
The Tigers salvaged the final partner’s frame of the night as Jack and Pepsi defeated Dom and Joel, but the Strikers controlled the match from start to finish, winning 10-3.
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
