By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
TUESDAY night was filled with pool action as the 2026 SBA Budweiser Open 8-Ball League rolled through another intense round of Hibiscus Division play, with Black8 Ideal Signs Rustlers and Black8 Rack & Roll 1 delivering clinical performances on the road.
The division-leading Black8 Ideal Signs Rustlers edged Last Shot Hobbies Shark, 7-6, at Last Shot Bar.
The Rustlers leaned on strong singles play, with Ray Torres, Chester Hamoy, and Roman Rodriguez all posting key victories to give their side a 3-1 edge after the opening singles frame.
The Sharks responded strongly in the partner rounds, powered by wins from the pairings of Rolly Villanueva and Frankie Blas, along with Nolan Cultura and Brian “Kai” Bernabe. After splitting the second singles set evenly, the Rustlers’ duos of Hamoy and Rodriguez, as well as Torres and Rowel “Cobra” Mariano, delivered late wins to secure the narrow 7-6 victory.
Meanwhile, at VFW Bar, Black8 Rack & Roll 1 earned an 8-5 victory over V.F.W. Noypi 2.0.
Noypi 2.0 started strong, with Mark Ignacio, Joel Buniag, and Jerry Pelayo winning three of four matches in the opening singles set.
However, Rack & Roll 1 responded in the partners round, with John and Julian Reyes, along with Fel Kalen and Ray Matsunaga, completing a clean sweep to even the score at 3-3.
After splitting the second singles frame, Rack & Roll 1 maintained control in doubles play, adding another sweep before Kalen and Mei Rengiil teamed up to win the final partners match and seal an 8-5 victory.
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.
