by InsidePOOL Staff

Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer successfully defended his Turning Stone title at the fifteenth installment of the event, held August 19-22 at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY, defeating Rodney Morris 13-8 in the final match. Interestingly, it was Morris who Archer bested in the finals of the Turning Stone XIV after coming through the one-loss side, but this time Archer went the undefeated route.

Archer began the day as one of the final four undefeated players of the initial 128 who started Thursday.

Archer began the day as one of the final four undefeated players of the initial 128 who started Thursday. He had already delivered losses to William Oney 9-5, Tony Robles 9-6, Mike Davis 9-2, Jeff Kennedy 9-3, and Shaun Wilkie 9-6. In his first match of the day he faced off against Jeremy Sossei and easily was able to dispatch him to the west side of the chart 9-3 to reach the hot seat match.

Meeting him there was Morris, who had scored victories over Jay Plonski 9-4, Kevin Clark 9-5, Danny Normandin 9-7, and Marc Vidal 9-1. Player of the Year Mika Immonen awaited the Hawaiian in the next round, and though they fought tooth and nail, Morris was the one who advanced 9-8. It did not get any easier from there, as his next opponent was Dennis Hatch, who has long been seeking a Turning Stone title. It was another close call, for Hatch held a 7-5 lead and was heading for the finish line, but Morris kept his cool and ended up the 9-7 victor.

On the west side of the chart, Thorsten Hohmann was in the lead against Mike Dechaine, but he faltered, and Dechaine claimed the hill-hill victory. But his next opponent was Hatch, who was burning with a desire to reach the finals and the elusive title. The two players traded the lead, and it looked as if Dechaine might pull through when he was up 7-5, but Hatch regrouped and carried off a 9-7 victory.

View the Turning Stone Tournament Brackets (updated continuously)

In the quarterfinals, Hatch found himself matched up against Immonen, who had fought off Jeff Kennedy 9-2, Ralf Souquet 9-5, and Sossei 9-4 since his defeat at the hands of Morris. With the momentum from the previous win over Dechaine, Hatch propelled himself to another victory, eliminating the Finn 9-3.

Hatch advanced to the semifinals, where he was faced with Morris again. Archer had vanquished Morris 9-5 to remain unchallenged, so Morris was sent west to attempt a return to the finals. At Turning Stone XIV, held in December 2009, Hatch was defeated by Morris in the hot seat match hill-hill and then was ousted by Archer in the semifinals 9-1, while Archer went on to best Morris in the finals 13-11. Oddly, Hatch lost this semifinal match by the same score—9-1—but to Morris instead of Archer.

This final match featured the same players as the previous event—Morris and Archer. “The Scorpion” never experienced a moment of self-doubt, as he overpowered Morris in the extended race to 13 with the even wider margin of 13-8.

by InsidePOOL Staff

The Turning Stone XV has battled down to its final four undefeated players, with defending champion Johnny Archer and Dennis Hatch looking poised for a possible showdown in the hot seat match. Archer won the event in December 2009, while Hatch, though a long-time Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour winner, has never claimed a Turning Stone victory. The 128-player event is being hosted by Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY, and boasts a $25,000-added prize purse.

Hatch won his first three matches with little trouble and then met Ford in Saturday’s first round.

Hatch won his first three matches with little trouble and then met Liz Ford in Saturday’s first round. Ford had defeated Damian Provost, Jerome Rockwell, and Dave Fernandez to reach “The Hatchet Man.” Unimpressed, Hatch drilled Ford 9-2 to advance to reach the final eight undefeated. There he met Ralf Souquet, but it was not a repeat of the finals of the Turning Stone XII, where Souquet bested Hatch 13-6. Hatch eked out a 9-7 victory to send “The Surgeon” to the one-loss side of the chart.

Hatch’s next opponent will be “Rocket” Rodney Morris, who survived an epic hill-hill battle with 2008 and 2009 Player of the Year, Mika Immonen. Before matching up with the Finn, Morris defeated Marc “Spain” Vidal 9-1, while Immonen bested Shawn “Big Bubba” Putnam 9-7.

View the Turning Stone Tournament Brackets (updated continuously)

Defending champion Johnny Archer will play Jeremy Sossei Sunday to see who advances to the hot seat match against the winner of the Hatch/Immonen match. Archer has led the top half of the bracket, notching victories over players such as Tony Robles, Mike Davis, and Shaun Wilkie to reach Sossei. Sossei has had an equally impressive run, with wins over Charlie Williams, Guy Bedard, and Mike Dechaine.

Still alive on the west side of the chart but fighting for their lives are Thorsten Hohmann, Dechaine, Immonen, and Souquet.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Dennis Hatch may not have won all of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour’s events in the 2009-2010 season, but he came very close. In the tour’s season finale, “The Hatchetman” bested Lyn Wechsler to take yet another title. Main Street Billiards in Amsterdam, NY, hosted the $1,500-added event and the 33 players who took part in it.

Hatch may not have won all of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour’s events in the 2009-2010 season, but he came very close.

Once on the one-loss side of the chart, Auigbelle returned to defeat Jeremy Sossei and send him home in a fifth-place tie 9-6. Tied with Sossei was Ron Casanzio, who was eliminated by Dixon 9-3. The ensuing quarterfinal match saw Auigbelle matched up with Dixon, with Auigbelle sweeping aside his opponent 9-4. The semifinal match was a lopsided affair, with Wechsler routing Auigbelle 9-2 to earn another chance at Hatch. But Hatch took the lead in the final match and kept it all the way, and though Wechsler put six racks under his belt, it wasn’t enough to keep “The Hatchetman” from yet another Joss Tour title.

In the $500-added second chance event for non-pro-rated players, 20 players participated to try to earn their share of the $900 total prize purse. The event’s format was double elimination and a race to 3. Kevin Ketz went smoothly through the field unchallenged to earn first place over Jeff Smullen in the finals 3-2.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $100
2nd Lyn Wechsler $700
3rd Spencer Auigbelle $550
4th Dwight Dixon $400
5th Ron Casanzio $250
Jeremy Sossei
7th Kevin Guimond $100
Geoff Montgomery

Second Chance Results:
1st Kevin Ketz $340
2nd Jeff Smullen $220
3rd Brent Boemmels $140
4th Bruce Carroll $100
5th Tim Parisian $50
Walter Szydlowski

by Lea Andrews

Dennis “The Hatchet Man” outlasted a field of 43—35 of whom were taking advantage of the lower entry free offered to non-pros—in the $1,500 added Northeast 9-Ball Open XXIII, hosted by Golden Cue Billiards in Albany, NY.

Hatch sailed past Paul Rozonewski 9-2 to reach the hot seat match against Matt Tetreault, who’d had his own 9-2 win over recent winner Chris Orme. A smooth 9-3 victory left Hatch the sole undefeated player, while Tetreault moved over to the semifinals.

On the left side of the bracket, tour director Mike Zuglan was making a strong move through the field. Zuglan, who’d found himself on the west side despite getting up 8-5 against Hatch, took out Keith Lauer 9-1 and tour hotshot Bucky Souvanthong 9-4 to meet up with Orme. Zuglan suffered the same fate against Orme as he had against Hatch, though, and he landed in fifth 9-8. Meanwhile, Dave Fernandez, an early 9-6 victim of Zuglan’s, went on to oust Hal Hughes 9-4 and Brent Boemmels 9-3 before meeting up with Rozonewski. Fernandez earned his spot against Orme in the quarterfinals 9-6, and blasting through Orme 9-1, Fernandez reached the semifinals. He couldn’t get past Tetreault, though, who was looking for the rematch with Hatch, and while Tetreault eked out the chance at vengeance 9-8, he couldn’t capitalize on it.

In the true double-elimination final match, Hatch took control, and a second set was never an option. “The Hatchet Man” finished undefeated 9-4 for his seventh win this season on the Joss Tour.

In Sunday’s $500-added tournament—a race-to-3, double-elimination event offered to any non-pro knocked out of the main event on Saturday—25 hopefuls vied for their share of the $1,000 purse, but it was Hal Hughes who pocketed the $340 first prize. Hal, who arrived in the finals undefeated, suffered his first loss in the first set of the finals against John Rich, who shut him out 3-0. In the second set, though, Hughes pocketed the final 9 in their hill-hill match to earn the big win 3-2.

Hatch’s absence at the last Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour allowed a newcomer, Rob Krull, to claim the cash, but Hatch returned for the April 17-18 stop to reclaim his place at the top.

Open Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $1,100
2nd Matt Tetreault $800
3rd Dave Fernandez $600
4th Chris Orme $450
5th Mike Zuglan $350
Paul Rozonewski
7th Bucky Souvanthong $200
Brent Boemmels

by Lea Andrews

Dennis “The Hatchet Man” Hatch, who went undefeated at the March 13-14 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop, made a repeat performance at the March 27-28 stop. The $1,500-added event, which featured a total prize purse of $3,660, drew 27 competitors to Salt City Billiards in Syracuse, NY.

Hatch took care of Ron Casanzio 9-6 to reach the hot seat match against Robb Saez, who’d squeaked past Dave Grau 9-8. Another 9-6 victory gave the hot seat to Hatch and sent Saez to the west side.

On that side of the bracket, recent winner Chris Orme, who’d taken a third-round 9-7 hit from Grau, went on to oust Nick Brucato 9-2 and Mike Renshaw 9-3 before coming up on Casanzio. Meanwhile, Lyn Wechsler, Hatch’s first-round 9-5 victim, was edging out tour director Mike Zuglan 9-8 and Grau 9-8 to match up with Orme in the quarterfinals. Wechsler’s chance for a rematch with Hatch in the finals ended there, though, and he landed in fourth 9-5. Orme advanced to the semifinals against Saez, who dropped him into third 9-7 to earn another go at Hatch.

In the true double-elimination final match, Hatch jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and though Saez managed to get within two at 5-3, Hatch pulled back ahead, earning his sixth tour win this season 9-5.

Hatch, who went undefeated at the March 13-14 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop, made a repeat performance at the March 27-28 stop.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $1,100
2nd Robb Saez $800
3rd Chris Orme $600
4th Lyn Wechsler $400
5th Dave Grau $250
Ron Casanzio
7th Mike Zuglan $130
Mike Renshaw

by InsidePOOL Staff

After suffering a close 9-7 loss Saturday night to Johnathan “Hennessee” Pinegar in the final four of the winners’ side of the Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship, Shane Van Boening came back through the one-loss side to win it all. Van Boening took this title in 2008 over Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie, and this year his finals victim was Pinegar.

His defeat in the winners’ side must have motivated “The South Dakota Kid,” for he went on Saturday evening to whitewash Northeast terror Dennis Hatch, sending the Mosconi Cup VIP home in fifth place. Sunday morning Van Boening went up against former world 9-ball champion Thorsten Hohmann.

Hohmann hung with the 2007 Player of the Year at the start of the match, but Van Boening reached a two-game lead to go up 5-3 in the race to 9. However, Hohmann was able to even the score at 5-all and then 6-all. A safety battle over the 8 ball in the next rack saw Hohmann beautifully thin it in, and then a break and run put the German on the hill 8-6. Another couple of safety exchanges saw Van Boening join Hohmann on the hill. In the final rack, Van Boening pocketed the 10 ball on the break. It did not count as a win, but he was able to continue shooting. He proceeded to run out and win the match 9-8.

The bout with Hohmann was Van Boening’s closest of the day. He went on to challenge Corey “The Prince of Pool” Deuel, who had suffered a 9-3 loss to Pinegar in the hot seat match the night before and was waiting in the semifinals. Deuel and Van Boening split the first four racks, but it wasn’t long before it became apparent that Deuel was having an off day, while Van Boening was unstoppable. Several errors by Deuel added to Van Boening’s score, and several break and run-outs did as well. When Deuel came up empty on his break in the final rack, it was all over. Van Boening had a wide-open table and negotiated through it easily, winning 9-4.

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View the Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship tournament brackets

After suffering a close 9-7 loss Saturday night to Pinegar in the final four of the winners’ side of the Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship, Van Boening came back through the one-loss side to win it all.

The finals comprised an extended single race to 13, with Van Boening’s prior loss erased. Pinegar jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a quick 2-10 combo in the first and a missed 8 ball by Van Boening in the second. But Van Boening not only drew even, he won six racks in a row to take a commanding 6-2 lead, charging Pinegar for every small mistake. With his massive break in full effect, Van Boening was an unstoppable force, and though Pinegar managed to gather another few racks to put under his belt, with the alternate-break format, the debt he accrued was almost insurmountable.

At 8-5 in Van Boening’s favor, Pinegar scratched on the 2 ball, and Van Boening took that rack and then the next when Pinegar missed the 2 ball. Now in full stride, Van Boening broke and ran the next to make it 11-5. Pinegar had the break next but came up dry. It was his last time at the table. Van Boening cleared that table to reach the hill and then, with his break splitting the rack wide open, he dropped the 1 ball on his final break and ran out to win 13-5.

Videos from the matches will be available at InsidePOOL.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Johnathan Pinegar is sitting pretty in the hot seat of the Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship at the Super Billiards Expo in King of Prussia, PA.

Pinegar started off going up against Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer in the final eight on the winners’ side, coming back from an early deficit to defeat Archer double-hill. He then advanced to play Shane Van Boening, a past champion of this event. Van Boening was just off a 9-6 defeat of Shawn Putnam.

Pinegar took the lead in his match against “The South Dakota Kid,” but Van Boening knotted the score at 5 apiece and then moved ahead 7-5. However, Pinegar countered, taking the next two racks and then the next two again for the 9-7 win.

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Pinegar is sitting pretty in the hot seat of the Diamond Open 10-Ball Professional Players Championship at the Super Billiards Expo in King of Prussia, PA.

Advancing to the hot seat match, Pinegar then played Corey Deuel, who had just sent Thorsten Hohmann west 9-5. It was fairly even at the beginning, but at 4-2 Pinegar, Deuel had an open table and scratched. Pinegar took full advantage and surged ahead, reaching a 7-3 lead. It was Deuel’s break, and he scratched, leaving a dead 3-10 combo. Pinegar coolly took ball in hand and ran out to the combo to win 9-3.

Returning for Sunday’s first match will be Van Boening and Hohmann in the quarterfinals. After his loss to Pinegar, Van Boening went on to deliver a whitewashing to Dennis Hatch, who had just eliminated Mike Davis 9-7. Hohmann, after his match with Deuel, ousted Putnam 9-7. The winner of their match will play Deuel in the semifinals.

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by Lea Andrews

Making a rare appearance on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, Steve Moore went undefeated through the 25-player field, taking down reigning champ Dennis “The Hatchet Man” Hatch in the finals. The $1,500-added Mary Capotto Memorial event was held March 6-7 at Cap’s Cue Club in Syracuse, NY.

Moore blew by Chance Chin 9-3 to reach the hot seat match against Dave Grau, who’d just edged out Hatch 9-8. Grau managed just five games against Moore, though, and he moved over to the semifinals to try to fight his way back.

On the left side of the bracket, tour bigwig Bucky Souvanthong was plowing through the field, ousting Lyn Wechsler 9-4 to meet up with Dwight Dixon, who’d eased past Brian Holmes 9-8. Taking care of Dixon 9-7, Souvanthong moved on to Chin. Meanwhile, Bruce Carroll got past Geoff Montgomery 9-6 to face tour director Mike Zuglan, who’d just knocked out Mike Renshaw 9-5. Holding Zuglan to four games, Carroll moved on to Hatch, who dropped him into fifth 9-3. In the quarterfinals, Hatch went up against Souvanthong, who’d advanced over Chin 9-7. Against Hatch, though, he managed just four games, landing in fourth. Hatch moved on to a rematch with Grau, which ended in his favor 9-7, putting him into very familiar territory: the finals. The true double-elimination final match didn’t go the usual way for Hatch, though. Taking control from the beginning, Moore earned his decisive victory 9-4.

Making a rare appearance on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, Moore went undefeated through the 25-player field, taking down reigning champ Hatch in the finals.

Results:
1st Steve Moore $1,000
2nd Dennis Hatch $800
3rd Dave Grau $600
4th Bucky Souvanthong $400
5th Chance Chin $250
Bruce Carroll
7th Dwight Dixon
Mike Zuglan

by Lea Andrews

Recent Mosconi Cup MVP Dennis Hatch may have briefly fallen from grace at the last Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour stop, but at the February 20-21 stop, he proved the fall was only temporary. Hatch topped the field of 44 that gathered for the $2,000-added event, which was held at Main St. Billiards in Amsterdam, NY.

Hatch edged out last stop’s winner Chris Orme 9-8 to reach the hot seat match against Dan Heidrich, who’d come out on top of his own hill-hill match against Kevin Guimond. Hatch took control of the set 9-6 to claim the hot seat and push Heidrich into the semifinals.

On the left side of the bracket, tournament director Mike Zuglan, who’d earlier taken a 9-7 loss to Hatch, had been blazing his way through the field. A 9-2 blowout over Tom Acciavatti put him up against Paul Dryden, who’d breezed past Jared Zimmerman 9-2. After taking care of Dryden 9-5, Zuglan moved on to Guimond. Meanwhile, Dave Grau eked out a win over Mike Dechaine 9-8 to face Dave Fernandez, who’d held Paul Rozonewski to five games. Fernandez managed just four against Grau, though, and landed in seventh while Grau moved on to Orme, who had his eyes on another stint in the finals. A 9-6 victory over Grau pushed Orme into the quarterfinals against Zuglan, who’d eased past Guimond 9-3. Both Zuglan and Orme were looking for the rematch with Hatch, and though Zuglan fought hard for it, it was Orme who got himself one step closer 9-6, and another 9-6 win over Heidrich in the semifinals put him there.

It seemed like a second set wouldn’t be needed in the true double-elimination final match as Hatch got out to a comfortable 7-3 lead, but Orme stormed back into the match, keeping the string to himself and pushing the second set 9-7. The two powerhouses stayed even at first, tying up at four games apiece, but once Hatch managed to pull away a little bit, he stayed there, earning his fourth Joss win this season 9-7.

Hatch topped the field of 44 that gathered for the $2,000-added event, which was held at Main St. Billiards in Amsterdam, NY.

by InsidePOOL Staff

Johnny Archer snapped off the Turning Stone Classic XIV title December 20, taking first place over “Rocket” Rodney Morris in the final match. This 128-player billiards event was hosted by the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY, and featured a $25,000-added prize purse.

Archer was responsible for unseating opponents such as Shane Van Boening and Thorsten Hohmann before being sent to the one-loss side himself by fellow Mosconi Cup teammate Dennis Hatch 9-6 in the final eight of the undefeated side. Once on the west side, Archer eliminated players such as Steve Moore 9-4, Marcus Chamat 9-4, Charlie Williams 9-5, and Kim Davenport 9-5 before facing Hatch again.

Hatch had gone unchallenged to the hot seat match—after he sent Archer west, he also delivered Oscar Dominguez there 9-4. But once in the hot seat match, he had to face Morris. It was touch and go, but Morris triumphed, defeating Hatch in a hill-hill, epic struggle.

Archer snapped off the Turning Stone Classic XIV title December 20, taking first place over “Rocket” Rodney Morris in the final match.

View the Turning Stone tournament brackets (will be updated regularly)

Evidently unable to recover, Hatch foundered in the semifinal match against Archer, going home with third place 9-1. Archer rallied, and in the extended final race to 13 against Morris, he found a toehold and kept it, edging out the Hawaiian 13-11 to take the title.

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