Diaz-Pizarro goes undefeated to claim event #4 on The Pool Series

Franciso Diaz-Pizarro

It’s a little early to be discussing the ‘point standings’ on The Pool Series tournaments, but the initiative of creating a regional tour list of regular competitors with an end-of-season prize at stake for a tour’s top competitors seems to create a certain season-long friendly atmosphere at the events as they progress throughout a season. Some of these year-long battles for top players offer little more than recognition for a given competitor who earns a Tour Championship title, often accompanied by titles like Most Improved, or recognition for a Sportsmanship Award. Others, like The Pool Series, have more tangible ‘carrots’ at the end of their stick. The Pool Series will award $1,000 to the competitor who finishes at the top of the standings at the end of the year, $500 for the runner-up and $250 for the guy or gal in third place. The top 64 competitors at the end of the year will qualify for the Series’ $2,500-added Tour Championship. 

At the moment (March 25), Mark Davis has amassed 400 points (one win; One Pocket) and sits atop The Pool Series Leaderboard, ahead of Josh Heeter (a win and this past weekend’s runner-up finish) and Francisco Diaz-Pizarro (this weekend’s win). This past weekend’s (March 22) 10-Ball event, was the $1,000-added Stop #4 of the Series, which drew 32 entrants to Fast Action Billiards in Statesville, NC. Diaz-Pizarro went undefeated to win it, downing Heeter twice; once early and once late. Davis, who opened his campaign for the title with three straight set shutouts (the format was races to 3 in sets, with winner having won the ‘best of 3’). He lost his next ‘best of 3’ 2-1 to Dave Anderson, who would finish third. Davis was shut out in his first loss-side set of matches by Heeter. You might want to bear the ‘best of 3’ set format in mind as we continue and you discover that all scores are going to be set shutouts (2-0) or double-hill (2-1). The digitalpool brackets that track match progress do not include the individual game scores that comprise the sets played.

“I thought that the ‘set’ format was more even,” said Tour Director Justin Clark of his choice to run the event that way. “It gives the lesser players a better chance.”

It should be noted that Diaz-Pizarro claimed the title without losing a single match. He may have lost games within the two sets that he won, but every match score that he recorded was the 2-0 variety. He opened with victories over William Wood, Gabriel Gindac and in their first of two meetings, Josh Heeter. Diaz-Pizarro drew Jeff Howell in one of the winners’ side semifinals.

Dave Anderson, in the meantime, won his first three by 2-0 scores, as well, downing Shawn Bradosky, Devin Anderson and Brian Francis to draw Mike Davis in the other winners’ side semifinal. 

Diaz-Pizzaro chalked up his third straight set shutout against Howell and advanced to the hot seat match. Anderson and Davis fought to double-hill in sets, with Anderson winning the ‘rubber’ set to join Diaz-Pizarro for the hot seat match. Diaz-Pizzaro won his fourth shutout and claimed the seat. 

Of the 28 matches that were played on the loss side of the bracket (three forfeits), all but six of them ended with the 2-0 shutout match scores. Heeter followed his loss to Diaz-Pizarro with victories over Chris Clark 2-0 and Tim Nelson 2-1 to draw Davis. Howell came over and drew Gindac, who’d followed his loss to Diaz-Pizarro with four set shutouts over Hunter White, Viandy Santos, Julia Bright and Clint Clark.

Everything from that point on (five matches) was a set shutout. Heeter advanced to the quarterfinals and was joined by Gindac, who eliminated Howell. Heeter took the quarterfinal over Gindac and for reasons that were not immediately apparent to Tour Director Justin Clark, Dave Anderson opted out of a semifinal match, putting Heeter into the double-elimination (rematch) final against Diaz-Pizzaro. 

Diaz-Pizzaro completed his undefeated, all-shutout run by with an opening-set shutout in the true double-elimination final that sent Heeter to the showers . . . so to speak. He joined the ‘point standings’ list and immediately became third on the list. Davis’ top spot was earned with a (One Pocket) win, a 9^th place finish in the season opener, a runner-up finish (to Heeter) and a 5^th place finish this past weekend. In addition to his runner-up finish this past weekend, Heeter has won an event and Gregorio Sanchez won the season opener.

Tour director Justin Clark thanked Dave Doole and Clint Clark (no relation) and their Fast Action Billiards staff for their hospitality, along with sponsors Dead Stroke Media, Inkwell Design, The Roundabout Grill, Portico Licensed General Contractors, TKO Custom Cues, Pool Drs., Branded Solutions, Tim’s Cues and Alpha Installations.

The next stop on The Pool Series, scheduled for Saturday, April 5, will be a $1,000-added 8-Ball event, hosted by Smokin’ Cue in Charlotte, NC. 

Go to discussion...