Louisville Billiards Action on Fires Up! Really!

Louisville Billiards Action on Fires Up! Really!
By Mike Fieldhammer, InsidePOOL Staff
Shortly before 8 p.m. Thursday, in the midst of the ninth round of the one-pocket event and the second round of the 9-ball event, a loud alarm bell was heard throughout the tournament room at the Executive West Hotel. Most of the matches continued to play on, while many spectators looked around for some indication of what they should do. Scott Smith made an announcement that everyone needed to evacuate the building.
Within minutes, the entire hotel was evacuated and two fire engines arrived. Some people waited in their cars for warmth, others just stood outside smoking and chatting, and many just drove away. Alarms were silenced around 9 p.m. and players and fans repopulated the hotel. Details on the cause of the fire are still unclear at this point, but it is suspected not to have been a false alarm. Hotel management said they were not in a position to make an official comment, but InsidePOOL will have word Friday.
Nine one-pocket contestants had to fade the alarm delay before the draw for the tenth round was announced. Defending one-pocket and all-around winner Efren “The Magician” Reyes drew the bye. Francisco Bustamante downed Shannon Daulton in three straight games, and Alex Pagulayan bested Darren Appleton 3-2. Both Daulton and Appleton have used their re-buy option and are out of the tournament.
In an all Ohio match-up, Tony Mougey topped Ryan Stone in a thriller. Mougey from Columbus won the match against the West Alexandrian sharp-shooter three games to one. In the final game with ball count 4-3 in Mougey’s favor, he banked the 7 ball out of the wedge up-table and ended up winning a couple of innings later.
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Gabe Owen and Larry Nevel played the most dramatic match of the evening. Nevel won the first two games and up two balls to nothing in the third game attempted an aggressive bank shot that left Owen a shot on the 6 ball. Owen plucked off six more and then scratched in the side pocket when the object ball skidded. Nevel ran a couple of balls before he had to play safe. Owen firmly banked a ball into his pocket and Nevel conceded the final ball. Owen took the last two games to survive round ten as the only player with his re-buy in tact.
The final rounds of the one-pocket event have been pushed to tomorrow because of the lengthy matches and the evacuation delay. Stay tuned to InsidePOOL for more results on the Tenth Annual Derby City Classic.