Palone Mangles Mackin on Tri-State Billiards Tour
Tri-State Tour / Staten Island, NY
by InsidePOOL Staff
Joe Palone enjoyed an undefeated run through the field at the Tri-State Tour’s January 28 stop to take the title over Randy Mackin in the finals. The $750-added stop attracted 41 A-D players to Port Richmond Billiards in Staten Island, NY.
Palone and Mackin first met in the hot seat match after wins over Rhio Anne Flores 7-2 and Tony Ignomirello 6-3, respectively. The winners’ side final match went double-hill, with Palone eking out a 7-6 victory and sending Mackin to the left side of the bracket.
left to right: 2nd Place - Randy Mackin; 1st Place - Joe Palone , 3rd Place - Rick Shellhouse
Flores foundered on the one-loss side and was sent home in fifth place by Rajesh Vannala 7-4. Tying with her was Ignomirello, who was eliminated by Rick Shellhouse in a lopsided 6-1 match. Shellhouse went on to play Vannala in the quarterfinal match, narrowly winning 8-6.
Eager to earn revenge over Palone in the finals, Mackin soundly defeated Shellhouse in the semis 6-2. In his second meeting with Palone, though, Mackin found it difficult to keep up, and Palone soon skated to the winner’s circle 7-3.
Results:
1st Joe Palone $650
2nd Randy Mackin $440
3rd Rick Shellhouse $270
4th Rajesh Vannala $160
5th Rhio Anne Flores $105
Tony Ignomirello
7th Gary Murgia $80
Ben Castaneros