Eaton Dominates on Gulf Coast Tour

Apr 10, 2017

Gail “Virginia Slim” Eaton came out on top amidst an impressive field of 27 semi-professional players to capture the Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour April Fool’s 9-Ball Event. Eaton captured the hot seat over Robyn Petrosino, 7-2, while Terry Petrosino made her way through the one-loss side, to meet Eaton in the finals. Eaton slid by Petrosino in the final game of the hill-hill thriller, capturing the first set, and her third Gulf Coast Tour victory of 2017.
On April 1st, 2017, some of the most talented female pool players in Texas and Louisiana converged on Bogies Billiards and Sports Bar in Houston, Texas, to compete in the one-day, $500 added 9-ball event, vying for a place in the Gulf Coast Tour winners’ circle. Room owners David and Shannon Richardson, along with tour sponsors Cyclop Pool Balls www.facebook.com/CyclopPoolBalls, Ozone Billiards www.OzoneBilliards.com, APA of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty, Realtor Jimmy Jenkins, and www.OutsvillBilliards.com,  facilitated another successful event for the women of the  Gulf Coast Tour, the fourth of 11 events scheduled for 2017.
Following a short players’ meeting, action kicked off around noon, and Eaton made her way with wins over Teresa Garland, 7-5, and Tiffany Mundie, 7-4, while Kim “Texas Heat” Pierce ousted Joyce Davis, Terry “The Terrorizer” Petrosino, 7-3, and Natalie Rocha, 7-5. Gail “Thunder” Roles slipped past  San Antonio’s Jennifer Dooley, 7-6, and Louisiana’s Hopey Carter, 7-5, while Robyn Petrosino dominated Loretta Lindgren, 7-1, Naomi Garcia, 7-2, and Aryana Lynch, 7-4. On the one-loss side, T. Petrosino won an incredible seven straight sets, including wins over Letty Tristan, 5-3, Lindgren, 5-4, and Carter, 5-1, which landed her in the final eight. Lynch eliminated Garland, 5-2, Toni Esteves ended Mundie, 5-2, and Yvonne Asher took out Natalie Rocha, 5-3. Back on the east side, R. Petrosino dealt Roles her first blow, 7-3, as Eaton escaped Pierce, 7-6. In the hot seat match, Eaton overwhelmed R. Petrosino, 7-2, while T. Petrosino was dealing out destruction on the one-loss side. T. Petrosino eliminated Lynch, 5-0, and Asher overcame Roles, 5-3.  T. Petrosino went on to defeat Asher, 5-1, and R. Petrosino, 5-3, amassing seven straight wins before meeting Eaton in the finals. In the final match, Petrosino hit the ground running, commanding a 6-4 lead, applying pressure, while Eaton maintained composure. At 6-4, a seemingly decent safety on the 7-ball turned into a long-rail bank for Eaton.  The bank was executed successfully, and led to a shift in momentum that propelled Eaton to victory, by a score of 7-6.
The Gulf Coast Tour welcomes new members, Jenny Harrington, Letty Tristan, and Tresha Simpson! A special “congratulations” goes out to Robyn Petrosino who achieved her highest tournament finish to date on the Gulf Coast Tour!

The Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour is open to players of all ages and skill levels, however, the top 32 WPBA Exempt Professionals are not permitted to participate. The next Gulf Coast Tour 9-ball event will be held on May 6th, 2017, at Skinny Bob’s Billiards, 300 Hester’s Crossing, in Round Rock, Texas. This event will be played in the non-smoking room, on Diamond bar tables, with Cyclop pool balls. The bar tables will be open. Free practice begins at 10am, and the mandatory players’ meeting begins at 11am. For more information about the WPBA sanctioned, Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour, visit GulfCoastWomensTour.com. Follow us on Facebook @gulfcoasttour1 and Twitter @gulfcoasttour.
The WPBA (Women’s Professional Billiard Association) is the governing body of women’s professional billiards in the U.S. The Gulf Coast Women’s Regional Billiards Tour is a sanctioned, WPBA Regional Tour, part of the grass roots system that feeds the WPBA Pro Billiards Tour. Amateur and semi-professional, female players, who aspire to play women’s professional billiards, must qualify through this elite system in order to attain the sought-after title, WPBA Exempt Professional. Have you ever considered taking your game to the next level, looking for a different challenge? Are you tired of the same old week-in, week-out routines deterring the progress of your game? Is it your dream to play in a pro event, or turn pro? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it’s time to find the WPBA Regional Tour nearest you. Exclusively, WPBA Regional Tour Players gain access to WPBA Pro Event Qualifiers and earn valuable WPBA Regional Tour Points which count toward earning invitations to the annual WPBA Regional Tour Championship and WPBA Pro Events. Live your dream, support and become a part of, the longest-running, professional billiard organization in the U.S., the WPBA.
If you are interested in starting a WPBA Regional Tour in your area, or participating on a WPBA Regional Tour, please contact the WPBA Office at 1.855.FOR.WPBA or visit www.WPBA.com.
Written By: Kim Newsome
Photos By: Kim Newsome
Payouts
1st Gail Eaton $360
2nd Terry Petrosino $250
3rd Robyn Petrosino $160
4th Yvonne Asher $75
5th-6th Kim Pierce, Gail Roles $50