Hatch Scores Viking National Championship Title

by Inside POOL Staff

In a brutal two-set final match, billiards player Dennis Hatch managed to wrest the Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour's championship title from local legend Steve Moore of Duluth, GA, 11-8, 11-9. This Viking Tour event has been hosted by The Pool Room in Duluth, GA, this week, ending with the final match Sunday.

Viking Tour Championship photo gallery 

Moore held a commanding lead in the first set until Hatch caught a gear and turned up the heat. Down 7-3, with several break and run-outs in a row, he soon took the lead 9-7. Moore only put one additional rack under his belt before Hatch was able to win the first set 11-8. In the second set, Moore again had a lead at 4-1, but Hatch then knotted the score at 4 apiece. Another couple of racks went Moore's way, but Hatch again went on a tear.

Though plagued by miscues, Hatch reached the hill when Moore rattled a 6 ball, making it 10-7. The Atlanta crowd, clearly for Moore, was tense as Moore won two more games, but a missed 8 ball by Moore handed the final rack to Hatch.

Earlier, in the semifinal match, Hatch met Stoney Stone from Florida, where the score seesawed to 5-all. Stone couldn't keep up at that point, and Hatch didn't give his opponent many opportunities to do so before he won the match 11-5.

The Viking Cue 9-Ball Tour raffled off a Gold Crown IV, complete with cloth and balls, which was won by Pro-Tyme Billiards Café in Orland Park, IL. All poolrooms that host Viking Tour events are gifted free raffle tickets for the year-end finale.

This season, the tour had 72 stops, and tour director Mike Janis announced that for the 2006-2007 season, there are 91 scheduled events with 38 dates still up for grabs. To host a Viking Tour event, contact Mike Janis at 800-200-7665.

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Results:

1st Dennis Hatch
2nd Steve Moore
3rd Stoney Stone
4th Johnny Archer
5th Chris Bartram
Sparky Ferrell
7th Jessie Middlebrook
Keith Bennett
9th Will Bilbrey
David Broxson
Justin Hall
Shannon Daulton
13th Jim Jennings
Donnie Mills
Larry Nevel
Jerry Slivka
17th Anthony Morgan
John Schmidt
Corey Deuel
Cliff Joyner
Justin Pope
Earl Strickland
Tony Watson
Tom D'Alfonso