Str8 Rippin Eliminated by Instinct, Finish in 4th Place
By blandestk | Published: August 30, 2009 9:13pm EST
 Following an epic series with Final Boss, Instinct immediately found themselves under pressure as they met top-seeded Str8 Rippin in the Losers Bracket Semifinals. It seemed as if it might be a short series as Str8 Rippin easily won Game 1, Capture the Flag on The Pit. But what followed was a string of either a massive duo of comebacks or extreme meltdowns, depending on your perspective. Up 20-7 with control of the top, Str8 Rippin seemed ready to cruise at Team Slayer Construct. But Instinct had other ideas and went on a ridiculous run, outscoring Str8 43-18 to win by 12 kills. Game 3 featured a similar result; Str8 Rippin twice held leads of one minute on Oddball Lockdown, but Instinct were up to the task. Down 60 seconds with two minutes on the clock, Instinct pulled one of the most improbable sequences of the year to win. They dominated a map notorious for lack of map control and managed to win 218-213. The crowd could not believe what occurred. After two deflating losses, Str8 entered Game 4 clearly discouraged. Lunchbox and Neighbor seized the death horse known as momentum and rode to a quick and easy 3-0 win on Capture the Flag Narrows. The win gave them a 3-1 series win and a spot in the Losers Finals. Fans will no doubt remember the enormous swings in these games for years to come. |
