29 women showed up for another Monday night of competitive pinball chaos at The Outpost Arcade, and honestly, this league continues to feel like equal parts tournament, potluck, support group, and comedy show.
This week’s contribution to the snack table:
– homemade apricot bars from my mom,
– Triscuits,
– and enough donated salsa to finally free my pantry from its long-term emotional burden. 😂
Mission accomplished:
apricot bars = completely inhaled,
Triscuits = gone,
salsa = appreciated,
container = recovered safely for future refills.
The unofficial MVPs of the evening may have been the apricot bars.
Round 1 — Alien (Remake)
Alien Pinball immediately reminded me that survival horror applies to pinball too.
I started modes. I hit shots. I drained anyway.
Final score:
Me = 1.8M
Michelle Pack = 11.9M
Christine Smith = 7.4M
Result:
3rd place (1 point)
Alien was basically:
“Congratulations on starting the mode. Now leave.”
Round 2 — Blackwater 100
Then somehow I landed on Blackwater 100 Pinball, which feels like:
Medusa and No Fear had a dirt-bike-racing multiball baby.
Every ball starts with 3-ball multiball, the playfield has multiple levels, and the entire game feels like somebody designed a motocross fever dream in the 1980s.
And somehow…
…I won the group. 😂
Final:
Me = 998,720
Mahina Hayashi = 637k
Tripp = 479k
Liba Wulff = 317k
Result:
1st place (7 points)
Absolutely one of the weirdest and most fun wins of the night.
Round 3 — Dune
Dune Pinball was less “friendly competition” and more:
“Watch one player ascend into another tax bracket.”
One player proceeded to casually put up 179 million while the rest of us tried to survive the desert.
I managed around 20 million and finished 4th, but honestly, some games become:
“Well… that person has bonded with the machine spiritually.”
Round 4 — Medusa
Then came my old friend: Medusa Pinball
We have YEARS of history together, so I was thrilled when I saw the assignment.
Then the machine reset mid-game. 😂
Attempt #2 went much better:
Me = 245,310
Hailey Buhrman = 334,730
Erin Keefer = 162,330
Jessica Rogers = 115,980
Result:
2nd place (5 points)
Classic Bally chaos. Classic Bally beauty. Still love this machine.
Round 5 — Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble
Ultraman: Kaiju Rumble Pinball closed the night with giant monster energy.
I was sitting comfortably in 2nd for most of the game… until Elaine absolutely exploded on Ball 3 and launched herself past me at the last second.
Final:
Patrick Swazey = 14.3M
Elaine Hecht = 11.8M
Me = 8.3M
Sandy Dame = 3.4M
Result:
3rd place (3 points)
Still counts.
Final Thoughts
Final night total:
17 points
Not a perfect night, but honestly a really solid recovery after the brutal Alien opener.
The bigger win, though, continues to be the atmosphere around this league:
• new players finding their footing,
• people sharing food,
• bat rescue conversations,
• laughter between rounds,
• and a room full of women supporting each other while also trying to destroy each other’s pinball dreams for IFPA points. 😂
One of our newer players, Tripp, volunteers with a bat rescue and showed us a video of a bat wearing a tiny 3D-printed cowboy hat while eating.
As I told her:
“You fit right in.”
Still counts.
Did you enjoy the Epic Women’s Monday Night league vibe? Read more.
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EPIC Women’s Monday Night League Season 3 Week 2 of 6 Recap