Electric Bat Arcade Tuesday Night League – Season 21-1 Week 6 of 6 Recap

Week 6 wrapped up the regular season at Electric Bat Arcade, and what a mixed bag it turned out to be! If there was ever a night that represented the highs and lows of competitive pinball, this was it.

By the end of the evening, my league “bingo card” was officially complete—I managed to finish in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th all in the same night!

Round 1 – Ironman – 1st place 🥇

The night couldn’t have started much better for placement, but Ironman was not playing with anyone on our game. I got to meet Rachel, a cat lover who reads my posts. Love it!

Round 2 – Keeping the Momentum 🥈

Round 2 kept the good vibes rolling with a 2nd-place finish (5 league points). Sitting at 12 points after two rounds, I felt like I was in a great position heading into the second half of the night.

Round 3 – Galaxy 😬

Then came Galaxy, one of my favorite classic games.

Ironically, Galaxy was one of the machines that helped me earn 2nd place at the Arizona Women’s State Championship, so I always enjoy seeing it in tournament play.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those magical games.

Final scores:
Dan Freeburg – 394,300
Gabrielle Craft – 317,640
Xris Rincon – 233,870
Me – 176,060

I was chugging along playing well on ball 1 and 2, but I managed to complete the final GALAXY letter… on ball 3
…and immediately drained.
Sometimes pinball has a cruel sense of humor.
That left me with 4th place (1 league point).

Round 4 – Total Nuclear Annihilation 🥉

This game was memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Early in the game, the machine unexpectedly served two balls at once, forcing us to stop while the tournament director ruled on what to do. The decision was simple: Play on.

After the ruling, I tried to settle back into the game, but TNA continued to fight me.

The most frustrating part?

I know exactly how to start multiball.
I’ve scored over 1 million on TNA before.
The problem isn’t knowing the rules.
The problem is that I keep getting two balls locked, then missing the exact shot needed to knock down the drop target and release the multiball. It happened several times during Chui’s Bounty Knockout on Sunday, and once again during league.
It’s becoming my current pinball nemesis.

Final scores:
Keegan Crandall – 1,144,031
Daniel Lands – 389,921
Me – 82,740
Amber Valdivia – 69,220
Even with the rough game and machine issue, I managed to hold onto 3rd place (3 league points).

Round 5 – Hotdoggin’ 🌭

When I saw Hotdoggin’ appear as my final machine, I smiled. I absolutely love this game.

In fact, Hotdoggin’ is the only pinball machine I’ve ever double rolled, finishing with over 2 million points in a single game. I even have the pictures and witnesses to prove it.

So naturally…
…it decided to humble me.

The right outlane became my personal enemy, collecting ball after ball before I could really build a score.

Final scores:
Sid Snow – 240,810
Scott Pobieglo – 200,780
Dena Brooks – 149,500
Me – 92,520
Good enough for 4th place (1 league point).
Apparently Hotdoggin’ and I are currently having a disagreement.

Final Results
My finishes for the night:
🥇 1st
🥈 2nd
🥉 3rd
4️⃣ 4th
4️⃣ 4th
Total league points: 17
It really was the complete pinball sampler platter.

Andrew’s Night

Andrew had almost the opposite experience.

He opened with a rough first round before steadily catching fire:
4th
2nd
1st
1st
1st
Three consecutive wins to finish the regular season is an outstanding way to close out league.

Congratulations!

Final Thoughts

Not every league night is about putting up personal best scores.

Sometimes it’s about surviving machine quirks, battling stubborn shots that refuse to cooperate, laughing about your “league bingo card,” and remembering that even your favorite machines can occasionally decide they’re not your friend.

The season may have ended with a few frustrating moments, but that’s pinball.
Every ball is a new opportunity.

And next time I see Total Nuclear Annihilation…
…that multiball is going to owe me one.

Incidental Exercise Receipts