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It was the ugliest, sweatiest 2-0 sweep the League of Legends Pro League has seen this split, featuring more than 90 minutes of game time, but a win's a win for Snake Esports, who took down I May on Saturday to close out Week 8, Day 3 in Shanghai.
In Game 1, Snake Esports (5-7, 12-16 match record) held even with I May (6-7, 14-17) until the 10-minute mark, when jungler Le "SofM" Quang Duy's Lee Sin picked up first blood in the mid lane. SofM picked up several kills in the following minutes, including his contributions to a 4-for-1 teamfight win for Snake around a Cloud Drake at 17 minutes, and Snake Esports seemed to be in complete control heading into the mid game. After pressing its lead and converting on tower kills, Snake secured a Baron at 34 minutes, but I May started to counter on the back of top laner Shek "AmazingJ" Wai Ho's Kled, who found several kills to keep I May in hypothetical striking distance.
In what swiftly became a chaotic bloodbath, I May secured a 42-minute Baron but was pushed all the way up to its Nexus thanks to a supercharged Snake. Although I May AD carry Xie "Jinjiao" Jin-Shan's Caitlyn dealt massive damage late, Snake had secured three Cloud Drakes, a Mountain Drake, and a 37-minute Elder Dragon, leading to a final 4-for-0 fight where SofM earned part of his 10/3/14 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 92 percent kill participation as Snake picked up the 51-minute Game 1 win.
I May started Game 2 with first blood on SofM's Elise but was unable to convert that early kill into a gold lead. In the mid game, while I May held a 6-to-4 kill lead, Snake had secured a 3-to-0 tower advantage to maintain a modest gold lead. The game got busted wide open at 25 minutes, though, when I May caught Snake trying to rush a Baron kill and took an unofficial 5-for-1 ace and the Baron buff. I May used the buff to surge ahead in gold and towers around the 30-minute mark, but Snake started to fight back, repelling I May's pushes while finding time to take a Cloud Drake. After some uncharacteristically fantastic macro play from Snake gave it a Baron buff and mid lane tower near 34 minutes, Snake was back in control. While I May stalled as best it could, a stacked Elder Dragon buff for Snake and top laner Li "Flandre" Xuan-Jun's Gangplank dealing a massive game-high 32,300 damage to enemy champions, Snake took the 40-minute win to put the finishing touches on the 2-0 sweep.
I May prepares to face a red-hot OMG at 5 a.m. ET on Friday, while Snake Esports will next take to the Rift to take against Group A leaders Royal Never Give Up at 8 a.m. ET that day.