After more than 37,000 votes were cast in the Round of 16, the battle for the Best Pizza in Worcester has entered the Round of 8.

Pizza fans sliced the field in half during the four-day voting period that ended at 6 a.m. Friday.

In the spirit of March Madness, the college basketball tournament known for its elimination brackets, we are having a reader-driven contest to determine the best pizza in Worcester (and surrounding communities). There are four rounds of voting, with each round a collection of head-to-head matchups.

The Round of 8 features four contests - with you, the reader, determining who will move forward.

The next round of voting is underway. Be sure to weigh in.

Below are the pizza places still in the running, with results of their first-round matchup. (The ranking is based on the number of reader nominations, solicited prior to the first round.)

Round of 8

I Love Frankies (1): Captured 68.3% of the vote in defeating Lincoln House (16).

Peppercorn's (2): Captured 59.7% of the vote in defeating Central Pizza (15).

Antonio's (14): Captured 55.41% of vote in defeating Newton Square Pizza (3).

Burncoat Pizza (4): Captured 57.24% of vote in defeating Leo's T-Bird (13).

Ciao Bella (12): Captured 50.33% of vote in defeating Bay State Brewery (5).

Wonder Bar (6): Captured 66.46% of vote in defeating Blue Jeans (11).

'Olo (7): Captured 56.66% of vote in defeating The Boynton (10).

Auntie Dot's (8): Captured 62.14% of vote in defeating Steve's (9).

Remember: It's an unscientific process, intended as fun, a departure from the sometimes edgy tone of the internet.

Help us narrow it down to four:

Frankie's (1) vs. Auntie Dot's (8)

I Love Frankies: 90 Providence St., Worcester

Auntie Dot's Pizza: 244 Grafton St., Worcester

Peppercorn's (2) vs. 'Olo Pizza (7)

Peppercorn's: 455 Park Ave., Worcester

'Olo Pizza: 40 Millbrook St., Worcester

Burncoat Pizza (4) vs. Ciao Bella (12)

Burncoat Pizza: 370 Burncoat St., Worcester

Ciao Bella: 402 Grove St., Worcester

Wonder Bar (6) vs. Antonio's (14)

Wonder Bar: 121 Shrewsbury St., Worcester

Antonio's: 268 Chandler St., Worcester

Voting for this round ends at 6 a.m. Monday, March 20. Next round begins at that time.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Pizza Madness: Worcester's Best Pizza contest enters Round of 8