Now we've seen some tight seasons before in the past...and the 27th season of GutterAlley is definitely being added to that list. So far this season, four of the eight teams have held the 1st place position. Currently? Three teams now have a record of 27-17 and are all knotted up at the top of the league standings. This season, easily the highest rolling in league history, continues to break records on a number of fronts. With only five weeks until the Finals, we could be in for quite a finish. For the first time in quite a while, no one qualified as the Most Valuable Bowler. On the flip side, we added 19 more 200+ games towards breaking the all-time record set in the Spring 2007 session. Keep going, gang!For the last couple of weeks, the Dragon Balls have ruled the roost atop the league standings. Facing opponents Brunk Enough to Dowl, the Dragon Balls looked poised to extend their lead after a 93-pin Game #1 victory – compliments of anchor Ryan Doll's 610 series – but this season's break out bowler put on his Superman cape and stopped the league leaders dead in their track. With a league leading 675 series, Brunk's very own Kody Karnes put on yet another incredible performance to reverse the tide and bring a 3-1 matchup victory to his crew. The victories push his team into 6th place while Dragon Balls now finds themselves sharing the best record in the league with two other teams but remaining in 1st place due to total pins. When only half of Three Strikes and You're Out! showed up Tuesday night to roll, they found a Split It and Hit It team hungry for wins. Unfortunately for Split It, Three Strikes wasn't in that much of a giving mood. After a close Game #1, Bob Brunker kept pouring it on in Game #2 – ending with a 574 series – to give Three Strikes their second win of the matchup. Game #3, however, was when Split It struck back with a big finish by anchor Dennis Blake (and his 552 series) to earn the team their lone win of the evening. Three Strikes and You're Out! remains in 3rd place but shares the best record in the league. Split It and Hit It slips one spot down into 7th place.The last time Snakes on a Lane faced Ballz Out, the Snakes came away with a clean sweep. This time around, though? They didn't quite repeat history as they ran into this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler, Cliff Barendsen. Putting up his career high series – a 633 – the Ballz' anchor took Game #1 before the Snakes' anchor Carl Goetz fought back with a 646 series to take the rest of the games in the contest. With the 3-1 matchup victory, the Snakes move up one spot into 4th place and sit three games behind the teams at the top of the league standings. Ballz Out, happy that they have broken into the double digits in the win column, remain firmly in 8th place.The rivalry between Will Strike if Provoked and Murder, He Wrote is easy to see whenever these two teams face one another. The battle began with a 178-pin blowout victory in Game #1 by Will Strike, led Tuesday night by anchor Aubrey Moren and his 602 series. Game #2 saw signs of life from Murder, who bounced back with a win handed to them compliments of anchor Bill Krejci and his 638 series. Game #3 looked like it may come down to the wire but Will Strike outperformed Murder in the final two frames to seal the victory as well as total pins. With the wins, Will Strike remains in 2nd place due only to total pins while Murder, He Wrote collapses one spot into 5th place. Bowlers trying to avoid the massive rainfall by taking refuge in The 200 Club this week include: Anita Osthoff (210), Aubrey Moren (211, 213), Bill Krejci (223, 224), Bob Brunker (219), Carl Goetz (219, 224, 203), Cliff Barendsen (215, 225), Dennis Blake (200), Freda Schroeder (213), Ken M. Wilson (233, 232), Kody Karnes (232, 256), and Ryan Doll (237, 204).The Tournament of Champions saw some movement in the qualifying spots across the divisions. Ken M. Wilson (16) and Carl Goetz (16) continue to control Division #1. The Dynamic Dennis Duo – Blake (16) and Laube (14) – dominate Division #2. Phil (16) and Freda Schroeder (15) keep Division #3 in the family while Mark DeVoe (18) and Michael Smith (15) continue to keep their team owning Division #4.Voting for this season's Hall of Fame inductees is still open so please take a moment and vote for your favorite(s). See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB No one Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Cliff Barendsen Runner Up: Kody Karnes	#1 H2H BOWLER Cliff Barendsen Runner Up: Kody Karnes
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "No. No, not at all." Seth Gunderson, after being asked if there was any way that his team could calm down and stop their antics on the lanes during their matchup.