After last week's tentacular setback, most people and cephalopods assumed this would be the week Squid Row would finally clinch the championship. But a surprising twist partially instigated by Bowls Deep kept the championship just out of reach once again. JoAnne Barber lit up the lanes with a fierce 154 game and a 401 series for the woman, while Nick Kinney’s 232 game and 608 series crowned him king of the men’s leaderboard. The Tournament of Champions is now down to its final eight bowlers, who will clash next week for glory and cash prizes. But first, let’s dive into this week’s battles!

On lanes 1 & 2

Scooter's Succulent Sausages™ locked horns with Stealing Pins in the Burrows in a showdown that sizzled from start to finish. Scott Murdock fought valiantly, rolling an impressive 502 series, but the Sausages only eked out 1.5 wins. Across the aisle, Nathan Burrows, the team’s ace and this week's Most Valuable Bowler, led Pin Thieves with a cunning 431 series, stealing the show—and the match—with 2.5 wins. Pin Thieves basked in their triumph, holding steady in 3rd place, while the Sausagemakers felt the sting of slipping to 5th.

On lanes 3 & 4

It was a tale as old as time: the valiant Sun Dolphins against the ruthless Scootytang. Scott Thompson’s 456 series wasn’t enough to stop the Tang tidal wave, as Dolphins were Dolphin was swept off their his fins. Meanwhile, Nick Kinney, the #1 Power Ranked and #1 Head-to-Head juggernaut, brought his A-game with a dominant 608 series, securing a clean sweep for Tang. Sun Dolphins were left reeling in 6th place, while Scootytang tightened their grip on 2nd, savoring the victory.

On lanes 5 & 6

In a true David vs. Goliath match-up, the determined underdogs of Bowls Deep faced off against the formidable Squid Row. Carl Mueller’s gritty 362 series powered Bowls Deep to an exhilarating 3-win haul, shaking up the standings. On the flip side, Matthew Taylor’s 493 series led the Calimari, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a bitter 1-game consolation. Bowls Deep’s jubilant rise to 4th place electrified the alley, while Squid Row, though still perched in 1st, left the lanes pondering what went wrong.

The championship remains tantalizingly close, but no one has clenched it just yet. Stay tuned as next week promises more twists, turns, and ten-pin drama!

Bowlers ducking past the bouncer at The 200 Club include: Nick Kinney (205,232) and Scott Murdock (201)

The 154 rolled by JoAnne Barber is this season's new high game among women.

In this week's Tournament of Champions brackets: Nick Kinney decimated Division 1, while nobody claimed victory in Division 2, and in fact we aren't even going to talk about Division 2 as it was a complete embarassment. Nobody claimed victory in Division 3, and in fact we aren't even going to talk about Division 3 as it was a complete embarassment, and nobody claimed victory in Division 4 (though Nathan Burrows came closest). Congratulations to our division champions! The following eight people will compete next week for the big prize! Division 1: Dennis Walling and Seth Gunderson. Division 2: Scott Murdock and AJ Hofmann. Division 3: Buck Nasty and JoAnne Barber. Division 4: Chris Lenz and Nathan Burrows.

NEXT WEEK:

• First, on lanes 1&2, 3rd-place Stealing Pins in the Burrows (hcp 38) will challenge 4th-place Bowls Deep. Pin Thieves are expected to maintain their current strength as they win the series; while Bowls are forecast to drop their average a bit while they avoid getting swept.
• Moving to lanes 3&4, 1st-place Squid Row will socialize with 2nd-place Scootytang (hcp 15). Calimari might roll a little low and get swept; while Tang ought to hold steady as they rack up a sweep.
• Finally, on lanes 5&6, 5th-place Scooter's Succulent Sausages™ will test their mettle against 6th-place Sun Dolphins (hcp 83). Sausagemakers are predicted to maintain their current strength as they just barely miss sweeping the series; while Dolphins are anticipated to drop their average a bit while they just barely avoid getting swept.

^*(Remember, the predicted results above are based on mathematical extrapolations and can be changed by all sorts of factors. If you don't like how your team's results are predicted, you and your teammates have the power to prove the math wrong!)

THIS WEEK'S MVB Nathan Burrows Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Nick Kinney Runner Up: Scott Murdock	#1 H2H BOWLER Nick Kinney Runner Up: Seth Gunderson
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Stop calling me a lesbian!" Nathan Burrows, to Chris Lenz, as the two of them flirtatiously traded barbs throughout much of the third game.