The fourteenth week of the Fall 2023 bowling league unfolded with a symphony of strikes & spares, a surprise ceremony, and a bit of shakeup in the standings. As the pins fell and the competition intensified, the scene was set for a rollercoaster of emotions on the lanes. As usual JoAnne Barber picked up this week's high game (188) and series (476) for the women (though the scores themselves were quite a bit higher than the usual), while Nick Kinney earned this week's high game (277) and series (674) for the men.

Jonathan Vigliaturo, the 16th inductee into the Gutter Ally Hall of Fame

In a momentous prelude, the league came together to applaud the induction of Jonathan Vigliaturo into the prestigious Gutter Alley Hall of Fame. After 20 seasons of dedication and skill across the past 12 years, this recognition marked the fulfillment of a lifelong since at least Fall 2016 dream of his.

Now on with the results...

First in the spotlight, lanes 1 & 2 witnessed a clash between the spirited Balderdash and the formidable DB Lenz a Hand. Despite Ben Spencer leading the charge with a below-average 472 series, the Bald Boys found themselves swept by the relentless DB Handlers. On the flip side, Chris Lenz emerged as the hero for DB Handlers with a fantastic 493 series (with kudos to Most Valuable Bowler JoAnne Barber), earning them a well-deserved sweep. The scoreboard tells the tale - Balderdash holds on to 2nd place, while DB Handlers maintain their position in 6th.

Over on lanes 3 & 4, the battle between Vigs Eras Tour 2023 and Glory Bowl unfolded in epic proportions. Guided by the prowess of #1 Power Ranked and #1 Head-to-Head Nick Kinney, The Vigs Tour crew dominated with a breathtaking 674 series, securing three wins against the valiant G-Holers. Brett Affolter showcased his skill with a commanding 487 series for the G-Holers, even though victory (mostly) eluded them with only one W added to their column. The aftermath sees Vigs Eras Tour 2023 standing tall in 1st place, while the G-Holers slip one spot to 5th.

Lanes 5 & 6 bore witness to a battle of well-matched rivals as the Sun Dolphins faced off against √-1 in a series of what proved to be very close games. Despite the leadership of Scott Thompson's below-average 409 series, the Dolphins succumbed to the imaginative prowess of Imaginary Number, led by Dustin Schmeltz's better-than-normal 571 series. The consequential shuffle in the standings sees Sun Dolphins dropping one spot to 4th place, while Imaginary Number jumps two spots to claim 3rd.

This is the primary reason very few recaps manage to get written the same night as bowling.

Bowlers who used Chris Lenz's forgotten credit card to ring up quite a hefty bar tab at The 200 Club include: Aaron Barber (224), Dustin Schmeltz (215), and Nick Kinney (201,277)

An important reminder:
Tonight was the last night that any team may use a sub this season, with the exceptions of Buck Nasty and Dustin Schmeltz. Those two have both rolled 18 games, far exceeding the minimum required to get to play in the final two weeks that count. (ALL subs and team members are welcome ay Fun Week, up to 5 people may bowl per lane that week.)

JoAnne Barber earned both this season's women's high game and series with her 188 and 476, respectively.

The 277 rolled by Nick Kinney is tied for the 9th-best game in league history!

In this week's Tournament of Champions brackets: Nick Kinney made quick work of Division 1, while nobody claimed victory in Division 2 (though Scott Thompson came closest). Nobody claimed victory in Division 3 (though Nicholas Knight came closest), and JoAnne Barber dominated Division 4. In terms of overall points: Nick Kinney calls the shots for Division 1; Ben Spencer tops Division 2; Doug Lenz and Nicholas Knight are both in the driver's seat (on each other's laps?) in Division 3 in a tie; and Brian Schaben and Chris Lenz hold the reins in Division 4 in a tie.

NEXT WEEK:

• First, on lanes 1&2, 5th-place Glory Bowl will test their mettle against 4th-place Sun Dolphins (hcp 44). The G-Holers are expected to roll a little low, yet still manage to win the series; while Dolphins are forecast to drop their average a bit while they avoid getting swept.
• Moving to lanes 3&4, 3rd-place √-1 will meet with 6th-place DB Lenz a Hand (hcp 10). Imaginary Number might roll a little low and get swept; while DB Handlers ought to hold steady as they rack up a sweep.
• Finally, on lanes 5&6, 1st-place Vigs Eras Tour 2023 (hcp will hang out with 2nd-place Balderdash. The Vigs Tour crew is predicted to maintain their current strength as they sweep the series; while Bald Boys are anticipated to drop their average a bit while they endure a rough night.

^*(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!)

REMINDER: Next week is the bowling fee payment deadline! All bowling fees for the season must be paid in full next Tuesday unless other arrangements are made personally with AJ or Scott.

THIS WEEK'S MVB JoAnne Barber Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Nick Kinney Runner Up: JoAnne Barber	#1 H2H BOWLER Nick Kinney Runner Up: Chris Lenz
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Kill him! KILL HIM!!!! Can't somebody please just kill him???" JC Cox, putting a hit on Dustin Schmeltz, after Dustin overtook the Sun Dolphins leads in the 10th frame for the second game in a row.