With the closing of the Spring 2013 season, we've decided to expand the offering of our end of the league Season Favorite Awards by honoring two people that have made GutterAlley better over the years in their own respective ways.The Pat Searcy "Life of the Party" AwardFor those of you that have had the pleasure of rolling in a season with Pat Searcy on the roster, you know how much more fun it is to show up on Tuesday nights. Searcy was a part of GutterAlley's very first season and proved to be both an incredible bowler on the lanes as well as one hell of a source of comedy off them. Over the years, it was his larger than life personality that solidified his place in league lore as you didn't feel that you truly belonged until Pat would playfully rib you and make you the butt of one of his jokes. In an effort to honor the man who should be in the GutterAlley Hall of Fame (let's remedy this next season, people!), we proudly introduce the Pat Searcy "Life of the Party" Award. This award will be voted upon each season by the league to call attention to the individual who, more so than anyone else in the league, made Tuesday nights fun because of their larger than life personality. Now come on back into the league, Pat, and win this award next season!!!The Scott Murdock "Get 'er Done" AwardWhen you stop and think about it, no one has done more for GutterAlley over the years than our very own Scott "Scooter J" Murdock. He's been the league secretary for as long as anyone can remember. He's the one in charge of creating and then distributing all of the weekly white sheets with all of its information. He quietly collects the money each and week from the team envelopes and makes sure it's all accounted for – and bugs you if it isn't! He's also the powerhouse programmer behind GutterAlley.com, making everything jump, jive, and wail the way it should. Is he a powerhouse on the lanes? That didn't matter in the least as hoards of people voted him in as part of the inaugural class of the GutterAlley Hall of Fame due to his unending dedication and support to making our league the best one around. It is with great pleasure that we create and name an award after the man who does so much and expects so very little in return. To stay true to Scoot's quiet nature, this season favorite award will not be selected by the voters but rather by Scoot himself to honor the individual that he feels did the most to help the league out each season. League officers are, of course, ineligible to receive this award. We look forward to announcing the winners of these two awards – along with this season's GutterAlley Hall of Fame inductee – during our Fun Night on May 21st. See you then!

While two teams opted to post bowl (leaving one bowler on each of team stranded to roll and give out air high fives after striking or sparing), the main matchup of the evening ended in what can officially be called a cliff hanger. On a night in which the championship could have been wrapped up, the race to the finish will truly take place next week in the Finals. We start off on lanes 41 & 42 where the two last place teams battled for... well... something. With the fashionably late Ballz Out already having clinched dead last, this was more a battle to see whether Split It and Hit It could move up a notch. Unfortunately for Split It, Scott Murdock's 492 series and Will Pracht's speed-bowled MVB runner-up performance were enough earn Ballz Out their only sweep of the season and to thwart Split It's efforts to move up a rung. Dennis Blake's 474 series led his team in their valiant effort. These two teams will face each other again next Tuesday, where Split It still have a slim chance of moving to 6th.On lanes 43 & 44, Brunk Enough to Dowl came out firing on all cylinders. With Kody Karnes leading the way with his 643 series, Brunk Enough easily took Game #1 from opponents Murder, He Wrote. But that's when Hall of Fame hopeful Seth Gunderson stepped up with his 559 series – and this week's tentative Most Valuable Bowler performance out of Jonathan Vigliaturo – to reverse Brunk's momentum completely to win Game #2, Game #3, and total pins. The wins propel Murder into 3rd place with their 33.5-26.5 record while Brunk Enough remain in 6th place with their 27-33 record. The money Ken M. Wilson spent to get Carl's car sabotaged turned out to be a good investment, as a (mostly) re-invigorated Snakes on a Lane post-bowled their way into the record books. Led by a 680 series from #1 Power Ranked Carl Goetz and heavily assisted by a record-tying, MVB-earning performance from Wilson (more on that next week... hopefully), the Snakes slithered to a one-week-too-late-to-do-them-any-good clean sweep of Three Strikes and You're Out!. Despite Bob Brunker hitting a grand slam with his 554 series, it just wasn't enough to overcome Carl and Ken. The snakes move back into winning-record territory and climb to 4th place, while 3 Strikes drops 2 notches to 5th.Down on the final pair of lanes, the epic battle between the Dragon Balls and Will Strike if Provoked started out with a bang. Game #1 went to the Dragons behind anchor Ryan Doll's 590 series and a tentative #1 Power Ranked bowler performance out of Rob Kaszuba. Game #2 was basically a repeat with the Dragons sticking it to Will Strike, who was led Tuesday by Freda Schroeder's 518 series. Game #3 came down to the 10th frame with Will Strike pulling off a 7-pin victory to move within one game of wrapping up another championship. Will Strike remains in 1st place, of course, with their 39-21 record while the Dragon Balls are still within striking distance – needing a clean sweep next week to pull it off – with their 36-24 record. Bowlers finally admitted to The 200 Club this week after 3 days of waiting include: Kody Karnes (233, 213), Seth Gunderson (246), Ken M. Wilson (215, 233, 227), Carl Goetz (224, 265), and Ryan Doll (204)The official matchups in this season's Tournament of Champions are now set for the championship round. The starting lineup will be as follows:Carl Goetz (#1 Div 1) will face Michael Smith (#2 Div 4, +90Hcp)Kody Karnes (#2 Div 2) will face Phil Shroeder (#1 Div 3, +37Hcp)Dennis Blake (#1 Div 2) will face Jonathan Vigliaturo (#2 Div 3, +20Hcp)Ken M. Wilson (#2 Div 1) will face Mark DeVoe (#1 Div 4, +82Hcp)Everyone else gets to just kick back and enjoy the show! See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Ken Wilson Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Carl Goetz Runner Up: Ken Wilson	#1 H2H BOWLER Rob Kaszuba Runner Up: Ken M. Wilson
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I don't care if everyone loves her...I'm gonna kick that woman's ass." Bob Brunker, Mr. Good Sportsman, after watching teammate Anita Osthoff begin Game #2 with three opens.

The full results from Week #14 are now in and, mathematically, only two teams can come away as the Spring 2013 champions...and, more than likely, will face one another the last two weeks of the season. Tuesday night will also be remembered as the week with stifling dry heat, no air conditioning, and no tap beer whatsoever. It was also the lowest scoring week of the entire season. Coincidence? We think not. Let's get into the gritty details...On the first pair of lanes, long time rivals – and current league leaders – Will Strike if Provoked faced off against Snakes on a Lane. The Snakes, needing big wins to keep their season alive, enlisted the help of sub John Boren in an effort to turn the tide. Will Strike, led by anchor Aubrey Moren with his 602 series and backed up by this week's Most Valuable Bowler Phil Schroeder, never had a single worry as they swept the Snakes completely off the lanes. With the exception of Boren in Game #3, who led the Snakes with his 571 series, not a single member of the team hit his average at all. Will Strike improves to 38-18 and extend their lead over the league to five games...needing only two more victories to wrap up the season. The Snakes, still in 5th place, shouldn't even bother to show up the rest of the season as they have been absent since before the position round. For fourteen seasons now, Ryan Doll has been chasing his first title. Tuesday night, he kept his Dragon Balls still in contention with a 3-1 matchup victory over opponents Three Strikes and You're Out!. After dropping Game #1 to the Dragons, Three Strikes turned the tides and delivered a beat down in Game #2 compliments of Bob Brunker and his team leading 535 series. Game #3 came down to a 10th frame showdown with Doll pouring on the strikes to finish with a 601 series and a much needed win. The Dragon Balls, still in 2nd at 33-23, face league leaders Will Strike if Provoked next week in what could be either a coronation for Will Strike or setting the stage for an exciting Finals battle. Three Strikes remains in 3rd place at 31-25.Deplete of beer, Ballz Out showed up Tuesday night to roll their games in the hopes that they could outdo the post-bowling Murder, He Wrote. Leading the team with a 530 series, Cliff Barendsen nearly put up his career high game in Game #3 but came away with a 233 and assuming that they would at least win that one. When Murder, He Wrote post-bowled on Wednesday night, the results made for a laugh. Ballz Out won Games #1 and #2 by the slimmest of margins (including a 1-pin victory in the second one) but lost Game #3 to a team effort by Murder, led by Seth Gunderson and his 442 series. Total pins also went to Murder, who remains in 4th while Ballz Out will finish their season in 8th place regardless of the outcome of the final two weeks.Down on lanes 47 & 48, Brunk Enough to Dowl faced off against opponents Split It and Hit It as both teams strive to improve to winning records. With this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler – and rookie sensation – Kody Karnes hoisting a 658 series, Game #1 went to Brunk Enough. Game #2 saw Split It's Dennis Blake rise to the challenge to lead his team with a 528 series to even the series at a game apiece. Game #3 came down to the 10th frame with Brunk Enough pulling off the victory as well as total pins to win the matchup 3-1. Improving to 26-30, Brunk Enough remains in 6th while Split It – currently at 23.5-32.5, remains in 7th place.Bowlers agreeing to smuggle in their own beer next week in The 200 Club this week include: Aubrey Moren (213, 216), Bob Brunker (210), Cliff Barendsen (233), John Boren (227), Kody Karnes (246, 217), and Ryan Doll (213). With only one more week to qualify in the top two spots for this season's Tournament of Champions, it's time for people just on the cusp of being in the top two seed spots to make their move. Division #1 continues to be led by Carl Goetz (20) with Aubrey Moren (19) still on his tail. Dennis Blake (25) is still the top dog in Division #2 but Kody Karnes (17) managed to break the tie he was in for the #2 seed. Division #3 is still the Phil Schroeder (26) show but Jonathan Vigliaturo (17) has moved up to tie Freda Schroeder (17) for the second spot. Division #4 is still up for grabs but is still led by Michael Smith (22) and Mark DeVoe (18).See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Phil Schroeder Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Kody Karnes Runner Up: Aubrey Moren	#1 H2H BOWLER Phil Schroeder Runner Up: Kody Karnes
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "I'm subbing on a team tonight with the 2nd, 3rd, and 10th best bowlers of all time. What could go wrong?" John Boren, wondering why he even bothered to show after Snakes on a Lanes were eliminated from contention.

Week #13 is now in the history books and with it came a massive shuffling of the league standings. With the exception of the teams at the very top and the very bottom, all six teams from 2nd through 7th place swapped places with one another during the week that saw our league break the all-time record for most 200+ games in a single season. Congrats to one and all for being a part of this historic season. All season long, Brunk Enough to Dowl and Ballz Out have been battling it out to not be the team at the bottom of the league standings. In what may have been their last matchup against one another, Brunk Enough put it to their opponents in a 3-1 matchup victory. With Game #1 going to Ballz Out, compliments of a 571 series from anchor Cliff Barendsen (and a shocking 217 from Scott "Scooter J" Murdock), Brunk Enough struck back with a surprising 1-2 punch. With Kody Karnes leading the team (and the league with the lone 600+ series of the evening) with his 664 series, it was the contributions of this week's Most Valuable Bowler – Sarah West – that propelled the team to reverse their fortunes and come away with the wins. Brunk Enough to Dowl improves to 6th overall while Ballz Out remains in 8th place.Up until this week, Seth Gunderson of Murder, He Wrote has been having a rough go at it this season. Coming off his personal best in our Fall session, he's struggled for reasons unknown. That all changed Tuesday night. Hoisting a 570 series – the same as anchor Bill Krejci – to lead the team, Gunderson earned #1 Power Ranked bowler honors during a 3-1 beat down over opponents Split It and Hit It. Game #2 was the team's only detour en route to a sweep as they ran into Split It's anchor Dennis Blake and his 211 game and his 545 series. Game #3 and total pins went to Murder, who hopped up into 4th place. Split It, with the losses, fall down a spot into 7th place by a mere half a game.Before the battle began on Lanes 45 & 46, Will Strike if Provoked and Three Strikes and You're Out! shared the best win record in the league. Separated only by total pins, it was anyone's matchup to win. With the greater will to win, Will Strike came out firing and took Games #1 and #2 behind a 599 series performance by anchor Aubrey Moren. Game #3 hung in the balance, as Three Strikes looked to come away with the win but faltered and walked away winless. Bob Brunker led Three Strikes and You're Out! in the losing effort with his 516 series. With the only sweep of the evening, Will Strike if Provoked extends their lead over the lead to four games to remain in first. Three Strikes falls a spot down into 3rd place, separated from second by total pins.On the final pair of lanes, the men that did battle in the Finals last year faced off against one another for the second time this season. And, like their last matchup, Snakes on a Lane and Dragon Balls battled one another to a standstill by narrow margins. Game #1 went to the Dragons, with Rob Kaszuba leading the way with his second highest series of the season – a 550. Game #2 went to the Snakes, compliments of Ken M. Wilson's below-average 599 series to lead the team. Game #3 came down to the wire with the Dragon Balls claiming the victory but losing total pins to end the night at two wins apiece. The two wins propel Dragon Balls up one spot into 2nd while Snakes on a Lane use their two wins to fall down into 5th place. Bowlers putting up the games necessary to push us beyond the all-time season record this week deserve free drinks in The 200 Club. They include: Aubrey Moren (227), Bill Krejci (204), Bob Brunker (203), Carl Goetz (219), Dennis Blake (211), Ian Goetz (224), Ken M. Wilson (213, 215), Kody Karnes (232, 233), Rob Kaszuba (223), Scott Murdock (217), and Seth Gunderson (203, 206). With only two more weeks to qualify for the top eight seeds in the Tournament of Champions, we saw some shifts this week across the four divisions. Carl Goetz (19) and Aubrey Moren (19) own the top spots in Division #1. Division #2 is still owned outright by Dennis Blake (25) while Kody Karnes (14) and Dennis "Pops" Laube (14) do battle for second place. Division #3 has Phil Schroeder (20) still owning the top spot while Freda Schroeder (16) and Eric Lynch (16) vie for the next best spot. Michael Smith (22) and Mark DeVoe (18) continue to be the 1-2 punch in Division #4. The ballot for this season's Hall of Fame inductee will be closing soon so, if you haven't done so yet, please take a moment and vote. Six highly regarded candidates are up for induction this season and it's up to you to send your favorite into the Hall. See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Sarah West Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Seth Gunderson Runner Up: Kody Karnes	#1 H2H BOWLER Scott Murdock Runner Up: Kody Karnes
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Hey, at least Seth likes me...will you let me hump you?" Cliff Barendsen, trying to make friends...we think.

With only one month left in the league, it's really becoming do or die time. Week #12 was witness to some pretty stellar performances from unlikely sources, leading to five of the eight teams shifting positions within the league standings – three teams ascending with two descending. The Finals are quickly approaching and it's still almost anyone's to win. When Murder, He Wrote faced off against Snakes on a Lane in the position round, Bill Krejci put on a clinic. And, with his 268 in Game #1 (and a team leading 622 series), it looked like it was about to be a repeat performance before the Snakes woke up in an attempt to salvage their season. With Ken M. Wilson leading the way with a below-average 613 series, the Snakes bounced back with a rout in Game #2 – the third highest team game in league history – only to fall victim to Murder in Game #3. Total pins went to the Snakes to split the series 2-2. Despite the wins, neither team moved from their respective spots – Snakes on a Lane in 4th and Murder, He Wrote in 5th place.The guys on Ballz Out simply can't catch a break this season. Facing opponents Will Strike if Provoked, the night began with Will Strike winning a battle of attrition in Game #1 as both teams shot below their averages. Game #2 came down to a 10th frame showdown against anchors the Ballz' Cliff Barendsen and Will Strike's Aubrey Moren with the game going to Cliff and crew by a single spare. Both men would go on to lead their teams for the evening, Cliff with a 547 to Aubrey's 538. Game #3 was intense, featuring a back and forth through the 9th frame, after which Will Strike broke away and took it with a powerful performance in the final two frames to take the matchup 3-1. The wins, coupled with total pins, pushes Will Strike if Provoked up into 1st place with a record of 30-18. Ballz Out remains in 8th place.For the last month, Dragon Balls has sat atop the league standings. Heading into a matchup against opponents Split It and Hit It, the guys figured they would have an easy go at it...until Split It's Dennis Blake ruined their party. Throwing his career best series – a 644 – Blake not only earned #1 Power Ranked bowler honors but also turned the tide to take a 3-1 matchup victory Tuesday night, casting the Dragons from atop the league standings. The Balls' anchor Ryan Doll put up the best game of his career, a 278 in Game #2 (the 6th highest in league history), to keep Split It from running away with a clean sweep. Doll finished the night with a team leading 600 series on the dot but it wasn't enough to stop Dennis Blake and Split It and Hit it. The Dragon Balls fall two spots into 3rd while Split It and Hit It climb back up a spot into 6th place.If there was ever a true display of the ladies of the league doing their thing, it was down on Lanes 47 & 48 with Three Strikes and You're Out! taking on Brunk Enough to Dowl. After a Game #1 loss to Brunk Enough's ever-improving Kody Karnes – who was more than half way to a perfect game before derailing for a 252 and ending with a night-leading 670 series – the Brunker-less Three Strikes threw a lot more than three strikes to run the table from that point onward. Leading the charge was this week's Most Valuable Bowler Anita Osthoff who, with her 538 series and 207 in Game #3, propelled her team to a 3-1 victory and up a spot into 2nd place due to total pins...but tied with the best record in the league (30-18). Brunk Enough, now at 20-28 on the season, falls one spot down into 7th place.Bowlers pushing us to within seven games of breaking the all-time record for a season with the most 200+ games this week – and therefore earning admittance into The 200 Club – include: Anita Osthoff (207), Bill Krejci (268), Carl Goetz (256), Cliff Barendsen (210), Dennis Blake (204, 230, 210), Dennis Laube (220), Ian Goetz (201), Ken M. Wilson (236), Kody Karnes (252, 237), and Ryan Doll (278).Placements within the Tournament of Champions took a hint from the league standings shuffling and did a little switcheroo itself. Carl Goetz (19) took over the top spot from Ken M. Wilson (17) in Division #1. Dennis Blake (22) extended his lead over Dennis Laube (14) in Division #2. Division #3 has a new bowler behind Phil Schroeder (17) with Eric Lynch (16) challenging him for the top seed. Division #4 saw Michael Smith (21) outpacing teammate Mark DeVoe (18) to ascend to the top seed spot. If you haven't already, please take a moment and vote for your favorite Hall of Fame nominee(s). Voting will wrap up in a few more weeks and the results announced at the Fun Week. See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Anita Osthoff Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Dennis Blake Runner Up: Kody Karnes	#1 H2H BOWLER Dennis Blake Runner Up: Scott Murdock
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Dammit! I hope that no one with an actual chance to win in their own sport was distracted tonight watching our inevitable loss." KC Royals' Chris Getz, with his wish not coming true.

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.

Without question, this season of GutterAlley action has been the best season in our league's 13+ year history. So far we've seen 146 games of 200+, ten bowlers carrying averages over 180 (including three at 200+) and, with Tuesday's action included, our 4th series over 700. Talk about an impressive run this season. Take a bow, one and all. We're a part of history.After having been bounced from the top of the league standings in the position round, Will Strike if Provoked has been dishing out a steady diet of 3-1 matchup victories. Tuesday night saw them get off to a slow start by dropping Game #1 to opponents Split It and Hit It, led by Dennis Blake and his 523 series, but quickly rebounded to not drop another game the rest of the evening. With leadoff roller Phil Schroeder hoisting a 551 series to lead his team, the Strikers easily took Games #2 and #3 and, subsequently, total pins. With the wins, Will Strike moves back into 2nd place and within striking distance of the top of the standings with their 24-16 record – a mere two games back. Split It and Hit It remains in 6th place with their record of 17.5-22.5.The last time that Brunk Enough to Dowl faced Snakes on a Lane, they beat the living hell out of them 3-1. History repeated itself in this regard but with an added bonus – Kody Karnes threw his best series to date in his debut season in the league. With games of 257, 245, and 208, Karnes threw the season's fourth series over seven-hundred, ending with a 710. Despite 630 series from both Ian Goetz and Ken M. Wilson (including a 613 from Carl Goetz), the team managed only a single win. Karnes easily earned #1 Power Ranked bowler honors. Even though they added three wins to their record, Brunk Enough remains in 7th place. Snakes on a Lane, however, slither down one spot into 5th place. Last season, the Dragon Balls' gentle giant Rob Kaszuba became the proud owner of a new ball. Apparently the two have bonded as Rob is having his best season to date...much to the chagrin of opponents Murder, He Wrote. Earning Most Valuable Bowler, Kaszuba – along with anchor Ryan Doll's 613 series – came away with a 3-1 matchup victory in the battle between 1st and 2nd place. Lead off roller Brian Mohr got into the action in Game #3, rolling his first league 200+ game to lead the rout of Murder by a margin of 125 pins scratch. The wins keep Dragon Balls firmly in first place with their 26-14 record while Murder drops two places into 4th place with a record of 22.5-17.5. Bill Krejci led Murder in the losing effort with his 625 series.Down on Lanes 47 & 48, Ballz Out looked to hit the double-digit win mark at the expense of opponents Three Strikes and You're Out! but this Tuesday was simply not their night. With Three Strike's anchor Angela Bradford leading the way with her 557 series, the team simply did not let up from the opening roll en route to the night's only sweep. The Ballz' anchor Cliff Barendsen tried to keep his gang in it with his team-leading 552 series but it simply was not enough to turn the Strikes' tide. With the dust settled, Three Strikes climb two spots into 3rd place with their 24-16 record while Ballz remains in 8th place.Bowlers toasting Kody's incredible run this season in The 200 Club this week include: Bill Krejci (213, 221), Bryan Mohr (207), Carl Goetz (200, 202, 211), Dennis Blake (204), Ian Goetz (234, 213), Ken M. Wilson (244, 224), Kody Karnes (257, 245, 208), and Ryan Doll (201, 234).This week's Tournament of Champions action tightened things up. Carl Goetz (16) joins Ken M. Wilson (16) in the top spot in Division #1. Division #2 is playing out with a battle between Dennis Blake (15) and Kody Karnes (12). The Schroeders continue to control Division #3 with Phil (16) leading and Freda (14) following closely behind. Division #4 is still the Split It and Hit It show with Mark Devoe (18) and Michael Smith (15) holding the top two spots.Please don't forget to take a moment to vote for this season's nominees. At the end of the season, we'll see the 8th enshrinee make their way into the league's Hall of Fame. Be a part of helping one of these six deserving candidates earn their painted pin. See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Rob Kaszuba Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Kody Karnes Runner Up: Rob Kaszuba	#1 H2H BOWLER Kody Karnes Runner Up: Angela Bradford
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "You'll fit in well in Africa." Scott Murdock, after Ian mentioned that he was trying to take his skinny ass to do missionary work later this year.

Week #9 saw a familiar face show up to fill the void left in the league when Neil Rieger made his move to California – and he showed up in a big way. Also around the league, three teams managed to switch places in the league standings as we get back into the swing of things with everyone repeating the schedule of the first half of the Spring 2013 season. Eighteen more 200+ games were added into the mix as we continue our quest to be the best when it comes to the single season with the most games over two hundred. Ready to find out how your favorite team did? Be our guest...After the position round last week, Murder, He Wrote looked poised to reach the top...but quickly derailed from their goal at the hands of Three Strikes and You're Out!. After winning close content in Game #1, mainly due to Murder's fill-in anchor Seth Gunderson and his team-leading 529 series (including a 220 in the initial battle), last week's heavy hitters ran into this week's battling babes as Three Strikes took the remaining games in the matchup to end with a 3-1 victory. Angela Bradford's 535 series did the trick as her team improved to 20-16 but fall one notch down to 5th place. Murder manages to hold onto 2nd place but are no longer just a half game behind the league leaders.Last season, Steve Kiernan fell just one victory shy of winning his first championship. Had he bowled in the Finals like he did Tuesday night, things would have been radically different. Making his debut this season as a replacement bowler for Neil Rieger on Dragon Balls, Kiernan came out firing and ended his night with an impressive 706 series against opponents Ballz Out. It should come to no one as a surprise that Steve was this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler. But was his output enough to bring about a sweep? Oh no. Just ask this week's Most Valuable Bowler and Ballz Out anchor Cliff Barendsen. With his 588 series, Cliff managed to keep his team in the fight as the two teams dueled to a 2-2 standstill. In the end, neither team moved in the league standings with the Dragons extending their lead on the league out to 1.5 games while Ballz Out remains in 8th place.The last time these two teams met, Will Strike if Provoked came away with a clean sweep over opponents Brunk Enough to Dowl. This time around, though, things were just slightly different. After a blowout in Game #1, Will Strike looked ready and willing to rack up another sweep until Brunk's Kody Karnes hoisted a 258 – and ended with a team high 650 series for the night – to turn the tide with a Game #2 victory. Will Strike's Aubrey Moren struck back with a 626 series to wrap up not only Game #3 but total pins as well to keep his team in 3rd place. Brunk Enough, with their lone win, remains in 7th place.Down on the final pair of lanes, Snakes on a Lane set their sights on getting back into the swing of things and did so with the lone sweep of the evening. With Carl Goetz leading the way with an impressive 684 series, the men easily took all four games against Split It and Hit It. Dennis Blake led Split It with his 466 series but it wasn't enough to derail Carl and crew. The Snakes were the lone team to move up in the league standings this week, slithering two spots up into 4th place. Split It and Hit It tumbles one spot into 6th place.Bowlers helping this to be the best season in league history spied hanging out in The 200 Club this week include: Aubrey Moren (235, 204), Carl Goetz (214, 236, 234), Cliff Barendsen (202, 200), Freda Schroeder (203), Ian Goetz (202), Ken M. Wilson (205, 214), Kody Karnes (211, 258), Ryan Doll (224), Seth Gunderson (220), and Steve Kiernan (244, 257, 205).The Tournament of Champions continues to roll on with no changes in Division #1, still owned by Ken M. Wilson (15) and Carl Goetz (13). Division #2 is covered by the Duo of Dennis', Blake (12) and Laube (7). Freda Schroeder (13) moved up to a tie with Jonathan Vigliaturo (13) in Division #3 while Michael Smith (15) propelled himself to the top of Division #4, ousting fellow teammate Mark DeVoe (12) from the top spot.Voting on this season's Hall of Fame ballot is now open and ready for your input. Six league legends are vying for the lone spot that this season offers. Congratulations once again to nominees Bill Krejci, Cory Chorpenning, Demond Robinson, Jason Carpio, Ryan Doll, and Seth Gunderson. Vote for these guys today! See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Cliff Barendsen Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Steve Kiernan Runner Up: Carl Goetz	#1 H2H BOWLER Carl Goetz Runner Up: Aubrey Moren
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "No, seriously, you guys. These oatmeal cookies are hella good." ...said no one ever, until Chelsea uttered the line with a straight face before conning two league bowlers into buying some.

Kicking off in the Spring 2011 season, our bowling community collectively cast its votes for the inaugural class of enshrinees to the GutterAlley Hall of Fame. These initial four bowlers were tasked with carrying on the Hall's enshrinement duties, promising that one new bowler would make his or her way to join them at the end of every season going forward. We are happy to say that the tradition is about to continue for a fifth time to welcome in the eighth inductee. The GutterAlley Hall of Fame Screening Committee is proud to announce the names of the six candidates up for enshrinement this season – Bill Krejci, Cory Chorpenning, Demond Robinson, Jason Carpio, Ryan Doll, and Seth Gunderson.Each of these six bowlers, in his own way, has made an impact on the league over the years. It will now be up to you to cast your votes to send one person to join AB, Scoot, Freda, Ken, Carl, Bob, and – most recently – Codding in the Hall.Every member of the bowling community that has an active account on GutterAlley.com will be assessed a number of votes based upon his or her tenure within the league. Bowlers who have not yet completed a full season are ineligible to vote for the Hall of Fame candidates. Bowlers who have completed 1-2 full seasons are allowed one vote. Bowlers who have completed 3-4 season are allowed two votes. Bowlers who have completed 5+ seasons are allowed three votes. Hall of Famers are allowed four. Voters are not required to cast all of their available votes.Voting starts today and shall remain open until the week before the Finals (Week 15 - May 7th, 2013).For your convenience, we have prepared a page about each nominee so that you can get to know them better and see their influence on our league both on and off the lanes: Read the rest of this entry »

The midway point of the 27th season of GutterAlley action is now history and with it came some historical happenings. As a league we're still on pace to break the all-time 200+ games in a single season record, a mere five games separate the top six teams (all of which shifted in the standings Tuesday night), and the third highest series of all time was thrown. We can't say that this was a typical position round by any means. Ready to get into the details? Have at it...After suffering defeat at the hands of Dragon Balls last week, the team with the best record heading into the position round – Will Strike if Provoked – looked to exact their revenge. It looks like that will have to wait as the Dragon's Rob Kaszuba took matter into his own hands and almost single-handedly propelled his team to a clean sweep to take over first place with a record of 21-11. Kaszuba shot a team-leading 541 series (his best this season), increasing his score each game as the night progressed. The Provoked were led by Aubrey Moren and his 571 series but simply couldn't fire on all pistons, falling two spots into 3rd place at 18-14.The last time Snakes on a Lane and Murder, He Wrote met, the Snakes' Ken M. Wilson put on a clinic with his 683 series to take all four games. Despite Wilson's 669 series this time around, it was simply no match whatsoever for the onslaught brought forth by this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler, Bill Krejci. Rolling the 3rd highest series of all time in league history (including two entries on the highest games of all time), Krejci's 743 series absolutely routed the competition to take over 2nd place with their record of 20.5-11.5. Snakes on a Lane, having been in first place three weeks ago, has plummeted to 6th place with their 16-16 record.Other than the Finals, rolling the best series of your career in the position round is almost perfect timing. Just ask this week's Most Valuable Bowler, Mark DeVoe. With his 474 series, combined with anchor Dennis Blake's team-leading 497 series, DeVoe's scores allowed Split It and Hit It to come away with a 3-1 matchup victory down on Lanes 45 & 46 to improve to 16.5-15.5 on the season. Angela Bradford, anchor on Three Strikes and You're Out!, narrowly missed a come-from-behind-victory in Game #3 that would have allowed a split of the series but fell just one roll short (uncharacteristically guttering after throwing two strikes in the 10th frame) with her 519 series. Split It and Hit It rise one spot to 5th place while Three Strikes also climbs one spot into 4th with their 17-15 record. In the battle of 7th and 8th place, Brunk Enough to Dowl and Ballz Out opted to take a ride on a roller coaster against one another. With Cliff Barendsen's 580 series leading the way, the Ballz got out to an early lead by taking Game #1. Not to be outdone, Kody Karnes put up a 643 series (including a 267, which also puts him on the highest games of all-time list) to reverse the momentum and give Brunk the win in Game #2. The two battled it out with 200+ games apiece in Game #3 but Barendsen's team came away with the win in the end. Total pins, however, seesawed over to Brunk Enough to even the series at two games apiece. Neither team moved in the league standings, with Brunk Enough to Dowl improving to 12-20 to Ballz Out's 7-25. Nine bowlers found themselves making their way into The 200 Club this week, including: Aubrey Moren (223), Bill Krejci (279, 269), Carl Goetz (237), Cliff Barendsen (202, 210), Ian Goetz (200), Ken M. Wilson (215, 247, 207), Kody Karnes (267, 216), Rob Kaszua (204), and Seth Gunderson (255).The Tournament of Champions had some shakeups this week. Division #1 saw Ken M. Wilson (15) regain his spot ahead of Carl Goetz (13). Dennis Blake (11) extended his lead out ahead of Kody Karnes (6) and Cory Chorpenning (6) in Division #2. A new sheriff is in town in Division #3 as Jonathan Vigliaturo (12) moves ahead of Phil Schroeder (10). Division #4 welcomed back Mark DeVoe (12) to the top spot while Stephan Miller (10) chases him very closely.Nominations for this season's Hall of Fame induction is now closed. Thank you to everyone that nominated someone. Voting on this season's ballot will begin next week.See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Mark DeVoe Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Bill Krejci Runner Up: Mark DeVoe	#1 H2H BOWLER Bill Krejci Runner Up: Mark DeVoe
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Hey, Ken...be sure to blog about THAT! Hahahahahahahahaha!" Cliff Barendsen, after watching Angela Bradford gutter in the 10th frame after two strikes to lose Game #3 in a tightly contested battle.

Everyone has now bowled one another once and, with that, the 27th season of GutterAlley action has found itself knotted up in the league standings in one of the closest first halves we've had in quite some time. Heading into the position round next week, a mere two games separate the top five teams in the league. That's pretty close, folks. Ready to see how it all played out? Keep reading...Having finally broken free and taken over 1st place outright last week, Will Strike if Provoked looked to hold onto their position. And while they did come away still in first place by the end of the night, it wasn't without some frustration from opponents Dragon Balls. After losing Games #1 and #2, behind a 547 series performance from the Dragon's anchor Ryan Doll, Will Strike regrouped and pulled off a solitary win to stay ahead of the heap. Both Phil Schroeder and Aubrey Moren shot a 539 series to lead their team in the losing effort. With the wins, Dragon Balls ends up being one of only two teams that moved around in the league standings and finds itself in 2nd place. The two teams will face off against one another in the position round with records of 18-10 and 17-11, respectively.Down a pair on Lanes 43 & 44, four Hall of Famers did battle against one another in what almost ended up being an outright slaughter. Fresh off their ass whooping last week, Snakes on a Lane looked to rebound but quickly derailed at the hands of opponents Three Strikes and You're Out!. Despite throwing the highest series of the evening – a 668 and earning #1 Power Ranked bowler status in the process – Carl Goetz simply received no help from his fellow Snakes as Three Strikes took it to them for a 3-1 matchup victory. Bob Brunker provided the most output for the winning side, ending his night with his best series this season – a 584. Even with the wins, Three Strikes and You're Out remains in 5th place while Snakes on a Lane becomes the only team to fall in the league standings, finding themselves in 4th place now. When you are the team's anchor and find yourself down two bowlers, what do you do? Well, if you are Dennis Blake of Split It and Hit It, you knuckle down and put up this week's Most Valuable Bowler performance. Shooting over his average every game, Blake's 528 series led the way on both sides of the equation en route to the night's lone sweep. The victims this time around were Ballz Out, who are now in the midst of an 8-game losing streak. While Game #2 was won by a mere three pins, the rest of the games weren't even close as Split It improves to a record of 13.5-14.5 good enough to remain in 6th place. They will face Three Strikes and You're Out in the position round. Ballz Out's anchor Cliff Barendsen led his team with a 518 series but continues to struggle to find a way to bring his team to victory...and remains in 8th place.At the far end of the bowling alley, Murder, He Wrote looked to extend their winning streak after last week's sweep. You know how people say that every pin counts? Well, that was certainly the case in Game #1 against opponents Brunk Enough to Dowl. The two teams found themselves tied at 661-661, resulting in a half game victory apiece. Game #2 also came down to the final roll, with the victory going to Murder – compliments of Bill Krejci's team leading 554 series by a margin of only four pins. Game #3 came down to another duel, this time going Brunk Enough's way via the 528 series from Kody Karnes and a 10-pin margin of victory. Total pins went Brunk's way, by six pins, to end it with them taking the series 2.5-1.5. Neither team budged in the league standings – Murder, He Wrote remains in 3rd while Brunk Enough to Dowl continues to reside in 7th place.As a league, we managed to cross the midway point on our way to becoming the season that has seen the most 200+ games. Those contributing this week in The 200 Club include: Angela Bradford (206), Bill Krejci (200), Bob Brunker (204, 223), Carl Goetz (225, 235, 208), Ian Goetz (209), Ken M. Wilson (200), Phil Schroeder (216), and Ryan Doll (203).The Tournament of Champions is back on track now with some changes in the divisional leads. Carl Goetz (13) has taken over the top spot in Division #1 from Ken M. Wilson (12) who has apparently forgotten how to bowl. Division #2 finds a new leader in this week's MVB Dennis Blake (8) while Kody Karnes (6) moves up to tie Cory Chorpenning (6), who has seemingly vanished into thin air the past two weeks. Phil Schroeder (9) and Freda Schroeder (7) continue to rule Division #3 respectively but find Anita Osthoff (7) in a tie for the second spot. Michael Smith continues to hold onto Division #4 but find a new person on his heels, Stephan Miller (7) who inches out Mark DeVoe by a single point.As mentioned on our Facebook page earlier and on the whitesheet Tuesday night, nominations for this season's Hall of Fame induction will close at the end of bowling in the position round. Please, if you haven't already, hop on over and nominate some folks. There are almost 60 bowlers eligible for induction this season but, in the end, there can be only one. Please take a moment and help someone make their way into the Hall this season. See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Dennis Blake Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Carl Goetz Runner Up: Bob Brunker	#1 H2H BOWLER Carl Goetz Runner Up: Dennis Blake
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Jeez, you guys...who do you think you are, the Royals?" Sabrina Gray, commenting on the Snakes' 2-6 record the last two weeks.

With the position round just right around the corner, Week #6 is usually a great time to make your move if you're looking to improve your station in the league standings. Several teams got the memo while others simply did not pay that close attention to it. Now that the post-bowling has been taken care of, we can get into the full story. With one of their own out for the night, Split It and Hit It recruited 1/4th of the reigning championship team from last season to fill in Tuesday night. John Boren showed up to sub and, with his team-leading 562 series, helped Split It take Game #1 from opponents Brunk Enough to Dowl. Kody Karnes, however, had different plans. He countered with a 604 series which made the difference in Game #2 to even the series at a game apiece. Game #3 came down to the wire but went in favor of Split It and Hit It before – ready for this? – causing a tie for total pins. Split It takes their 2.5-1.5 matchup victory and remains in 6th while Brunk Enough continues to hold onto 7th place.It took until Monday the 11th, but the results of the matchup between Ballz Out and Murder, He Wrote was finalized...and went down exactly as Scoot predicted. While both teams were off, Murder was off less and came away with the 4-0 sweep to improve to 15-9 on the season. Bill Krejci's 578 series was the top for Murder, He Wrote while Cliff Barendsen's 491 was the highest output from Ballz Out. Murder moves up a spot into 3rd place while Ballz Out, now 5-19, remains in 8th place.Having danced around one another almost all season, the two teams with the league's best records – Will Strike if Provoked and Snakes on a Lane – finally met for their inevitable showdown. With it being Freda Schroeder's birthday, the team figured that the best birthday present they could present her was a beatdown of of the Snakes...and they delivered. With Provoked's anchor Aubrey Moren leading the way with his first 600+ series of the season, a 643, he not only led the team to a 3-1 ass whooping over their opponents but also landed #1 Power Ranked bowler honors as well. The team moves up to own 1st place outright with their 17-7 record. The Snakes' Carl Goetz led his team in the losing effort with a 614 series while falling to 2nd place at 15-9.On the final pair of lanes, the Dragon Balls said goodbye to Neil Rieger by treating him to a clean sweep of opponents Three Strikes and You're Out!. With anchor Ryan Doll (and this week's Most Valuable Bowler) shooting his best series so far this season – a 662 – the team stole Game #1 in the 10th frame but emphatically took each game beyond that. Neil himself put the icing on the cake by shooting his best game in the league – a 277 – good enough to earn him a spot with the 7th highest game thrown in league history in his final game. Three Strikes' Bob Brunker led his team with a 495 series but it was simply no match for the Balls' output. With the wins, Doll and crew climb one spot up into 4th while Three Strikes and You're Out! fall two spots into 5th place.Those bowlers wishing Freda Schroeder and Sabrina Gray a happy birthday in The 200 Club this week include: Aubrey Moren (235, 214), Carl Goetz (245), Freda Schroeder (200), Ian Goetz (233), John Boren (212), Kody Karnes (239), Neil Rieger (277), Phil Schroeder (233), and Ryan Doll (206, 246, 210).The results of the Tournament of Champions will be up as soon as we have the scores from the post-bowling.See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Ryan Doll Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Aubrey Moren Runner Up: Neil Rieger	#1 H2H BOWLER Aubrey Moren Runner Up: Ryan Doll
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Now THAT is how you retire from a league!" Neil Rieger, after rolling a 277 as his final game and walking off into the sunset.

With a huge snowstorm scheduled to hit Kansas City this week, the fire from the lanes of Week #5 GutterAlley action could easily melt it away. This season continues to be one of the best in the league's history as another twelve 200+ games were added to the overall tally, bringing our collective total up to 74 in the first five weeks (the all-time record is 183 rolled in the Spring 2007 session). Despite the big scores, only two teams managed to move in the league standings with everyone else pretty much staying put. Ready to get into the details? Read on...The last time the core of these two teams met, it was their winner-take-all battle for the Fall 2012 title with the guys splitting the series at 2-games apiece. Some things never change. After taking Game #1 behind anchor Ryan Doll's 615 series, Dragon Balls jumped out to an early lead. That's when Snakes on a Lane's seemingly possessed Ken M. Wilson took over. Nearly rolling a perfect game – he threw 11 strikes total along with a single spare in the third frame – Wilson propelled his team to a huge Game #2 victory with his 764 series, the second highest in league history, while earning #1 Power Ranked bowler honors along the way. Game #3 came down to a 10th frame showdown with Doll outpacing the Snakes' anchor Carl Goetz to seal the victory. Total pins, however, went to the Snakes to split the matchup at 2-2 each. Wilson and crew remain in 1st by total pins while Dragon Balls fall one spot into 5th place.Last week, Will Strike if Provoked's Phil Schroeder led his team with a 566 series. For his encore performance, this week's Most Valuable Bowler once again shot a 566 series – this time against opponents Three Strikes and You're Out!. Phil's MVB nod, the 12th in his career, ties him for the most MVBs in league history with Jason Carpio. After taking the first two games in the 10th frame, Will Strike found some resistance in the form of Three Strikes' Angela Bradford. Rolling her personal best game of the season so far – a 208 – Bradford swung the tide in the matchup to not only take Game #3 but total pins as well. AB's 538 series now leads the season for Women's High Series Scratch. With the two wins each, Will Strike if Provoked remains in 2nd with Three Strikes & You're Out a game behind them in 3rd place.Jokingly referred to as "The Battle for Last Place" by Kody Karnes before the night began, the 7th place Brunk Enough to Dowl took on 8th place Ballz Out on Lanes 45 & 46...and while neither team ended up moving at all in the league standings, the distance between the two has narrowed significantly. Games #1 and #2 went easily to Ballz Out, with the team's anchor Cliff Barendsen putting up the most fire power with his 584 series. Karnes, easily this season's top Rookie of the Season contender, put up a 635 series to keep his team in the fight and took Game #3 to keep from getting blanked. Total pins went to Ballz Out by a sizable margin. Ballz Out improves to 5-15 on the season as compared to Brunk Enough's 6-14 record. The final matchup of the night found Murder, He Wrote needing to bounce back after back-to-back beat downs the previous two weeks. The victims they put into their crosshairs? The men of Split It and Hit It. With anchor Bill Krejci putting up a 611 series, Murder, He Wrote emphatically took both Games #1 and #2. On the verge of being swept, Split It's Matt Bunyard put up his highest game to date in the league – a 181 – to stave off the Murderous onslaught. Dennis Blake put up the biggest series for Split It & Hit It, a 490. Despite the 100+ pin margin of victory in Game #3, total pins still went to Murder, He Wrote, who remains in 4th place. Split It & Hit It remain in 6th place, just a single game ahead of the team in seventh.Bowlers wondering if this season will see the most business within The 200 Club include: Angela Bradford (208), Bill Krejci (235), Cliff Barendsen (211), Ian Goetz (213, 212), Ken M. Wilson (236, 279, 249), Kody Karnes (212, 256), Phil Schroeder (207), and Ryan Doll (243).The second week of Tournament of Champions action is now in the books, with Division #1 still being dominated by Wilson (12) with Cliff Barendsen (4) behind him. Even with an off night, Cory Chorpenning (6) continues to be the tops in Division #2 with Kody Karnes (4) in second. Division #3 saw Phil Schroeder (9) leapfrog closest competitor Freda Schroeder (7) while Division #4's absent Mark DeVoe (6) managed to remain ahead of the rest of the pack. Michael Smith (3) and Sarah West (3) finish off the biggest point getters in the fourth division. Nominations for this season's Hall of Fame inductee are still open and accepting bids for the next several weeks. We have 59 people eligible for enshrinement but only one will officially make it in this season. Please take a moment to nominate a person who you think is worthy. Thank you!See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Phil Schroeder Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ken Wilson Runner Up: Kody Karnes	#1 H2H BOWLER Ken M. Wilson Runner Up: Phil Schroeder
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Well, thank God I'm bowling Cory in the first round!" Scott Murdock, after checking on his ToC seeding matchup and seeing Chorpenning's 106 score.

We're now a solid month into the league and the knot of four teams at the top of the league standings from last week has now been narrowed down to two. Aside from that, an incredible amount of 200+ games were thrown during Week #4 action that may be an all-time league record...and the Tournament of Champions officially got underway. Ready to hear how it all went down? Us, too.The first matchup of the night featured a tightly fought contest between Three Strikes and You're Out! and opponents Brunk Enough to Dowl. After holding on to a Game #1 victory – led this week by new ball rollin' Bob Brunker and his 522 series, Brunk Enough's Kody Karnes hoisted a career best 651 series to even the series up at a game apiece in Game #2. Game #3, as well as total pins, came down to the wire with Three Strikes sending Brunk Enough off to sober up with a 12-pin win for the game and total pins by seven. Talk about a close finish! Three Strikes takes their 3-1 output and move up a spot to 3rd while Brunk Enough to Bowl slips one spot into 7th place.Down on Lanes 43 & 44, Split It and Hit It decided to have some fun at opponents' Dragon Balls expense. After taking Game #1 by a margin of 60+, Split It – led by anchor Dennis Blake and his 513 series – seemed poised to upset the powerhouse Dragons. That's when last week's MVB Neil Rieger took over and kept that from happening. Evening the score with a Game #2 3-pin win, Rieger went on to lead the Dragons with his 553 series and took Game #3 as well. Total pins, however, went to Split It to end the night with each team adding 2-2 to their records. Both teams move up one spot in the standings with the Dragon Balls taking over 4th and Split It and Hit It climbing to 6th place.For those of you that have been in the league for a long time, it's well known that Cory Chorpenning is one of the best bowlers around. Despite making his return to the league last season, Cory truly showed up Tuesday night against opponents Murder, He Wrote to earn both Most Valuable Bowler and #1 Power Ranked bowler honors en route to a 4-0 sweep over the competition. Chorpenning's 670 series – combined with Ken M. Wilson's team- and season-leading 683 – proved to be too much for Murder, who never managed to get off the ground. The Snakes, improving to 12-4 on the season, remain in first place by a total pins margin of 1,500+. Murder's Seth Gunderson led his team with a 480 series but falls three spots down into 5th place.Let's face it, Will Strike if Provoked put up numbers tonight that Ballz Out simply couldn't compete with down on the final pair of lanes. Putting up some of their highest scores to date, Will Strike simply dominated the matchup from start to finish. Led by lead off roller Phil Schroeder and his 566 series, every single member of the team put up at least one 200+ game on their way to a 4-0 matchup victory and climbing one spot into 2nd place. The Ballz' anchor Cliff Barendsen led his team with a 509 series but failed to put a dent in Will Strike's big performance. Ballz Out remains in 8th place.Bowlers openly wondering how a certain someone managed to make it past the doorman in front of The 200 Club this week include: Aubrey Moren (224), Bob Brunker (203), Carl Goetz (228), Cory Chorpenning (202, 244, 224), Dennis "Pops" Laube (214), Freda Schroeder (211), Ian Goetz (215, 203), Ken M. Wilson (236, 236, 211), Kody Karnes (227, 227), Neil Rieger (237), Phil Schroeder (204), and Ryan Doll (214).The first week of the Tournament of Champions is off and running with the first four winners racing out ahead in their respective divisions. Ken M. Wilson (6 points) took Division #1 this week with Ryan Doll (3) right after him. Division #2 was convincingly handled by Cory Chorpenning (6) followed by Neil Rieger (3). Keeping it in the family, Division #3 starts out led by Freda Schroeder (6) with Phil Schroeder (3) on her tail. Mark DeVoe (6) takes the lead in Division #4 with Sarah West (3) chasing. The GutterAlley Hall of Fame is currently accepting nominations across the field of 59 eligible bowlers. Was Cory's outstanding performance enough to warrant you to cast a nomination? It only takes a minute and is relatively painless. We promise. See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Cory Chorpenning Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Cory Chorpenning Runner Up: Kody Karnes	#1 H2H BOWLER Cory Chorpenning Runner Up: Kody Karnes
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Aren't you happy that we're not viewed as the biggest dicks in the league right now?" Ken M. Wilson, shaking Carl's hand, after Ian mock-congratulated Doll for shooting a 139 in Game #3.

With nine games under their collective belts, the top four teams in the 27th season of GutterAlley action have quickly found themselves knotted up with records of 8-4. Granted, the league is just truly getting underway, but it's pretty apparent that it'll be a fun ride leading up to the position round in Week #8. With only two exceptions, every single team moved into a new spot in the league standings. Buckle up, fans...it's on.The first matchup of the night featured Murder, He Wrote against Will Strike if Provoked. After one of the best starts in league history, Murder quickly found themselves derailed as Will Strike – led by Aubrey Moren and his 597 series – handily took Games #1 and #2 in 100+ pin blowouts. Game #3, however, came down to the wire with Murder barely holding on for a 5-pin win in their 10th frame showdown. Seth Gunderson led Murder with his 550 series in the losing effort. With their 3-1 victory, Will Strike evens their record with Murder, He Wrote at 8-4 apiece. Due to total pins, however, Murder finds itself in 2nd while Will Strike sits in 3rd place. After avoiding a sweep at the hands of their opponents last week, Snakes on a Lane bounced back big to log their first sweep of the season. With Ken M. Wilson leading the way with his 613 series, the Snakes put a 4-0 beat down on Ballz Out in a fairly calm matchup. The Ballz' anchor Cliff Barendsen led the team with his 556 series but it simply wasn't enough to stop the slithering Snakes. The wins – and their total pins – put Snakes on a Lane at 8-4 and atop the league standings in 1st while Ballz Out remains firmly planted in 8th place with a record of 2-10.Down in Lanes 45 & 46, Neil Rieger of Dragon Balls decided to improve his legacy as he winds down his time within the league. Moving to California in the near future, Rieger used Tuesday night to not only lead his team with a 610 series but also earn #1 Power Ranked bowler honors at the same time. Opponents Brunk Enough to Dowl, led by rookie sensation Kody Karnes and his 605 series, took Game #1 before the Dragon Balls reversed the tables and rolled to a 3-1 matchup win. Both teams moved up one spot in the standings with the Dragons climbing to 5th and Brunk Enough up a spot into 6th place.After a slow start this season, the ladies of Three Strikes and You're Out! put on a clinic against the men of Split It and Hit It in a 4-0 win on the final pair of lanes. After squeaking by with a 2-pin win in Game #1, it was all downhill for the Splits as this week's Most Valuable Bowler Angela Bradford led the Strikes with her 516 series. Dennis Blake provided the most firepower for Split It and Hit it with his 529 series but couldn't stop Bradford and crew. Despite the victories, Three Strikes and You're Out remains in 4th while Split It and Hit It drop two spots into 6th place.Bowlers having to go to The 200 Club for decent beer this week include: Aubrey Moren (248, 202), Carl Goetz (222), Cliff Barendsen (204), Cory Chorpenning (227), Ian Goetz (220, 226), Ken M. Wilson (226, 203), Kody Karnes (225), Neil Rieger (213, 215), Ryan Doll (212, 212), and Seth Gunderson (211).With Week #3 completed, the divisions of Tournament of Champions have now officially been set with everyone seeded according to their current average. The weekly battles will commence next week with the white sheets provided by Scoot on each lane so that you can keep track of the outcomes as the night progresses. Good luck to everyone!See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Angela Bradford Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Neil Rieger Runner Up: Kody Karnes	#1 H2H BOWLER Kody Karnes Runner Up: Neil Rieger
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "YES! I'm ahead of AB and Pops due to my higher average. Man, do those two suuuuuck!" Scott Murdock, upon seeing his placement within the Tournament of Champions seeding.

On a cold, rainy January night, the second week of the Spring 2013 season made its way into the books. Easily the most volatile of any given season, the second week starts to see the beginning of averages settling somewhat – making teams that bowled really well last week vulnerable and giving teams that sandbagged a shot to move up. One team, however, has quickly established themselves as a force within the league and rocketed out to a 7-1 start. If they can maintain this momentum, look out everyone.After taking a drubbing last week, only two members of Three Strikes and You're Out! crawled back onto the lanes to do battle once again. Fortunately for them, they caught Ballz Out crashing and burning from their high-average start from last week. With anchor Angela Bradford leading the way with a 488 series, Three Strikes managed to chalk up a win in Game #1 before dropping the second contest in a tight 10th frame finish that ultimately went to Ballz Out. Returning to form in Game #3, Three Strikes took it – as well as total pins – to end the night with a 3-1 matchup victory. Hall of Famer Scott "Scooter J" Murdock – declared before the season to be a "diamond in the rough" by teammate Cliff Barendsen – led the Ballz in the losing effort with his 553 series. Three Strikes and You're Out! move up one spot into 4th while Ballz Out drops two into 8th place.There's something going on down on Lanes 43-44. After all was said and done, the only sweep last week was dished out on those lanes...and it was repeated again this week as Murder, He Wrote put a 4-0 smack down on the Dragon Balls. With only four pins of handicap separating the two teams, Murder came out firing with no intention of looking back in the nearly dead-even matchup. Leading the team was anchor Bill Krejci, with his 588 series and an incredible performance by Andy McLeod – this week's Most Valuable Bowler as well as #1 Power Ranked bowler. Despite solid output, including a 601 from anchor Ryan Doll, the Dragon Balls simply couldn't help but to succumb to the current league leaders. Murder, He Wrote jumps three spots up to sit atop the league standings with a well-deserved 7-1 start while Dragon Balls roar three spots down into 6th place.Last week, Split It and Hit It took it on the chin and dropped three games. This week they reversed it against opponents Will Strike if Provoked. With team captain Matt Bunyard leading his team with a 489 series (and raising his average 14 pins in the process!), Split It emphatically took Game #1 by 150 pins. Will Strike narrowed the gap in Game #2 but still lost it, by only 13 pins. It wasn't until Game #3 that the tides were turned – mainly by Provoked's anchor Aubrey Moren shooting a 204, ending with a 508 series – allowing the team to defeat Split It and Hit it. Total pins still went to Split It, who climbed up two spots into 5th place with their 3-1 matchup victory. Will Strike if Provoked, with their lone win, slip one spot down into 2nd place.After throwing two of the highest games in league history last week, we all knew that Snakes on a Lane was going to get their asses kicked. Lining them up – and beating them down this week – was the primed and ready to go Brunk Enough to Dowl. With Kody Karnes leading the way with his 483 series, the Dowlers stomped on the Snakes by 99 in Game #1 and 101 in Game #2. As was the case last week, though, the Snakes put out their best effort in Game #3 and came away with a resounding victory to stave off being swept. Total pins was easily wrapped up by Brunk Enough, who hop up one spot into 7th while Snakes on a Lane slither one spot down into 3rd place. Bowlers glad that it's raining rather than snowing in The 200 Club this week include: Aubrey Moren (204), Bill Krejci (207, 204), Cory Chorpenning (212), Ian Goetz (239), Ken M. Wilson (210, 205, 225), Neil Rieger (207), Ryan Doll (215), and Scott Murdock (206, 209).Even though there is just one more week of qualifying before Tournament of Champions officially gets underway, you can see how the divisions would be laid out if it started right now. Is it just me or can anyone else not believe that our very own Scott Murdock is in Division 1?!? We're still looking for people to submit their nominations for this season's Hall of Fame induction. It'll only take a minute of your time to go in and write some kind words about your favorite of the 59 bowlers currently eligible for induction. See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Andy McLeod Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Andy McLeod Runner Up: Matt Bunyard	#1 H2H BOWLER Andy McLeod Runner Up: Matt Bunyard
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you...you had a penis in your mouth." Andy McLeod, talking trash to Ryan Doll during the rout.

Last season was, without a doubt, the strongest season we've ever seen in league history. If the first week of this season is any indicator, the Spring 2013 season may give it a run for its money. Twelve different people shot a total of seventeen 200+ games to kick this season off while almost a third of the season debuted with averages of 180 or higher. Whew.Before we get started, GutterAlley wants to wish a special welcome to the newest recruit to the league – Kody Karnes, Stephan Miller, Will Pracht, and Bryan Mohr! Hopefully we didn't scare you guys away...yet.Only two of the four defending champions from last season – Ken M. Wilson and Cory Chorpenning – returned this season and are now members of the appropriately named Snakes on a Lane. With three of the four team members setting 200+ averages, led by this week's #1 Power Ranked bowler Ian Goetz and his league leading 682 series, the team coasted to a 3-1 matchup victory over opponents Split It and Hit It. Split It's Matt Bunyard led the team with a 405 series and kick their season off in 7th place. The Snakes slither their way into 2nd place.Down a pair of lanes, Will Strike if Provoked must have felt they were being harassed by opponents Brunk Enough to Dowl as they leapt out to a perfect 4-0 start. With anchor Aubrey Moren's 592 series leading the way – and help from this week's Most Valuable Bowler Phil Schroeder – the Provoked debut this season in 1st place. Brunk Enough, led by rookie sensation Kody Karnes and his 500 series, have no place to go but up as they start their season in 8th place after failing to secure their first victory.The two teams that will more than likely prove to be the most fun opponents to face all season started their title runs facing one another. Murder, He Wrote (last season's Bobby Belt and The Facebook Friends) laced up to beat down opponents Three Strikes and You're Out! 3-1 in their first week of league action. Murder, led by Seth Gunderson and his 585 series, nearly came away with a clean sweep but faltered in the 10th frame. Three Strikes' Bob Brunker showed up just in time with his 211 in Game #3 – and team leading 542 series – to stave off Murder and secure their lone win of the night. Murder, He Wrote starts the season in 4th while Three Strikes just behind them in 5th place.On lanes 47 & 48, last season's 2nd place finishers showed up retuned as Dragon Balls in the hopes of making another run at the top matchup in the Finals. With anchor Ryan Doll leading the way with his 619 series, the Balls bumped balls with Ballz Out en route to a 3-1 win and a start in 3rd place. The Ballz' anchor – and last season's Rookie of the Season winner – Cliff Barendsen came out firing with a 552 series to lead his team in their initial outing, winning Game #3, and starting the Spring session in 6th place. Bowlers jamming into the over-crowded 200 Club on the first night of the league include: Angela Bradford (204), Anita Osthoff (203), Aubrey Moren (213), Bill Krejci (254), Bob Brunker (211), Carl Goetz (258), Cliff Barendsen (202), Ian Goetz (244, 203, 235), Ken M. Wilson (203, 202, 259), Ryan Doll (215, 233), Scott Murdock (219), and Seth Gunderson (224).Even though it won't be until the end of Week #3 when the divisions are set, you can tentatively see how things would be set in the Tournament of Champions seeding if we only went with tonight's scores. The brackets will make their debut in Week #4.The infamous Predictions call for a crazy week in Week #2, with our very own soothsayer Murdock the Kinda Good At Times calling for Three Strikes and You're Out! to give up three to Ballz Out; the Dragon Balls will scorch Murder, He Wrote in a clean sweep; Will Strike if Provoked will split with Split It and Hit It; and Brunk Enough to Dowl will bounce back with a 4-0 victory over Snakes on a Lane. Will any or all of this come true? Well, we'll just have to wait until next week to find out.Last but certainly not least, nominations are now being accepted for this season's GutterAlley Hall of Fame enshrinee. Four new bowlers have been made eligible this season bringing the total to 59 past and present rollers, one of which will find their way into the Hall at the end of this season. Why not spend a few minutes and nominate someone today! There is no limit to the number of eligible bowlers you can nominate. The winner this season will be the 8th person inducted joining fellow Hall of Famers Angela Bradford, Freda Schroeder, Scott Murdock, Ken M. Wilson, Carl Goetz, Bob Brunker, and David Codding.See you next Tuesday!

THIS WEEK'S MVB Phil Schroeder Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ian Goetz Runner Up: Ken Wilson	#1 H2H BOWLER Ian Goetz Runner Up: Aubrey Moren
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "In honor of good sportsmanship and all that, gentlemen, I say 'fuck you' and goodnight!" Mark DeVoe, after getting blown out by 413 pins scratch by Snakes on a Lane in Game #3.

With the holiday season behind us and everyone back to the grind, it's time to make Tuesday nights fun again as the Spring 2013 season of GutterAlley action gets underway tonight.This season will feature three new recruits making their debut this season! A special welcome to rookies WIll Pracht, Kody Karnes, and Stephan Miller. Former sub Bryan Mohr has joined the league as a full-fledged member, bringing our total to four for those running for Rookie of the Season. Enjoy, gentlemen! START DATE: Tuesday, January 22nd at 6:20PM (league bowling starts at 6:30 after ten minutes of practice)LOCATION: NKC Pro Bowl, 505 East 18th Avenue, North Kansas City, MO 64116. Anyone that has been in the league pretty much knows everything else that's about to be told but, just in case you are bored and/or need a refresher, here's the GutterAlley 101 so that you know what to expect in our league: Read the rest of this entry »

The 27th season of GutterAlley action will commence on Tuesday, January 22nd. Are you ready to throw down?Here's the official information, which most of you already know:Starts: January 22nd at 6:30pm (practice starting at 6:20)Ends: May 14th (total of 17 weeks)Cost: $14 per week, does NOT include the cost of rental shoes (full-time VMLers will tentatively pay only $8/week)Location: NKC Pro-BowlWe're still trying to round out the roster so if you know if anyone interested, please let us know. As always, you can check out how this session is starting to take shape by checking out Recruitment Central.

The Fall 2012 season came to an official conclusion on Tuesday night, complete with prize disbursement and the announcement of the various season-ending awards.This season proved to be a big one for returning bowlers shooting their all time personal bests (obviously rookies had their highest games, series, and average ever in the league this season so we left them off):Highest game?Anita Osthoff, Aubrey Moren, Carl Goetz, David Codding, Dennis Blake, and Steve KiernanHighest series?Anita Osthoff, Aubrey Moren, Bill Krejci, Dennis Blake, John Boren, Scott Murdock, and Steve KiernanHighest season-ending average?Bill Krejci, Dennis Blake, Jonathan Vigliaturo, Scott Murdock, Seth Gunderson, and Steve KiernanFive bowlers also put up scores that put them into the all-time records in league history:Anita Osthoff moved up to take over the 3rd spot of all-time for Women's High Series Scratch with her 556 series in Week #16. That same week she also moved into the 4th place spot of all-time for Women's High Series Handicap with a 673. To round it out, Anita shot a 212 in Week #12 which pushes her into the 5th spot all-time for Women's High Game Scratch.John Boren took over the 5th spot of all-time for Men's High Series Scratch with his 715 series in Week #7.Rookie Cliff Barendsen certainly made his mark in his debut season by taking over the 5th place of all-time for Men's High Series Handicap via his 769 series in Week #8. That same week, he moved into the 5th spot on the all-time list for Men's High Game Handicap with a 297 as well as the 4th highest game on the Men's High Pins Over Average by outdoing himself by 111 pins. Carl Goetz nearly achieved perfection during Week #7 with his 299, tying Ken M. Wilson for the 2nd highest Men's High Game Scratch game in league history. That same game gave Carl the 3rd all-time best game for Men's High Game Handicap with a 303. David Codding, however, did one better in Week #6 when he threw the one and only perfect game in league history to permanently take over the top spot in the Men's High Game Scratch category. Comically, that same game tied him with Orion Kinkaid as the 4th highest Men's High Game Handicap with...a 300. Lastly, Codding's Week #7 average moved him into a three-way tie with Cory Chorpenning and Carl Goetz as the 3rd best Men's High Average.The biggest individual achievements for the season came out as follows:Women's High Series Scratch: Freda Schroeder (560)Women's High Game Scratch: Anita Osthoff (212)Women's High Series Handicap: Teresa Deterding (641)Women's High Game Handicap: Ryan Doll (every game he bowled)Women's Pins Over Average: Anita Osthoff +66Women's Most Improved Bowler: Anita Osthoff +27Men's High Series Scratch: Carl Goetz (728)Men's High Game Scratch: David Codding (300)Men's High Series Handicap:Cliff Barendsen (769)Men's High Game Handicap: John Boren (267)Men's Pins Over Average: Cliff Barendsen +111Men's Most Improved Bowler: Cliff Barendsen +29The results of the Season Favorites were announced at the Tuesday night meeting:Rookie of the Season - Cliff Barendsen (Michael Smith, runner-up)Captain of the Season - Ryan Doll (Ken M. Wilson, runner-up)Carl Goetz Defensive Bowler of the Season - Bill Krejci (David Codding, runner-up)Underdog of the Season - Teresa Deterding (Dave Winger, runner-up)Bob Brunker Good Sportsmanship Award - Rob Kaszuba (John Boren, runner-up)Emily Podhajsky Good Sportsmanship Award - Anita Osthoff (Teresa Deterding, runner-up)Most Fun Team to Face - Bobby Belt and The Facebook Friends (FTOP, runner-up)Most Feared Team - FTOP (Mayan Apocalypse, runner-up)People's Choice: Most Valuable Bowler - David Codding (John Boren, runner-up)Actual individual team MVBs:Ballz Out - Cliff BarendsenBobby Belt and The Facebook Friends - Bill KrejciFTOP - John BorenMayan Apocalypse - Pat SearcyPocket Pounders - Neil RiegerSexual Chocolate - Teresa DeterdingSplit It and Hit It - Dennis BlakeTurkey Hunters - Freda Schroeder and Aubrey Moren (tie)Actual: Most Valuable Bowler - Neil Rieger (John Boren, Cliff Barendsen, Teresa Deterding, and Dennis Blake, runners-up)Cumulative #1 Power Ranked Bowler: Ryan Doll (Cliff Barendsen, runner-up)The Tournament of Champions was won by Andy McLeod in a hurry up and wait win against runner-up Scott Murdock. As this season's champ, Andy received an additional $42 in his prize envelope. Scoot received $22 for second place. Prize money was handed out for the teams based upon wins:1. FTOP (39-25)2. Pocket Pounders (38.5-25.5)3. Mayan Apocalypse (35-29)4. Turkey Hunters (35-29)5. Bobby Belt and the Facebook Friends (33-31)6. Sexual Chocolate (26-38)7. Split It and Hit It (25.5-38.5)8. Ballz Out (24-40)And lastly, David Codding was officially inducted into the GutterAlley Hall of Fame after being selected over Demond Robinson, Janelle "Nellie" (Laube) Lamar, Jason Carpio, Pat Searcy, and Seth Gunderson by the voters of the bowling community.Congratulations to all of the winners this season!