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.

The thirteenth installment of "The 11th Frame" features some interesting nuggets from our Top 25s collection, covering the accolades (and disappointments) of our current and not so-current league rollers.As mentioned already in this week's write-up – Sarah West put up the first Most Valuable Bowler performance of her career, Seth Gunderson snapped his bad luck streak to earn #1 Power Ranked bowler honors, and Will Strike if Provoked has extended its lead over the league with their eye on the title. The most impressive thing this week, however, was in our league absolutely crushing the all-time record for the most 200+ games in a single season which was set back in the Spring 2007 season with 40 bowlers. We bested that in fewer weeks with fewer bowlers. So, this week, we're going to take a look at some of the all-time records that still stand in our league that may never be broken.INDIVIDUALS: Read the rest of this entry »

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.

The twelfth installment of "The 11th Frame" features some interesting nuggets from our Top 25s collection, covering the accolades (and disappointments) of our current and not so-current league rollers.As mentioned already in this week's write-up – Dennis Blake was this week's #1 Power Ranked Bowler and knocked the Dragon Balls off their 1st place roost while Anita Osthoff parlayed her MVB performance to push her team to a tie for the best record in the league. Wondering what else happened that you probably didn't know about? Check this out:INDIVIDUALS: Read the rest of this entry »

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.

The eleventh installment of "The 11th Frame" features some interesting nuggets from our Top 25s collection, covering the accolades (and disappointments) of our current and not so-current league rollers.As mentioned already in this week's write-up – three teams are now atop the league standings with a season best 27-17 record, no one qualified for Most Valuable Bowler, and Cliff Barendsen threw his highest series to date to earn #1 Power Ranked Bowler honors. Wondering what else happened that you probably didn't know about? Check this out:INDIVIDUALS: Read the rest of this entry »

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.

The tenth installment of "The 11th Frame" features some interesting nuggets from our Top 25s collection, covering the accolades (and disappointments) of our current and not so-current league rollers.As mentioned already in this week's write-up – Kody Karnes established himself as the greatest rookie in league history with his first 700+ series while Rob Kaszuba's Most Valuable Bowler performance kept his team atop the league standings. Wondering what else happened that you probably didn't know about? Check this out:INDIVIDUALS: Read the rest of this entry »

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.