The fourth week of Spring 2025 rolled in under a waning crescent moon, bringing with it an eerie energy that no one could quite shake. Maybe it was the fact that Alex, rather than Kenny, was manning the grill, or the lingering rust from a missed week. Or perhaps it was the bizarre 70-degree temperature swing that had bowlers questioning reality. People who whould have bowled well didn't, others bowled better than expected, and four of the six teams experienced ties. And by the time it was all over, both of the bottom two teams in the standings saw a member of their team leapfrog up the averages to become the top two players in the league. Whatever the cause, the lanes were filled with strange twists of fate—some teams soared, others stumbled, and one bowler etched their name into personal history.

Cat Atwood claimed the women’s high game with a solid 118 -- ending Joanne's lengthy reign, while JoAnne Barber secured high series honors with a 338. Over in the men’s division, Ian Estey reigned supreme, firing off a staggering 227 high game and a 648 series. Meanwhile, the Tournament of Champions officially began, launching 13 weeks of fierce one-on-one bowling battles. But first, let’s dive into the night's weird and wild matchups.

First up, on lanes 1 & 2: faltered hopelessly against Gutterly Hopeless. It was a battle of near-misses and heartbreaks. AJ Hofmann put up a commendable 488 series, nearly dragging Team Name Loading to safety, but in a cruel twist of fate, only one pin saved them from being completely swept. Meanwhile, Jeremy Varnell's determined 377 series, backed by Most Valuable Bowler Jacob Holst, fueled a Gutterly Hopeless victory, sealing 3.5 wins. The Hopeless squad erupted with joy, climbing to 4th place, while Team Name Loading remained stuck in 3rd, cursing their overall inability to ever even once hit any of their averages.

On lanes 3 & 4: FFK attempted to take a bite of Squid Row, but ended up distracted by a field of catnip. Even with Dustin Schmeltz bringing the heat with an impressive 611 series, the Kittens were left licking their wounds after managing just one win. Squid Row, with Matthew Taylor leading the charge behind his stellar 588 series, held firm and secured three crucial wins. Their excitement was palpable as they maintained their top-ranking grip on 1st place, while FFK slipped one spot to 5th, left to wonder what it would take to claw their way back.

Finally, down on lanes 5 & 6: Bowls Deep deeply humbled FILPB. The night’s most dominant force was none other than #1 Power Ranked and #1 Head-to-Head bowler Ian Estey, who put on a masterclass with his thunderous 648 series. Bowls Deep came within a single pin of sweeping Eff It, leaving them exhilarated but just shy of perfection. Aaron Barber did what he could for Eff It, mustering a 512 series, but it wasn’t enough to stave off the onslaught. The standings remained unchanged—Bowls Deep in 6th, Eff It still clinging to 2nd—but the night’s chaos left both teams shaken.

Bowlers who stripped naked and shared a cozy hot tub together in a back room at The 200 Club include: Ben Spencer (216), Dustin Schmeltz (224,208), Ian Estey (226,227), and Matthew Taylor (216)

A new personal best series was rolled tonight by Dustin Schmeltz (611, previous best 608).

Adding to the excitement, the 648 rolled by Ian Estey is this season's new high series for men.

In this week's Tournament of Champions brackets: Ian Estey conquered Division 1, while Nathan Burrows whipped Division 2. Buck Nasty mopped up Division 3, and Jacob Holst ruled Division 4. In terms of overall points: Ian Estey is in the driver's seat in Division 1; Nathan Burrows governs Division 2; Buck Nasty calls the shots for Division 3; and Jacob Holst holds the reins in Division 4.

NEXT WEEK:

• First, on lanes 1&2, 1st-place Squid Row will roll against 2nd-place FILPB (hcp 19). Squid is expected to maintain their current strength as they sweep the series; while Eff It is forecast to drop their average a bit while they endure a rough night.
• Moving to lanes 3&4, 4th-place Gutterly Hopeless (hcp 19) will chuck some balls with 6th-place Bowls Deep. Hopeless might maintain their current strength as they lose the series but avoid getting swept; while DEEEEEEP ought to hold steady as they enjoy their victories.
• Finally, on lanes 5&6, 5th-place FFK (hcp 4) will compete against 3rd-place . Kittens are predicted to have a bit of an off night and lose the series but avoid getting swept; while Team Name Loading is anticipated to raise their average while they enjoy their victories.

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

THIS WEEK'S MVB Jacob Holst Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Ian Estey Runner Up: Dustin Schmeltz	#1 H2H BOWLER Ian Estey Runner Up: Matthew Taylor
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "At least AJ came." "That never happens, I swear!" Scoot, then AJ, after AJ rolled the team's first mark a couple frames into the first game.

Pos.	Team name	Record	Percent	Total Pins	Change
1	Squid Row	11-5	.688	8,024	n/a
2	FILPB	8.5-7.5	.531	7,807	n/a
3	(Team Name Loading)	8.5-7.5	.531	6,827	n/a
4	Gutterly Hopeless	8.5-7.5	.531	5,866	+1
5	FFK	6-10	.375	6,737	-1
6	Bowls Deep	5.5-10.5	.344	6,001	n/a