Spring 2023 Doubles

week SEVEN -- The PLAYOFFS

Tuesday June 27, 2023
The seeds were set last week. As expected, The Redford Shockers shocked no one bringing home the regular season crown. A bit of a shocker was that the beloved Bonk Shells surrendered second seed by dropping all four games last week and opening the door for the Middy’s to be the runner up. The Big Knockerz won all four of their games to grab the #4 spot and the $25 gift card that goes along with it.

It was supposed to start with a play-in game since we have 9 teams this season. But we got the call from the Bonk Shells that they were sick enough not to show up for the playoffs. So with the #3 seed not in the tournament, we would either have to just give The Bonk Shells a forfeit in the first round or reseed the tournament without them. We got everyone together and we agreed to reseed for 8 teams and it came out looking like this...

THE QUARTERFINALS
Instead of playing against an equal in the play-in game, 8 seed 8-Fowled Folks Home ended up drawing 3-Redford Shockers in the first round.  Even if they won the play in, they would have had to go through them to advance.   Randy and E were pretty damn accurate.  Scott and Patty got to yell “ONE!” a lot when knocking down only one of the pins in a grouping.  This was a recipe for disaster and the final score was 4-0.

9th seed 5-The Jabronis now had to face off against 2nd seed 6-Middy’s. Middy's won the first two and Dominic and Noah looked like they managed to win the last when they knocked down the last pin in game 5 as time ran out.  Yep, the worst rule in Fowling raised its head again.  Since 6-Middy’s didn’t make the last throw the game wasn’t finished and the game didn’t count.  Final score, 2-0.

All of the matches followed their seeding.  3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk earned the 7th seed so that meant Brenna and David had to defeat the 4th Seed 7-Big Knockerz to advance.  So what if they had to pull a second mortgage to get that pizza from the Dixboro Project.  Last week Austin and Noelle charged to the front of the peloton with 4 wins.  They made it 5 in a row with a 3-0 victory over the Raiders.

Typically you would see Terry and Isabella of 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere in the 1 or 2 position.  This season, they missed a week and had some subs which may have been some of the reason they held the 5th seed.  That meant that they matched up against 6th seed the Fowling Wolves.  Jess and Chris manage to snap off one victory but that was not enough as the finals score was 3-1.

THE SEMI-FINALS
Hey 7-Big Knockerz.  Welcome to the league!  Your reward for winning the first round?  You get to play the nearly undefeatable 3-Redford Shockers!  Redford raced out to a 2-0 lead but undeterred, Austin and Noelle managed to win the next two.  For a second there it looked like the dragon might be slayed.  But as you expect, the Shockers started finishing their games and managed to win two more to end the uprising with a 4-2 final to send them to the playoffs.

The only upset of the playoffs was 5th seeded 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere’s victory over 2nd seeded 6-Middy’s.  Is it ever an upset when last season’s champ wins in the semis?  It was close at least with Terry and Isabella grabbing a 3-2 victory over Scott Love and Xochitl.

In the Third Place game, Austin and Noelle of 7-Big Knockerz won their 6th match out of their last 7th by taking down Scott Love and Xochitl of 6-Middy’s 4-2.  7-Big Knockerz take home the $50 in cash while the employees of the Fowling Warehouse get the $25 Fowling Warehouse Gift Card.  Karma.

The last game was the big one.  Our last league champs 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere against our regular season champs 3-Redford Shockers.  It was a back and forth match but it went back for E and Randy more than it went forth for Terry and Isabella ending in a 4-2 decision. Redford kept their record unstained.  Without the Bonkshells around there was no one to beat them.  They got to hoist the trophies as the champions of the 2023 Spring Doubles League.

The rest of us went Fowling for Dollars and knocked down 100 pins, each of us keeping a buck for each pin.  It seemed rather evenly divided.

So that’s it for spring!  Time to sign up for the Summer 6-Week Doubles League starting on Tuesday, July 11th.  Sign up will close at Midnight on Sunday July 9th so sign up now.  Still chatting with others from leagues past?  Encourage them to join us on Tuesday Night for some fun.  Here’s the link to the entry form.
https://www.fowlingwarehouse.com/ypsiannarbor/leagues

week SIX -- The FINAL Week OF THE REGULAR SEASON

Tuesday June 20, 2023
Well, THAT did not go at all like the prediction / mandate in our Monday night e-mail. We said that for any positions to change, we would need Redford Shockers to lose all 5 games and Bonk Shells to win all 4 games. Neither of those things happened. In fact, the exact OPPOSITE happened! And yet the standings changed, just not where we thought they would.

MATCH 1 The Bonk Shells sat out this match with a bye, so they got to watch to see if 4-Redford Shockers we able to convert their “Magic Number” from 1 to 0 and take the regular season championship. Of course they did. They’re E and Randy!! They took out 9-Fowling Wolves 4-1 to seal the season championship before the Bonk Shells even threw their first football. That triggered celebratory shower of Bourbon (as they do in Redford) which they spilled down their throat instead of over their heads. Redford gonna be Redford. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk made their first step toward the coveted $25 Gift Card for 4th place ... what most of us were left playing for ... by taking out the pesky 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere 2-1. After dropping all four last week, 7-Big Knockerz kicked this week off with a win over 6-Middy’s, dampening their hope of catching 2-Bonk Shells for second place. 5-The Jabronis managed to take 8-Fowled Folks Home to overtime in game two, but that ended the same as the other two games, in a loss, ending the match 0-3.

MATCH 2 Now with the pressure of the regular season championship off their shoulders, 2-Bonk Shells headed into the rink with hours of weekend practice under their belt. And it landed with a thud in a 4-1 loss to 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere. 7-Big Knockerz got their second win in a row over 5-The Jabronis by a score of 3-2. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk dueled it out with 9-Fowling Wolves. And the most difficult rule in Fowling reared its ugly head again when the Raiders made their final throw knocking down the final pin as time ran out, not giving the Wolves (who had the hammer) enough time to make their final throw to complete the game. The incomplete game doesn’t count and 9-Fowling Wolves get the victory. When I say that everyone enjoyed the ruling and felt good about the outcome, I mean it. And when I say I mean it, I don’t. Oh ... and 4-Redford Shockers won again beating 8-Fowled Folks Home 4-1.

MATCH 3 Big moment for Dan, part of the 3 headed monster who are 5-The Jabronis. He Bonked on Lane 15, yet they still managed to lose 3-2 to 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere. Yes, new AFA rules do not count the Bonk as 2 wins, just one. See, rules DO change!! The featured matchup of Match 3 was supposed to be 4-Redford Shockers against the only team to win a match against them 2-Bonk Shells. And THUD, the Shockers got their first win of the season over Bonk Shells by a 4-0 mercy. 6-The Middy’s sensing blood in the water in the race for second place notched a 3-1 victory over 9-Fowling Wolves. 7-Big Knockerz came away with their third victory of the night over 8-Fowled Folks Home with a 2-1 score.

MATCH 4 The woes continued for 2-Bonk Shells as they ran into 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk who won 3 to 0 for Brandon and Alicia. Raiders accepted the win graciously. The Middy’s again saw the opening (when’s a door not a door?) and put together a 3-1 win over 8-Fowled Folks Home to keep tracking towards second place. It had been a while since 5-The Jabronis notched a victory but they had been playing well all night and certainly deserved one. It came in Match 4 over 9-Fowling Wolves by a score of 3-2. Oh, and 4-Redford Shockers won 4-1 over 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere. They should change their name to 4-Redford Yawns because it must be boring just winning all the time!

MATCH 5 The last game of the regular season. Only two positions up for grabs. Would 2-Bonk Shells or 6-Middy’s take second place? Whom from the field would step up and grab that $25 Gift Card for fourth place. Let’s find out. 2-Bonk Shells drew 5-The Jabronies for the final game. They are in ninth place out of nine, so that’s a very solid draw for the 2-Bonk Shells. Did I mention that 5-Jabronies had been playing well all night long? Did we discuss that 2-Bonk Shells were a little off their game after all that practice? So, yeah. That happened. 5-The Jabronies won the match 3-1 leaving the door ajar for 6-Middy’s to move into second place even if they didn’t win. Even if they got mercied. And that’s what happened. After getting smoked by Redford the previous game, 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere got their game on and mercied 6-Middy’s 4-0. After last week’s 0-4 performance, 7-Big Knockerz fully redeemed themselves by taking victory #4 for the night with a 4-0 mercy over 9-Fowling Wolves. Would that be enough to get them the golden gift card for 4th place? Let’s find out. Oh, 4-Redford Shockers won 2-0 over 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk. They must have been getting tired of all that winning.

THE FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

Of course, first place went to Randy Stewart and Eric Smith of 4-Redford Shockers with a 22-2 record. 6-Middy’s, needing to win two more matches than 2-Bonk Shells to take second place did just that, ending with a 14-10 record to 2-Bonk Shells 13-11 record. Which is the same record amassed by 7-Big Knockerz. Game Winning Percentage is the next tiebreaker and 2-Bonk Shells had 3 fewer wins but 5 fewer losses than 7-Big Knockerz taking third place on percentage points 495 to 486. 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere ended in fifth at 12-12. 9-Fowling Wolves placed sixth at 10-14. Two teams at 9-15. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk squeaked by into seventh by 4 percentage points 438 to 434 over 8-Fowled Folks home. That small difference puts 8-Folwed Folks Home in the play-in game next week with ninth place 5-The Jabronis at 6-18. Your reward for getting a win in the play-in game? You get your asses kicked by 4-Redford Shockers in the quarterfinals! Those 4 percentage points mean 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk get to be in the other side of the brackets and won’t have to play 4-Redford Shockers (if they make it... no predetermined by any stretch) until the Finals.

Here's the bracket for the tournament next week. We kick off with the play in game at 7:00PM At 7:30 it’s the Quarter Finals with all remaining teams playing. At 8PM, it’s the Semi-Finals and at 8:30PM we have the Finals and third place game. 9:00PM we will be Fowling for Dollars with the top two teams conducting the tournament and the rest of us getting a buck a pin until all the money is gone or someone gets a Bonk or a Strike. The cash will be divided like this...

Don’t forget the MOTOR CITY OPEN at the Fowling Warehouse Hamtramck on Saturday, June 24th at 5PM. Sign up begins at 3PM. $20 per person. Bring your own 2 person team.
Sign up for the Summer 6-Week Doubles League starting on Tuesday, July 11th. Sign up will close at Midnight on Sunday July 9th so sign up now. Still chatting with others from leagues past? Encourage them to join us on Tuesday Night for some fun. Here’s the link to the entry form.
https://www.fwya2.com/leagues.htm

week FIVE -- The Week That It Got Competitive

Tuesday June 13, 2023
Due to injuries and vacation, there were 4 subs last night. Isabella from 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere was on vacay in Cali so Dan Wurster subbed for her. Scott Love was in Nevada and Xochitl had an “upper body” injury so 6-Middy’s were replaced by Clint and Danielle Hixson aka Wine Some Booze Some. Chris Woolf from 9-Fowling Wolves was missing so Janelle Phillips played alongside Jess Wolverton.

MATCH 1. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk were wishing 6-Middy’s Scott and Xochitl had not evacuated the premises after Clint and Danielle came out hot and quickly mercied them 4-0. There was also some mercy with a bucket when 4-Redford Shockers got a 5-1 early finish over 5-The Jabronis. 2-Bonk Shells have been playing out of their mind and they notched another victory over 7-Big Knockers. It was a beginning of a frustrating evening for Austin and Noelle. Scott and Patty from 8-Fowled Folks Home won the first two over 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere who then won the last three to take the match.

MATCH 2 This would have been a grudge match between the 2nd and 3rd place teams as 2-Bonk Shells was defending the runner up position against 6-Middy’s. But with Clint and Danielle as subs who were playing like, well, Clint and Danielle at their best it was going to be a tough one to win. 6-Middy’s ended up winning the match, but only 3-2. 8-Fowled Folks Home again won the first two games over 9-Fowling Wolves only to have Jess and sub Janelle come back and win two, ending the match by knocking down more pins in game 5 8-7 to win the match. 7-Big Knockers rough night continued with a 3-1 loss to 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk shut out 5-The Jabronis 3-0

MATCH 3 6-The Middy’s (disguised as Clint and Danielle from Wine Some Booze Some) won 4 straight quickly over 5-The Jabronis. That’s 3 in a row. 2-Bonkshells started a new winning streak with a hard fought 3-2 victory over 9-Fowling Wolves. Again, 8-Fowled Folks Home won the first two games of their match ... but this time they also won the third before losing one to 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk. 4-Redford Shockers won 4-2 over 7-Big Knockers.

MATCH 4 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere completed their three match evening sweep with a 4-0 mercy over 9-Fowling Wolves. 8-Fowled Folks Home tried losing their first two games this time. That did not work over 2-Bonk Shells. It was the final score of the match, 2-0. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk squeaked out a 3-2 victory over 7-Big Knockers. The game of the night was between 4-Redford Shockers and 6-Middy’s. Clint and Danielle were 3-0. Randy and E were 2-0. Of course Redford gunna be Redford. They just win. And they were able to solve the Clint/Danielle puzzle with a 4-2 victory.

So there were two undefeated teams, both 3-0, 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere and 4-Redford Shockers. 2-Bonk Shells and 6 Middy’s escaped with only 1 loss, both 3-1. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk were an even 2-2. Two teams with only 1 win; 8-Fowled Folks Home (1-3) and 9-Fowling Wolves (1-2). Unfortunately, two teams also did not gather a win; 5-Jabronis (0-3) and 7-Big Knockers (0-4) who played well but always seemed to come up on the wrong side of a victory.

The standings now show only 3 teams above 500.  Of course 4-Redford Shockers have only played 2-Bonk Shells twice, so they only have two match losses at 17-2.  In second it’s 2-Bonk Shells at 13-7.  6-Middy’s are in third one game back at 12-8.

Then there’s the rest of us.  1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere and 9-Fowling Wolves at 9-10. 7-Big Knockers at 9-11.  8-Fowled Folks Home at 8-12.  3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk at 7-13 and bringing up the rear is 5-The Jabronis at 4-15.

Next week is the final week of the regular season.  The top 4 teams in the regular season get some prize money.  Only 2-Bonk Shells has a chance of catching 4-Redford Shockers, but they need help.  2-Bonk Shells must win all 4 of their games.  3-Redford Shockers must lose all 5 of their games.  This is known as a “Magic Number of 1”.  Any loss by 2-Bonk Shells or win by 4-Redford Shockers gives the Shockers the championship.

6-Middy’s will likely end up in second or third. They are one back of the 2-Bonk Shells and three up in the win column on 3 teams.  The tiebreakers are too numerous to calculate since we all play each other.

Fourth place will be exciting since there are 5 teams within 2 games of each other in the middle of the standings. Playoffs are June 27th.

Also, don’t forget the MOTOR CITY OPEN at the Fowling Warehouse Hamtramck on Saturday, June 24th at 5PM. Sign up begins at 3PM. $20 per person. Bring your own 2 person team.

https://www.fwya2.com/leagues.htm

week FOUR -- Strikes and Bonks and Shells, Oh My!

Tuesday June 6, 2023
After the two-week break, you would think everyone was rusty but that was not the case. There was plenty of excitement in Week 4 including some skill, some luck and some of the two mixed together.

MATCH 1. 4-Redford Shockers claimed their first victim 9-Fowling Wolves by mercy 4-0. David Tavidian was playing out of his mind leading 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk to a 4-1 victory over 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere. Ben was subbing for Noah on 5-The Jabronis and was quickly introduced to defeat 2-1 at the hands of 8-Fowled Folks Home. 7-Big Knockerz have been heating up over the past few weeks and came out hot with Austin throwing a Strike in a close 3-2 match win over the injured Xochitl and Scott from 6-Middy’s

MATCH 2 8-Fowled Folks Home insisted that the match was much closer than the 4-1 score as they became the second victim of the 4-Redford Shockers. 2-Bonk Shells also got up their victory of the evening (bye first round) over Terry and Isabelle of 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere for a very uncharacteristic second loss in as many games for them. 7-Big Knockerz notched a second win over 5-The Jabronis, again by a 3-2 count. After the hot first game, 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk were cooled down by 9-Fowling Wolves 2-1.

MATCH 3 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere notched their first win over 5-The Jabronis, shutting them out 3-0. 9-Fowling Wolves made it a two win streak with a 3-2 victory over 6-Middy’s, also kicking off their evening with an uncharacteristic second loss. 8-Fowled Folks Home managed to cool down 7-Big Knockers with a 2-1 win. So far this season, the only team that has been able to solve the E and Randy puzzle posed by 4-Redford Shockers has been 2-Bonk Shells. They were the only team with a win in the first round robin so all eyes were on this match. 2-Bonk Shells jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and while 4-Redford Shockers were able the close the gap they could not catch up and ended up losing again to Alicia and Brandon from 2-Bonk Shells 3-2 for their only 2 losses of the season.

MATCH 4 So obviously, 4-Redford Shockers were a little pumped for their next match to get back to their winning ways. Unfortunately for 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere they were next on the dance card. The match ended early with The Shockers laying down a 4-0 mercy. 6-Middy’s got back in the W column with a 4-1 victory over 8-Fowled Folks Home. 9-Fowling Wolves added a third win to their streak shutting out 5-The Jabronis 3-0. 2-Bonk Shells also got their third in a row when they won a close one over 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk by a score or 3-2.

MATCH 5 I’ll save the best for last in the last match. 4-Redford Shockers won their last match of the evening over 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk 3-1. 7-Big Knockerz came out of the bye refreshed and stopped the streaking 9-Fowling Wolves with a night ending loss 3-1. Congratulations to Brandon and Alicia of 2-Bonk Shells who beat 5-The Jabronis to complete their sweep of the evening winning all 4 matches!! But over on Lane 12 something happened that even some of the most experienced Fowlers had never seen. Scott Love from 6-Middy’s first throw hit the head pin solidly. The head pin leaned back and took out the Bonk pin hard ... and then it stood back up. So, end result, Bonk Pin off the board, 9 pins standing on the board. That’s a Bonk! Right? We decided on the spot that it was and that means an instant game 1 win for 6-The Middy’s. We did check with the AFA later; sent them tape and it is a confirmed Bonk. It wouldn’t have affected the scoring with 6-The Middy’s riding the strange Bonk to a 3-1 victory over the snake bitten 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere.

Big winners of the night are 2-Bonk Shells raking up a 4-0 record. On their heels was 4-Redford Shockers at 4-1 and 7-Big Knockers at 3-1. 9-Fowling Wolves bookended a 3 game win streak with an opening and closing loss for a 3-2 record. 6-Middy’s and 8-Fowled Folks Home both split the evening 2-2. 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere, 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk each only managed one win. 5-The Jabronis did not.

Some shakeup in the standings ... not at the very top with 4-Redford Shockers sitting at 14-2 after two thirds of the season complete. 2-Bonk Shells have second place to themselves at 10-6 with 6-Middy’s and 7-Big Knockerz one game back at 9-7. Dead center are 9-Fowling Wolves at 8-8. Just below 500 sit 8-Fowled Folks Home at 7-9 and 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere at 6-10. Just behind them are 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk at 5-11 and 5-The Jabronis at 4-12.

week THREE -- E is Bonking Amazing

Tuesday May 23, 2023
E is pretty good at Fowling. An understatement. On a night where three of us mortals knocked down the 5 pin only to have another pin spill over, E managed to get a Bonk during warm ups and then repeated the feat in game 2.

Match 1 – We were waiting on the Jabronis only to find out that they had a late lab that delayed their arrival. So E and Randy had to sit out round one without an opponent and drink bourbon. The other three matches were all close ones. Isabella Ferstle from 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere wasn’t feeling well so she sent Mom, Alma to be Terry’s partner. They had 8-Fowled Folks Home in Match 1. After losing an overtime game on the way to a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation, they had the hammer. But Kill Pin Patty Brown managed to get two pins to Terry’s one in Extra Time for the 3-2 victory. 6-Middy’s also came out on top in another 3-2 struggle against 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk. Not as close, but every bit as competitive was the 3-1 match win for 7-Big Knockerz over 2-Bonk Shells.

Match 2 – Everyone had a chance to win this match because E and Randy had their actual bye! So they had another bourbon. 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere managed a 2-1 victory over 7-Big Knockerz. Alicia and Brandon of 2-Bonk Shells dropped their second in a row to 6-Middy’s digging themselves a bit of a hole to get back to 500 (as they do). 5-Jabronis used their lab work wisely in their first game of the night to devise a victory over 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk. 8-Fowled Folks Home got off to a good start over 9-Fowling Wolves and just kept going for the 3-0 victory.

Match 3 – Most people, after sitting on the bench for an hour having some bourbons would be rusty when they rejoin the fray. Not E and Randy. They mercied 7-Big Knockerz 4-0 and E got ANOTHER BONK. Damn. Ready for Indy much? 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk were dropping bombs on 8-Fowled Folks Home but as time started ticking away Scott and Patty managed to win the deciding game 5 for a 3-2 match victory with just a few seconds left. Maybe 5-Jabronis were just lucky in their first match of the night because 6-Middy’s dismantled them 4 games to 1 in their match. 2-Bonk Shells are always around 500, so that meant they would need to win match 3 against 9-Fowling Wolves. They did that by a score of 3-1 to keep their dream alive.

Match 4 – 9-Fowling Wolves fought right back to grab a 3-0 match win over 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere in match 4. Meanwhile 2-Bonk Shells needed a win over 8-Fowled Folks Home to get back to 500 for the day. That they did with a bunch of multi-pin kill shots to go up 3-0 before Scott and Patty could respond. E and Randy of 4-Redford Shockers won the match but lost a game (their only one of the night) to 6-Middy’s. Final score was 4-1. Close but no cigar again for 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk who dropped a 3-2 match to 7-Big Knockerz. As punishment for being late, 5-Jabronis had to sit and watch Randy and E win instead of getting an early departure due to their bye. They still got to go home a little earlier that planned since to complete match 1, 4-Redford Shockers made quick work shutting them out 4-0.

Overall a stunning night for 4-Redford Shockers, going 3-0 in match play winning 12 of 13 games, more wins than any other team and they only play three matches!! Plus dare I forget to mention E’s two bonks! Yikes. We’re all just playing for second place! 6-Middy’s and 8-Fowled Folks Home were next best with 3-1 records for the night. Dead even at 500 were 2-Bonk Shells (fuckin’ figures) and 7-Big Knockers. 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere, 5-The Jabronis and 9-Fowling Wolves all finished a 3 game night 1-2. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk played well but have no victories to show for it racking up a 0-4 record for the evening.

So in the standings, 4-Redford Shockers continue to hold the lead with a 10-1 record. That’s 4 wins ahead of second place 6-Middy’s at 7-5. Sitting at 500 in third place are 2-Bonk Shells (500, figures) and 7-Big Knockerz, both at 6-6. Just below the line is 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere and 9-Fowling Wolves at 5-6. Fowled Folks Home at 5-7, 5-The Jabronis at 4-7 and bringing up the rear is 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk at 4-8.

We have a 2 week break for Memorial Day and return to action on Tuesday June 6th at 7PM. Randy has won a number of SuperFowls in Indy and E looks like he is poised to make a run this year. Let’s hope one of them win it and bring the trophy by their adopted summer home here at the Fowling Warehouse Ypsi Ann Arbor!!

week TWO -- A WEEK OF FIRSTS (but not ferstles)

Match 1, being the first match was guaranteed a first on a couple levels. Two teams without a victory faced off with 5-Jabronis and 8-Fowled Folks Home. Game one featured a one pin struggle with Scott and Patty touching but not knocking over their final pin a number of times only to have Noah and Dom make the kill shot to win the game. It ended in a 2-1 victory for 5-Jabronis, their first. Meanwhile the two undefeated teams faced off with 9-Fowling Wolves and 4-Redford Shockers competing. Jess and Chris managed to win game one only to have Randy and E answer with 4 straight victories giving 9-Fowling Wolves their first loss. Speaking of firsts, the Ferstles, the first team in the league 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere put their faith in two subs, Dan Wurster and Pat Matway of 2 Bears 1 Lane. And it was well founded as they mercied 3-Raiders of the Los Bonk 4-0 for their first win of the night. 7-Big Knockers notched their first win of the evening with a close 3-2 victory over 6-Middy’s.

Match 2 saw 4-Redford Shockers and 8-Fowled Folks Home heading in opposite directions and E and Randy extended their winning streak while Patty and Scott extended their losing streak with a 4-2 loss. After a round one bye, 2-Bonk Shells got their first match in and it was their first victory over the first team 1-it’s 4:20 Somewhere (2 Bears) by a 3-1 tally. The two rookie teams faced off and 5-The Jabronis could not continue their winning ways over 7-Big Knockerz who grabbed a 3-1 win. Now that 9-Fowling Wolves got their first loss under their belt, they tried a Mercy on for size with 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk providing the 4-0 score.

Match 3 gave us some more firsts. 4-Redford Shockers took their first loss at the hands of 2-Bonk Shells. Alicia and Brandon didn’t just barely win either. They managed a final tally of 3-1. Meanwhile 8-Fowled Folks Home managed grabbed their first victory over 7-Big Knockers. Game one went fast with Patty knocking down all ten pins in three shots with Scott, Austin and Noelle combining for zero pins. The final score was 4-1. After their first loss of the night, 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere took out 5-Jabroni’s in Extra time by a 3-2 score (their first Extra Time game). 9-Fowling Wolves, after acing week 1 were mired in rut for week 2 losing for a third time to 6-Middy’s 4-1.

Match 4 had 9-Fowling Wolves continue down the losing path with 5-Jabronies picking up a 2-1 win. 8-Fowled Folks Home grabbed a second victory as well over 6-Middy’s 3-2. 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere ran into the 4-Redford Shockers and got skunked 4-0. After the glow of a victory over the leagues last undefeated team, 2-Bonk Shells we’re unable to replicate the performance and dropped the match to 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk 3-1

Match 5 saw 9-Fowling Wolves get their first win of the night 4-2 over 7-Big Knockerz fresh off their first bye. 6-Middy’s were able to right their ship and grab a 4-2 win over 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere. Meanwhile 5-Jabronis got their first shutout with a 3-0 victory over 2-Bonk Shell’s (fuckin’ figures...). 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk suffered the same fate as most losing 4-1 to 4-Redford Shockers.

As usual, 4-Redford Shockers had a good night finishing 4-1. 9-Fowling Wolves had a bad night finishing 1-4. The rest of us all finished in the middle with either a 2-3, 2-2 or 3-2 count for the night.

Applying that to the running total, now that all of the teams have played each other, 6 of us have a 500 record. Randy and E from 4-Redford Shockers are out in front at 7-1. Then the logjam of 6 teams at 4-4 followed by 5-Jabronis at 3-5 and 8-Fowled Folks Home at 2-6. The second third of the season starts next Tuesday followed by the Memorial weekend break. See you here again next week.

week one -- prodigals and newcomers

Tuesday May 9, 2023
We ended up with 9 teams, including two brand new teams.  Let’s welcome Team 5-The Jabronis, Noah Helton and Dominic Bazzano (who missed week one and had a sub Ben).  Also new, but not new to Fowling are Team 7 Big Knockerz Austin McBee and Noelle Caprarese.  They came out for a Friday Tournament and ended up winning their separate brackets and meeting up in the finals.  Noelle won that match and ended up using her $120 gift card prize to pay for her league dues!!

We also have some Prodigal teams returning to the Fowling League after a hiatus.  Team 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk Brenna and David Tavidian and Team 9-Fowling Wolves Jess Wolverton and Chris Woolf (who had Chelsea subbing for week one).  Team 4-Redford Shockers features some Hamtramck champions who have both appeared in the Ypsi Ann Arbor leagues along the way. Randy Stewart who is usually teamed up with his brother won the first AFA Championship in 2021 and has a few SuperFowl championships.  Eric “E” Smith who not only lead his team to victory in the Hamtramck 3 person Color League, he won MVF, Best Singles, Best Doubles and (somehow this is possible?) Most Improved Fowler!  5 envelopes!

We have some returning April League Teams, or at least returning players.  April champions Team 1-It’s 4:20 somewhere with Isabella and Terry Ferstle, Team 2-Bonk Shells Alicia Curley and Brandon Tuttle, Team 6-Middy’s with Scott Love this time paired up with loveable Fowling Warehouse bartender Xochitl Gutierrez and Team 8-Fowled Folks Home with Scott and Patty Brown.

After all the newbies had the rules explained to them, off we went into Match One. No shock was that the 4-Redford Shockers got a 4-1 victory over newbies 5-Jabronis (hey rookies, welcome to the league!) or 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere jumping out to a 3 game lead over 8-Fowled Folks Home including a 4 pin and 5 pin kill before winning 4-1. 6-The Middy’s showed they still have what it takes by welcoming 3-Raiders back to the league with a 4-0 mercy. All eyes were on Austin McBee from 7-Big Knockerz as he kicked off game two with a “Nonk” ... it looks like a Bonk but the 5 pin stays on the board. Not a Bonk, but still impressive. In their first league match, they notched a 2-1 win over veterans 2-Bonk Shells (fuckin’ figures).

In Match Two we finally got to see 9-Fowling Wolves again after they sat out Match One on a bye. They were well rested and used the extra energy to win two solid matches against long time Fowlers 8-Fowled Folks Home who could only garner one win in response. 7-Big Knockerz tasted defeat for the first time courtesy of reigning champions 1-It’s 4:20 somewhere by a score of 4-1. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk dealt a 3-2 blow to 5-Jabronis hope of taking home their first league victory. 2-Bonk Shells recovered to give 6-Middy’s their first loss 4-2.

Match Three saw 9- Fowling Wolves keep their record perfect knocking off 2-Bonk Shells by a score of 2-1. 4-Redford Shockers bested newcomers 7-Big Knockerz 3-1. 5-Jabronis edged closer to victory but were unable to attain it losing to 6-Middy’s 4-3 (that’s a lot of games for a new team). Middy’s ran out to a big lead but Jabronis came back to make it close. 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk participated in the longest match of the evening against 8-Fowled Folks Home. After surrounding the final pin in both games, both with each team finally knocking down the kill pin in both of those games, game 3 was more of the same with one pin left on both sides when time ran out. Into Extra Time with the hammer (Team 8) getting last throw. As Brenna knocked down the final pin, Patty Brown had one more throw to tie it up. Of course KPP did. So a flip of the coin, one more pin set up and another round of flailing away at one pin on both ends only to have David knock down the final pin after a number of attempts for the 2-1 victory for 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk.

Last year’s champs were rested for Match Four after a bye in Match Three, but still took one on the chin from 9-Fowling Wolves 3-2. That made Fowling Wolves undefeated at 3-0. Only one way to better that and it is going 4-0. That's what 4-Redford Shockers did compiling a 4-0 sweep of 6-Middy’s for their fourth victory. 7-Big Knockerz closed the evening the way they opened it, with a victory. This time 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk were the 3-1 victims. 8-Fowled Folks Home completed the evening's reverse sweep getting beat soundly by 2 Bonk Shells 4-2 for their 4th loss of the night.

In first (no one saw this coming ... sorry everyone saw it coming) is 4-Redford Shockers at 3-0. What's shocking is 9-Fowling Wolves, after a month out of the league, jumped right back in and went 3-0. Former champs 1-It’s 4:20 Somewhere clock in at 3rd winning 2 of 3. Four teams went 2-2; 2-Bonk Shells, 6-Middy's, 7-Big Knockerz and 3-Raiders of the Lost Bonk. At 0-3 are 5-Jabronis and in dead last with no wins and 4 losses are 8-Fowled Folks Home.

Next week, we have 5 Matches and we will all have 8 games under our belt, with one third of the season complete. Good luck everyone!!

Welcome to the SPRING league!

Tuesday May 9, 2023
Welcome back everyone to another season of Fowling.

Thanks a lot for joining the Spring 2023 Doubles Fowling League.  We are glad to have you along.

There are 9 teams in the league so each game there will be a bye and each week we will have an extra game.  You will end up playing each other team 3 times for a total of 24 games.  Your final position in the standings and seeding for the tournament will be based on the number of matches you win.  First tiebreaker is your games winning percentage.  Next is # of wins.  We’ll just flip a coin after that.

Below the schedule for the entire season.  We have 3 weeks on (5/9, 5/16 and 5/23) and a week off for Memorial Day, then three weeks of regular season play (6/6, 6/13, 6/20) followed by playoffs (no charge) on 6/27.

We will start at 7PM each night, play 4 or 5 20 minute rounds with a 10 minute break. It’s our goal to be done by 9:00PM or 9:30PM each night depending on the number of rounds

This is a Fun league with some great competition ... but also use this opportunity to learn from some of the best and teach some of our new members.  We are looking forward to being great friends with everyone by the time we reach the end of the league.

Also, we have our own Facebook Group page where we will post recaps and messages.  Sign up to join the group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/472216891458794

​Spring 2023​Tuesday NightDoubles League