Bananas beat the Visitors at Grayson. Tailgaters slam the Firefighters in showdowns.
June 11, 2025: Visitors 1(2)~Bananas 2(2) / Tailgaters 7(8)~Firefighters 6(5) (SD3).
Banana Ball fans around the world were treated to two fantastic shows last night. The Bananas took on the Visitors at Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah while The Firefighters headlined against the Texas Tailgaters at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Stadium in Virginia.
Visitors 1(2) ~ Bananas 2(2)
Returning after severe thunderstorms postponed Thursday night’s game at Grayson, the Savannah Bananas would take on the Banana Ball development team, The Visitors. Friday’s game was delayed due to rain, but the show must go on with a one hour delayed start. Dancing umpire Vincent Chapman yields his usual home plate position for Hunter Ives. Chapman takes the duty at first.
The first four innings would be scoreless, thanks in part to Bananas’ pitcher Noah Niznik facing only Grady Morgan, Jordan Brewer and Ashby Vining giving Niznik a 1:11 MPI1 and trick plays at each at bat from DR Meadows (tip off the glove into the hat), Eric Jones (tip off the glove) and Kyle Jackson (behind the back transfer to Eric Jones between the legs for a double trick play).
The Bananas would attack first in the fifth inning. Facing Corelle Prime, Drake Fontenot would get his fourth strikeout. Then right fielder Reese “Superman” Alexiades, cape and all, would hit one out to left to get on first. Fontenot would get his fifth strikeout on bat trickster Alex Ziegler. With two out, the Visitors would bring in reliever Fisher Polydoroff who then pitches a ball four sprint to Eric Jones Jr. bringing in Alexiades to win the inning.
The Visitors would strike back hard in the sixth. Patrick Baggett bangs one out to right center for a triple. Benjamin Greer would then also belt one out to right center, but Alexiades was there limiting Greer to a single but bringing Baggett home. Greer would subsequently steal second. Reliever Andy Archer would pitch into a ball four sprint bringing in Greer for the second run. The Bananas could not meet up and the Visitors win the inning.
In the bottom of the 7th, Brett Allen, with an alligator hat, gets Tyler Jackson on with a single out to center. Dan Oberst would then hit into a 4-6-3 double play. The Bananas would then get redemption with a pair of ball four sprints to Jackson and Alexiades to win a second inning for the boys in yellow.
The game would end with Visitors’ Ashby Vining hitting into a 4-6-3 double play featuring an under the leg trick play by glove magician Ryan Cox. The Bananas would win the game with 2 points (2 runs) and the Visitors with 1 point (2 runs).
The next game in the series will be Saturday night at 7PM at Grayson. Weather calls for scattered thunderstorms in the mid-afternoon, but should be OK for game time.
Official game replay
Tailgaters 7(8) ~ Firefighters 6(5) (SD3)
Let’s move north for a bewitching show in Salem, Virginia with the Firefighters headlining against the Texas Tailgaters to a sold out crowd of 6,500.
The first two innings would go to the Firefighters and then the Tailgaters. In the bottom of the third, Noah Bridges would foul out to a fan.
Things would explode in the top of the fourth. With Christian Dearman on the mound, Travis Minoit would pop up to a Logan Lacey behind the back trick play, his 11th on the short season. Brett Carson would hit one fair and out to the pocket in right taking him to third. Taylor Justis would get hit by a pitch. Tre Jones sac fly out to right brings in Carson. Nelson Smith, pinch running for Justis would advance to third on a pass ball to Jordan Hussein. A ball four sprint would bring Smith home for the second run. Pinch hitter Jason Arendt would hit a two run jack out to left. The Firefighters did not have enough fight to answer. The Tailgaters win the inning, they are now up 2-1 in points.
In the top of the fifth, Minoit would come on board by a trick play missed by shortstop Caden Green. A double by Carson out to center would bring Minoit in. The Firefighters would answer with a lead-off double to center by Stephen Cullen. A ball four sprint to South Trimble would bring Cullen home. Noah Bridges would then put one in play to shortstop Jordan Hussein. Taylor Justis would miss the catch at first bringing in Trimble.
The game would then go scoreless and at the end of regulation, the points were tied 2 each. We are going to showdowns.2 In the first round, neither Zach Watson nor Logan Lacey were able to make it all the way. In the second round, both Nick Lopez and and Joe Lytle hit out towards left and made it around. In the third round with the bases loaded, Indy Stanley hits one deep into left with Noah Bridges in a desperate hurry to get the ball and Stanley makes it all the way around cleanly. An inside the park grand slam for the Tailgaters. Dalton Cornett will try to answer and blasts one out to right field with Hussein chasing. Cornett gets stopped at the plate only scoring 3. Tailgaters win with 7 points (8 runs) and for the Firefighters, 6 points (5 runs).3
The Firefighters play the Tailgaters again Saturday (July 12) in Salem.
Official game replay
Additional credit: official scoresheets from Josh Talevski (X: @JoshTalevski)
MPI = Minutes Per Inning.
In Banana Ball, if there is a tie at the end of the final inning, instead of extra innings, they go to a showdown. Pitcher, catcher and one fielder vs. batter. If the batter reaches home, it counts as a point. If there is still a tie, then it is pitcher and catcher vs. the batter. If it is still tied, it is pitcher, catcher and one fielder vs. batter, but the bases are loaded. A home run out of the park will be a walk-off win ending the game.
Michi-chan Sports does include points, but not runs achieved in showdowns in our headline score format.