Local legends, local bands and local fans made for a loco game from Camden Yards
Friday, August 1, 2025: The Firefighters 0(3)TP4 ~ Savannah Bananas 2(5)TP14
This past weekend has given us four exciting games of Banana Ball and we had a lot of other things happening such as women’s baseball and flat track roller derby; and for me, software development to support Michi-chan Sports. As such, this Michi has been super busy so we will get these games out as fast as we can. This is the first of four as the Savannah Bananas comes into Michi’s current “extended” back yard in Baltimore for a two-game set.
Banana Ball comes to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, a game that I would have otherwise attended, but my spouse had their birthday on the 2nd and they don’t like attending ball games (that’s why I went to the Nats Park game instead). This game was carried nationwide on the ESPN networks.
The Bananas will start with Noah Niznik, 5-0 record, 18 strikeouts and a 3.24 ERA going into this game. For the Firefighters, Liam Spence leads off and taps one in the infield, KJ Jackson would hustle and beat the throw to first. A ball four sprint (B4S) brings on Dalton Cornett and Spence advances to third. Logan Lacey flies to left into a Robert Anthony Cruz (RAC) backflip catch; Spence tags up to score. Dakota McFadden also picks up a B4S which brings in Isaac Parra, who was pinch running for Cornett. Stephen Cullen would hit one out to very deep right, Reece Alexiades tries to express mail the ball to Ryan Cox who was just not ready. McFadden would come all the way from first to score the third run for the Firefighters.
Firefighters start with Austin Temple, 0-2 but with 9 strikeouts and a 3.29 ERA. DR Meadows would hit a lead-off single into center to get the action started. Dan Oberst would go into the left center pocket to score Meadows. Ryan Cox gets on with a B4S bringing in Oberst. Malachi Mitchell comes out to pinch run. With Corelle Prime coming up to bat, a pick-off attempt was made by catcher Dalton Cornett. The ball was thrown to first, but Stephen Cullen was not quite ready for it. The ball made it to right field moving Mitchell to third base. A Corelle Prime B4S would bring in Mitchell, The Bananas would also get 3 runs and push the inning.
Very interesting play in the top of the second. Ron Franklin on base from a stand-up double and is now on third due to a Noah Bridges pop fly to a tip drill tag up by Alexiades. With Franklin on third, South Trimble would pop one to right center. Both Alexiades and center fielder DR Meadows would converge close by. Meadows goes through the motions of catching and throwing to catcher Bill LeRoy, but it was actually Alexiades who caught the ball and threw it to LeRoy who caught the ball behind his back and Ron Franklin is wondering what the hell just happened.
In the bottom half, Eric Jones would fly out to our resident magician South Trimble caught the banana ball with his hat and made it “disappear”.1 I do love that in Banana Ball, catching in the hat is OK. Huge no-no in MLB. No runs scored in the second.
The introduction of local Baltimore talent started with the evening’s Bananas Foster family presentation. Tori Briody of Bananas Foster was joined by Kyle Van Noy of the Baltimore Ravens, who as a child, went through the foster care system. The Bananas Foster segment is always one of my favorite reasons to watch a Banana Ball game. Group hugs just do that to me.
August 15 will be the Michi’s Heinz 57th birthday (yea, I am THAT old). This year, I have decided to conduct a Facebook Fundraiser to help support Bananas Foster. Please visit my fundraiser on Facebook and please help support the great work that Bananas Foster does to raise awareness of and to provide assistance to the foster care community. There are about 400,000 kids in foster care. Please show your love!
Top of the fourth, Ryan Kellogg comes up to pitch for the Bananas and the first pitch to Caden Green was caught by a young fan who reached over the railing on an upper deck to make the snag.
Bottom of the fourth, Corelle Prime hits to third base, Logan Lacey gets the ball behind the back but overthrows to Stephen Cullen. Malachi Mitchell would come in to pinch run. With RAC at the plate, Mitchell would attempt to steal second, the throw from Dalton Cornett to Liam Spence was ruled an out. Mitchell kept nodding his head “no, no, no, no". The Bananas challenge the play. The call was upheld. Mitchell did not make the bag at the time of the tag.
In the middle of the fifth, Baltimore Bananaland was treated to a performance from Towson’s very own All Time Low.
We have been scoreless as we go into the bottom of the sixth inning. First, the Bananas introduce legendary manager Buck Showalter who spent 9 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. I personally remember him from his time at the, what was then, as the brand new Arizona Diamondbacks from 1998 to 2000. The Bananas give him the first base coaching spot. I do not expect him to break dance.
In the inning, Corelle Prime would get on base from a trick play missed by Firefighters center fielder Ron Franklin. Prime ends up on second and Malachi Mitchell comes in to pinch run and would eventually steal third. To redeem himself from the TPM, he would make a diving catch to snag a RAC fly ball sent to left center. Bill LeRoy picks up the B4S, bringing in Mitchell and giving the Bananas the first point of this ball game.
Top of the seventh, runners on first and second with two out. Dakota “Stilts” Albritton would come in to face Dakota McFadden. On the 1-2 count, Stilts would plunk (hit by pitch) him to load the bases. Stephen Cullen would then pop up to Jackson Olson to end the half and strand three on board.
Bottom of the seventh and Eric Jones leads off with a stand-up double out to deep left field. Jackson Olson would then hit one long out to left, getting over the head of South Trimble. This will bring Jones home and the Bananas win the inning. They are up 2~0 on points.
In the eighth with 19:42 on the clock, the Bananas come out for “the world’s fastest” inning. Kyle Perry is now pitching without taking any warm-up tosses. With one out and a runner on first, Ron Franklin Jr. would ground to Ryan Cox who fields it between the legs tosses it to Jackson Olson to get the force at second but then the throw from Olson to Eric Jones at first was not in time. This would be Ryan Cox’s 150th trick play on the 2025 World Tour.
Bottom of the eighth, no out, The Bananas introduce pinch hitter/guest player Adam Jones. Jones played on the O’s from 2008~2018 and is a 5-time all-star and 4-time gold glove winner. He would pop up in the infield to a Caden Green behind-the-back trick play. The inning would end through two fly outs by Kyle Jackson and Reece Alexiades. Despite the Adam Jones introduction and “Yellow”, 7:03 remained on the clock. This is no longer a concern as we go into the top of the ninth with the Bananas still up 2~0.
Top of the ninth for the Firefighters started with Logan Lacey as the golden batter. He would pop up to Bananas pitcher Danny Hosley. Hosley would then catch Liam Spence looking. Dalton Cornett would then ground into a Kyle Jackson trick play to end the game.
Savannah Bananas win: The Firefighters 0(3) ~ Savannah Bananas 2(5).
Firefighters trick plays: 4 ~ Trimble (2), Franklin Jr., Green.
Bananas trick plays: 14 ~ Cox (4), J Jackson (3), Prime (2), Olson (2), Cruz, Alexiades, Meadows. Ryan Cox, 150th trick play on the 2025 season.
Showman of the Game: Ryan Cox - Savannah Bananas
All screenshots: Fans First Entertainment. YT @TheSavannahBananas (fair use).
Additional credit: official scoresheets from Josh Talevski (X: @JoshTalevski)
Game Replay
The banana ball did not truly disappear. But the Michi will follow the magician’s code for this situation.