Party Animals sweep Minnesota and Noah Fisher makes a CUTE blonde!
Saturday, August 2, 2025: Texas Tailgaters 1(3)TP5 ~ Party Animals 2(4)TP8.
On Saturday, August 2, the Party Animals and the Texas Tailgaters played the second and last game in the series at CHS Field in St. Paul in Banana Ball’s Minnesota debut.
The Party Animals will start with Brady Kais who has pitched over 28 innings, has 17 strikeouts but also has had 20 ball four sprints (B4Ss) in this 2025 World Tour with a 6.59 ERA. In the top of the first, Kais would add two additional strikeouts to that statistic. The Tailgaters send out starter Cole Kitchen who has pitched 12 innings, has 8 strikeouts and 7 B4Ss as well as an ERA of 4.38, which is noted to be the lowest on the Tailgaters. In the bottom of the first with Noah Fisher at the plate, Zach Watson would achieve a backflip trick play in left field. I note this because at Friday’s game, the Tailgaters were not able to achieve any trick plays. This is pretty unusual for a Banana Ball team. One other thing to note is that the bottom of the first had a minutes per inning (MPI) of 1 minute and 17 seconds.
In the top of the second, all three outs came from Party Animal trick plays from Sal Jacobo (tip drill to Bryson Bloomer), Dustin Baber (bare handed catch, his 89th on the season, leading the team) and Bryson Bloomer (between the legs).
Bottom of the third with two outs and a full count, Cole Kitchen delivers a pitch to Bronson Balholm, just barely in there. Balholm originally thought it was a ball and assumed he was in a B4S but nope, it was the third strike and the third out for the inning. It is normal for Banana Ball to rotate through their bull pen throughout the game, so Kitchen came out at the end of three. Kitchen is coming out of the game with a perfect three innings, a pitch count of 25 and an average MPI of 1:48. Very impressive numbers.
Top of the fourth. Sean Fluke, who came up in the third inning is pitching for the Party Animals and was mic’d up. On a 1-1 count to Indy Stanley, he would fly out to Jake Skole who caught the ball with the outside of his glove. The hot mic also caught something we will not repeat for which Sean was very apologetic for. Bret Carson grounds to Dustin Baber who could not hold on to the ball (Sean has some words here, but they were a bit cleaner). Mac Danford would hit a fly ball to center, Reece Hampton attempted a behind the back catch and was missed. Runners on first and second. With the count at 2-1 to Marcos Castillo, a foul ball was hit right and according to Fluke, the fan caught it in his hat. It was not considered a fan out. Again, why is Banana Ball discouraging trick plays for fan outs? Castillo would then hit it out to the shirtless Tanner Thomas in left field who had some difficulty with the ball. Carson would score easily. Danford had made a diving attempt into home, which was called safe. The Party Animals are challenging the call. The video clearly shows that Danford was able to avoid the tag on his way to home plate. This will mean a 2 RBI double by Castillo. Castillo would be left stranded.
Bottom of the fourth. Tailgaters send up Warehouse Games veteran Kollin Stone. Kollin has only pitched 3.2 innings with one strikeout, 5 B4Ss and a 12.27 ERA. Sal Jacobo would put one down in shallow center to get on first. Reece Hampton hits to deep right, Sal Jacobo goes for third. He slides in and he called safe. Tailgaters challenges the call. The broadcast booth was unable to find anything conclusive to overturn the call. My view looks like the tag did not come in time. The ruling on the field stands. Noah Fisher would fly out to left for the first out. Jake Skole flies out to deep left, Jacobo tags up to score. Andy Cosgrove goes down swinging. The Party Animals were only able to get one run, which is not enough. The Tailgaters win the inning and get the first point on the board, 1~0.
Top of the fifth, one out. Jordan Hussein lands on in deep right for a stand-up double. Zach Watson then sends one down to deep left, bringing in Hussein. Riyan Rodriguez would then strike out Nick Lopez and Indy Stanley. Tailgaters end up with one. In the bottom frame, Bryson Bloomer sends one into shallow center, Marcus Castillo would miss the behind-the-back trick play and Bloomie is on first. Tanner Thomas now up and hits one to right and hits near the top of the wall. Thomas gets to second and Bloomer advances to third. Jason Swan hits a sac fly to center to bring in Bloomer, Thomas stays at second. We are tied 1~1 with 2 out. Justin Baber takes a chug and comes up to the plate and chugs one to left center getting by shortstop Hussein. Thomas stops at third. Runners on the corners. Bronson Balholm gets the B4S, scoring Thomas and the Party Animals win the inning. We are now tied in points, 1~1.
Bottom of the sixth and the Tailgaters bring up Jimmy Strings. 6 innings, 2 stikeouts, 6 B4Ss and an ERA of 5.68. Ashton Landell comes up in the 9-hole and Srings strung him swinging. Reece Hampton hits deep right and gets a stand-up single. Noah Fisher has a “Bette Davis Eyes” walkup in a Jojo Siwa wig that suits him well. Without the face make-up, he would look super cute!! Michi approves. Despite the great walk-up, he would ground into a Mac Danford between the legs trick play to Bret Carson for the out. Jake Skole would finish the job by putting one in the perfect spot in right to bring in Hampton. Animals win the inning and they are now up 2~1 in points.
Bottom of the eighth, Tailgaters bring in Andrew Mann, pitched 9 innings with 7 strikeouts, 5 B4Ss and a 9.00 ERA. With 2 outs, Bronson Balholm would hit a grounder to Brett Carson, who tosses it to Andrew Mann who closely loses the race to first base. Balholm is on. Sal Jacobo will single to left. Runners on first and second. The Party Animals go back to the top of the order with Reece Hampton who hits a foul ball that was caught by a fan on the concourse of the stadium and ending the inning. Party Animals still up 2~1 on points.
Top of the ninth and the Party Animals sends in their closer Drew Gillespie. Drew has over 47 innings pitched, 28 strikeouts, only 8 B4Ss and an impressive ERA of 2.83. Drew Danford gets to first on a B4S. Marcus Castillo would hit into a 6-4-3 double play to clear the bases and two out. The Tailgaters last chance may be catcher Taylor Justus. Justus pops up to Dustin Baber and the game is over.
Party Animals win: Texas Tailgaters 1(3) ~ Party Animals 2(4).
Tailgaters trick plays: 5 - Danford (2), Hussein (2), Watson.
Party Animals trick plays: 8 - Bloomer (3), Baber (3), Jacobo, Skole.
Showman of the Game: Jake Skole - Party Animals
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All screenshots: Fans First Entertainment. YT @thepartyanimals.bananaball (fair use).
Additional credit: official scoresheets from Josh Talevski (X: @JoshTalevski)