Gastonia Grizzlies 9 Savannah Bananas 0

The second game of the CPL playoffs was played Friday evening, August 11th at Grayson Stadium between the Savannah Bananas and the Gastonia Grizzlies. The game was sold out.
Gastonia utilized solid pitching, excellant defense and timely hitting to win 9-0 and advance to the CPL championship to play the Eastern division champions starting Monday.
The starting pitcher for the Grizzlies, Billy Layne,(Seaton Hall) pitched 8 shutout innings allowed 2 hits, 1BB, and 5 K's. He pitched a no hitter thru 7 innings.
Gastonia scored their first run in the 2nd inning. Matthew McGarry,2b(Belmont Abbey) doubled and scored on a single by Kyle Wilson,3b(Austin Peay).
The second run for Gastonia was scored in the 7th inning. Kyle Wilson doubled and scored on a single by Ryan Cox,ss(Kutztown).
It was a wild 8th inning for the Grizzlies sending 11 batters to the plate, scoring 7 runs on 3 hits and 3 errors.
Starting Savannah pitcher, Tanner Routh(Guildord Tech Community College) pitched 6 innings, allowed 1 run on 6 hits, walked 1 and struck out 6 batters.
The second season was another  great season for the Savannah Bananas thanks to the players, coaches, host families, owners, staff and enthusiastic fans from all over the United States and around the World.

                                           In his first start of the season, Routh pitched 6 innings and allowed 1 run.

Bananas 9 Hi-Toms 3

The first CPL playoff game was played Tuesday evening,August 8th at Grayson Stadium between the Savannah Bananas and the High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms. Rain and lighting delayed the start of the game for almost 30 minutes. The announced attendance was 2,422.
A big 7th inning rally scoring 5 runs helped Savannah win 9-3.
With 2 outs in the 2nd inning for Savannah, catcher Brandon Purcell(Georgia College) tripled followed by a walk to Utah Jones,ss(UNC). Purcell scored when Jones attempted to steal second, Jones was awarded second base on an interference call
In the Savannah 5th inning, Logan Mattix,cf(Georgia college) singled and went to second on a stolen base. Bryce Fischer,lf(Oklahoma State) doubled to score Mattix.
The Hi-Toms scored their 3 runs in the 6th inning. Leading off the inning, Ike Freeman,ss(UNC)  doubled and scored on a double by Evan Edwards,1b(USC-Lancaster). With the bases loaded, catcher Ryne Stanley(North Carolina A&T) drove in 2 runs with a single.
Trailing 3-2 going into the 7th inning for Savannah, the team sent 9 players to the plate, collected 4 hits and scored 5 runs. The Bananas closed out their scoring in the 8 the inning scoring 2 runs.
Savannah starting pitcher, Bryan Cruse(Memphis) pitched 6 innings, allowed 3 runs on 8 hits and struck out 8 batters. Reliever Elliot Forde was effective pitching in the 8th and 9th innings and striking out 5 batters.
Savannah is a number #1 seed and returns home to play the Gastonia Grizzlies on Friday at Grayson Stadium starting at 7:05pm. The Bananas travel to Gastonia on Thursday to open the best 2 out of 3 series.

                                              Fischer was 3-for-5 with 2RBI's and 2 doubles

Savannah Bananas 9 Gastonia Grizzlies 6

The final home game of the regular season was played Sunday evening, August 6th between the Savannah Bananas and the Gastonia Grizzlies in front of a sold out crowd at Grayson Stadium(4,359)
A big second inning for Savannah scoring 6 runs on 4 hits helped the team win 9-6.
Gastonia scored in the 2nd inning highlited by a single by Chaz Davey,rf(Erskine) driving in 2 runs.
Sending 11 batters to the plate in the 2nd, Savannah scored 6 runs. With the bases loaded, Terrance Pinkston,cf(Norfolk State University) walked scoring the first run. Matthew Pita,2b(VMI) drove in the second run with a fielders choice.  A double by Bryce Fischer,lf(Oklahoma State) with the bases loaded plated 3 runs. John Cassala,1b(Jacksonville)  drove in the final run of the inning with a single.
The Grizzlies scored 1 run in the 3rd inning and 2 runs in the 6th inning highlited by a solo home run over the right field fence by Michael Wilson,cf(Stony Brook) his 3rd home run this season. The final run for Gastonia came in the 8th inning.
Savannah added a run in the 4th inning and 2 runs scored in the 7th inning on a single by Pinkston. Playing in his 7th game for Savannah, Pinkston is batting .478.
Christian Vann,W,1-0 (Mercer University) pitched 5.1 innings, allowed 5 runs on 8 hits, 3BB and no struck outs.
The final playoff standings will be known on Monday when Savannah completes their final regular season game at Martinsville.
                                           Pinkston was 1-for-2 with 3RBI's and a run scored

Savannah Bananas 3 Florence RedWolves 2

The Savannah Bananas returned home to Grayson Stadium Saturday evening,August 5th to play the Florence RedWolves in front of another sold out crowd, 4,309.
Fans saw an exciting game and finish with Savannah scoring the winning run in the 10th inning to win the game 3-2.
Leading off the 4th inning for Florence, Logan McRae,lf(College of Charleston) hit a bullet over the left field fence for his 5th home run of the season.
Savannah tied the game in the 4th when Matthew Pita,2b(VMI) singled, stole second and scored on a single by L.J Talley,1b(Georgia)
Leading off the 6th inning for the RedWolves, Zach Jacobs,3b(FMU) doubled and scored on a single by McRae.
Savannah tied the score at 2-2  in their 6th inning. Bryce Fischer,lf(Oklahoma State) doubled and went to third on a sac bunt and scored on a single by L.J. Talley.
The Bananas led off the 10th inning with a double by Fischer followed by an intentional walk. Gerald Nelson,rf(Long Beach State) laced a line drive to left field to score Fischer with the winning run.
Savannah used five  pitchers in the game and the combined pitchers struck out 17 batters. Hunter Phillips(Georgia Southern University),W,4-1, was very impressive pitching the 9th and 10th innings and striking out 6 batters.
The Savannah Bananas play tomorrow Sunday, August 6th at Grayson Stadium against the Gastonia Grizzlies with the game starting at 7:05pm. The final game of the regular season is sold out. Every home game this season was sold out. It was announced the Bananas have clinched a playoff birth and will play next week(TBD).

                                         Nelson drives in the winning run in the 10th inning

Savannah Bananas 12 Asheboro Copperheads 6

The Savannah Bananas played the Asheboro Copperheads Thursday evening, August 3rd at Grayson Stadium in front of another sold out crowd 4,085(24th straight sellout).
Hot Savannah bats (17 hits) propelled  them to a 12-6 win. It was a special night for Matthew Pita driving in 6 runs.
Asheboro scored their first run in the 3rd inning when Alex Balter,c(West Alabama) walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Kyle Smith,lf(Catawba).
In the bottom of the 3rd inning for Savannah, a grand slam home run over the left field fence by Matthew Pita,2b(VMI) gave the Bananas a 4-1 lead. Pita's second home run this season.
The Copperheads added 2 runs in the 4th inning and 1 run in the 7th inning.
Savannah scored a run in the 4th inning and a run in the 5th inning. Sending 11 batters to the plate in the 7th the inning, Savannah scored 6 runs on 7 hits. A double by Logan Mattixlf(Georgia College) scored 2 runs. Catcher Brandon Purcell(Georgia College) drove in 2 runs with a double.  Christian Hollie,2b(UT-Arlington) drove in a run with a double. Pita drove in a run with a single- it was his 6th RBI of the game.
Asheboro closed out their scoring in the 9th inning scoring 2runs- one run was a solo home run over the right field fence by Kyle Smith(2nd home run of the season).
Savannah starter, Spencer  Hynes(Grayson College) pitched 4 innings allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, 3BB, and 5K's. Haynes told me after the game that his innings were limited because staff wants him to pitch next week. Reliever Matt Clark,(Clemson), W,1-0 pitched 3 innings, allowed 1 run on 2 hits, 4K's, and 2BB.
The Savannah  Bananas return home at Grayson Stadium Saturday,August 5th to play the Florence RedWolves. This game is sold out.

                                         Pita was 3-for-6 with 6 RBI's and 2 runs scored

Bananas/Blowfish split a Double Header

The Savannah Bananas returned home Wednesday to play a double header against the Lexington County Blowfish in front of another sold out crowd 4,116.
Game 1:
The first game is a continuation of the cancelled game on July 24th with the Blowfish leading 6-5 after two innings. Savannah rallied and score 4 runs on 6 hits in the 5th to help win the first game 13-8. Bananas 19 hits. Blowfish 12 hits.
With the bases loaded in the 3rd inning for Lexington a walk to Zachary Spivey,3b/cf(Bethune-Cookman) scored a run. They added another run in the 6th inning with runners on first and third an executed a double steal with the runner scored at home before the recorded 3rd out.
In Savannah's 5th inning, they scored 4 runs on 6 hits highlited by an RBI sac fly by LJ. Talley,1b(Georgia). Brandon Purcell,c(Georgia College) doubled driving in 2 runs. A single by Utah Jones,ss(UNC) scored a run. Savannah scored a run in the 7th inning and added 3 runs in the 8th inning.
Getting the win for the Bananas, Andrew Dill(Anderson University) W,1-1 pitched 4.2 innings allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, 2BB, and 7 strike outs.

Game 2:
Fans saw less hitting and less scoring in the second game.
Lexington manufactured runs to win the nightcap, winning 3-1.
In the first inning a double steal plated a run for Lexington.
In the Blowfish 4th inning Nick Guimbarda,cf(Presbyterian College) singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch, and went to third on a fielders choice. A single by Brandt Stallings,1b(Georgia Tech) scored Guimbarda. Lexington added a run in the 6th inning.
Savannah scored their only run in the 3rd inning. Utah Jones singled and later scored on a single by Logan Maddix,cf(Georgia College)
Savannah plays tomorrow August 3rd at Grayson Stadium starting at 7:05 against the Asheboro Copperheads. This game is sold out.

                                        Andrew Dill won the first game of the double header

Savannah Bananas 4 Wilmington Sharks 3

The Savannah Bananas played the Wilmington Sharks(15-4) Monday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of another sold out crowd 4,122. The Sharks entered the game winning 10 games in a row.
Savannah used strong pitching and clutch hitting in the late innings to win 4-3.
The Bananas took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd innings on a  home run by John Cassala,dh(Jacksonville) over the left center field fence, his 4th home run of the season.
The Sharks scored in the 2nd inning highlited by a single by Luke Morgan,ss(College of Charleston) driving in 2 runs. A single by Morgan in the 5th inning drove in the final run for Wilmington.
Savannah scored a run in the 6th inning. Christian Hollie,2b(UT-Arlington) doubled and scored on a double by Matthew Pita,lf(VMI).
In the 7th inning for Savannah, 2 singles and a batter hit by a pitch loaded the bases. A single by Terrance Pinkston,cf(Norforlk State University) scored the first run and the second run scored on a single by Hollie.
Starting Savannah pitcher, Bryan Cruse,(W,7-1) (Memphis) was masterful pitching  a complete game allowing 3 runs (2earned) on 5 hits, 9K's and 2BB.
Wilmington's starting pitcher, Daniel Johnson pitched 6 innings allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, struck out 9 batters and 2 BB.
The next home game for Savannah is Wednesday August 2nd, a double header against the Lexington County Blowfish. The first game starts at 5:00 which is the game suspended on July 24th.

                                                 Bryan  Cruse pitching a complete game.