By Biko Skalla
Ahhh, the Championship Series. What a time to be alive. Your Bananas went up to Morehead City, NC, to face the Marlins in Game One of the 2021 Petitt Cup Championship.
Things got off to a hot start for the Marlins when their lead off batter hit a home run in the first at bat of the game. But that ain’t nothin’ but a thang.
Now we could talk about innings two and three but to be honest, not much happened besides Andrew Armstrong getting out of a bases loaded jam unscathed in the 2nd.
Come the bottom of the third, bases were loaded for the Marlins. Matthew Steidl comes on the mound. Then the rain happened, and the tarp was pulled.
But if we learned anything on Tuesday night, it’s that a rain delay does the Bananas good.
After an hour long rain delay (give or take), the tarp was rolled on up and the Bananas took the field.
Here’s the thing: It was a bases loaded, one out situation we were coming back into. The Marlins got a few more runs (three to be exact). So a 4-0 ballgame wasn’t exactly the restart the Bananas were thinking of, but they harnessed that energy and Turned. It. Up.
It did take a few innings though. Let’s fast forward to the top of the sixth.
It was the top of the lineup. Ty Jackson kicks things off with a line drive single. And then Livan Reinoso absolutely smacks a ball like a drum for a triple to bring Ty home for your first Bananas run.
Bryson Bloomer comes up to the plate and hits a sac fly to bring Livan home. It’s a 4-2 ballgame.
Nanner defense shuts ‘em down in the bottom of the sixth.
Cue Jared Beck yelling, WE’RE NOT DONE SCORING RUNS YET!”
And he was spot on with that.
The top of the seventh brings Bill LeRoy to the plate. He walks. Jesse Sherrill singles. Ty Jackson lays down a beautiful bunt for a hit. Bases are filllllled with Bananas!
Livan Reinoso clobbers a ball for a double. (Nobody can stop El Pepe). LeRoy and Sherrill score and the game is tied.
Bryson Bloomer, our sac fly king, comes back up for another sac fly which gives the Bananas their first lead of the night.
Dylan Cunningham takes over the bump in the eighth and gets the team out of a bit of a jam to keep the Marlins scoreless.
The ninth inning rolls around. DC shuts them down and the Bananas win 5-4!
Tomorrow night the Nanners return to Grayson Stadium in front of a sold out crowd for Game Two of the 2021 CPL Championship. See you there Banana Nation.