bananas win one for me!

Yeah, that's what I said and that's what I meant:
the Savannah Bananas had their first season win
tonight, just because they heard me cheering
and they knew this was my birthday week.
Those poor Florence Redwolves never saw it coming.
(smile)

I had gone to the game ridiculously early,
partly to check out my new vantage point,
partly to get a decent parking spot.
That latter didn't happen - even though
it was only 5:35 pm for a game that would
start at 7:05 pm.

No worries - I needed the walk!
Besides, I like to be there early.
That allowed me to catch the dance squad from
Savannah Arts Academy - quite lively!
I also saw the little boy - that's him in the green shirt,
on the right - hit the ball off the Tee and get hoisted
by Bananas when he crossed home plate.
Both of those, and the tossing of the first banana,
occurred about thirty minutes prior to the game.

I was even early enough to watch the police and the firefighters of The 200 Club play a little game!
That's them during the national anthem, holding the images of those who died this year.
The song was performed very nicely by the Garrison Chorus, off to the front left.
(I saw 'Tis later and got a huge birthday hug!)

The Bananas Pep Band was all over the place!
Here they are pre-game, on the field,
playing a Chicago tune, "25 Or 6 To 4".
(I wonder if they had a chance to hear that band
at their recent concert in Savannah?)
Very fine playing by this group of youngsters,
I must say!

Later, part of the Pep Band was
winding its way through Grayson Stadium.
Here, some are on the stairs to my left...

some were on the low-down -
or should that be the down-low -
on the walkway in front of my seat
(Section 3, Row F, Seat 11,
for those wondering)...

and then they were a band on the run,
so to speak, wandering their way to my right
to regale others!

After the game, the Pep Band was out front,
continuing to entertain us with "Sweet Caroline"
and other fan favorites, giving us tunes to hum
as we strolled back to our vehicles.
(smile)
Thanks, y'all!

What's that? What about the game?
Patience, my dear, patience.
That's what we needed for the first two innings
as the bases would get loaded with Bananas...
then the third out would come.
That changed in the third inning!

Bottom of the third, our turn at bat,
and the bases were full of Bananas...
and the Redwolves pitcher walked batter Sam Claycamp and allowed Chad Marlowe to walk in for our first run!
Woohoo!

The top of the 4th inning found Florence
formidably forging a comeback.
There were 'wolves all around the place,
scratching and growling at the Bananas...
but they remained scoreless.
Whew!

During the bottom of the 4th, the home team -
that would be the Bananas, silly -
got their second run, this time when Mason Miller
scored on Trenton Nash's single.
Good going, guys!

That was followed by another Bananas run
in their turn at bat in the 5th inning.
This time with the bases loaded, it was
Sam Claycamp's turn to score as Mason Miller
hit a single and "turned the wheel" -
as I call loaded bases - of runners.
Very nice!
The Bananas had a three-run lead
over the scoreless Redwolves!

And so things remained for the next two innings.
Both teams changed pitchers and the hits stopped.
Then the 8th inning arrived... and Florence got a run!
(Honestly, our pitcher was horrible that inning and deserved that score against him.)
When our turn came again, Jake Howard came in on Trenton Nash's sacrifice fly!
The three-run lead was restored! And that's how it stayed for the Redwolves' last at-bat.

Wow! What a wonderful game that was!
And the weather?
After threatening a thunderstorm earlier, the skies cleared and were beautifully blue, as seen in the photos... until the game was over.
I barely made it home - just two miles away - before the clouds burst and the lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled...
i thank You, God, for this night on this local field of dreams.
(smile)