After just one game in Des Moines, Iowa, the Savannah Bananas have clinched the championship title in the 2024 Banana Ball World Tour!

The three-game series in Des Moines demonstrated peak Banana Ball. From the first ever game with four rounds of Showdowns to guest appearances from Nickelodeon’s Spongebob and Patrick, fans were entertained from start to finish.

Game 1

Heading into this series, the Bananas had an 11-game lead over the Animals. With just 11 games left in the season, the possibility of an Animal comeback left every fan on edge and reminded them of the nine-game streak the Partiers went on in 2023.

The Boys in Pink ultimately secured the title in the very last game of that tour.

Game one’s win for the Bananas didn’t come easy. In fact, it was won only after four rounds of Showdowns, where each team battled to have the most runs cross home plate.

Heading into Showdowns, both teams were notched up with two points.

In round one of the battle, only a pitcher, catcher and infielder were allowed to be on the field to face the batter. For the Bananas, that pitcher was Danny Hosley, and it was Reese Alexiades behind him.

Reece Hampton walked up to the plate for the Animals with the intention of securing a win but unfortunately for the North Carolina native, a lengthy at-bat resulted in a strikeout, and pushed the Bananas’ Showdown hitter to the plate.

Dan Oberst couldn’t deliver either.

His strikeout sent the Showdowns into round two, where only a pitcher and catcher would face the batter. Jake Skole took the plate for the Animals’ round two.

In the second round, both teams matched the other’s energy.

Skole crossed home after sending a grounder to the left field wall. Eric Jones Jr.’s ball sent Animals’ pitcher Dylan Porter to right center and tied up the Banana Ball game at three points each.

For the third round of Showdowns, each pitcher was met once again with one of their fielders. Each batter, however, was also accompanied by loaded bases.

Chase Achuff cleared the bases for the Animals, driving in three runs but meeting a ball-ready Bill Leroy at home plate. DR Meadows’ at-bat matched Achuff’s, as he cleared the bases but caught the tag before crossing home. For the first time in Banana Ball History, there was a fourth round of Showdowns.

It was ultimately the last.

With the Party Animals leading the game 9-6, the final Showdown hitter for the Bananas had to clear the bases. Jackson Olson delivered.

His drive to the right field wall sent in all three baserunners and the throw to home barely missed him diving at the plate.

The Bananas’ Greatest Showman delivered when it mattered, and led his team to a 10-9 win and its clenching of the 2024 Banana Ball World Tour Title.

Game 2

Despite the Bananas winning game one of the series, along with the tour title, game two in Des Moines brought just as much excitement as the first.

The Party Animals were hoping to steal a win in Showdowns after holding a one point lead over the Bananas until the eighth inning. Fortunately for them, they were successful.

In the first round of Showdowns, Austin Krzeminski took the mound for the Bananas with Alexiades behind him. They faced one of the most dangerous Animal bats in Hampton. Hampton’s ball settled in the center field warning track, and though Alexiades is one of the fastest on the field, the well-hit ball allowed him to cross home with ease, giving his team a one point lead.

Jake Lialios took the mound for the Party Animals, right in front of his fielder, Indy Stanley. Jones Jr. was the first to take the plate for the Bananas. He continued to be one of the most successful Showdown hitters for his team, and his hit to center field allowed him to tie up the game and send it into round two of Showdowns.

In round two, Krzeminski took to the bump without a fielder, and was set to face Skole, who has had walk-offs in all three of his Showdown appearances this season. A fair ball down the right field line touched the wall, and Skole’s speed allowed him to comfortably cross home plate.

Lialios faced Olson in what was ultimately the final round of Showdowns. The Party Animals were up by one point, and Olson had to get a hit to keep the game alive.

He was unsuccessful, though, and the Banana Ball game ended after his strikeout.

It was the first time that Lialios had shut down a Showdown hitter, and it meant that his team was victorious. The Party Animals ended the night with their first win of the series.

Game 3

In the 200th game in Banana Ball history, the Hawkeye state was on the line as both the Party Animals and the Bananas had each taken a win in the series.

Though the season title had been accounted for in game one, there was no signs of slowing down from either team. The stakes remained high as there were records on the brink of being surpassed and a limited number of games left to do so.

Ryan Cox, the Bananas’ shortstop, for instance, was on record-breaker watch. Going into the third game, he was just 12 plays away from being the only player in Banana Ball history to surpass 200 trick plays in a single season.

The Animals were also able to welcome back their beloved third baseman. Bryson Bloomer had been out for a few weeks after fracturing his pisiform, a small bone in the wrist, in the Norfolk series.

Jared Donalson made his eighth start of the season on the bump for the Bananas. Just two batters in, however, the Party Animals were able to clinch their first run of the game. The Greatest Party in Sports ultimately took the first point of the game after scoring four runs in the first inning.

This was their only point scored for the entire day.

The Bananas’ bullpen was able to hold the Animals scoreless across the final eight innings of the game. Donalson gave it his all until the top of the fifth inning, when he was relieved by Ethan Skuija. Heading into the game, Skuija had struck out 22% of the total batters he had faced in the 2024 season.

DJ “The Invader” came to the bump in the top of the seventh, relieving Skuija. Skuija ultimately threw two scoreless innings. He didn’t allow a hit but drew two ball four sprints and two strikeouts.

DJ “The Invader” was relieved of his duties in the same inning, giving Dakota “Stilts” Albritton a chance to get the Bananas out of a jam. Stilts delivered. With two outs and two in scoring position, he fielded a blooper off of Hampton’s bat to close out the inning.

Zack “Philly” Phillips kicked off the top of the eighth on the rubber. Heading into his outing, Philly had a 3.95 ERA and was the first pitcher to appear over 50 times out of the bullpen this season. Hosley was the finisher on the mound for game three, and sealed the deal on a scoreless eight innings for the Party Animals.

Hosley drew in the yellow team’s first point of the game in the bottom of the second with an RBI that brought in Kyle Jackson. They took a 2-1 after Correlle Prime walked off the bottom of the fourth inning with an RBI to shallow center.

Reese Alexiades marked his 23rd inning ender in the bottom of the sixth, after granting the Bananas their third point of the game with a shot to deep right field. A ball four sprint in Leroy’s at-bat drew in the Bananas’ fourth point of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Bananas cashed in their fifth and final point in the bottom of the eighth inning after Cox chopped a grounder to Animals’ second baseman Dustin Baber. The RBI allowed Jackson to dive into home and dodge the throw at the plate.

Ultimately the competitive matchup was held together by a dominant Banana bullpen and was capped off offensively by six extra-base hits.

Banana ball closes out its weekend in Iowa and travels back home to Georgia, where the teams begin preparing for a three-day rubber match in Savannah.