The Savannah Bananas brought Banana Ball to Autzen Stadium in Eugene for the first time, using a fast start and a shut-down sixth inning to beat the Party Animals 6-3. With the clock closing in on the eighth, the final inning became the last battlefield—and Eu
EUGENE, Ore. — The Savannah Bananas reached Eugene as Banana Ball took over Autzen Stadium for the first time, and for a sold-out crowd, it turned into a game decided by momentum, then defense, then a final-inning scramble.
They didn’t wait long. The Bananas recorded their first point by outscoring the Party Animals 3-0 in the first inning. After that, both teams traded trick plays through the next few innings, keeping the game tight and the margin hovering at one point.
The shift came again in the fifth. The Bananas responded with a 2-0 run in the fifth inning, extending the lead after the earlier standstill. Then the defense took over in the sixth—allowing only a one-run lead to stand. the kind of advantage the Bananas could protect as the game tightened into its final minutes.
By the time the two-hour clock wound down in the eighth inning, everyone on both sides understood it: the eighth inning was the last chance to secure a win. Under Banana Ball rules, the final inning works differently—every run scored adds to the game total as points.
The Bananas opened the eighth with three runs, pushing their total to 6 points scored. The Party Animals managed three runs in the inning but couldn’t go further. To win, they needed seven runs to take the game—and they fell short.
In the end, the Bananas outscored the Party Animals in the first, fifth, and sixth innings, delivering a 6-3 win.
The teams return to Autzen Stadium to close out Banana Ball in Eugene on Sunday, June 28 at 1 p.m.
Savannah Bananas Party Animals Banana Ball Autzen Stadium Eugene Oregon June 28 sold-out crowd 6-3 win