Firefighters @ Texas Tailgaters

0:00 We got a bunch of mountains, a whole lot

0:02 of desert, AND THE FINAL BANANA BALL

0:04 GAME THIS weekend here in sunny

0:07 Scottsdale, Arizona. Coming off a 4-2

0:10 victory last night, the five and three

0:12 Texas Tailgaters look to stay red hot

0:16 and carve their way into the Banana Ball

0:18 Open here in the Grand Canyon State

0:20 against those three and five

0:22 Firefighters. Come on in and stay a

0:25 while AS WE ARE TALKING Banana Ball here

0:27 at Talking Stick.

0:32 He's Zach Staten. I'm Brett Loftis.

0:34 Staten last night, great ballgame, 4-2

0:37 the final score. Tailgaters win the

0:38 equalizer point, lead it 4-1.

0:40 Firefighters then get the point in the

0:42 eighth. It really felt like though last

0:45 night the Tailgaters just had a leg up

0:47 the whole game, but it was still a very

0:49 close game. What is it for you just

0:51 right off the top the Firefighters have

0:53 to do today now that we just seen the

0:55 Coconuts sweep the Party Animals. This

0:56 is a must-win game for them. What must

0:58 they do to get back in the win category

1:00 today?

1:01 >> Well, there's two things. Number one, as

1:02 the visiting team, you've got to limit

1:03 the damage and pitching. Last night, it

1:06 was 10-9 hits, 7-5 runs, but ball four

1:09 sprints were the key for the

1:10 Firefighters. They gave up six, only got

1:12 two, and the Texas Tailgaters took a lot

1:14 of advantage of the ball four sprints,

1:15 scored a couple of runs off those.

1:17 They've got to find the zone and not put

1:19 guys on for free. And the trick play

1:21 equalizer point is of massive

1:23 importance. The Firefighters are the

1:25 visitors today. We just saw the Party

1:27 Animals took a 3-2 lead into the ninth

1:29 because the equalizer point, the Texas

1:31 Tailgaters last night got some insurance

1:33 because of that equalizer point. That's

1:35 of massive importance today for the

1:36 Fighters.

1:36 >> So, let's take a look then at what is a

1:38 trick play. Let's take a look at that. I

1:40 think that's very important to

1:42 acknowledge your trick play definition.

1:44 Again, you can read those three bullet

1:45 points. I I I think a big thing that we

1:47 need to talk about last night, the tip

1:50 drill catching to the cowboy hat, which

1:52 we'll talk about later on. That is a

1:54 double trick play. We wanted to clarify

1:56 that. Last night, got that wrong. That

1:58 will be a double trick play. So, the

2:00 Tailgaters officially ended with 15

2:02 trick plays last night. You may be

2:03 wondering, they still won the trick play

2:04 battle even if those didn't count. They

2:06 went from 12 to 15. That's big because

2:08 the tiebreaker, [music] the top

2:10 tiebreaker going into the Banana Ball

2:12 Open is total team trick plays. So,

2:14 that's very big off the top. Speaking of

2:16 trick plays, let's look [music] at them

2:18 from last night. Again, the final count

2:19 15-8 Tailgaters over the Firefighters.

2:22 And again, a lot of those tip drills and

2:24 Jonathan "Sunshine" Leaders leading the

2:26 way. He had five of the 15 trick plays

2:29 by himself last night. Tyner, he's

2:30 amazing play over there at first.

2:32 Merrick Jones Jr., this may be the play

2:34 of the game, play of the weekend right

2:35 there from Logan Lacey down the third

2:37 baseline. A lot of trick plays and

2:38 something Zach we've touched on to close

2:40 out the show last night. Both of these

2:41 teams being pushed this year a lot more

2:43 than last year. One thing I want to note

2:44 there, we talked about the tip drill

2:45 double trick play. Something like that,

2:47 that's a double trick play right there.

2:49 Something like this, that's a double

2:50 trick play right there. But we saw Noah

2:52 Bridges tip drill and then catch it

2:54 bare-handed. That is still just a single

2:55 trick play. It's got to be somebody else

2:58 doing the trick-eration on the tip drill

2:59 to make it a double trick play.

3:03 Both of these two teams, man, again,

3:04 really being pushed from last year to

3:07 this year on the trick play category and

3:09 with the equalizer point and all the

3:10 competitiveness coming [music] back into

3:12 our sport or coming into our sport, I

3:14 should say. Big big because Jonathan

3:16 "Sunshine" Leaders [music]

3:17 goes up to Jesse Cole last year in Round

3:18 Rock and says, "I think we need to do

3:20 something with this." Equalizer points

3:22 already coming up. Designated fielder

3:23 really pushed by Jonathan "Sunshine"

3:25 Leaders. He has made a big play because

3:27 of that. Sunshine [music] did hit last

3:30 night. Don't expect him to hit tonight,

3:31 but he's going to have a very big impact

3:33 when it comes to the equalizer point.

3:35 And again, it's going into the final

3:37 inning. Going into the final inning, if

3:39 the away team has more trick plays than

3:41 the home team. The final inning, key

3:42 definition, no matter what that inning

3:44 is going into that final inning. So,

3:47 talking a little trick-eration here in

3:49 the open. On the other side, we'll talk

3:50 a little bit more about My July. Jason

3:54 Arp played the first show of his tour,

3:57 on tour, and we'll talk more about that

3:59 with Michael Schwartz on the other side.

4:01 It's hot today, man. Firefighters,

4:03 Tailgaters here in beautiful Scottsdale,

4:05 Arizona.

4:24 Scottsdale, Arizona,

4:26 get on your feet and welcome the 2026

4:33 Firefighters! [screaming]

4:42 >> [music]

5:32 [screaming]

5:48 [screaming]

5:49 >> LADIES AND

5:52 GENTLEMEN,

5:53 IT IS TIME

5:54 to meet your 2026

5:57 Firefighters!

5:59 >> [cheering]

6:01 >> STARTING BEHIND the plate,

6:03 WE HAVE ERIC

6:05 JONES JR.!

6:08 FOLLOWED BY

6:09 DALTON "The Mailman"

6:11 PITTMAN PASSES CORNERS!

6:16 AND AS WELL AS ZACHARY "Z B" BRIDGES!

6:22 THESE ARE

6:24 OUR CATCHERS!

6:27 AND NOW IN LEFT FIELD,

6:30 we have Noah "Bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo bo

6:33 bo bo Bridges!"

6:36 And in center field, WE HAVE ARMANDO

6:40 "BAD BUNNY" BOTELLO! [screaming]

6:46 AND IN right center, we have Lamar

6:50 "Sports"

6:53 And then

6:55 IN RIGHT FIELD, WE HAVE DARIAN "PREMIUM

6:59 MALT

7:02 LIQUOR" MCDOWELL!

7:03 AND OVER AT THE hot corner, we have

7:06 Logan "Showtime" Lacey!

7:12 Followed by the not-so-tiny

7:15 "Huge"

7:18 And at short stop, we got Kaden "Peanut"

7:23 Green!

7:25 And at second base,

7:28 we have Sam "THE SMOKER" TREMBLE!

7:34 AS WELL AS FIRST BASE, we have Matt "Max

7:38 Mercy"

7:40 Maxwell!

7:42 And now last but not least,

7:44 we have

7:45 Dakota YOU KNOW, WE TALK a lot about

7:48 singing and dancing and all the things

7:51 that are beautiful and lovely here in

7:52 our sport of Banana Ball. You think so?

7:54 Both of these two teams have a singer,

7:57 Sam "The Man" for the Firefighters. For

7:58 the Texas Tailgaters, it's Jason Arp.

8:02 And the other night, Michael Schwartz,

8:03 you were able to get to go to his first

8:06 performance while on the Banana Ball

8:08 tour this year outside of a ballpark.

8:10 Michael, tell us about that. Yeah, that

8:11 was such an incredible time. We were at

8:15 Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row here in

8:18 Scottsdale. It was so awesome to see him

8:21 off the stage, off the huge national

8:24 stage on American Idol, of course off

8:25 the diamond as well, and see him

8:27 performing in his element. He had a band

8:30 of three others, guitarists as well as

8:32 an incredible drummer. His father was

8:34 there. A lot of the guys were there.

8:36 Christian Davis was there. Christian,

8:38 real quick, how was Jason the other

8:40 night when we were all there at

8:42 Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row? Oh, it was

8:44 electric. Every time Jason performs, he

8:45 puts on a great show. So, if you want to

8:47 go If you want to have a good time, go

8:49 to Jason's concert. You're going to have

8:50 a great time. You chill a beer, sit

8:52 back, relax, and enjoy the show. You

8:54 were vibing. You were really into it. I

8:56 was having a great time. And it was the

8:57 day before I pitched. So, hey, that was

8:59 a great way to start my week. That's a

9:01 great way to start it. Hey, the

9:02 Tailgaters looking for that extra win

9:05 today. So, maybe his music is the good

9:07 luck charm. Of course, this is different

9:09 than Banana Ball, Jason taking his tour

9:11 separate from Banana Ball in certain

9:13 cities that he is playing baseball, but

9:15 doing it separately on the side to also

9:17 entertain fans. Before we even get

9:19 playing baseball, these guys have had a

9:21 great week so far in Scottsdale. The

9:23 Tailgaters, especially Brett, they're

9:25 looking to make it a perfect weekend

9:29 here in Scottsdale.

9:30 Michael Schwartz, Hooper man, he filmed

9:33 all this stuff, by the way, the other

9:35 night. He's got on some neon orange

9:36 shoes today. You know who else has been

9:38 absolutely hooping this year? Jason Arp

9:40 in between the lines. I mean, Zach, you

9:43 look at that, seven hits already in just

9:45 eight games the Texas Tailgaters have

9:47 played. He had 12 last year in 33

9:50 Tailgater games. Again, more than a

9:52 singer, that's a great way to put that.

9:54 The guy who sings My July, his stick is

9:56 hotter than a summer day in July. The

9:58 thing that sticks out to me, already

10:00 five RBI for him. So, he's productive.

10:02 It's not just getting on base. He is

10:04 bringing in runs for the Texas

10:05 Tailgaters. Jason Art, we talk about the

10:08 entertainment players here. He is more

10:10 than just that. Jason Art absolutely

10:12 drills at the plate.

10:14 >> Tailgaters, 328 entering this series.

10:17 That's what they hit with runners in

10:18 scoring position. Jason's been helping

10:20 lead that. Talk more Tailgaters

10:22 Firefighters from last night on the

10:23 other side.

10:27 Are you ready?

10:29 Yes.

10:30 Mr. September,

10:33 Scottsdale, ARE YOU READY?

10:37 ON ONE, THREE,

10:40 TWO, ONE.

10:43 >> [music]

10:44 >> Get him. Get him. GET HIM.

10:47 MIKEY, GO.

10:49 RIGHT, GO.

10:51 GO.

10:52 ALL RIGHT, GO GET HIM.

10:54 COME ON, GO. GO, Y'ALL.

10:56 GO.

10:57 GO.

11:00 GO.

11:02 >> [cheering]

11:06 >> HARPER,

11:08 you beat the Cal League crew.

11:20 Scottsdale, give it up for Harper.

11:27 Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to

11:29 learn the rules of our game. And the

11:32 name of our game is Banana Ball. And in

11:34 Banana Ball, we have 11 rules. Rule

11:38 number one, every inning counts. Now,

11:41 how do you win an inning? You score more

11:43 runs than the other team. But, if the

11:46 away team

11:47 accomplishes more

11:49 hits than the home team, then they will

11:52 be granted one additional point, known

11:55 as the Banana Ball Equalizer. But, the

11:58 final inning counts the most. For every

12:01 run counts for a point.

12:04 Rule number two, we have nine innings or

12:07 a two-hour time limit, unless

12:10 Rule number three, if we're tied, we

12:12 will enter a one-on-one showdown

12:15 tiebreaker. That's one hitter versus one

12:18 pitcher with one fielder.

12:21 Rule number four, there is no bunting

12:23 because say with me, bunting.

12:27 If you bunt, you're thrown out of the

12:28 game. Swing the bat. Rule number five,

12:31 the batter can steal first base.

12:33 Rule number six, there are no walks in

12:36 Banana Ball. A ball four is a sprint.

12:38 The runner can go as far as they want

12:39 until all nine fielders touch the ball.

12:42 Rule number seven, batters may not step

12:44 out of the batter's box. If they do,

12:46 it's a strike. Rule number eight, there

12:49 are no mound visits.

12:51 Rule number nine, the Banana Ball

12:53 Challenge Rule. Each team will be

12:55 allowed to challenge one umpire call per

12:57 game. And for the first time in

12:58 professional sports history, you the

13:00 fans can challenge one play in tonight's

13:02 game.

13:04 Rule number 10, the Golden Batter Rule.

13:07 Once per game, each team can use any

13:08 hitter in their lineup to hit at any

13:10 time.

13:11 And finally, rule number 11, the most

13:14 fans first rule of them all. If anyone

13:17 in this ballpark catches a foul ball, it

13:21 will count for an out. And those are the

13:24 rules of Banana Ball.

13:27 Boom, baby. Boom, baby.

13:36 Fans, welcome back to the field, Cats.

13:39 Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to

13:41 have a good old-fashioned Banana Ball

13:44 Brawl. That's right.

13:49 Gosh, man, I love Chief. Love that guy.

13:52 Such a Such a good fellow. Johnny Hella

13:54 Nut talking earlier today. And Johnny

13:56 asked me if he ever licked me. Chief

13:58 sure has. It's beautiful day. Chief's

14:00 been getting hydrated. We've been

14:01 getting hydrated. It's beautiful last

14:02 night though in a big-time win for those

14:05 Texas Tailgaters. Let's take a look back

14:07 at the game one highlights here in

14:10 Scottsdale. Again, it was a ballgame, we

14:12 mentioned it. The Tailgaters kind of had

14:13 a leg up most of the night. It all

14:14 started with Mac Canford getting an RBI

14:16 double in the first inning. You seen it

14:18 earlier, Jonathan Sunshine Luders. The

14:20 trick plays from him, he had five of

14:21 them. Indiana Stanley, he had three

14:23 trick plays, but perhaps the two most

14:25 impressive plays he made were not even

14:27 trick plays. Dakota McFadden, the first

14:30 walk-off of the night on a broken bat

14:31 infield single. And then, what about TP

14:36 barreling one up. Excuse me, that was

14:37 Nick Lopez who barreled that one up.

14:39 Jacob Peppers, been an awesome addition.

14:41 Logan Lacey,

14:43 they call him Showtime for a reason. He

14:45 stopped the show right there, but it

14:46 wasn't enough to stop the Tailgaters

14:47 show, Brett. Four to two W on top for

14:50 the boys in blue and orange last night

14:52 wearing those wind stripes. Three and 0

14:54 in the wind stripes so far this year.

14:56 And when you look at last night, Grills

14:58 are hot, man. Four and one of the last

15:00 five games of the boys in blue and

15:02 orange. That is as best as that team in

15:05 yellow, the Savannah Bananas. A four and

15:07 one are both the Tailgaters and the

15:08 Bananas over the last five ballgames.

15:10 Put that CD on and play that sweet soul

15:14 music, man. One run. One run over his

15:17 last 11 and a third innings pitched. We

15:19 talk about Chris Clark, who in my

15:20 opinion is slowly becoming the best

15:22 pitcher in the sport. Christian Davis

15:24 looks a lot like 2025 All-Star Christian

15:26 Davis. We seen in his first 12 starts of

15:28 last year. And sunshine, man, just like

15:30 it is here in Scottsdale today, sunshine

15:32 is shining. Jonathan Sunshine Luders,

15:34 those five trick plays. He is second

15:37 entering today behind the Doc, DR

15:39 Meadows. And Sunshine very well just

15:42 needs two trick plays to exit the

15:44 weekend with the Banana Ball

15:45 Championship lead the same way that he

15:47 entered this weekend. But those

15:49 Firefighters, Zach Steinway, we talked

15:50 about at the top of the show. How do

15:52 they get a win in what is perceived to

15:54 be in that dugout a must-win ballgame?

15:57 How do they do that here today? Well,

15:58 don't let the score fool you. Last

15:59 night, offensively, they played pretty

16:01 darn well. Nine hits, five runs.

16:03 Usually, they put themselves in a

16:04 position to win a game like that. And

16:06 it's part because of Tiny Impacts. Tyner

16:08 Hughes has been absolutely incredible in

16:10 his first full year with the

16:11 Firefighters. He leads the team right

16:13 now in trick plays with 12. And he's got

16:16 a tie for first in hits with Kaden

16:18 Peanut Green including last night, a

16:20 critical double and then the

16:21 inning-winning run in the eighth inning.

16:23 Sunday Strengths, the last couple of

16:25 Sundays, the Firefighters have put on

16:27 their Sunday best [music] and performed

16:29 on the offensive side. They have

16:30 combined to score 34 runs over the last

16:33 two games on the Sabbath. They have both

16:35 been winners, too, for the Firefighters.

16:36 Can they continue the Sunday Strengths

16:38 here today? And then, Austin Temple.

16:40 Last year, we talked [music] about the

16:42 adversity against Temple. If he could

16:43 just work through some tough innings, he

16:45 could find himself. Well, in the last

16:47 two games that he started, six Ks, just

16:49 three earned runs and three hits, and he

16:51 is five points for the Firefighters. If

16:54 Austin Temple can find that form today,

16:56 he's going to give them a chance. He

16:57 might not be perfect, but he will be

16:59 effective.

16:59 >> Before we take this down, something's

17:01 got to give today on that middle one.

17:02 The Sunday Strengths,

17:04 the Firefighters and the Tailgaters have

17:05 won their last two games they played

17:07 under the sunshine. So, something's got

17:08 to give here today. Showman line score

17:10 from last night. Again, we talked about

17:12 all those trick plays. 15 trick plays

17:14 last night for the boys in blue and

17:16 orange. Four to two. Zach, you mentioned

17:18 it though. I I want you to wax

17:19 poetically a little bit more there.

17:21 Runs, seven to five in runs, 10 to eight

17:24 in hits. That offense is right there and

17:26 it is really as good for the

17:28 Firefighters as any team in the sport.

17:30 >> Tailgaters never really had that

17:31 breakaway blowout inning where they just

17:33 sort of dampened expectations. They just

17:35 kept putting together one or two-run

17:36 innings. And the Firefighters, when they

17:38 had the clean innings, never quite took

17:40 advantage in those situations. So, if

17:42 they can bump the runs up a little bit,

17:43 that certainly helps. But the key today

17:45 is to put the pressure on the Texas

17:47 Tailgaters cuz those trick plays are

17:49 going to be of massive importance. Brett

17:50 Loftis, they're all warming up out on

17:52 the field. We're warmed up in the

17:54 broadcast booth. First pitch is coming

17:55 here in Scottsdale.

18:01 Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, hot

18:05 shots and smoke shows from around the

18:07 world, today, you and thousands of your

18:10 friends here live and millions more

18:13 watching at home have gathered to

18:15 witness something beyond your wildest

18:17 imagination.

18:18 From Sparks to Sirens, from the station

18:22 to the stadium, Firefighters from across

18:24 the globe have come together to witness

18:27 this. This is not your granddad's

18:30 pastime. No, and this is not any other

18:32 night at the firehouse. This game is

18:34 baseball by birth, fruit by name, and an

18:38 absolute worldwide phenomenon by the

18:41 grace of God. But make no mistake, when

18:44 the heat gets too intense, we don't COOL

18:46 OFF. WE RUN TOWARDS the flames. This is

18:50 a time for all 14,000 people in

18:53 ATTENDANCE TO GET ON YOUR FEET AND GIVE

18:57 ME YOUR VOICES.

19:01 >> [cheering]

19:02 >> BECAUSE THIS IS THE HOTTEST SHOW IN

19:04 SPORTS. Ladies and gentlemen, THIS IS

19:08 BANANA

19:10 BALL. [groaning and screaming]

19:13 YOU KNOW, WE TALKED LAST NIGHT what

19:14 happened here in Sacramento. Excuse me,

19:17 Sacramento, that was last night. Hello.

19:18 What happened here in the other S City

19:20 out west? [laughter] It's Scottsdale.

19:21 Let's take a look at what happened also

19:23 out west last night in Anaheim between

19:26 those Clowns and those Bananas, man. The

19:28 Bananas dominated. And it was really

19:30 from the start in that first inning.

19:32 Clowns, again, they're going to put up a

19:33 lot of runs. The bugaboo this year for

19:35 the Clowns though has been their

19:37 pitching. And And again, it was much of

19:38 the same there last night. Max Young

19:40 Goldberg, local kid out there from San

19:42 Diego, kept it going there in the top of

19:44 the second. Nico Holsizer though,

19:46 WHAT A CANNON from that guy. Somehow,

19:49 the Doc, who would be the MVP if there

19:52 wasn't another guy we're about to talk

19:53 about in a few minutes or whatever.

19:54 >> Yep. Amazing slide from DR [music] right

19:56 there. Man, I love that. I'm Cam. BTV,

19:58 we've invested a lot into it. There's

19:59 that other guy. You might have heard of

20:01 him. His name's Kyle Jackson. Able to

20:03 continue to add on and pour on to that

20:05 Bananas lead. This was his second hit of

20:09 the ball game there in [music] the top

20:10 of the second, which he ended up on

20:12 third base. That's a triple if you're

20:13 keeping score at home. He's pretty and

20:15 he's gritty.

20:17 And then, the captain, Bill Leroy, kept

20:19 pouring it on in the top of the second.

20:21 I mean, the Nanners in the in the first

20:22 few innings this year, I think that's

20:23 why they're eight and one. They get

20:25 ahead and they don't really stop. DR

20:27 continuing to add to his great season.

20:28 Not right there, though.

20:29 >> Wolfie! Wolf.

20:31 A double play. Love that.

20:33 >> that? And then, yeah, the Doc, the play

20:35 he invented, the backflip catch, able to

20:37 get that one there in the third inning.

20:39 Love watching that guy roam center

20:40 field. Mr. Mr. Jackson checking back in.

20:43 Another extra-base hit. If you're

20:45 keeping score at home, so far he has a

20:47 single, a triple, and a double. He needs

20:49 something else to complete a rather

20:51 massive feat in the history of our sport

20:53 that added a couple more runs there for

20:54 the Bananas. Danny O man doing Danny O

20:57 things. Inside-out Eli Payton was on the

21:00 microphone. Out boat taco there from

21:02 Danny O. THEN, THE NEXT AT BAT Kyle

21:06 Jackson

21:08 Well, excuse me. Ziggy interrupts. We're

21:10 going to get to Kyle Jackson, but then

21:12 first, Jared Weaver. [music] Played with

21:13 him a lot in MLB 09 The Show. Absolutely

21:16 wonderful. Me, too. Kirkland Banks sends

21:18 one out to DR. Medals a little tip drill

21:20 action. The Reese elects Yiannis double

21:21 trick play in case you're wondering at

21:23 home. But,

21:24 DR, I mean, again, talk about MVP, he

21:26 has continued to put up MVP numbers. And

21:29 we didn't show it, but KJ did hit a home

21:32 run right after Dan Obers, which

21:34 completed the cycle, which is the he's

21:36 the first player in Banana Ball history

21:38 to hit for the cycle not named Jake

21:41 Skole. Jake Skole has done it twice, and

21:43 Kyle Jackson, the first ever Savannah

21:45 Banana to hit for the cycle. Complete

21:48 domination there in that lineup. First

21:50 statement. This is why KJ is just so

21:52 evergreen here for the Savannah Bananas.

21:53 He can just do it all. Hit for contact,

21:55 hit for power. You look here, 18 runs,

21:57 16 hits. It wasn't just the dominant

21:59 pitching yesterday for the Savannah

22:01 Bananas, though they did the job just

22:03 well in and of themselves. The offense

22:05 was just explosive. Let's go down to the

22:07 national anthem before we get things

22:08 going here in Scottsdale.

22:14 Oh, say can you see

22:19 by the dawn's early [singing] light,

22:23 what so proudly we hailed at the

22:28 twilight's

22:29 last gleaming? [singing]

22:32 Coconuts. Whose broad stripes and bright

22:36 stars through the perilous

22:39 [singing] fight,

22:41 o'er the ramparts we watched were so

22:46 gallantly

22:48 streaming?

22:51 And the rockets' red glare,

22:55 the bombs bursting in air,

23:00 gave proof through the night

23:04 that our flag was still [singing] there.

23:09 O say, does that star-spangled [singing]

23:14 banner

23:16 yet wave

23:20 o'er the land of

23:24 the free

23:24 >> [screaming]

23:26 >> and the

23:28 home of the

23:29 brave?

23:30 >> [screaming]

23:33 >> Thank you very much, Gemma Caldra.

23:44 The final Banana Ball game of the

23:46 weekend, and the final Banana Ball game

23:49 for a couple of weeks. It's the

23:51 Firefighters in what is perceived TO BE

23:54 A MUST-WIN BALL GAME AS WE HEAD TOWARDS

23:56 the Banana Ball Open. It's the boys in

23:58 blue and orange who can all but lock UP

24:00 THE TWO SEED WITH A WIN here today. Two

24:04 teams the middle children OF BANANA BALL

24:07 STEPPING UP IN A BIG WAY. AND HERE IN

24:09 SCOTTSDALE, IT'S HOT, the competition's

24:12 wrapping up, and Zack Staten there's not

24:14 a better place I'd love to spend a

24:16 Sunday afternoon.

24:18 Neither would I. And neither would the

24:21 Texas Tailgaters defense here, Brett

24:22 Loftis. You talk about it. Designated

24:24 fielder, Sunshine Ludders. Kyle Martin

24:27 doesn't look like your second baseman,

24:28 and he's not because Sunny with those 21

24:31 trick plays is going to be out there

24:32 tonight. Also worthy to note, we pointed

24:34 out yesterday, Jordan Hussein

24:36 13 trick plays. Needs seven more to get

24:39 100 in his career. Jonathan Sunshine

24:42 Ludders needs two today to retake the

24:43 Banana Ball Championship lead in trick

24:46 plays. Mac Adoodle getting the [music]

24:48 start of it. First, Taylor Justice.

24:50 Gosh, man. Guy's been absolutely raking

24:52 at the dish. I tell you what, this

24:53 locker room, this pitching staff, they

24:55 just absolutely rave about how great of

24:57 a guy he is to have back behind home

24:59 plate. When you can change out him and

25:01 Taj Porter in the series, Taj, arguably

25:03 the best arm of any any catcher in the

25:05 sport, and then Taylor Justice, the

25:07 rapport he has with all these pitchers,

25:08 absolutely blessed. Speaking of

25:10 pitchers, let's talk about that guy on

25:11 the bump. Big number 44. 6'7, 240 lbs. A

25:16 seven-year minor leaguer for the Chicago

25:18 Cubs. His last professional outing came

25:20 on this field last spring training in

25:23 2025.

25:25 And now, for the Texas Tailgaters, he's

25:28 arguably been the best starting pitcher

25:31 in this sport in his young tenure. A

25:33 .156 batting average against, a 0.93

25:37 ERA in 9 and 2/3 innings pitched. His

25:40 name is Chris Clark. And I'm telling

25:44 you, we talk about how much this sport

25:46 has rose, how the competitiveness, how

25:48 the talent pool has progressed. This is

25:51 a triple-A, if not a big league caliber

25:54 arm taking the mound today for the Texas

25:56 Tailgaters. The one thing I want to

25:57 point out with Chris Clark,

25:59 you do the sprints plus hits per inning,

26:02 he's at a .72.

26:04 That's real real real good in Banana

26:06 Ball. He just does not allow base

26:09 runners on. This is a guy, if you get a

26:11 hit off him, if you get on base, you

26:13 better save the ball and the base

26:14 because Chris Clark is sure not to let

26:16 you do it again. But, the lineup for the

26:18 Firefighters, boy, they can get real

26:20 critical real fast,

26:22 especially at the top of the order with

26:23 Tanner Hughes.

26:25 The rookie has been absolutely

26:27 unbelievable. Before we talk about the

26:28 lineup, let's go down to Kaz Eagan.

26:59 Scottsdale, Arizona, things are starting

27:02 to heat up, and I think it's time to

27:03 start our two-hour Banana Ball time

27:06 limit. Please help me welcome

27:08 four-year-old Austin.

27:14 All right, Austin. Thank you so much for

27:16 your help. Come over here, face the

27:18 crowd so they can see your beautiful

27:19 face. Now, on the count of three, myself

27:22 and 14,000 people in attendance are

27:25 going to scream, "Ring the bell."

27:28 And then, you are going to do exactly

27:30 that. Scottsdale, HERE WE GO. ONE, TWO,

27:33 THREE, "RING THE BELL!"

27:38 GREAT JOB, AUSTIN. SHOWTIME.

27:44 The bell's been rung. The fire's

27:45 started. There's Tanner Hughes. He will

27:47 lead off the lineup that certainly has a

27:49 ton of potential, Brett Loftis. Really

27:50 the key for the Firefighters tonight.

27:52 They want to get one through five or two

27:53 through five going. Just one hit

27:55 combined between those four, so they

27:56 switched Kayden Peanut Green out of the

27:58 six spot into the five hole.

28:00 First pitch misses low. First time Chris

28:03 Clark has not thrown a first pitch

28:04 strike to start the ball game this year.

28:05 How about that? Good omen. 6'7

28:09 chopper right into the Tailgaters

28:11 dugout. It's been incredible how good

28:13 Chris has been this year. Christian

28:15 Davis as a children of Banana Ball

28:17 family of Banana Balls. The children of

28:19 Banana Balls. Children of Banana Balls.

28:21 >> [laughter]

28:21 >> How about that? J5, what say you?

28:23 Between the legs.

28:25 Bucket! Bucket!

28:26 One away for the boys IN BLUE AND ORANGE

28:28 TO START this Sunday afternoon. You want

28:30 to deny the equalizer point, just start

28:32 finding ways to get double trick plays

28:33 right off the rip. Jordan Hussein

28:35 between the legs, and then Mac Danford

28:37 makes it look easy.

28:39 Taylor Justice, Mac Danford, what what a

28:41 pleasure that we have. Interchange both

28:44 of those guys over at first base. Logan

28:45 Lacey moving up into the two hole this

28:47 afternoon. Hit by a pitch last night,

28:49 only time he was able to reach.

28:51 He's had a couple of struggles,

28:52 especially with the K this year. If he

28:54 can just find his swing consistently,

28:56 and he did last week on Sunday, three

28:58 hits for the Firefighters against the

28:59 Indianapolis Clowns, he can do that

29:00 again.

29:01 >> Left-handed pitch. Bounces at 57 ft. I

29:05 think Chris Clark should keep his day

29:06 job as a right-handed pitcher.

29:09 As good as he is from the right side,

29:11 why not try to go ambidextrous on them?

29:12 By [music] the way, Logan Lacey, this is

29:14 a two-time All-Star. If you don't think

29:15 he's going to find his swing here quick,

29:16 fast, and in a hurry at some point soon,

29:18 you haven't seen the guy play. They call

29:19 him Showtime for a reason.

29:26 Smells hot here. Really Smells like a

29:28 strikeout.

29:30 Ooh, first base umpire, John Crosser,

29:33 says Showtime did not go.

29:38 Chris [music] Clark, by the way,

29:40 has a couple of

29:42 Oh! sellies today.

29:43 And Zack lets out an emphatic scream

29:46 Sorry about that. 15 above us. Sorry.

29:49 I got I got I think that scared everyone

29:51 in the production truck. I was ready to

29:52 go, man. Alex Gross our director, I'm

29:54 sorry. I'm very sorry.

29:56 >> You don't need to apologize. It's me

29:57 that does.

29:58 Logan, you can steal first. Taylor

30:00 Justice, by the way, get a shot of that

30:02 at some point today. Taylor wearing now

30:04 the all white catcher's gear. He's

30:06 having children,

30:08 front office personnel, all different

30:09 people, fans, sign that catcher's mask.

30:12 Really cool deal. Full count, hits Logan

30:14 right in the back.

30:16 That's 91 mph taken right between the

30:19 ones.

30:20 And look, that's almost in some ways a

30:22 hack here in Banana Ball. Ball force

30:24 bring you have an opportunity to go to

30:25 second. You plunk the guy, he can only

30:27 go to first. So, you don't want to hit

30:29 pitches. That one goes right off the

30:30 elbow guard there for Logan Lacy. Nope,

30:33 off the shoulder, actually. Reginald

30:34 Horton, shoutout to you, baby.

30:36 And now Logan Lacy aboard first, and

30:38 Dalton Cornett switching back in the two

30:40 hole to the three spot.

30:42 In a walk-off last night,

30:44 there in the eighth inning,

30:47 these firefighters have only only a

30:50 select few of them have gotten to see

30:51 Chris Clark all the way back in spring

30:53 training in late January.

30:55 Which is is much of the same as

30:57 storyline with all the different teams

30:58 that you're seeing here early on.

31:00 And that was an inning of work. That was

31:02 not much.

31:03 >> Correct. It was maybe six batters at the

31:04 most got to face him. No different than

31:06 when you play the Bananas in a few weeks

31:07 in Chapel Hill. They only faced Chris

31:09 for an inning at FSU. Oh, all the way to

31:11 the backstop, Taylor Justice throws it

31:13 to first and a called strike. Feeling of

31:15 first for out number two, Logan Lacy

31:17 will advance up 90 ft in the scoring

31:19 position. So, now we've seen that a

31:20 couple times where a ball has gotten by

31:22 Taylor Justice, but it bounced so well

31:24 off the backstop that it kind of got

31:26 right back to Justice [music] in time.

31:28 DC trying to be aggressive, you can't

31:30 fault him for it. Logan Lacy does get to

31:31 second base. So, there's a runner in

31:33 scoring position for Mr. Jones and me.

31:36 Eric Jones and me.

31:41 Home plate umpire is Trey Hudson this

31:42 afternoon. Yeah, backstops aren't the

31:44 biggest issue.

31:45 At Salt River Fields, the biggest issue

31:47 is the the fire launchers behind you.

31:49 >> 100%. You got to battle those.

31:52 Had a good chat last night on the bus

31:53 with Zachary Bridges, who was the

31:55 catcher all nine innings for the

31:56 Firefighters last night. Finally got him

31:58 one, and he said the route that he had

32:00 to take to the ball due to the fires

32:03 behind the plate was quite funny. Big

32:05 spinner gets in there, ball and two

32:07 strikes.

32:07 >> That just froze EJ. I'm excited to see

32:09 that first K selling. See if CC can show

32:12 it to us here in the top of the first.

32:16 Good frame job there by Taylor Justice,

32:18 but I do think that was a bit high. Two

32:19 balls, two strikes, two outs. Top of the

32:22 first inning.

32:26 Day five.

32:28 Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

32:30 Oh, yeah. TWO TRICK PLAYS, BUCKET FROM

32:33 JORDAN Hussein there in the top half of

32:35 the first.

32:36 Chris Clark strands a runner as now we

32:38 roll on to the home half, see if the

32:39 Tailgaters can get a walk-off, but the

32:42 defense that they'll have to face

32:46 we will see in just a moment as we have

32:48 a promo called Happy Ending.

32:51 That's one of our competitors. He's a

32:52 Firefighter fan. But, we got to get you

32:55 some competition. Scottsdale, I know

32:57 you've been having a huge grasshopper

32:59 infestation. We've seen thousands of

33:02 them all weekend long.

33:04 So, we thought we should bring out the

33:05 biggest one that we found. For your

33:08 competitor, PLEASE WELCOME THE

33:10 GRASSHOPPER.

33:11 >> [groaning]

33:14 >> TODD, THIS grasshopper grasshoppers

33:16 fast. We're going to give you a little

33:17 bit of head start. First one to home

33:18 plate wins. On your mark, GET SET, GO.

33:23 OH, HE'S QUICK. GRASSHOPPER, you better

33:25 catch up.

33:28 This grasshopper's holding up his I

33:29 can't even catch up.

33:31 Will the grasshopper be able TO CATCH

33:33 UP?

33:36 THIS IS GOING TO BE A CLOSE ONE, ladies

33:37 and gentlemen.

33:39 It all comes down to the finish, but

33:42 Todd was able to hold on to this

33:44 victory. Ladies and gentlemen, make some

33:46 noise for Todd and our giant

33:49 grasshopper.

33:57 Jimmy Lewis, I mean, that big green

33:59 thing uh supposed to move a little bit

34:01 better than that.

34:03 Our defense this afternoon for the

34:04 Firefighters, you want to tell pay

34:06 attention to the second base and

34:08 shortstop, Peanut and Tyner Hughes. 13

34:10 to 11 trick plays by far the leaders.

34:12 Logan Lacy at third, it's hard to get

34:14 one by him, and if he does, he'll make

34:16 up for it quick, fast, and in a hurry.

34:17 One note from last night, we'll change

34:18 it up. Mason Maxwell moving over to

34:20 first. First year playing first base

34:22 really full-time at seven trick plays.

34:24 Eric Jones Jr., the veteran Banana

34:26 Baller, will move back over to his

34:27 catcher spot. And South Trimble, you

34:29 might see him in the designated fielder

34:31 spot. He'll mainly be your designated

34:32 runner tonight. And the man in the

34:33 middle, talked about him already, Austin

34:35 Temple. Last two starts, six Ks, just

34:38 three earned runs against him,

34:40 and more importantly, five points earned

34:42 with him on the bump. It's a big one for

34:44 Austin Temple today. Firefighters got to

34:46 have it. Right now, he looks like the

34:47 man [music] for the job.

34:48 Yeah, you know, entering the weekend, is

34:50 Zack Watson second year back in the

34:52 lineup, hitting lead off today [music]

34:53 for the Tailgaters. AT

34:56 led all starting pitchers in Banana Ball

34:58 in points earned entering the weekend.

35:00 Uh he's been at a really, really

35:01 phenomenal year. And with the run

35:03 support he's he's gotten this year, it's

35:05 been pretty simple. Just go out there

35:06 and get three outs.

35:08 Maybe this is the biggest test of him as

35:10 he goes two-one. [music] Once he gets

35:12 through some adversity in innings, this

35:13 is a big game for that.

35:17 Ooh.

35:19 I'll tell you what, I keep getting

35:20 bamboozled here. Every time I see a ball

35:22 go up, I remember the roof's only 5 ft

35:24 above our heads.

35:31 See that a lot later in counts. Big

35:32 slider, big curveball from AT. Big ball

35:35 of fire on his noggin. First payoff

35:37 pitch from him this afternoon.

35:40 It's a home run in an elevator shaft.

35:42 Shallow left.

35:44 Peanut makes play for out number one. I

35:46 think Peanut just lost that one in the

35:47 sun.

35:48 I think they all wanted a trick play,

35:49 but boy, it's hard to see up here with

35:51 that Arizona sunshine setting right down

35:53 on you. So, Peanut just gets the out.

35:56 Aura, man, that guy just has so much of

35:58 it. Peanut, yeah, it's hard to beat it.

36:01 It's hard to beat Nuts Aura.

36:02 Nut.

36:03 Nut. WHAT THAT MEAN? LOPEY.

36:07 OH, SWATTED OUT TO RIGHT. First hit of

36:09 the ball game for the boys in blue and

36:11 orange comes from who else? Nick Lopez.

36:14 All the guy does is he just seems to

36:15 just hit everything that comes his way.

36:17 Nick Lopez, he's leisurely except when

36:20 he gets up to the plate. Tremendous. And

36:22 again, Darian McDowell back at right

36:23 field. Exited the game yesterday after

36:26 the third inning with some cramping

36:27 issues. Back there today, we'll see if

36:29 he can hold up for the rest of THE GAME.

36:30 UH-OH, SHOWTIME. BUCKET.

36:34 OH, [screaming]

36:35 FIVE, FOUR, THREE, BUCKET, BUCKET,

36:38 STATEN. HELLO, MASON MAXWELL, HOW DO YOU

36:40 DO AT FIRST BASE? Under the leg,

36:42 showtime with a little trickeration.

36:44 That's how you get it done. Tiny turning

36:47 around, and the Firefighters, just like

36:49 that, they move it to 3-2 in the trick

36:51 play column.

36:55 Did we talk about trick plays enough in

36:57 the open or

36:57 >> No, I don't think so.

36:58 >> Is this Is this enough for you? Three to

37:00 two, Tailgaters lead the trick play

37:02 battle [music] after a single frame, but

37:04 again, so important this afternoon,

37:06 Zack, for those Firefighters to win the

37:08 equalizer point. Again, we've seen it

37:10 last night from the Tailgater, earlier

37:11 today from the Party Animals. Despite

37:13 the Party Animals losing, that equalizer

37:15 point that's been established, you know,

37:16 when when when when they got established

37:18 last year in the postseason, we all kind

37:19 of sat down and was like, "How often is

37:21 the away team going to win it?" It is

37:22 coming to play quite a lot this year.

37:24 The Tailgaters were one of the first

37:26 ones to really show how important it

37:27 was. Hey, we were the first ones to win

37:28 in the World Tour semi-finals. It was

37:29 the reason they got into the ninth

37:30 inning with an opportunity to beat the

37:32 Party Animals there. But, the

37:33 Firefighters in those two games in the

37:35 World Tour semi-finals were also right

37:37 there neck and neck with the Savannah

37:38 Bananas. Didn't win it, but they showed

37:40 how important it could be when the trick

37:42 play equalizer point really incentivizes

37:44 you to chase them, especially today when

37:46 you're the trick play when you're the

37:47 visiting team and Chris Clark's on the

37:49 bump, you need as many points as you can

37:50 find. You know who's leading this inning

37:51 off? Caden Peanut Green. Hello. I don't

37:53 think we've talked enough about this

37:55 guy. Leads Banana Ball right now

37:57 entering today in on-base percentage,

38:00 over 600. I mean, this dude has been

38:03 absolutely disgusting.

38:05 Yeah, you play at Auburn, you're an SEC

38:07 guy for a reason, but he has found his

38:09 offense and found it in a big way.

38:11 Trying to set the table here in the top

38:13 half of the second against Chris Clark.

38:15 You want me to talk about him? I sure

38:16 can. He's drawn the most ball force

38:17 sprints of anybody on the Firefighters.

38:19 He's tied for first in hits. He's tied

38:21 for He's first in average, slugging

38:23 percentage, OBP. What does the guy not

38:25 do?

38:26 Tiny overtook him in trick plays last

38:28 night.

38:29 Seen that earlier, 13 to 11 as they

38:31 entered the ball game.

38:38 All the guy had to do was switch his

38:39 number to his child hero, Derek Deiters'

38:41 number two, and I think he's doing all

38:43 right.

38:46 Shallow right. Sunny.

38:49 Tip drill INTO THE HAT, BUCKET, BUCKET.

38:58 Can I tell you a secret to me, you, and

38:59 God, Zack Staten? Sure can. Last night,

39:02 walking back to the bus, Jordan Hussein

39:03 looks at me and he goes,

39:05 "I really wanted Sunny to pop that final

39:06 out last night." Sunny just called it

39:08 the regular old P40 in the ball game.

39:10 >> Correct.

39:10 >> Sunny was like, "Ah, I just wanted to

39:11 catch it." Jordan Hussein looks at me,

39:13 and as a captain does, he goes, "You're

39:15 the best TIP DRILL GUY IN this sport.

39:18 You are always going to pop it."

39:21 This guy's been popping off at the dish,

39:22 Lamar Sparks. Last night, his five-game

39:25 hit streak broken. Don't let that fool

39:27 you. He's been absolutely igniting over

39:29 the last couple of weeks.

39:31 Fans' first true opportunity this

39:33 afternoon.

39:36 Hits off of an umbrella.

39:39 A teal umbrella.

39:40 That's a double shade over there. The

39:41 umbrella's underneath some trees.

39:44 Extra protection. What kind of tree is

39:45 that? You know, I have no idea. Got him.

39:49 ALL RIGHT, CHRIS CLARK.

39:51 First one supposed to be special today.

39:53 MY JULY RUSHING OUT A GUITAR.

40:05 >> [music]

40:18 >> You know,

40:20 Luke Combs, The Way I Am album dropped

40:22 last week, and we're sitting in OTT and

40:24 it's like, "Ah, we got to do something

40:26 with that."

40:27 And we just did.

40:28 You sure did.

40:30 Chris Clark threatened to smash that

40:31 guitar to bits, by the way. Jason

40:33 Arbrandt faster than he ever has in his

40:34 life to save that thing. It's a guitar,

40:36 man. I've played it a time or two.

40:38 Can you play guitar? Nope. Two outs here

40:40 in the top of the second.

40:42 Armando Becerra.

40:44 I'm going to tell you another secret

40:45 between me, you, and God. Love it. I

40:47 love this guy. Mondo? Yeah, last year

40:49 watching him on the Party Animals,

40:51 finally getting a shine this year. Guy

40:53 really thinks he's going to break

40:55 through very, very soon, and he's just

40:56 such a sneaky 7-0 hitter for the

40:58 Firefighters.

40:59 >> What's not to love about Armando

41:00 Becerra? Really, he just fits what the

41:02 Firefighters do. He is all business out

41:04 on that field.

41:05 >> [music]

41:10 >> You'll have a chance to run a little bit

41:11 here on 3-0, potentially.

41:19 Mhm. We'll try it again.

41:23 Full count now. Ouch.

41:26 >> [screaming]

41:26 >> There's a cornhole board behind Taylor

41:28 Justice again. Good.

41:30 Wonder if that'll come into play.

41:32 I know your eyes work.

41:34 20/20 vision, baby.

41:36 We get another strikeout here.

41:38 >> [music]

41:38 >> Really, I hope we can see the Tailgaters

41:40 dugout.

41:41 That's all I'm going to all I'm going to

41:43 tell you guys. Just watch the Tailgaters

41:45 dugout. Or it's going to be a ball four

41:46 sprint. Either way, 3-2. Ooh, Mondo

41:49 fighting it off.

41:50 That's the kind of prowess that he can

41:52 have at the plate. This is the guy who

41:54 would have had a ton of opportunity on

41:56 other teams last year. That's a load of

41:57 Party Animals outfield.

42:03 Ball four sprint, Zach Staten. Oh, gets

42:06 away from Jordan Hussey. Mondo easily

42:09 had two. Is he going to think about

42:11 three? He will think about it, but he's

42:13 going to stay put there at second. It's

42:14 better to let say you have to make the

42:15 decision quick. Cuz if you turn the

42:17 corner, you're going to third.

42:18 Otherwise, it's a tough get back at

42:19 second. But either way, second time in a

42:21 row now, in two innings, the

42:23 Firefighters have a runner in scoring

42:25 position. Can they finally take

42:27 advantage of it with a man who's got

42:29 everything on replay right now, Darian

42:31 McDougald.

42:32 Darian only had one at bat last night, a

42:34 double. He got thrown out at third.

42:40 Talked to him this morning talking about

42:42 this elevation here in Scottsdale kind

42:44 of got to him a little bit last night.

42:45 We're about 1,000 ft, give or take,

42:46 above sea level.

42:48 Last year, Tailgaters had to deal with a

42:50 lot early on in the year, Albuquerque

42:52 and then going and playing in Reno.

42:54 And obviously, when you're a guy like

42:55 Darian from the Southeast, played the

42:56 majority of your career in the

42:57 Southeast, can mess with guys. Jordan

42:59 Hussey, BETWEEN THE LEGS. BUCKET! FIVER

43:04 GOING CRAZY RIGHT NOW.

43:07 Another trick play for the Tailgaters,

43:08 another one from him as well.

43:11 And Michael Schwartz, go talk to our

43:13 ace.

43:15 Hey, Chris.

43:16 Hey, Chris. Talk to me real quick. How

43:18 does it feel right now on the mound up

43:20 Oh, it feels absolutely electric. It's a

43:21 wonderful crowd. Scottsdale is a

43:23 beautiful place, one of the best in the

43:24 world. I'm just happy I can be back.

43:26 Thank you for having me, Ari.

43:27 Texas heat, you know the Texas heat.

43:28 How's this heat affecting you right now?

43:30 How's the Texas heat? I love my hair

43:32 right now. NO, I KNOW, BUT I'M SAYING as

43:34 far as Arizona, comparing.

43:35 >> Oh, I see. Um, Arizona's worse when it

43:38 wants to be.

43:39 And how's the chickens affecting you?

43:41 They're Chicken, you know, I'm pretty

43:42 familiar with these. This is uh

43:44 something I grew up with a lot. Uh,

43:46 these are my favorite things, especially

43:47 to hold really tightly.

43:48 We got more innings to pitch. We'll be

43:50 right back from the field.

43:51 >> [cheering]

43:54 >> Chickens.

43:57 Lots of chickens. Rubber chickens at

44:00 that.

44:03 Squeezy.

44:04 Squeaky. Something.

44:05 Tell you that much. Hey, by the way,

44:07 Jordan Hussey, three trick plays.

44:10 Needs four more

44:11 to get to 100 in his young Banana Ball

44:14 career. I surmise something special

44:16 might happen if that does happen here

44:17 today.

44:19 Austin Temple got to face the middle of

44:20 this order, Kyle Martin, Mac Danford,

44:22 and Jose Brother Gonzales.

44:24 That's a tough middle three right there,

44:26 is it?

44:26 >> [cheering]

44:26 >> It's a tough a tough top three as well.

44:28 Easy for me to say, by the way. Tough

44:30 top three as well.

44:35 >> [laughter]

44:36 >> He is able to sit him down before we get

44:38 to batter number four. He faced the

44:39 minimum. There you go.

44:41 Got Brett locked his arm tied up here.

44:43 That's my uncle, Field.

44:46 I AM THE WALRUS. Coo coo cachoo. Kyle

44:49 Martin up. Man, y'all ever watch Fresh

44:51 Prince?

44:52 I've watched that show, six seasons of

44:53 that show. I've watched it in its

44:55 entirety at least seven times. I have

44:57 every season on DVD. And I was born in

45:00 2001. That show's last season was '96.

45:03 Yep. Kyle Martin, 1-0.

45:07 Gosh, man.

45:08 >> [snorts]

45:08 >> That's how Zach and I first bonded in

45:10 life. Correct?

45:12 Outside of our common knowledge of North

45:14 Dakota trivia, it was Fresh Prince of

45:16 Bel-Air. And NASCAR

45:18 running at Martinsville today.

45:20 Shout out, Virginia.

45:22 There's also a chicken standing outside

45:24 the Firefighters dugout as well. Clark.

45:27 Oh, it's Zachary Brothers.

45:28 It's a lot like ZB. It's ZB, man.

45:31 We got rubber chickens, we got real

45:32 chickens.

45:34 K Martin able to move out of the way of

45:35 that one. [cheering] He does not want to

45:36 get hit by another pitch. No. Hit by two

45:38 of them last night. One hit him right

45:40 off the ankle, which had to hurt like a

45:41 million. And by the way, safe harbor

45:43 rule, he he stepped out of the box

45:45 technically. That's not a strike.

45:47 That would be mean. It'd be mean. Good.

45:49 >> [cheering]

45:49 >> Good.

45:54 Dude that leads the Banana Ball

45:55 Championship League in ball four sprints

45:57 with 10 is one pitch away from number

45:58 11.

46:02 3-2 to K Martin.

46:04 Mhm.

46:06 Gosh, I love watching him take ABs. It's

46:08 so tough to pitch to him because you

46:10 know the power he has, as we saw in

46:11 Frisco. Yeah. But he can also just stay

46:13 patient. He only one long ball this

46:15 year.

46:17 Pretty important

46:17 >> But it's 11th ball four sprint.

46:20 Pretty important long ball as well. Oh,

46:22 he's going for two.

46:23 OH, HE'S HE'S HUSTLING. WELCOME TO THE

46:25 ACTION. THE 33-year-old still got some

46:28 wheels.

46:32 And that's an important one for the

46:33 Texas Tailgaters because now, with

46:35 nobody out, already a runner in scoring

46:37 position. And Mac a Doodle.

46:40 >> [screaming]

46:41 >> Mac last night had a double in his first

46:43 AB.

46:44 >> [cheering]

46:46 >> RBI double with that?

46:47 >> That's right. Smoked it to the center

46:49 field fence.

46:50 >> [cheering]

46:50 >> He do that again right here, we'd have a

46:52 walk-off double. Tailgaters lead at 1-0.

46:55 Won't be the case. Out to right. Zach

46:57 Trimble.

46:59 Measuring it up. Kyle Martin tags up.

47:01 Trying to take third. Will do so without

47:03 a throw.

47:05 Ending-winning run now stands 90 ft away

47:08 for the man they call Brother.

47:11 And if there's anybody that can end the

47:13 inning right here with power or just

47:15 contact,

47:16 it's old Brother. K Martin has tongue

47:18 out.

47:18 >> [cheering]

47:19 >> Sunshine getting the folks going.

47:22 They say you can't teach an old dog new

47:23 tricks. K Martin looked like an old dog

47:25 with that tongue out.

47:27 Tell you what.

47:29 You ever seen a golden retriever just

47:30 pant at you when it's 97° in the

47:32 summertime?

47:33 >> Brother, I have a golden retriever.

47:34 There you go, Miss Daisy. Out to left.

47:36 This could end the inning.

47:38 Noah Bridges.

47:39 He's got an 80-grade arm.

47:41 WAY UP THE LINE. THAT'S IT. [screaming]

47:44 Sac fly walk-off for Jose Gonzales. And

47:48 the boys in blue and orange take their

47:50 first lead of the ballgame, 1-0 after

47:52 two frames.

47:55 That's the issue for the Firefighters

47:57 right there. You cannot give up runs in

47:59 clean innings like that. Tailgaters take

48:01 advantage of it. Let's head down to the

48:02 field.

48:10 Down on the first base dugout, here's

48:13 Kaz. Ladies and gentlemen, we handed out

48:15 a ton of rolls of toilet paper because

48:18 we're about to play a game we like to

48:20 call Pop-A- Scott. And we were lucky

48:23 enough to find a competitor whose name

48:25 is Scott. The whole point of the game is

48:28 to throw the rolls into the bucket.

48:30 Scott, you're going to have to catch

48:31 them. But let's make it a competition.

48:32 Garrett, who you got over there? I'm

48:34 over here on the third base dugout. You

48:36 might have Scott, but I got my buddy

48:38 Dale. And he told me when we win this,

48:41 we're going to go TP your mom's house,

48:43 Kaz.

48:44 Um, please don't do that. Whoever

48:47 catches more rolls in their bin is going

48:49 to BE THE WINNER. ON your mark, GET SET,

48:52 POP-A- SCOTT.

48:54 OH, NO.

48:57 Scott has only caught one so far. This

48:59 is a little rough.

49:03 >> [music]

49:10 >> Scott, you got to get your head in the

49:11 game.

49:14 >> [music]

49:19 [music]

49:20 >> All right. All right. I think we're out

49:21 of TP. I think we're out of TP.

49:25 All right, Garrett. I don't know about

49:26 you. How many rolls landed in your bin

49:29 over there? Dale caught 13 rolls of

49:34 toilet paper, Kaz. All right. Not bad.

49:37 Not bad. You got 17.

49:39 I'm counting it right now. Ladies and

49:41 gentlemen, Scott over here got 19 ROLLS.

49:46 Make some noise FOR SCOTT, EVERYBODY.

49:48 THAT WAS PAPA SCOTT.

49:55 >> [music]

49:55 >> Batting for the Firefighters, number

49:58 seven, Mason Maxwell.

50:05 Mason Maxwell lead off the top half of

50:09 the third inning. Chris Clark still on

50:11 the bump here for the Tailgaters.

50:13 He Zach State and I'm Brett Lauterbach.

50:14 Good friend Brody joining us up here in

50:16 the booth. Travis Manion up here with us

50:18 as well. You won't hear him. Maybe you

50:21 might in a minute. It's Chris Clark

50:23 throwing a bean bag

50:26 ball.

50:28 Little short there.

50:33 You know Zach, you're asking why the

50:34 cornhole board was there. That's why.

50:36 >> Yep. That's exactly why it's there. Two

50:38 cornhole pitches by the way and they

50:39 never got close. Hey man.

50:41 It's the thought that counts. That's

50:43 true.

50:45 Mad Max couple singles last night.

50:49 He was quick to remind me he's only

50:51 struck out twice this year. Correct.

50:52 Been putting the bat on the ball. He's

50:54 had a lot of bad luck to begin his 2026

50:56 campaign. What he's been able to hit for

50:58 contact and that's needed.

51:02 Heads up.

51:03 My July can't quite corral.

51:07 Mason up to a .263 average so far. And

51:09 that'll apply.

51:11 >> [music]

51:14 >> League batting average right now. It's

51:15 always a fun stat we never get to talk

51:17 about. .282 in banana ball. Everybody's

51:19 been swinging the sticks well this year.

51:23 Chris Clark trying to lower that league

51:25 batting average right here.

51:27 Ball and two to Mason.

51:31 Tough pitch to take but a good eye there

51:33 from Mason who is going with the one

51:34 sleeve look by the way.

51:36 What you got on that? Tan line's going

51:38 to be crazy.

51:43 Imagine going out sitting in the

51:44 Adirondack chair, putting one sleeve on.

51:48 That's something Travis Manion would do.

51:50 Hey man, if it works though, it's 3-2

51:51 count.

51:52 >> 3-2 count. Payoff pitch. GOT HIM.

51:54 CC TOSSES THE GLOVE UP. Watch him. WATCH

51:58 HIM. KEEP IT HERE. TAILGATERS DUGOUT,

52:00 they got something for us.

52:02 Throws the rosin bag.

52:05 And the boys in blue and orange all fall

52:07 down.

52:08 >> [laughter]

52:17 [cheering and applause]

52:25 >> of the ballpark today as he is currently

52:27 battling a germ cell tumor that has

52:30 spread to his lungs, liver and lymph

52:32 nodes. His family remains hopeful and

52:34 Joseph's goal is simple. [music]

52:37 To overcome this diagnosis and return to

52:40 serving the Salt River Pima-Maricopa

52:43 Indian Community.

52:46 Fans, please make some noise for Joseph

52:49 Christopher.

52:52 >> [applause and cheering]

52:56 [music]

53:03 >> Who's currently fighting hospital.

53:06 It's a great moment from Chris Clark. He

53:08 asked for the banana ball. He just got

53:10 the strikeout win, signed it and gave it

53:12 to that family during the game.

53:15 We talk about all the activation

53:16 stations and how good Chris is in the

53:18 crowd after he gets done with his

53:19 outings and even on his off days right

53:21 [music] there. That's in the game. After

53:23 he just got a major strikeout with the

53:25 awareness to do that. That is such a

53:26 fans first moment for perhaps the best

53:28 starting pitcher in the sport.

53:30 >> It shows you the capabilities humans

53:32 that we have here in banana ball.

53:36 O and two

53:38 to Noah Bridges.

53:40 Noah last night had a couple of ball

53:42 four sprints.

53:43 Just a tough tough at bat Noah always is

53:45 down there in the tin hole.

53:48 This is the first time since about 2023

53:50 he's felt fully healthy. He broke his

53:52 leg trying to do a backflip catch last

53:54 year. Didn't feel good at all. About 75%

53:57 of the year he said he

53:58 fighting through his leg. Right now he

54:00 feels good.

54:03 Tell you what, this is the fullest I've

54:04 ever felt in the broadcast booth.

54:06 Good pal Brody sitting here, man. Know

54:08 he's having a good day decked out in his

54:10 firefighters gear. His whole family.

54:13 Another strikeout for Chris Clark.

54:16 Travis Manion joining us. It's a

54:18 beautiful day at the ballpark, man. Such

54:20 a such a great day, a blessed day. Brody

54:23 was showing us videos of a hunting a

54:25 little bit earlier. He's a big hunter,

54:26 likes to sit in a tree stand.

54:28 >> He he does a lot. His

54:29 >> Bear hunting?

54:30 You guys do a lot of that in Idaho?

54:33 Yeah.

54:34 Got a shot of a bear? Got himself a

54:36 black bear.

54:37 >> Wow. Smokey was here yesterday. I'm glad

54:39 you guys didn't toss that yesterday.

54:41 Hey, his younger sister Whitley badger.

54:43 Badger. Badger. Badger hunting? Badger

54:46 hunting. Got a ball and a strike here.

54:48 Held that thing up. It was almost as

54:49 tall as her.

54:52 As tall as you? Whitley's probably about

54:54 a good 4'8.

54:56 Yeah, I'd say so. Single through the

54:59 right side for Ty. First hit in a long

55:01 time. First hit today, actually. Pardon

55:03 me. First base runner I should say in a

55:05 long time for the Firefighters. They've

55:07 had a runner at second on the first and

55:08 second but haven't really got there via

55:10 hit. That'll do the job, Ty.

55:13 Hot chopping wood and we're bouncing.

55:20 >> [music]

55:51 >> To my plea clip to my right. I bet to

55:53 say Ryan Francke

55:54 has his wish for 2026. If it's not his

55:57 ACL recovery,

55:58 it is getting Jiovanni bouncing on the

56:00 ball again.

56:05 Oh, Brody, you got to use both feet.

56:08 He's only using one foot to bounce.

56:10 Brody, you've just experienced your

56:11 first walk up here in the booth. That is

56:13 how we watch it together for the first

56:15 time.

56:18 I've been thinking about going to

56:19 Pilates class. I don't think that sold

56:21 [music] me too well.

56:22 >> Look at HIM ON THE SIDE.

56:23 >> [laughter]

56:27 >> IT'S CALLED A THRUST, ZACH. I That's one

56:29 word I can get you in P but a thrust.

56:31 >> That's one word for it. We can't say

56:32 that other word. Jiovanni has no angle

56:35 on that by the way. There it went. But

56:36 he's hitting it off the chest, not off

56:37 the midsection.

56:41 They are in dangerous territory by the

56:42 way. That's a sharp hit foul ball.

56:44 Goodness gracious. Yeah.

56:47 Look at PK out there.

56:50 Zipped up in everything.

56:51 >> PK looks a little tight. Good. You know

56:53 what? Good.

56:55 Oh, man. Second time today Logan Lacey's

56:58 been hit. What does Chris Clark have

57:00 against double L, man? It's the second

57:02 time he hit him. It's second time he hit

57:03 him on the left shoulder. Lacey showing

57:05 the strength and that showtime tat as

57:07 Jiovanni finally goes back home.

57:11 Off the shoulder.

57:13 PK's been taken out by Bam Bam on the

57:14 side.

57:16 Teammates. Former team. Teammates. Good.

57:20 Excellent even.

57:21 PK moseying his way back over to the

57:23 Tailgaters dugout. Excellent walk up he

57:25 had last night. Tremendous. It's Dalton

57:27 Cornett who

57:29 got caught stealing first. First time

57:31 up. But had a walk-off last night. By

57:33 the [music] way, tied for the most

57:35 walk-offs in the sport with four with

57:37 Reese Alexiades

57:40 and KJ. Is that good? Pretty darn good.

57:42 >> good? Pretty darn good.

57:43 >> Reese Alexiades led the tour last year

57:45 in 2025. KJ the frontrunner clearly for

57:47 MVP thus far in the inaugural season of

57:50 the Banana Ball Championship League.

57:52 It's just a cycle for KJ. We'll get

57:54 through it.

57:55 Wow. SEE WHAT I DID THERE? MAN, you're

57:57 like double entendre heaven today. You

57:59 put me in the color commentary spot

58:00 [music] and all of a sudden it just

58:01 comes to me.

58:03 See if Chris Clark can get him another

58:05 puncher here.

58:08 Not that. Indy ranging back. Indiana

58:12 Stanley will just catch it the

58:14 old-fashioned way for out number three.

58:17 Another zero thrown up by the Tailgaters

58:20 ace as we'll send it down to Bella Lane

58:22 with Bananas Foster.

58:26 Ladies and gentlemen,

58:27 please welcome to the field from Bananas

58:29 Foster, Bella Lane.

58:33 Across the United States, there are over

58:35 400,000 children and teens in foster

58:38 care without a permanent home. To raise

58:41 awareness and support this community, we

58:43 created Bananas Foster, the [music]

58:45 official nonprofit of Banana Ball. Our

58:49 organization is dedicated to celebrating

58:51 the foster care community while

58:53 educating and inspiring others to get

58:56 involved. Today, we are celebrating the

58:59 Williams family.

59:02 Right here in Arizona, there are about

59:04 7,600

59:06 children in foster care and only about

59:09 3,000 licensed foster families.

59:13 To make a difference, Nancy and Ty

59:16 became a licensed foster family 30 years

59:20 ago. They are passionate about caring

59:23 for kiddos with special needs and in

59:26 total have welcomed over 50 children

59:30 into their home. Fans, please join us in

59:33 celebrating this amazing family for

59:35 making a difference right here in your

59:38 community.

1:00:32 The Williams family here at Bananas

1:00:35 Fosters family of the night. As always,

1:00:38 you can text bunch to 50155 to support

1:00:41 Bananas Foster.

1:00:42 Scott's there.

1:00:44 Hadn't seen that in a couple years, man.

1:00:46 And in so many fields here at Talking

1:00:48 Stick, never seen Bananas Foster. Uh you

1:00:51 know, played at a different ballpark 4

1:00:52 years ago and just such a such a great

1:00:54 moment here this afternoon. That's a

1:00:57 bird. Is that a pigeon?

1:00:59 I don't know what that is. Is it a hawk?

1:01:02 I don't think it's a hawk. I don't think

1:01:04 it is either.

1:01:04 >> Hawks look a little bit more menacing.

1:01:07 I think where Oh, it's right above us.

1:01:08 No, what Oh my gosh.

1:01:11 If that thing goes number two, it might

1:01:13 fall right down the streamline here.

1:01:16 Yeah, hope not. Whoever's down in like

1:01:18 section 152,

1:01:21 watch your heads.

1:01:23 Look at Mick, man.

1:01:24 Rolling up the sleeves today. Talk about

1:01:26 a good tan line. If I got that many

1:01:28 muscles and that much tan going on at

1:01:30 62, I'll be doing something real good.

1:01:32 >> Do you think he uses sunscreen? Nope.

1:01:34 I didn't He didn't check out as a guy

1:01:36 that uses

1:01:37 any any sort of sunscreen. Sun tan

1:01:40 lotion, that's all natural Joe Mickolic

1:01:42 right there.

1:01:44 Tiny and Peanut playing

1:01:46 patty cake, patty cake over at second

1:01:47 base.

1:01:48 You know, Taj Porter's leading off this

1:01:50 inning. He doesn't have a helmet or bat.

1:01:52 What say you, Mr. Crowd Father?

1:02:03 >> [music and singing]

1:02:04 >> Hey!

1:02:16 Wow.

1:02:21 Could you do that? No. They're out here

1:02:23 saying you can dance, Staten. Uh no.

1:02:25 >> That's what they're out here saying.

1:02:27 >> I can sing a little bit, I think. I

1:02:28 cannot dance.

1:02:29 >> You know, that's such a true story. Oh!

1:02:32 Deep right field. Darian McDowell's got

1:02:35 a beat on it. And we'll HAVE THE OLD MAN

1:02:37 SKATE BUCKET for out number one.

1:02:39 >> Well, hello Darian McDowell back in

1:02:40 right field. That is the trick play that

1:02:43 he is going to pretty much every time.

1:02:46 Is that in between the legs trick play?

1:02:49 And he does it so well right there.

1:02:51 >> Manscape.

1:02:52 >> That's the official name we've come up

1:02:53 with it, right, Blake? The manscape.

1:02:56 The little between the legs right there.

1:02:58 Yeah. In between the ham hocks. Let's

1:03:00 just call it a manscape.

1:03:01 >> Trav, you get back healthy, you're going

1:03:02 to hit that?

1:03:03 The manscape? The manscape?

1:03:06 Yeah.

1:03:08 Trav's going to ponder that one as we

1:03:10 await the 1-1 Indiana Stanley.

1:03:14 Okay.

1:03:17 >> [laughter]

1:03:19 >> Oh, Travis. Popped out to center.

1:03:21 Armando got to get ON HIS HORSE.

1:03:23 ARMANDO! OH, WHAT A PLAY BY ARMANDO

1:03:25 BASADA. SWIMMING FOR OUT number two.

1:03:29 Armando is no timid oh.

1:03:32 That man showed UP AND SHOWED OUT. NOT A

1:03:35 TRICK PLAY, BUT IT'S sweet nonetheless.

1:03:37 In center field, that's why the

1:03:39 Firefighters drafted him. Thank you to

1:03:41 Chayito Benitez and Duolingo for that

1:03:43 lesson. Chayito's been teaching you,

1:03:45 man.

1:03:46 >> Yeah, man. Him and Duolingo. I'm on a

1:03:47 41-day streak on Duo. Is that a true

1:03:49 story? Yes, sir. Taylor just stays hot,

1:03:52 man. Rolls all the way to the fence.

1:03:56 He can walk to second with a two-out

1:03:58 stand-up double.

1:03:59 >> [music]

1:04:02 >> Just a beautiful piece of hitting from

1:04:04 TJ.

1:04:05 Early.

1:04:07 That does not mean bad. That just means

1:04:09 aggressive. And now

1:04:11 a new designated runner. Just what, his

1:04:12 fourth game with the Texas Tailgaters?

1:04:14 >> second weekend here, fourth game. Jacob

1:04:16 Peppersack now represents the

1:04:17 inning-winning run out at second as our

1:04:19 captain Jordan Hussein trying to walk it

1:04:21 off.

1:04:22 By the way, five-game hitting streak for

1:04:24 Taylor Justice. Five-game hitting

1:04:26 streak. Been on fire this year, man.

1:04:29 TJ5 got a knock last night. Also had a

1:04:32 ball for sprint.

1:04:37 Ball and two.

1:04:38 Big situation out here for AT. Wonder if

1:04:40 he goes back to the curveball. Oh, in

1:04:42 between the legs.

1:04:43 >> Trick pitch! Misses up.

1:04:46 That curveball is where he said he can

1:04:47 separate himself. If that's moving,

1:04:50 he's on a different level.

1:04:57 I liked it. I liked it, Zach. Austin did

1:04:59 too cuz he was halfway to the dugout.

1:05:01 >> Going out the same way he came in

1:05:02 through the front door, but now we got

1:05:04 the payoff pitch.

1:05:06 Popped high in the sky left side.

1:05:08 Showtime. Would he dare go for a trick

1:05:10 play? He would not as he'll secure the

1:05:12 final out here in the third. Tailgaters

1:05:14 still hold a one to nothing lead. Hey,

1:05:16 that's a big one though for Austin

1:05:17 Temple. Stranded a runner in scoring

1:05:18 position.

1:05:20 Get yourself back into the dugout.

1:05:21 That's two clean frames for AT. And now,

1:05:24 Michael Schwartz. He's got a stick in

1:05:26 his hand. That means he's talking to

1:05:27 somebody.

1:05:29 Hey guys, real quick. Before the

1:05:30 Firefighters take the field this field,

1:05:32 this is a field that's familiar to Lamar

1:05:34 Sparks because you were here for spring

1:05:35 training.

1:05:36 >> I was here for spring training. I got I

1:05:37 got the luxury of playing here. It was

1:05:38 an awesome experience. And to see how it

1:05:40 sold out today is an even greater

1:05:42 experience. This is This is really neat.

1:05:43 How do you compare yourself then to

1:05:45 today? I mean, it

1:05:47 I'm out here playing a a kids game. It's

1:05:48 just It's so much fun, man. You know, to

1:05:50 do it there, to do it at that level, and

1:05:51 then to come here and do this as well,

1:05:53 man, it's

1:05:54 It's out of shoes experience. Out of

1:05:55 body experience, man. It's It's awesome.

1:05:57 Well, you pumped me up because I'm

1:05:58 looking forward to more fun. We

1:06:00 appreciate it, Lamar. I appreciate it.

1:06:01 We'll see you guys soon.

1:06:05 Man, Lamar bringing quite the spark.

1:06:06 Tell you what, I I just had maybe the

1:06:09 That was Zach.

1:06:10 We get to do so much cool stuff in this

1:06:12 job and in this sport in this

1:06:14 environment. Get to meet so many cool

1:06:16 people.

1:06:17 But that arguably this past inning which

1:06:19 I I know all the folks at home, you

1:06:21 know, not able to see it and hear it,

1:06:22 but we had Brody, Make-A-Wish kid from

1:06:25 Twin Falls, Idaho and his his family in

1:06:27 here. Younger sister, his parents in

1:06:28 here for the past inning. Travis who's

1:06:30 obviously out due to injury. Travis was

1:06:32 asking me earlier today. He's like, man,

1:06:34 you know, Brody's here. Anything I can

1:06:35 do? I'm like, you can come join this

1:06:36 family in the booth. These are the

1:06:37 things that we shout out at dinners.

1:06:39 These are the things we talk about

1:06:40 internally, but this is something we

1:06:41 must talk about. Travis has spent the

1:06:42 last inning and a half in the booth with

1:06:44 us spending time with Brody and his

1:06:46 family. Brody up here with us and just

1:06:48 enjoying it, man. You know, Brody is was

1:06:49 actually in treatment to this morning.

1:06:52 Came to the ballpark.

1:06:53 >> Yep. And is just an all-time It's It's

1:06:56 an all-time experience like

1:06:58 I'm not a big crier, man, but I I got a

1:07:00 tear about to come down my face. Like

1:07:01 that's

1:07:01 a special moment, really.

1:07:03 >> Met him earlier. That young man, as

1:07:04 Brett just said, he was in treatment

1:07:06 today

1:07:07 just a few hours before coming to the

1:07:08 ballpark, and you wouldn't know it with

1:07:10 the smile on his face as EJ goes right

1:07:12 back up the middle for Sunny! Something.

1:07:16 And so EJ will get aboard.

1:07:18 But Brody, you wouldn't know that he's

1:07:20 going through something life-changing

1:07:22 like that

1:07:23 with the way that he smiled, the way

1:07:24 that he interacted.

1:07:26 The tough one for Sunny.

1:07:29 But we can take a lot of inspiration

1:07:30 from Brody and his family.

1:07:32 Absolutely sharing the joy. It's so

1:07:34 wonderful to have him on here.

1:07:37 Smoke Tremble now running in first.

1:07:39 Officially on that last play, it's going

1:07:41 to be an error on Jonathan Sunshine

1:07:42 Luthers.

1:07:46 Oh, taking off Smoke. Throw goes into

1:07:48 center field. Great play by Sunshine.

1:07:52 That That saved a bag. Sunshine acts as

1:07:55 if he was holding the tag down while the

1:07:58 ball was well in the center field

1:08:00 holding Tremble to just one bag there. I

1:08:02 want to see the replay of that at some

1:08:03 point, too, cuz South was looking at

1:08:05 center field. Wonder if he saw the ball

1:08:07 there or not. Either way,

1:08:09 he'll just get held.

1:08:13 Popped out to shallow right. That's

1:08:16 going to fall in no man's land.

1:08:18 Brother gets to it. Tremble held up at

1:08:20 third. Now runners on the corners, none

1:08:22 out here in the top of the fourth.

1:08:24 Big time spot, Zach Staten.

1:08:26 Tremend- For for Lamar Sparks. By the

1:08:29 way,

1:08:30 Peanut

1:08:31 again on base. What can the guy not do?

1:08:37 Call him M&M cuz he's losing himself

1:08:40 in the sport of banana ball.

1:08:49 Out to right. Brother

1:08:51 in in back has it for out number one,

1:08:53 but Lamar Sparks will plate the first

1:08:56 run of the ball game for the

1:08:57 Firefighters. Sac fly and RBI.

1:09:00 And now the boys in red have a fancy

1:09:02 dance.

1:09:12 >> [music]

1:09:18 >> Okay.

1:09:20 Three little pigs.

1:09:21 Bucket. Bradford Webb fell over, but not

1:09:24 before

1:09:25 he hit the living daylights out of that

1:09:27 dance. Lamar Sparks absolutely crushed

1:09:29 that ball. Brother really only one play

1:09:31 to make and that's just to lightly throw

1:09:32 it on in. South Trimble scores. South,

1:09:35 by the way, has told me he wants to

1:09:36 break the in-game

1:09:38 single-game stolen-base record.

1:09:41 That is five at four right now. He would

1:09:43 like to get five. Mac and Doodle

1:09:45 BEHIND-THE-BACK BUCKET BETWEEN-THE-LEGS

1:09:47 BUCKET!

1:09:49 3-6-3

1:09:51 double play DOUBLE BUCKET TAILGATERS.

1:09:56 Still leading one to nothing and an

1:09:57 opportunity to either push or reap or

1:10:00 take an even bigger lead in the home

1:10:02 half. And now it's time to say, "Hey

1:10:04 baby."

1:10:06 And put your hands in the air because

1:10:08 right now it's time FOR A LITTLE HEY

1:10:12 BABY.

1:10:16 You better be clapping those hands.

1:10:26 Get ready to wave those arms.

1:10:33 >> [groaning and screaming]

1:10:39 >> You look great, Scottsdale.

1:10:45 >> [music]

1:10:47 [screaming and groaning]

1:10:53 >> Time to get some steps in. All right.

1:10:56 Step it up.

1:10:58 Got elevation man. My parents wouldn't

1:10:59 lie. Oh gosh. Here we go.

1:11:02 I need some Mike and I need some

1:11:04 Skittles. I need some candy. Drake Toll,

1:11:06 please. Fly them in here to the Great

1:11:09 Clips game.

1:11:09 >> arms.

1:11:14 Who do you think DID MORE EXERCISE?

1:11:16 >> [screaming]

1:11:18 >> I'LL ASK QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS. I'M OUT,

1:11:19 BRETT.

1:11:22 One more time, Scottsdale.

1:11:27 See yourself on the video board. What

1:11:29 time is news?

1:11:32 OH MY GOSH. IT'S ELECTRIFYING.

1:11:36 SCOTTSDALE, GIVE YOURSELVES A BIG ROUND

1:11:38 OF APPLAUSE.

1:11:39 I'M FEELING IT IN MY QUADS.

1:11:40 I feel it in my

1:11:42 calves. I feel it in my my hips.

1:11:46 Oh.

1:11:48 Oh, we're still alive.

1:11:49 Hey.

1:11:50 You know what? Bucket.

1:11:53 Bucket. Yeah.

1:11:55 Bucket. Them hips don't lie.

1:11:59 Oh. Who do you think got more exercise?

1:12:01 The guys on the bouncy balls or us?

1:12:03 Grub.

1:12:04 Grub.

1:12:06 Wherever he is.

1:12:08 Oh.

1:12:10 Mohawk Mike, our producer. Why would you

1:12:12 make us do that?

1:12:16 That should be Michael Schwartz's next

1:12:17 piece.

1:12:18 Does Mohawk Mike

1:12:20 have a hit out

1:12:21 on his broadcasters?

1:12:23 We wait to see.

1:12:26 Bird's still there, by the way, Mohawk

1:12:27 Mike.

1:12:28 >> He He says that he was trying to scare

1:12:29 it away. Mike, did you do uh

1:12:32 Did you do hey baby?

1:12:35 Okay, good.

1:12:36 >> No, no, Michael Schwartz, did you do hey

1:12:38 baby?

1:12:40 This one set up to shoot. We need to

1:12:42 check in with him and his opinion of hey

1:12:43 baby here in just a moment. Mondo tip

1:12:46 drill

1:12:47 bucket one trick play as he tips it to

1:12:50 Tyner for out number one.

1:12:52 I'll take what I can get there. Take

1:12:54 what you can get. Firefighters one out

1:12:56 closer to getting that elusive first

1:12:58 point of the game. Mondo continuing to

1:13:01 show his value in center field a sliding

1:13:03 [music] catch earlier and now a tip

1:13:05 drill there. His first trick play of the

1:13:06 day.

1:13:09 And Loby

1:13:11 one and oh, singled his first time up.

1:13:13 Also, Austin Temple out for his fourth

1:13:15 inning of work. This is the longest he

1:13:16 has gone this season in the starting

1:13:17 spot.

1:13:18 >> Oh, CHECK ME SWING. PEANUT!

1:13:20 >> [screaming]

1:13:21 >> OH, YEAH. CAYDEN PEANUT GREEN BUCKET.

1:13:25 WELL, HE IMPROVISED THE daylights out of

1:13:27 that one AND FOR GOOD REASON. PEANUT'S

1:13:30 GOING BETWEEN THE LEGS. IT'S NOT

1:13:32 Manscape catch, but boy, it looked good,

1:13:35 didn't it, Brett Loftis?

1:13:37 Cayden Green.

1:13:38 >> Michael, uh did you do hey baby there?

1:13:42 What do you say? Did you do hey baby

1:13:43 there? I did no.

1:13:46 I'm disappointed in you, Michael. But

1:13:48 but

1:13:49 But I mean, hey. I mean, I got I got one

1:13:52 of these, right?

1:13:52 >> Oh, we got to get him. He's got to

1:13:53 bounce on that thing, Mike. Bounce on

1:13:56 the big pink ball.

1:13:57 >> Woah. Jordan Barth singled here with two

1:13:59 outs. Mike, get on it and bounce on it.

1:14:02 You can balance it.

1:14:04 Get on it, Mike. Yes, Mike. WE CAN SEE

1:14:07 HIM. YOU SEE HIM IN THE BACKGROUND.

1:14:09 MICHAEL MORE, MICHAEL. MORE,

1:14:12 MORE, MICHAEL.

1:14:13 >> some personality in this. More Hey. Hey.

1:14:16 No. No, I need to see you like bouncing

1:14:17 three feet in the air, dude. Like you're

1:14:20 a rocket ship.

1:14:21 It's leg day for Michael today. That's

1:14:23 That's all he's got for us. You know,

1:14:24 Kyle Martin has something for us.

1:14:50 >> [cheering]

1:15:00 >> If you want to grow big

1:15:02 and get muscles

1:15:05 just do a lot of hey baby. That's what

1:15:07 Kyle Martin did about 43 years ago when

1:15:08 he was 12 years old. I am quite glad you

1:15:11 finished that thought, by the way.

1:15:13 Shout out Michael Schwartz, man.

1:15:15 Oh, this one goes to backstop. Jordan

1:15:17 Barth, the inning-tying run now stands

1:15:19 aboard at second.

1:15:21 Again, the Firefighters so close to

1:15:22 getting that first point. Got two down

1:15:24 quick for Austin Temple. Now the

1:15:27 defense, can they find some help for him

1:15:28 with a runner in scoring position? And

1:15:30 AT's got to find him himself a little

1:15:32 help on the bump. I wish I could call a

1:15:35 banana ball game on those bouncy balls.

1:15:37 That's what I've been thinking about

1:15:38 ever since I seen Michael do that.

1:15:40 >> Javon Reese still sitting on his, by the

1:15:41 way. They're so comfortable.

1:15:43 >> are.

1:15:44 You know what? Just went to the gym in

1:15:46 between sets. You're just pumping some

1:15:48 iron. You find one of those bouncy balls

1:15:50 and you sit on it. I do that all the

1:15:52 time.

1:15:54 The 2-1 Oh, Zach.

1:15:57 Behind us.

1:15:58 >> Both hands were up, baby.

1:15:59 >> On the roof. I was ready.

1:16:03 Two balls, two strikes, two outs.

1:16:06 Biggest pitch of the ball game to this

1:16:07 point coming here from Austin Temple.

1:16:15 KYLE MARTIN! [screaming]

1:16:17 You bet he did!

1:16:20 NO!

1:16:21 >> [screaming]

1:16:21 >> NO!

1:16:22 HE BROUGHT IT BACK! SOUTH TRIMBLE!

1:16:25 NO, HE

1:16:26 DIDN'T!

1:16:27 And the Firefighters win the inning!

1:16:30 The magic man with his GREATEST TRICK,

1:16:33 THE BANANA BALL!

1:16:35 JUST MADE KYLE MARTIN'S HOME RUN

1:16:38 [screaming]

1:16:38 DISAPPEAR!

1:16:40 A poof of smoke! DO WE HAVE HIM?

1:16:43 [cheering]

1:16:43 MICHAEL SCHWARTZ IS STANDING

1:16:45 >> WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT DID

1:16:47 YOU DO? UH NEVER done that before in my

1:16:49 life, but lined it up.

1:16:52 Thought I could make the ball disappear,

1:16:53 but ended up in my glove. Got the out

1:16:56 for the boys. Excited. Are you a madman?

1:16:59 Are you insane? Yeah. 100%. Well, let's

1:17:02 keep that insanity going.

1:17:03 >> Let's keep it going. GET THIS GUY A

1:17:05 DRINK. Michael Schwartz, he's not a

1:17:07 madman. He's the magic man.

1:17:10 HE SAID HE'S NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE. BUT

1:17:13 WHAT A WAY TO TRY IT. SOUTH TRIMBLE JUST

1:17:16 DELIVERS THE FIREFIGHTERS their first

1:17:18 point in unbelievable fashion.

1:17:53 >> [music]

1:18:20 [cheering]

1:18:32 >> Can I tell you a secret, Zach, just

1:18:34 between me, you, and God?

1:18:36 Every time I see a ball hit that hard, I

1:18:38 never never ever ever just go like he's

1:18:42 gone, you know, it's gone, whatever you

1:18:44 say in the home run call. Right there, I

1:18:46 was very confident that that ball was

1:18:47 gone. It's the first time I've jumped

1:18:49 jumped ship on a home run call in a

1:18:51 while. And South Trimble made me look

1:18:53 like an idiot. That was one of the

1:18:55 greatest plays I've ever seen. Now, a

1:18:57 guy who's been really, really good in

1:18:58 this rookie campaign, Brett Sanchez, an

1:19:00 even three ERA, one of the three Texas

1:19:03 Tailgaters

1:19:04 that are among the qualifying pitchers

1:19:06 in our sport that have a sub-three ERA

1:19:08 or a lower.

1:19:11 Darian McDowell, high in the sky with

1:19:13 upside.

1:19:14 Jordan Barth foul territory.

1:19:16 Behind-the-back bucket, JD!

1:19:19 9-5, we ain't talking Dolly Parton

1:19:22 Tailgaters lead the trick play battle.

1:19:24 Good Dolly Parton reference by the way.

1:19:26 I want to go back as Jordan Barr just

1:19:28 continues to show his worth at third

1:19:29 base. What an unbelievable pick for the

1:19:31 Tailgaters in the 2026 Banana Ball

1:19:33 Player Draft. South Trimble was an

1:19:35 all-star forward.

1:19:37 Not just forward

1:19:38 power forward at Cox High School in

1:19:41 Virginia Beach. He would average 11

1:19:43 points and 9 rebounds.

1:19:45 He might have averaged a couple of

1:19:46 blocks given the height he got on that

1:19:48 one, too.

1:19:50 That was incredible.

1:19:52 And now Mason Maxwell stepping back up

1:19:54 as we go hot in here. Brett Sanchez

1:19:56 trying for the trick pitch won't go.

1:19:59 It's my walk-up song in high school.

1:20:01 It's your walk-up song during fire drill

1:20:02 live.

1:20:03 >> That's right. 1 2 to Mace.

1:20:05 Left side. J5.

1:20:09 Ah, can't get the bare-handed trick

1:20:11 play.

1:20:13 But that officially will go down as a

1:20:15 hit for Mason Max. And it's a good

1:20:17 good thought process on the bases for

1:20:19 Mason.

1:20:20 >> He wanted to go two, but saw quickly

1:20:22 they recovered, threw it back in, so

1:20:24 Mason just holds up at first, but that's

1:20:25 a good piece of hitting again. We talked

1:20:27 about it. Barrel on bat or barrel on

1:20:29 ball. Barrel on bat would be impossible.

1:20:31 That's what you need.

1:20:33 Good.

1:20:34 Stank stank.

1:20:36 The nickname that Brett Sanchez

1:20:39 has been awarded here in Banana Ball.

1:20:41 Why?

1:20:42 Well, because I said it and then

1:20:44 secondly, he does the the trick pitch

1:20:46 where he he wipes the banana ball. So, I

1:20:49 call him stank.

1:20:50 >> Stank. Good.

1:20:51 Hopefully we see that here at some point

1:20:52 this afternoon in his outing.

1:20:56 Evening it back up here against Noah

1:20:57 Bridges at two and two.

1:20:58 >> That pitch had some stank on it. Good.

1:21:04 OH, GOT HIM.

1:21:06 LET'S SEE THE STANK STANK SALLY. [music]

1:21:07 WHAT'S HE GOT? OH MY GOSH. OH, NOPE. Oh

1:21:09 my gosh. That's a romp.

1:21:12 This is a family friendly show.

1:21:15 I and I am so sorry.

1:21:17 I am

1:21:18 I'm generally so sorry. We saw I know we

1:21:21 really tow the line here, guys, on a lot

1:21:22 of stuff. That is wild Brett Sanchez. We

1:21:25 going to roll it here again on the

1:21:25 replay? You bet we are. Nope, we're not.

1:21:27 Thank you. By the way Thank you. Aurora

1:21:30 Aurora running replay today. Thank you

1:21:31 so much for that.

1:21:32 >> [laughter]

1:21:33 >> Thank you so much for that.

1:21:36 >> [cheering]

1:21:36 >> SUNSHINE. BETWEEN THE LEGS TO FIVER

1:21:39 BUCKET.

1:21:40 As that will conclude matters here in

1:21:42 the top of the fifth inning.

1:21:44 Texas Tailgaters just continue to put

1:21:45 trick play pressure on [music] the

1:21:46 Firefighters

1:21:48 in the top half of the frame.

1:21:51 As we go down to the field for some

1:21:54 madness between animals. Mascots even,

1:21:58 Brett Loftis.

1:22:09 Down on the third base side, here's Cat.

1:22:12 Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for

1:22:14 March Madness. Now, everybody loves a

1:22:16 dunk contest, but we're going to switch

1:22:18 it up a little bit. Right now, it's

1:22:20 mascot madness. We got a couple mascots

1:22:24 who are going to perform their best

1:22:25 dunk, and you are going to determine the

1:22:27 winner by a round of applause. First up

1:22:30 in our mascot madness dunk contest, from

1:22:33 the Tailgaters, MAKE SOME NOISE FOR

1:22:35 GRUB.

1:22:43 All right, Grub. Let's see the best dunk

1:22:46 that you got.

1:22:50 Scottsdale, Arizona, get ready to make

1:22:52 some noise.

1:22:55 >> [cheering]

1:22:58 >> Oh, um

1:23:00 He's okay. He's He's okay. Uh you missed

1:23:03 it. You missed it. All right. Next up he

1:23:06 is nature's very own firefighter. From

1:23:09 the Firefighters, Bo the Beaver.

1:23:15 >> [cheering]

1:23:17 >> All right, Bo.

1:23:19 Let's see what you got. Scottsdale,

1:23:21 Arizona, GET LOUD.

1:23:26 >> [cheering]

1:23:27 >> And he nails it.

1:23:30 Ladies and gentlemen, we have one more

1:23:33 mascot involved in this dunk contest,

1:23:36 and he is quite the pro.

1:23:39 Get ready to make some noise. From the

1:23:42 PHOENIX SUNS, THE GORILLA.

1:23:45 >> [screaming]

1:23:47 [cheering]

1:23:48 >> UH-OH. UH-OH.

1:23:51 ALL RIGHT, let's see what a real pro can

1:23:53 do.

1:23:56 The Gorilla, he's going to take it home.

1:23:59 SCOTTSDALE, LET ME HEAR YOU.

1:24:02 >> [cheering]

1:24:05 >> The airtime on that. All right, let's

1:24:08 line these mascots up. Do you think the

1:24:12 winner of mascot madness is Grub?

1:24:17 Not bad. Not bad. Do you think the

1:24:19 winner of MASCOT MADNESS IS BO?

1:24:22 >> [cheering]

1:24:23 >> A LITTLE LOUDER. Or do you think the

1:24:25 winner of mascot MADNESS IS THE GORILLA?

1:24:29 [screaming]

1:24:31 >> [cheering]

1:24:33 >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ONE MORE TIME,

1:24:35 MAKE SOME NOISE FOR MASCOT MADNESS.

1:24:43 Ladies and gentlemen, now pitching for

1:24:46 the Firefighters,

1:24:48 a son of Saddam,

1:24:50 number five.

1:24:52 Man, you know who I miss?

1:24:54 Harambe.

1:24:55 >> [laughter]

1:24:56 >> For real, man. Love that. Where'd that

1:24:59 guy go? Uh Yep, we ain't got to talk

1:25:01 about it.

1:25:01 >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to I'm going to

1:25:02 get sad.

1:25:04 Grub's mother has met him.

1:25:07 Marshall Shield.

1:25:09 MARSHALL SHIELD. OH. OH, HE DROPS IT.

1:25:11 DROPPED IT. HE dropped it. And that'll

1:25:14 be an infield single for Macadoo.

1:25:17 Hey, by the way

1:25:19 Brett Loftis, you know who's joining us

1:25:20 on the mic right now?

1:25:21 Talk to me. Well, he's the biggest. He's

1:25:24 the largest. He's also THE TINIEST. HI,

1:25:26 TINY HUGHES.

1:25:27 >> What's up? Hello.

1:25:28 Dude. That's what I call a pivot there.

1:25:30 >> You are an incredible human being,

1:25:32 number one.

1:25:34 Tiny Hughes. Thank you. You're welcome,

1:25:36 man. I feel like we've just bonded there

1:25:37 for a moment. This is a special day here

1:25:39 for Marshall Shield. What What has your

1:25:42 first eight games of Banana Ball

1:25:44 experience been like for you, Tiny, as a

1:25:46 full-time firefighter? I'd say it's been

1:25:48 exceptionally quick.

1:25:51 It's rolling by right

1:25:53 uh

1:25:54 Can y'all hear me or or what? I've got

1:25:55 you loud and clear, dude.

1:25:57 Yeah. Can you hear me? Yeah. Good.

1:26:00 It's okay.

1:26:01 >> [screaming]

1:26:01 >> It's okay.

1:26:03 Well, you know what? We can do better

1:26:04 than okay, I'm sure. But you know what?

1:26:06 Jose Please, SOMEONE CATCH IT. OH MY

1:26:09 GOODNESS.

1:26:11 TINY, there's been some close calls,

1:26:12 man. You've been the victim of the only

1:26:14 fan caught foul ball in a Firefighter

1:26:15 game.

1:26:19 Thing that's ever happened to me, I will

1:26:20 say.

1:26:22 All right, let's get us one here.

1:26:27 Ooh. Ouch. Almost took out a child.

1:26:33 Hey.

1:26:36 >> [cheering]

1:26:36 >> Wait, can we have that?

1:26:38 We cannot have that, unfortunately.

1:26:39 >> All right.

1:26:42 >> [cheering]

1:26:42 >> Tiny, I want to move forward here

1:26:44 as Marshall goes inside of his brother.

1:26:47 >> [cheering]

1:26:48 >> All right. So, last week

1:26:51 Montgomery, Alabama

1:26:52 Caden Peanut Green

1:26:54 >> [cheering]

1:26:55 [screaming]

1:26:56 >> as we see a hit by pitch scenario here.

1:26:58 He is watching us right here. Was told

1:27:00 he could only communicate with you,

1:27:01 Tiny, in M&M lyrics, right?

1:27:04 And you were

1:27:06 confused, to say the very least.

1:27:07 Correct?

1:27:08 >> Absolutely. Back

1:27:10 Want to get him back? Try to

1:27:12 You got the duck calls on.

1:27:15 You can only communicate to Peanut now

1:27:17 with your duck calls. Okay.

1:27:24 That was scary. I didn't like that.

1:27:26 Chopper, Mason over to first, steps on

1:27:30 the bag, goes between the legs. So,

1:27:32 there's one out. So, if you're going to

1:27:33 communicate to Peanut, there's one out.

1:27:35 What do you do?

1:27:36 You know, we're going to have a little

1:27:37 quack.

1:27:38 Okay.

1:27:43 Can I hear that one more time?

1:27:49 Tailgaters have an opportunity to walk

1:27:50 this inning off.

1:27:52 Logan Lacey, though

1:27:54 brings the second out, which means what,

1:27:55 Tiny?

1:27:57 Give us a

1:28:00 Peanut.

1:28:03 Good. Good. Good.

1:28:05 Crucial moment here in the ball game. Is

1:28:07 Peanut confused? I think I think he's

1:28:09 got it on. I think he knows what's

1:28:11 happening. Okay. We'll talk to him after

1:28:13 the game. Bottom five, two outs, Taylor

1:28:15 Justice

1:28:17 0 and 1.

1:28:20 Tiny, you've told me at some point you

1:28:21 want to pull off a backflip catch. If

1:28:23 you do that, I will let out a duck call

1:28:25 just naturally.

1:28:26 Ooh.

1:28:30 Won't say it about 5 million feet foul.

1:28:36 You want to talk a little trash to the

1:28:37 guy at second with your duck calls?

1:28:44 Look. I think we're going to have

1:28:46 Uh-oh, Zach. Oh, slow clap. Slow clap.

1:28:48 Marshall Shield's going to light the

1:28:50 ball on fire. 0 and 2. Get out of a big

1:28:53 jam here in the bottom of the fifth

1:28:54 inning.

1:28:59 He lights IT UP.

1:29:02 OH.

1:29:05 TAYLOR JUSTICE JUST GOT THAT OFF the end

1:29:07 of the bat.

1:29:10 Tiny, by the way, your twin brother

1:29:11 Jared Donaldson

1:29:14 Back. got here at like 2:00 a.m. on a

1:29:16 red eye.

1:29:20 Marshall Scheel going to light it up

1:29:21 again?

1:29:23 Oh, he is. The third

1:29:25 FIRE PITCH.

1:29:30 HEY, can you

1:29:38 Can you Can you

1:29:40 I can hear you.

1:29:41 Yeah, unfortunately we cannot hear

1:29:43 Tyler. Sorry to

1:29:45 get to the rest of this inning without

1:29:46 him, unfortunately. I did enjoy those

1:29:48 duck calls. Opportunity for a fan

1:29:51 lands in the concourse. Man, to be There

1:29:54 was a fan walking in. Prime position

1:29:56 there. Walked right into the glove of

1:29:58 somebody, knocked out of the glove.

1:30:00 Not even helping each other out here.

1:30:02 Big at bat, though. Back to the banana

1:30:03 ball. Oh and two.

1:30:06 Tailgaters can win this inning 90 ft

1:30:07 away.

1:30:09 Mhm.

1:30:12 Marshall Scheel, what an opportunity.

1:30:13 Left the bases loaded last night on a

1:30:16 strikeout.

1:30:18 TAYLOR!

1:30:20 DEEP LEFT FIELD!

1:30:23 TAYLOR JUSTICE! HIS SECOND LONG ball of

1:30:26 the YEAR IS A WALK-OFF!

1:30:30 A three-run shot!

1:30:34 YOU CAN'T STOP IT. YOU CAN ONLY HOPE TO

1:30:38 CONTAIN THE MAN WEARING 85 in the blue

1:30:40 and orange right now.

1:30:47 >> [cheering]

1:30:53 >> Two to one as we conclude matters here

1:30:55 in the fifth inning.

1:30:57 And the boys in blue and orange, they

1:30:58 got some rubber ducks.

1:31:24 I'm going to tell you something.

1:31:26 Tell you a little secret between me,

1:31:27 you, and God. I did that the other day.

1:31:30 I did that dance the other day. Where

1:31:31 at?

1:31:32 Grayson Stadium, Savannah, Georgia. I

1:31:33 ain't never done this, though. Taylor

1:31:35 Justice hit his first career banana ball

1:31:37 home run, regular season banana ball

1:31:39 home run a couple weeks back in Round

1:31:40 Rock. Now he's got two of them on the

1:31:42 year. I know we don't award a most

1:31:43 improved player, but if we did, Taylor

1:31:45 would be the frontrunner for that right

1:31:46 there. Goes up there no BG's, old-school

1:31:49 style, and then a bat flip to the

1:31:51 absolute moon, baby.

1:31:54 Mike,

1:31:56 who you got down there with you?

1:32:03 Hey guys, well, that's not exactly how

1:32:05 Marshall Scheel wanted to end the

1:32:06 inning, but hey, look, we have everyone

1:32:09 here from his family, his father Eddie,

1:32:11 his mom Dina, and actually Eddie was

1:32:14 telling me a really cool story about how

1:32:15 he pitches. It all started with nature.

1:32:19 Well, he we grew up on a ranch outside

1:32:21 Camp Verde called the Scheel Ranch.

1:32:23 And he used to skip rocks across the

1:32:26 pond, and it's a similar [cheering]

1:32:27 throw of throwing rocks across the pond.

1:32:30 So, he he throws the rocks like that,

1:32:32 obviously. What you It was like a

1:32:33 three-acre pond that he had skipped

1:32:35 rocks on.

1:32:36 >> [cheering]

1:32:36 >> You guys just came here from Cottonwood.

1:32:38 Cottonwood's about an hour and a half

1:32:39 away from here. They were here last

1:32:41 night, they're back here today. What's

1:32:43 it like to see him in his element, in

1:32:45 his home area of Arizona, do his thing?

1:32:48 We're very proud of him. You know,

1:32:50 Jesse's wife asked one time, "Did

1:32:53 Marshall always be, you know, this

1:32:55 outgoing, or did he just start this?"

1:32:58 And we're like, "Oh, no, he's always

1:32:59 been this way." And he loves it, and

1:33:01 he's living his dream. But remember,

1:33:03 kids, he didn't start playing with fire

1:33:05 until he was old enough to do so, and

1:33:08 that's when he didn't do it. He wasn't

1:33:09 practicing those fire pitches when he

1:33:11 was a little kid. No, no, but but but he

1:33:14 loved everything about it.

1:33:16 Go, Marshall. We'll send it back to the

1:33:18 field. We got some more firefighter

1:33:20 action coming right up. [cheering]

1:33:21 Man, that's a that's good stuff.

1:33:23 Papa Scheel, Mama Scheel.

1:33:27 You know, Marshall able to get the big

1:33:28 out last night.

1:33:30 Had an opportunity right there. Long AB,

1:33:33 good AB. Couple of really good outings,

1:33:35 so it's not going to reflect that here

1:33:36 this weekend in his home state. First

1:33:38 time back playing pro ball, playing

1:33:40 banana ball here for Marshall Scheel in

1:33:42 the Grand Canyon State. Two, three, and

1:33:44 four here for the Firefighters. Brett

1:33:46 Sanchez beginning his second inning of

1:33:48 work, and now with a lead here two to

1:33:50 one in the top of the sixth.

1:33:52 Logan Lacey

1:33:56 would like anything but to not get hit

1:33:57 by a pitcher, I assume.

1:33:59 First two plate appearances have

1:34:00 resulted in his left shoulder getting

1:34:01 plunked.

1:34:06 Mhm.

1:34:08 Good 0-2 pitch there from Brett Sanchez.

1:34:11 Trick play battle, by the way. 10 in the

1:34:13 sixth. 10 in the sixth, the Texas

1:34:14 Tailgaters leave the trick play battle.

1:34:18 Equalizer point, obviously, looms large

1:34:21 today.

1:34:22 The boys in red.

1:34:26 Logan pokes that one on the roof.

1:34:35 Sanchez, big leg swing into the net.

1:34:38 I don't think it's too early to start

1:34:39 talking about fire or Tailgaters winning

1:34:41 today.

1:34:42 Put them exclusively in the two seed. If

1:34:45 they swept Chapel Hill with a win today,

1:34:46 they would be the one seed.

1:34:49 The white

1:34:51 J5, BETWEEN THE LEGS!

1:34:54 BUCKET!

1:34:56 That is THE SIXTH TRICK PLAY TODAY FOR

1:34:59 JORDAN HUSSEY. HE NEEDS JUST one more

1:35:02 for a hundred in his banana ball career.

1:35:05 And that one [music] was not an easy one

1:35:06 to get. Bounce high up to him, but he

1:35:08 brings it in. Dalton Cornett, what you

1:35:10 got?

1:35:33 What a little rascal that Dalton Cornett

1:35:35 is.

1:35:36 Tossing uh some water

1:35:38 on Taylor Justice, trying to cool him

1:35:40 off after that three-run belt.

1:35:42 DC3, got to find a way to get on base

1:35:45 here with the Firefighters trailing two

1:35:46 to one, and no one better to try to do

1:35:48 it

1:35:49 than old DC3. Out to center, Indiana

1:35:51 Stanley. In back tip drill, bucket.

1:36:00 He just nails in center field.

1:36:02 What can you say?

1:36:04 Whether it's trickery or normal, Indiana

1:36:07 Stanley

1:36:08 in center field, you can just count on

1:36:09 it.

1:36:14 Mhm.

1:36:16 One to nothing to Mr. Jones.

1:36:19 In the sky.

1:36:21 Tailing towards foul territory. JB wants

1:36:24 it.

1:36:27 Trick play master, Jordan Barth.

1:36:30 For the second time today, Eric Jones

1:36:31 Jr. will reach because of some

1:36:33 mishandled fielding

1:36:35 from the Texas Tailgaters. But now, who

1:36:37 comes [music] up to the plate but the

1:36:38 hottest man on the Firefighters, and

1:36:40 Cayden Peanut Green.

1:36:41 Had a single his last time up, third hit

1:36:43 of the series so far for Peanut.

1:36:47 Sanchez, talk to me about that move in

1:36:48 the locker room this week.

1:36:50 And the biggest thing is staying engaged

1:36:51 on the rubber while doing that. Out to

1:36:53 right. Brother, long way to run. What

1:36:55 have it for out number three. Trick play

1:36:59 miss, no harm, no foul. Brett Sanchez

1:37:01 throws up another zero for the boys in

1:37:03 blue and orange trying to extend their

1:37:05 lead here in the home half. Lead it two

1:37:06 to nothing here in Scottsdale.

1:37:09 >> [snorts]

1:37:11 >> Ladies and gentlemen,

1:37:12 at this time would all veterans and

1:37:15 active duty service members, please

1:37:17 rise.

1:37:20 Fans, please join us in honoring the men

1:37:22 and women who serve this great nation as

1:37:25 we salute our hometown heroes of the

1:37:28 game.

1:37:29 >> [applause]

1:37:32 >> To our police officers,

1:37:34 to our nurses,

1:37:36 to our EMS workers, to our dispatchers,

1:37:42 to our school teachers,

1:37:45 and [cheering] to our firefighters!

1:37:50 >> [applause]

1:37:52 >> We thank you for your service and

1:37:54 commitment to our great country.

1:37:58 Now, fans, at this time, we ask everyone

1:38:02 in attendance at today's game to please

1:38:05 rise as we stand together with our

1:38:08 firefighters in appreciation of the

1:38:10 sacrifices they make to protect our

1:38:13 communities.

1:38:15 Fans, as we head into the seventh

1:38:16 inning, please remain standing until the

1:38:18 Firefighters record their first out.

1:38:32 Jared Donaldson,

1:38:34 what a day that this man has had. Really

1:38:37 what a last 48 hours that this man has

1:38:39 had.

1:38:40 Let me just give you the backstory. His

1:38:42 younger brother, Jake,

1:38:44 getting married.

1:38:47 He goes to that.

1:38:49 The wedding was last night.

1:38:51 Jared Donaldson then [music] drove two

1:38:53 hours to Atlanta, boarded a red eye, and

1:38:55 flew all the way out here to Phoenix,

1:38:57 Arizona, traveled the 15 minutes it

1:38:59 takes to get from the airport to the

1:39:00 ball field here

1:39:02 at Salt River Fields,

1:39:04 and is now here

1:39:06 to get underway another game of work.

1:39:09 And he gets to face a man heading on a

1:39:10 unicycle. It's Sunny.

1:39:13 Jonathan Sunshine Lueders

1:39:15 hitting in place of Jordan Hussein here

1:39:17 in the 10 hole. That's important because

1:39:19 Sunny is the designated fielder today.

1:39:20 That will now be burned.

1:39:22 So, I'll have somebody new playing

1:39:23 second here. Sunny hits this one on the

1:39:25 loop.

1:39:26 How banana ball would it have gotten, by

1:39:28 the way, if someone would have Fan

1:39:29 caught a foul ball. A man on a unicycle.

1:39:32 Go out.

1:39:36 And this guy left side.

1:39:38 Perfect trick play OPPORTUNITY FOR

1:39:39 SUNNY. SHOWTIME HANDSPRING BUCKET.

1:39:42 And that's the first one of 2026 for the

1:39:45 Fire Fighters. Logan Lacey does it so

1:39:47 well.

1:39:48 And for the first time in 2026, you see

1:39:51 it live and in living color. Showtime

1:39:55 electrifies.

1:39:59 Jared Donaldson, by the way.

1:40:01 He gets Jason Arnt to swing and miss. He

1:40:03 told me he has not slept in basically

1:40:05 about 36 hours.

1:40:07 He told me 60.

1:40:08 I was trying to be nice. I didn't want

1:40:10 anybody to worry about it too much. He

1:40:11 told me 60. He hadn't slept in 2 and 1/2

1:40:13 days. He's running off of 7,000

1:40:15 millivanaligrams of caffeine. Yeah, the

1:40:17 entire huge shared one turn reversal

1:40:19 today.

1:40:21 Ball and two to Jason. Who's now hitting

1:40:23 in the lead off spot in place of Zack

1:40:25 Watson.

1:40:26 Jason scheduled to play 6th, 7th, and

1:40:28 8th innings in left field today. Saw

1:40:30 Donnie go behind the back trying to go

1:40:31 for the trick pitch there.

1:40:38 60 hours of no sleep.

1:40:42 And by the way,

1:40:44 did he get him? Nope.

1:40:48 Donnie sure thought he did.

1:40:50 Hook out now to Mighty Li.

1:40:56 Got him.

1:40:59 SLEEPLESS OR NOT, JARED Donaldson still

1:41:01 throwing gas.

1:41:03 Is he taking his shirt off?

1:41:09 He's not. He's been told not to take his

1:41:12 shirt off, Brett Loftis. There's a rule.

1:41:15 Can't take your shirt off when you

1:41:16 strike somebody out, apparently. You can

1:41:17 take a guitar out there, but you can't

1:41:19 take your shirt off. But, Jared

1:41:20 Donaldson, by the way, told me [music]

1:41:22 he's planning on pulling an all-nighter

1:41:24 tonight because his flight is at 5:00

1:41:26 a.m.

1:41:28 Why?

1:41:29 I asked the same thing. Why? I asked the

1:41:32 same [music] thing. Man, as soon as I

1:41:33 would get done with this outing, make a

1:41:35 couple fans versus moments, he's found a

1:41:36 few innings. I'm going to sleep if I'm

1:41:38 Jared Donaldson. Oh, I'd be asleep on

1:41:39 the pitcher's mound. I'm still going to

1:41:40 sleep. I only slept like 4 and 1/2 hours

1:41:42 last night myself, you know. Geez.

1:41:45 Donny do Donny. Oh, Lopey.

1:41:48 Did he go? He ate it.

1:41:50 Wow.

1:41:51 Knee breaker, to say the least.

1:41:54 Ball and a strike.

1:41:57 Ball and two strikes now as Lopey comes

1:41:59 up with the old back-to-backs.

1:42:00 Splinkers. Behind the back trick pitch.

1:42:05 Lopey out to right center. Mondo has it

1:42:09 on the track for out number three. Fire

1:42:11 Fighters protect the inning. They still

1:42:13 trail at two to one after six frames

1:42:15 here in Scottsdale. But for a sleepy

1:42:17 man, that was quite the quick inning.

1:42:20 Not going above 3 minutes. Mondo, maybe

1:42:22 a little bit of trick-eration there, but

1:42:24 he's able to catch back up to it. And

1:42:26 just like that, side retired. Fire

1:42:27 Fighters still trailing 2-1 going to the

1:42:29 top of the 7th as we start looking ahead

1:42:31 at what's to come here in Banana Ball.

1:42:34 The next time, Brett, that we're going

1:42:35 to be here is not next week cuz we're

1:42:37 off. We're taking a little spring break

1:42:39 action. Brett Loftis is going to be

1:42:41 doing a lot of partying out there.

1:42:42 Meanwhile, I'm going to sleep. That's

1:42:44 what I'm going to do next week and

1:42:46 probably go to church for Easter. That's

1:42:47 probably all I'll be doing. Clowns and

1:42:49 Coconuts in a couple of weekends,

1:42:51 Charleston, South Carolina. That's

1:42:52 special. First headliner there for the

1:42:54 Clowns and if you'll excuse me, for the

1:42:56 Coconuts. It'll still be a home and

1:42:58 home. This is the last weekend before

1:43:00 the Banana Ball opens, so we're still

1:43:01 flipped on the scoreboard, home and

1:43:03 home. Tailgaters playing in their second

1:43:04 football stadium in Chapel Hill that

1:43:07 weekend, Saturday and Sunday series. And

1:43:09 then Fire Fighters Party Animals,

1:43:10 Albuquerque, New Mexico. Drew Guliaspi

1:43:12 returns home for the third straight

1:43:14 year. And that will be a Party Animals

1:43:15 headliner in

1:43:17 9:00 Eastern in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

1:43:20 So, we'll have Friday,

1:43:23 Clowns and Coconuts, and then the next

1:43:24 two games, games one will be on

1:43:25 Saturday, April the 11th. That's a

1:43:28 couple weekends from now. We'll miss you

1:43:30 guys next weekend during Easter weekend,

1:43:32 but hopefully you guys will find some

1:43:33 candy and go Easter egg hunting and all

1:43:36 that good stuff.

1:43:37 You ever had an Egg Beater egg? Cadbury?

1:43:40 Cadbury or Egg Beater? You know what?

1:43:41 Same difference.

1:43:42 Either way, yes, I have. Mhm. I think

1:43:44 it's my wife's [music] favorite candy

1:43:45 outside of like those uh Kinder Bueno

1:43:47 bars.

1:43:49 Does that have the cream filling in it?

1:43:50 I believe so, yes. They come with a

1:43:52 little toy, too, which I think is the

1:43:53 biggest part of the whole thing.

1:43:54 >> like crunchy candy, man. Like I like a

1:43:56 little Kit Kat action.

1:43:57 >> Little crunch bar?

1:43:58 Yeah, I know a lot of people can't eat

1:44:00 peanut butter and whatnot. Love a good

1:44:02 Reese's Cup. Little Reese's egg? Yep.

1:44:04 Reese's Cup, Reese's egg.

1:44:06 Lamar to right.

1:44:07 Brother.

1:44:11 Bucket for out number one.

1:44:18 Make it 13 to seven in the trick play

1:44:20 category for the Tailgaters.

1:44:22 This is what you do when you're the home

1:44:23 team. You just rack them up and keep

1:44:25 trying to make things a little bit

1:44:26 difficult on the visitors, and that's

1:44:28 exactly what the Texas Tailgaters have

1:44:30 done here today.

1:44:35 Indiana Stanley, how are you, my friend?

1:44:38 I don't know if you can hear me.

1:44:39 I I can hear you. Oh, well, I'm doing

1:44:41 great, man. How are you?

1:44:42 Clearly you can hear me. Indy, is this

1:44:44 you? Hey, Jake.

1:44:46 TIP TIP TIP.

1:44:48 That's two. Bucket bucket. That's Jason

1:44:51 Arnt's first trick play in Banana Ball.

1:44:54 Brooke.

1:44:57 That's a

1:44:58 first trick play, man.

1:45:00 Let's go.

1:45:01 Glad to be a part of it.

1:45:02 That's six. Yes. Yes. Double bucket on

1:45:05 Jason's first trick play.

1:45:07 I see you up there getting excited. I

1:45:09 like that, dude. Good pitching.

1:45:11 Oh, that's awesome. That is so awesome.

1:45:14 Jake's here.

1:45:15 See you later.

1:45:17 Gosh.

1:45:19 Indy, uh maybe we can get you another

1:45:21 one here, huh?

1:45:22 Look, that's two outs. Yeah, we got two

1:45:24 outs. I want to see the one out. If we

1:45:26 got the right trajectory here, I know

1:45:27 Daryll McDowell spray some up the

1:45:29 middle. We get the right trajectory

1:45:30 here, I want a backflip from you. All

1:45:31 right, I like he hits the ball real

1:45:33 hard, though, I will say. He does. He

1:45:35 does.

1:45:35 >> know if you saw yesterday. He's I think

1:45:36 it was his second at bat.

1:45:38 He got that double. Yeah, he did. Ended

1:45:40 up getting him out at third. Indy, how

1:45:42 you been liking Arizona?

1:45:44 I like it a lot, though, man. Like we

1:45:45 were scootering earlier

1:45:47 to the stadium and it was it was an

1:45:49 excellent scooter.

1:45:50 How many balls is there? I'll say three

1:45:51 balls out.

1:45:53 Yeah, um excellent scooter, but

1:45:56 it's so different, dude. It's like a

1:45:57 just a different biome. Like California

1:46:00 wears over here and stuff. It's just

1:46:01 crazy. No trick plays. I'll backflip for

1:46:04 you, though. You want to watch me?

1:46:05 Little stank stank

1:46:07 from Brett Sanchez.

1:46:09 He throws up yet another zero. His third

1:46:13 straight Indy. That was a quick

1:46:15 conversation we had, but hey, that's a

1:46:17 good problem to have, huh? Yeah,

1:46:18 absolutely, man. I also didn't make it

1:46:20 out until the first out was done.

1:46:23 I love you. I love you, too, man. See

1:46:25 you.

1:46:26 Zack.

1:46:30 Shirtless man and two burgers. And

1:46:33 they're going to run a relay race

1:46:34 bringing these barbecue sandwiches all

1:46:36 the way around. But they're not going to

1:46:38 be holding them in their hands. No,

1:46:39 they're keep these sandwiches nice and

1:46:41 warm. They're going all the way up in

1:46:44 their armpits.

1:46:47 But get this. The losing representative

1:46:50 will have to take a bite of the winning

1:46:52 team's burger.

1:46:55 Scottsdale, this is the barbecue pit

1:46:58 race. Gentlemen, get those burgers in

1:47:01 your pits.

1:47:05 We're going to get going in three, two,

1:47:08 one.

1:47:12 And they're off.

1:47:15 Patties and buns to the wind.

1:47:18 They're moving.

1:47:20 Team No Hats takes a big lead. Get that

1:47:23 burger in your armpit.

1:47:28 It's going to come down to this. Through

1:47:30 the finish line, who's it going to be?

1:47:32 And it's Team No Hats.

1:47:35 All right, come here.

1:47:37 Bring it this way.

1:47:38 Gentlemen,

1:47:40 take that burger out of his armpit.

1:47:43 Hoist it to the sky.

1:47:46 He's got to take a bite. Count him down

1:47:48 in three, two, one. Eat that sandwich.

1:47:58 Boo.

1:47:59 Eat that sandwich.

1:48:02 Can we get a big old boo?

1:48:09 I don't know if I like that.

1:48:12 You don't like shirtless people?

1:48:15 Racing with barbecue? Barbecue pit race,

1:48:17 man.

1:48:18 Nah, I I I I didn't like it cuz I loved

1:48:21 it.

1:48:22 I'd teach you a good for that one, huh?

1:48:23 Got him.

1:48:24 Part of the order here for the Texas

1:48:26 Tailgaters. 15 to seven, the Tailgaters

1:48:28 lead the trick play battle.

1:48:30 Trying to take a three to one lead in

1:48:31 this ball game here.

1:48:33 Brett Sanchez has done yeoman's work

1:48:35 today. Three straight scoreless innings.

1:48:37 [music]

1:48:38 Jordan Barth got a single on his line

1:48:41 today.

1:48:42 Jordan Hussein, one trick play away from

1:48:43 100. Mighty Li, Jason Arnt [music] just

1:48:45 got his first career Banana Ball trick

1:48:47 play.

1:48:48 And meanwhile, the Fire Fighters, you

1:48:49 see it on the side of the scoreboard,

1:48:50 they're down 15-7. If they want to get

1:48:52 that equalizer point, which would be

1:48:53 huge, they really got to find something

1:48:55 quick, fast, [music] and in a hurry in

1:48:56 the field.

1:48:58 Yeah, it's Zack, I hate to tell you

1:48:59 this. It's mathematically impossible.

1:49:03 They're down by eight trick plays.

1:49:05 One triple trick play is all it the

1:49:07 deck.

1:49:09 I don't know why we're doing this

1:49:10 argument again. It's 3-1 count.

1:49:14 Make it 3-2 count.

1:49:16 I just want to know about your math,

1:49:17 man. I I want to be able to figure out

1:49:18 where you're coming up with your

1:49:19 numbers. Full count, JB. Fouls it off

1:49:22 again.

1:49:25 Mathematically impossible. Okay, so

1:49:26 let's say they [music] get three double

1:49:28 trick plays in the inning. That cuts

1:49:30 from eight to six.

1:49:31 >> You can't get three double trick plays.

1:49:33 That would be six outs.

1:49:37 No, a double trick play is one out.

1:49:40 So that's still if you got a double

1:49:42 trick play on every single out, it's

1:49:44 down it's only six trick plays.

1:49:45 >> Correct, but there's still another

1:49:46 inning to go.

1:49:49 Oh, there's a strikeout.

1:49:51 This is great.

1:49:52 >> So that takes away that one out. Yeah,

1:49:54 now it's more. Now you're confusing me.

1:49:56 >> Now it's tough.

1:49:57 >> [music]

1:50:00 >> That's a beautiful splitter, though.

1:50:01 That's exactly what Donnie has been

1:50:02 known for

1:50:03 in Banana Ball. That fastball and that

1:50:05 splitter.

1:50:07 And he gets it swinging and missing.

1:50:10 K-Mart.

1:50:13 It's nearly mathematically impossible.

1:50:15 >> There you go.

1:50:15 >> Good. Good, Zach. Good. You know what?

1:50:17 You called a home run earlier.

1:50:20 And then it turned out to be Fans have

1:50:21 an opportunity.

1:50:26 I still want to see these fans catch

1:50:27 them. I don't care if Tailgaters are at

1:50:28 the dish or not. I'll see it.

1:50:32 At some point I need to know is this the

1:50:33 longest streak a team has gone without

1:50:35 having a fan caught foul ball for them?

1:50:37 It's got to be long, man. We had two

1:50:39 last Saturday in Sacramento. Neither

1:50:41 team has had one this weekend.

1:50:43 K-Mart.

1:50:45 Out to right. Darian McDowell ranging

1:50:47 over towards the foul line.

1:50:49 Out number two.

1:50:51 And now

1:50:52 that that's the normal out we're they're

1:50:54 pretty much just saying, "Hey, you know

1:50:56 what? Equalizer point. See you later."

1:50:59 Yeah, that's what I

1:51:01 really mean, right? Like you

1:51:03 It's not mathematically impossible, but

1:51:05 >> mathematically real difficult. Yeah.

1:51:07 Improbable.

1:51:10 Still not mathematically impossible, but

1:51:12 it's just like jeez, man, how tough it

1:51:14 would be to get the right balls and all

1:51:15 that stuff. Yeah. From now until the end

1:51:18 of the eighth inning the Texas

1:51:19 Tailgaters have to get no trick plays

1:51:20 and the Firefighters would have to

1:51:23 double up a lot on four outs.

1:51:25 Ball and a strike to Mac and Doodle.

1:51:29 Single his last time up.

1:51:36 Quick game today, man.

1:51:40 That will help the Tailgaters. Not the

1:51:42 time that we were just talking about.

1:51:45 Big arm from Noah Bridges. Throw back in

1:51:47 not in time. Back-to-back days Mac and

1:51:49 Doodle has a two-bagger.

1:51:53 Mac Danford almost hurt his own case

1:51:54 there. The ball took a ricochet off the

1:51:56 sidewall. Bounced right into Noah

1:51:58 Bridges' glove and you just said it.

1:51:59 He's got a cannon from left field. Watch

1:52:02 it right here. It goes right by

1:52:03 Showtime.

1:52:05 Bam!

1:52:07 Into Noah Bridges' glove.

1:52:09 Brother already has one walk-off today.

1:52:11 Sac fly walk-off back in the second

1:52:13 inning.

1:52:16 Trying to do it again here.

1:52:18 Ball four sprint would do the trick.

1:52:19 He's halfway there.

1:52:22 Jared Donaldson trying to throw up

1:52:23 back-to-back zeros here for the

1:52:25 Firefighters.

1:52:36 And this guy out to right

1:52:38 Darian McDowell

1:52:41 Out number three.

1:52:42 Jared Donaldson back-to-back scoreless

1:52:44 frames off of 60 hours since he last

1:52:48 slept. Wow.

1:52:50 Boys in blue orange still leading here

1:52:51 from Salt River Fields.

1:53:17 >> [cheering]

1:53:22 [cheering]

1:53:28 [cheering]

1:53:34 [cheering]

1:53:41 [cheering]

1:54:00 [cheering]

1:54:01 [screaming]

1:54:12 >> Brett Sanchez.

1:54:15 Guy continuing to tow the rubber out

1:54:16 there for the Texas Tailgaters.

1:54:19 They call T.I. the rubber band man. Old

1:54:21 Stakes Stakes got a rubber band for a

1:54:22 right arm. Beginning his fourth inning

1:54:24 of work.

1:54:26 Facing 9, 10, and 1 of the Firefighters

1:54:28 lineup. It's getting crunch time.

1:54:30 Equalizer point thrown out the window.

1:54:32 Trailing by a point.

1:54:34 Mason Maxwell

1:54:35 gets standing started.

1:54:37 >> [cheering]

1:54:37 >> With a lead off single. By the way,

1:54:39 since Sunshine hit on the unicycle, Mac

1:54:41 Danford is now playing second base. Kyle

1:54:43 Martin [music]

1:54:44 is at first.

1:54:48 For the trick plays it's no small feat

1:54:49 cuz you obviously know how potent Sunny

1:54:52 can be. And at the plate for the first

1:54:53 time today, Dakota McFadden will step in

1:54:55 for Noah Bridges.

1:54:57 That is not a golden A B. JORDAN

1:54:59 HUSSEIN! 6-4-3

1:55:02 DOUBLE BUCKET IN JORDAN HUSSEIN WITH 100

1:55:06 CAREER TRICK PLAYS IN THIS SPORT.

1:55:12 >> [cheering]

1:55:24 >> MAN, that's cool.

1:55:26 That's your captain. That's a Texas kid.

1:55:30 And that's a century's worth of trick

1:55:31 plays. The 13th player in Banana Ball

1:55:34 history

1:55:35 to have 100 career trick plays and the

1:55:37 first Texas Tailgater to do it.

1:55:41 Obviously had a few in his rookie

1:55:43 campaign with the Party Animals.

1:55:46 But 69 of them here in the orange and

1:55:48 blue as Tiny loses his bat.

1:55:51 That's cool, man. We knew he was going

1:55:53 to need eight coming into the weekend.

1:55:55 Seven trick plays Jordan Hussein has in

1:55:58 his ballgame this afternoon.

1:56:13 0 and 2.

1:56:15 Tiny going up against his former visitor

1:56:17 teammate.

1:56:18 Would like anything to ruin the frame

1:56:20 for Jordan Hussein as he goes for this

1:56:21 white throw again.

1:56:27 Just an insane motion

1:56:30 before you throw, but it works so well

1:56:31 for Brett Sanchez.

1:56:33 Stakes Stakes following behind.

1:56:35 Following even I should say at two balls

1:56:37 and two strikes.

1:56:39 Back up the middle Mac and Doodle. Oh.

1:56:42 Not able to make the play.

1:56:44 Trick play missed there on Mac Danford.

1:56:48 And the Firefighters will take it. Any

1:56:49 way to get someone on base.

1:56:52 Especially with Logan Lacy. And now a

1:56:54 pitching switch for the Texas

1:56:55 Tailgaters. It's Jonathan Hughes coming

1:56:57 in. I love this.

1:56:59 You know, we didn't know if we would see

1:57:00 Johnny Boy this weekend at all.

1:57:02 Obviously you've seen four strong

1:57:04 innings today from Chris Clark, three

1:57:05 and two-thirds from Brett Sanchez.

1:57:07 And now Jonathan Hughes

1:57:09 who really at this point, Zach Staten,

1:57:11 just has to come in and get a single out

1:57:13 because you know number 22 Reese Miller

1:57:15 is going to be primed and ready for that

1:57:17 ninth inning as Logan Lacy fouls off the

1:57:18 first one.

1:57:21 Jonathan would have pitched the eighth

1:57:23 last night. Tailgaters held a 4-1 lead.

1:57:25 Joe Mickley felt very good about

1:57:27 throwing Matthew Fletcher out there.

1:57:28 This one just sneaks inside of the

1:57:30 chalk. Jason Ort tracks it down.

1:57:32 Hustling around third is Tiny.

1:57:35 And he's going to score without a throw.

1:57:37 That is a big time run here in the top

1:57:38 of the eighth.

1:57:40 What did I tell you? Showtime would find

1:57:43 the swing. And just like that in the

1:57:46 biggest situation, he brings home Tiny

1:57:48 Hughes from first.

1:57:51 Ooh.

1:57:56 >> [music]

1:58:01 [singing]

1:58:08 [music and singing]

1:58:14 [music]

1:58:19 >> Well, that was certainly an angle.

1:58:21 The first quartet

1:58:24 in the history of the Firefighters.

1:58:26 Little lollipop action there.

1:58:28 And what not a lollipop for Logan Lacy.

1:58:30 It was a dart to left field. Gave Jason

1:58:32 Ort some trouble.

1:58:33 And it brings home a massive run for the

1:58:35 Firefighters. They trail 2 to 1.

1:58:40 Also want to point out here

1:58:42 Jordan Hussein is now one trick play

1:58:43 away [music] from tying the single game

1:58:45 individual trick play record. OH MY

1:58:47 GOSH! DEEP RIGHT! DC3 WITH A TWO-RUN

1:58:52 YA-YA.

1:58:56 TALK SOFTLY AND CARRY A BIG STICK. And

1:58:59 Dalton Cornett at the talking stick.

1:59:03 Throws the lumber around.

1:59:06 DC3'S FIRST HOMER IN 2026.

1:59:10 And the Firefighters have found some

1:59:12 momentum in the top of the eighth.

1:59:15 THREE-NOTHING LEAD. LAUNCH THAT KICK AND

1:59:18 THE FIRE.

1:59:23 ZACK, something you talked about this

1:59:25 morning. You and I were sitting here,

1:59:26 you said it in the open as well.

1:59:29 The

1:59:31 Okay, let's go down to Michael Schwartz.

1:59:34 Yo, your teammates are a little proud of

1:59:35 you right there. Yeah, I've been a

1:59:37 little slow, but I needed that one right

1:59:39 there. How'd that feel? Felt great. I

1:59:41 got a piece of it.

1:59:42 Hit it out. You crushed that back to

1:59:44 Long Island, where we both have

1:59:45 connections, I think.

1:59:46 >> That's exactly back to my girlfriend in

1:59:47 Long Island. Here we go. I hope she

1:59:48 caught that. All right, back to you.

1:59:49 >> We were talking this morning, Zack.

1:59:51 Something you looked at me and you said

1:59:54 both of these teams

1:59:55 they have very big innings. Very big

1:59:57 innings. That is what sparked these two

1:59:59 lineups. Neither team yesterday.

2:00:01 Tailgaters kind of had the leverage.

2:00:03 Three-run inning.

2:00:04 That is good. Now, tying the most runs

2:00:07 we've seen scored in an inning. A

2:00:08 three-run homer from Taylor Justice has

2:00:10 been [music] the three-run output today

2:00:12 for the Tailgaters. And now, a big

2:00:13 inning here, critical number for the

2:00:15 Firefighters, really helping turn the

2:00:16 momentum here late in this ball game.

2:00:23 Payoff pitch from Jonathan Hughes. Got

2:00:25 him.

2:00:26 Big-time palm change to get out of the

2:00:28 inning, but not before three come home

2:00:30 here for the Firefighters.

2:00:33 Dalton Cornett

2:00:34 you knew he'd find it. You knew he'd

2:00:36 find the swing and the power comes in

2:00:38 Arizona.

2:00:40 tradition, I need everybody to get up on

2:00:41 your feet, put your arms around each

2:00:44 other as we sing along and remember,

2:00:46 there is always a home in Banana Ball.

2:00:57 >> [music]

2:01:05 [music]

2:01:17 [music]

2:01:22 [music]

2:01:41 [music]

2:02:08 >> Scottsdale, Arizona, you look absolutely

2:02:10 [music] beautiful. We love you. Keep the

2:02:13 energy up high

2:02:14 and let's go, Firefighters!

2:02:17 >> [cheering]

2:02:24 [music]

2:02:33 >> And uh just amazing. Got to go up there

2:02:35 during Hey or excuse me, not during Hey

2:02:37 Baby. He was up here with us right after

2:02:39 Hey Baby.

2:02:40 >> Correct. Yeah, so he had to go down

2:02:41 there for special moment with the

2:02:43 Firefighters. And now, Jared Donaldson

2:02:45 trying to continue this momentum. That

2:02:47 three-run top half of the eighth

2:02:49 secure the point here as Jared Donaldson

2:02:51 trying to do in the home half.

2:02:53 He'll be facing 7-8-9, Tosh Porter, Indy

2:02:55 Stanley, Taylor Justice. You could

2:02:57 certainly forgive Jared Donaldson if he

2:02:59 tapped out after the seventh inning

2:03:01 with no sleep in about 60 hours. But

2:03:03 this is his dedication to the

2:03:05 Firefighters.

2:03:12 DP, 0-for-2 today.

2:03:17 Think you can tell with keeping Donnie

2:03:19 out there for the eighth, the

2:03:19 Firefighters know just how important the

2:03:21 last few innings of this are, not just

2:03:23 for today, but in the Banana Ball Open

2:03:24 standings.

2:03:29 Dodge is not trying to steal first.

2:03:32 Also be interesting to see who throws

2:03:34 the ninth today for the Firefighters.

2:03:36 Been dumped to a lot of pitches

2:03:37 yesterday. Johnny Hummel is up and

2:03:39 active down there in the bullpen as is

2:03:40 Reese Miller for the Tailgaters.

2:03:48 Looks like we're heading towards a tied

2:03:50 ninth inning.

2:03:52 DP working a good AB here though, ahead

2:03:53 3-and-1. Tailgaters, they've been privy

2:03:57 to coming back from three-to-nothing

2:03:59 deficits this year. Did so last week

2:04:00 against the Animals. Right there though,

2:04:03 Donnie throws a big splitter right at

2:04:05 full.

2:04:11 GOT HIM.

2:04:14 HE'S FIRED UP, FOLKS. HIS third K of the

2:04:17 day. Jared Donaldson.

2:04:20 Maybe he shouldn't sleep cuz he's

2:04:22 absolutely throwing gas right now.

2:04:25 Out of a 3-1 count

2:04:27 goes right down the heart of the plate

2:04:28 and Tosh Porter couldn't catch up to it

2:04:30 as one goes foul there off the bat of

2:04:32 Indy.

2:04:34 He's also 0-for-2 today.

2:04:37 Indy hit lead off each of the last three

2:04:39 games. Back down to eighth spot [music]

2:04:40 today.

2:04:45 Brett, you just talked about the

2:04:46 Tailgaters' ability to come back from

2:04:47 three-nothing deficits. Last week,

2:04:49 Firefighters had a four-nothing lead in

2:04:51 the eighth inning or seventh inning

2:04:52 against the Clowns, blew it. Mm, they'd

2:04:54 like to not repeat that here.

2:04:56 Knock on some wood there if you're

2:04:57 wearing red and black at home.

2:05:05 Oh, man, I can't tell you what I'm

2:05:07 laughing at. Just know I'm laughing. The

2:05:08 one-two from Donnie.

2:05:10 Up and in.

2:05:17 Zack Staten, ladies and gentlemen. Funny

2:05:19 guy, character.

2:05:22 Another full count here for Donnie.

2:05:24 Playing with a little fire.

2:05:26 Shout out Sam Tenez.

2:05:33 Mm, ball four, Brett.

2:05:36 Indy hustling out of the box.

2:05:39 Was dead set on second and then slammed

2:05:41 the brakes on.

2:05:44 Donnie does have some room to play with,

2:05:46 obviously, with the three runs, but

2:05:48 the ghost of last week

2:05:50 in the seventh inning, they loom large.

2:05:52 And look, without the equalizer point,

2:05:53 which has now officially been denied,

2:05:55 there's no shot for the Firefighters

2:05:56 here.

2:05:57 Down 10.

2:05:59 Yeah, it's mathematically now

2:06:00 impossible.

2:06:02 You just need something. There is Taylor

2:06:04 Justice, who has a big yard card on him

2:06:06 today.

2:06:07 Swings for the fences there and misses.

2:06:11 Mm.

2:06:14 Donnie just able to induce so many

2:06:15 whiffs out there on the bump.

2:06:21 Potentially an opportunity for the fans.

2:06:24 Oh.

2:06:26 Gentleman down there in the gray shirt

2:06:27 had it right in his bare hands. Slipped

2:06:29 out. Problem is you're sitting down,

2:06:30 man. Stand up. Bring your glove, too.

2:06:32 Get in an athletic stance. What they

2:06:34 taught us in Little League.

2:06:37 Athletic stance. You're sitting on the

2:06:38 toilet, right? You're sitting here.

2:06:40 You're not sitting in a chair.

2:06:41 >> Okay. It's what they always called it

2:06:43 with us.

2:06:43 >> Okay.

2:06:45 Got him.

2:06:46 Another palm change for Jared Donaldson,

2:06:48 his fourth of the ball game. That's

2:06:50 four, ladies and gentlemen. He came in

2:06:52 with 10.

2:06:54 He would be tied

2:06:56 after yesterday's performances for the

2:06:58 top of the Banana Ball Championship

2:07:00 League standings

2:07:02 with 14 K's.

2:07:04 Jordan Houssain

2:07:07 0-for-1 thus far today. Jonathan

2:07:09 Sunshine Lueders hit last time his spot

2:07:11 was up.

2:07:13 Monumental day for J5 in the field.

2:07:15 Seven trick plays. That's now tied for

2:07:17 second [music] all-time in a single game

2:07:19 by an infielder. And also with that

2:07:21 seventh

2:07:22 he reached the 100 career trick play

2:07:24 milestone [music] earlier today. I know

2:07:25 his mom and dad are back in Houston

2:07:27 watching this afternoon.

2:07:29 Special moment for Jordan and all of his

2:07:31 family and all for these Tailgaters. The

2:07:33 first player in Tailgaters history

2:07:36 wearing orange and blue to reach that

2:07:37 milestone, the 13th player in Banana

2:07:39 Ball history. Right here trying to keep

2:07:41 the line moving for this Tailgaters

2:07:42 offense against Jared Donaldson, who's

2:07:44 shoving the two-two.

2:07:52 Trey Hudson for a moment set up like

2:07:53 that was going to be a backwards K.

2:07:54 Instead, it's 3-2 count.

2:07:58 We'll have to do it once more.

2:08:00 Donnie Alley

2:08:02 jumping on that thing over there in foul

2:08:03 territory.

2:08:06 Good, Brett Loftis.

2:08:08 The Banana Ball is that thing. Yes.

2:08:14 Oh, wow.

2:08:17 Sometimes you'd rather be lucky than

2:08:18 good. J5

2:08:20 >> [laughter]

2:08:21 >> flashes a little smile. We'll do the

2:08:23 payoff pitch thrice now.

2:08:25 That's a noopsie right there.

2:08:28 J5

2:08:30 out to left.

2:08:32 That burns Noah all the way to the

2:08:33 fence. Indy can cruise home. Jordan

2:08:36 Houssain, HAVE A DAY, young man. An RBI

2:08:39 double. First run that Donnie

2:08:41 surrendered this afternoon. And now, the

2:08:44 Tailgaters will bring the inning-tying

2:08:46 run to the dish. Remember I said there

2:08:48 was some room to play with for the

2:08:49 Firefighters. It's it's officially gone.

2:08:52 Golden batter. Who is it, Garrett

2:08:55 Lampert?

2:08:57 The Texas Tailgaters are invoking the

2:09:00 golden batter rule.

2:09:02 Now batting in place of Jason R. Is the

2:09:06 Tailgaters golden batter, JOSE BROTHER

2:09:11 GONZALEZ.

2:09:13 >> [screaming]

2:09:15 >> A SHOWMAN and an amigo.

2:09:18 He's only been retired once here today.

2:09:21 He's tied for the Banana Ball

2:09:23 Championship League in lone balls.

2:09:25 And if he can get in a two-run home run

2:09:27 right here,

2:09:28 that would be paramount in the grand

2:09:31 scheme of things in this ballgame.

2:09:34 First golden batter opportunity of Jose

2:09:37 Gonzalez's Banana Ball career.

2:09:41 The 0-1.

2:09:43 Mhm.

2:09:46 Look to be similar location as the 0-1,

2:09:48 but turns into one and one.

2:09:53 Fouled out of the stadium.

2:09:56 Jared Donaldson, one strike away from

2:09:58 tying this ballgame up at two points

2:10:00 apiece.

2:10:17 Ooh.

2:10:19 Things are getting hairy here in the

2:10:20 bottom of the eighth.

2:10:22 A full count yet again.

2:10:24 After a nine-pitch AB to Jordan Hussein

2:10:27 that resulted in an RBI DOUBLE.

2:10:30 GOT HIM! JARED DONALDSON THROWS THE

2:10:32 GLOVE, AND WE GOT A TIED BALLGAME HERE

2:10:34 IN SCOTTSDALE.

2:10:36 THE MAN HASN'T SLEPT IN THREE DAYS, AND

2:10:39 HE COMES IN, THREE INNINGS OF WORK, FIVE

2:10:42 STRIKEOUTS.

2:10:44 Ladies and gentlemen, the sound of the

2:10:46 bells means it's time to take a look at

2:10:48 the scoreboard. The score is now two to

2:10:52 two.

2:10:54 The Firefighters need just one run to

2:10:58 take the lead, and they can shut down

2:11:00 the inning.

2:11:02 The thing about Banana Ball is in the

2:11:03 final inning, every run counts as a

2:11:07 point. Ladies and gentlemen, this is THE

2:11:11 FINAL

2:11:12 INNING! [screaming]

2:11:13 >> [groaning]

2:11:16 >> Ladies and gentlemen,

2:11:19 Sentinel.

2:12:03 >> [screaming]

2:12:08 [screaming]

2:12:20 >> Leading off the final inning for the

2:12:23 Firefighters is number two, A man who's

2:12:27 HOTTER THAN THOSE FLAMES SHOOTING out

2:12:30 behind home plate. And then a pitcher on

2:12:32 the bump WHO'S HOTTER THAN THE SURFACE

2:12:35 of the sun. His name is Reese Miller.

2:12:38 He's the closer for the Texas

2:12:40 Tailgaters. HE HAS THREE SAVES, WHICH IS

2:12:42 SECOND IN BANANA Ball this year.

2:12:45 A native of Houston, Texas, who's

2:12:47 nastier than nastier, dirtier than

2:12:50 dirty, and he's your favorite pitcher's

2:12:52 favorite pitcher. Closing out the win

2:12:54 last night. This is big on big to begin

2:12:57 the ninth inning where we're all tied at

2:13:00 two apiece. Where else would you rather

2:13:01 be on a Sunday afternoon than

2:13:03 Scottsdale, Arizona? That big slider,

2:13:06 0-1. He's Zach Staten, I'm Brett Loftis.

2:13:08 Firefighters victorious in the fourth

2:13:11 and eighth innings today. Tailgaters

2:13:12 walked it off in the second and the

2:13:14 fifth. Equalizer point negated.

2:13:16 Tailgaters lead that battle 17 to seven

2:13:18 in the trick plays this afternoon.

2:13:20 Peanut thought he had something [music]

2:13:21 to hit there. Might be the best

2:13:23 opportunity he's got. Last night, Reese,

2:13:25 215 NPI, two Ks, one pop-up. Long balls

2:13:29 today from Dalton Cornett and Taylor

2:13:31 Justice.

2:13:34 The 0-2.

2:13:36 It's Miller time for out number one.

2:13:39 OJ FROM POO POO.

2:13:43 What are you supposed to do with it? I

2:13:45 mean, what are you supposed to do with

2:13:46 it?

2:13:48 That slider, you've described it as a

2:13:50 boomerang or a Frisbee.

2:13:52 That might be an insult

2:13:54 to that slider. It just moves in ways

2:13:57 you can't describe.

2:13:59 Oh my gosh. I know that's a ball I'd

2:14:01 have Lamar Sparks falling out of the

2:14:03 box.

2:14:04 Almost got the inner half, one and oh.

2:14:09 Would we dare go to showdowns today?

2:14:12 The Tailgaters, so far this season, have

2:14:14 been a part of both showdown games in

2:14:16 Banana Ball.

2:14:17 Victorious against Loco Beach in Frisco,

2:14:19 losing last week in Sacramento to the

2:14:21 Party Animals.

2:14:24 Firefighters in the world tour last year

2:14:26 had six of them. Beat the Bananas three

2:14:28 times, lost to them once, lost to the

2:14:30 Tailgaters in Salem, lost to the Party

2:14:32 Animals in Norfolk.

2:14:36 Two balls, two strikes. And by the way,

2:14:37 you talked about it. Slider threw him

2:14:39 off the plate a little earlier in the

2:14:41 first pitch. He went to the exact same

2:14:42 spot there.

2:14:48 Right at full.

2:14:49 Big-time payoff pitch

2:14:52 from Reese Miller.

2:14:54 Looking to get to double-digit

2:14:55 strikeouts on the year.

2:14:59 In the sky, right side.

2:15:01 Tailing toward the Firefighters dugout.

2:15:04 That'll land right next to the security

2:15:06 guard. We'll do the payoff pitch once

2:15:08 more. I would have rather had to look to

2:15:10 the skies, but he's covered by an

2:15:11 umbrella.

2:15:12 He would have been hit.

2:15:16 Scottsdale.

2:15:17 Nobody's left their seat here in Salt

2:15:19 River Field today.

2:15:23 Beautiful Sunday afternoon in March.

2:15:25 Final Banana Ball game of all time

2:15:27 Banana Ball weekend. The 3-2.

2:15:30 GOT HIM!

2:15:32 LAMAR ARGUING. YEAH, THAT'S A BACKWARDS

2:15:35 K. MILLER TIME TIMES TWO.

2:15:38 I'm excited to see where this one was

2:15:41 cuz Lamar was adamant.

2:15:43 Hold the phone.

2:15:45 >> [cheering]

2:15:47 >> Ooh.

2:15:49 We'll revisit that in a moment. There's

2:15:50 a man wearing a golden hood in the

2:15:53 Firefighters dugout.

2:15:56 >> [cheering]

2:15:59 >> A fan Yeah, a fan tried to challenge the

2:16:01 balls and strikes. Anyway, golden batter

2:16:02 here for the Firefighters.

2:16:10 invoking the golden batter rule. Hitting

2:16:13 in the place of Armando Becerra, give it

2:16:16 up for tonight's golden batter, TINY

2:16:20 HUGHES.

2:16:22 >> [groaning]

2:16:24 >> WELL, HOW ABOUT THIS? They don't go to

2:16:27 the All-Star in Logan Lacey. They don't

2:16:29 go to the first overall pick for the

2:16:30 Fighters and Eric Jones Jr. They don't

2:16:33 go to Dalton Cornett, the hero of the

2:16:35 tour. They go to the late-round rookie

2:16:39 off the visitors,

2:16:40 double fives, Tiny Hughes. What a

2:16:43 big-time moment for the man they call

2:16:45 Tiny.

2:16:48 One and oh.

2:16:50 Tiny today reached via trick play

2:16:52 message and a single thus far.

2:16:58 Hit by a pitch on the golden batter.

2:17:01 Wow.

2:17:02 The go-ahead run/point here in the ninth

2:17:05 inning stands aboard at first. It's man

2:17:07 who's been blistering the ball all over

2:17:09 the yard now coming up to the dish,

2:17:10 Darian McDowell. Darian is 0 for three

2:17:13 today.

2:17:14 Had that double last night.

2:17:17 Big-time moment.

2:17:19 He's a former sixth-round pick of the

2:17:21 San Diego Padres [music]

2:17:23 in 2024. Now a perfect chance to show

2:17:26 why.

2:17:33 Tiny with great wheels over there at

2:17:35 first.

2:17:38 Be interesting to see if he'd be in

2:17:39 motion here at all.

2:17:43 Wow.

2:17:44 Two balls, no strikes.

2:17:47 As now Smoke Trimble comes on the run at

2:17:49 first.

2:17:54 Couple of questionable calls here in the

2:17:56 ninth

2:17:57 going in favor of now both sides.

2:18:00 We have seen in the ninth inning a few

2:18:02 times this year, particularly with Ben

2:18:03 Parker and the Coconut, where a runner

2:18:05 has scored from first on a ball four

2:18:07 sprint in the ninth inning.

2:18:09 We got three and oh here to Darian

2:18:10 McDowell.

2:18:14 Good check, but to no avail there.

2:18:17 Fireful back in time. Firefighters were

2:18:19 a victim of that against the Coconut.

2:18:20 Ben Parker all the way from first to

2:18:22 home on a two-out ball four sprint.

2:18:29 Here we go.

2:18:30 Got to be clean here for the Tailgaters.

2:18:33 Trimble will be head up held up by Corey

2:18:36 Pi at third.

2:18:37 So now it's runners on the corners here

2:18:40 and a man

2:18:41 who has back-to-back singles on his

2:18:43 line, Mason Maxwell.

2:18:46 Mason been trying to get back on the

2:18:48 right side of things as we mentioned,

2:18:49 hitting below them in those line coming

2:18:50 into the series. Now he's hitting up

2:18:52 towards 300.

2:18:54 Can he play hero for now here in the top

2:18:56 of the ninth with two outs?

2:18:59 And Reese Miller on the bump.

2:19:01 0 and 1.

2:19:03 Tyner Hughes was the 10th round pick for

2:19:05 the Firefighters. Darian McDowell, ninth

2:19:07 round pick. The 11th rounder is standing

2:19:09 at the plate and Javon Ray is now

2:19:11 running over at first.

2:19:15 Rolled over! Kyle Martin can't make the

2:19:18 play!

2:19:19 And the Firefighters take a 3-2 lead

2:19:22 here in the ninth.

2:19:24 >> [cheering]

2:19:26 >> It might not go down as a hit, BUT IN

2:19:28 THE MIND OF MASON MAXWELL IT DOES NOT

2:19:31 MATTER.

2:19:32 That brings in the run and THE

2:19:34 FIREFIGHTERS HAVE SCORED FOUR IN THE

2:19:37 LAST TWO FRAMES TO TAKE a 3-2 lead.

2:19:40 Well, officially go down as an RBI

2:19:42 single.

2:19:43 Noah Bridges 0 and 1 to him. Javon Ray

2:19:45 now at second. Mason running at first

2:19:48 and Beau is Mario.

2:19:52 Heck yeah. In a game where the Texas

2:19:54 Tailgaters

2:19:56 led in seven of the eight innings, they

2:19:58 now trail here in the ninth. A must-win

2:20:00 ballgame for the Firefighters when

2:20:02 looking at the Banana Ball Open

2:20:04 standings. A loss today for the

2:20:06 Firefighters would put them out of the

2:20:07 top four. A win for the Texas Tailgaters

2:20:09 would all but shore up that number two

2:20:12 seed.

2:20:14 Right now, Firefighters [music]

2:20:15 in control 3-2.

2:20:17 And we'll head to the home half of the

2:20:18 ninth.

2:20:19 Reese Miller strikes out the side, but

2:20:21 not before an RBI single from Mason

2:20:24 Maxwell puts the Firefighters up by a

2:20:26 point. Mate, this is huge.

2:20:32 Now just the three outs to secure of the

2:20:36 Scottsdale, Arizona. I need YOU TO GET

2:20:39 ON YOUR FEET and bring THE ENERGY

2:20:41 BECAUSE THIS IS

2:20:43 >> [screaming]

2:20:47 [cheering and applause]

2:21:04 >> NOW PITCHING FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS,

2:21:08 number 95,

2:21:10 Johnny Hummel.

2:21:18 3-2.

2:21:20 The Firefighters lead it

2:21:22 heading into the bottom of the ninth

2:21:23 inning.

2:21:25 A must-win game for them to stay in the

2:21:27 top four and they'll lean on the backs

2:21:31 of 95, Johnny Hummel.

2:21:35 Johnny did not pitch yesterday. Looking

2:21:37 to get the save here this afternoon

2:21:38 after Ben Dunn threw yesterday, threw a

2:21:40 lot of pitches yesterday.

2:21:42 Now Johnny's going to come in and try to

2:21:44 secure the win. It'd be the fourth one

2:21:45 of the year for the Firefighters. Fourth

2:21:46 loss of the year for the Tailgaters.

2:21:49 You want a big-time pitcher in a

2:21:51 big-time situation, O Lightning is your

2:21:54 man. Closed out Kentucky's first ever

2:21:56 trip to the College World Series. Closed

2:21:58 out their first ever win in Omaha. Last

2:22:01 season, three showdown shutouts against

2:22:04 the Savannah Bananas and he's going up

2:22:07 right off the rip against his old

2:22:10 teammate from the Wildcats of Kentucky.

2:22:12 Nick Lopez, 2-3-4.

2:22:15 It's important to note

2:22:19 as this one hit back up the middle.

2:22:20 Peanut

2:22:22 out number one. Important to note,

2:22:24 Tailgaters used their golden batter in

2:22:27 the eighth inning

2:22:29 with an opportunity. Jose Bracho

2:22:30 Gonzalez came up and hit in the place of

2:22:32 Zack Watson. He represented the

2:22:34 inning-tying run at that point. Now

2:22:35 you're down by a point. And the

2:22:37 Tailgaters [music] two outs away from

2:22:39 losing this ballgame.

2:22:43 No balls and a strike.

2:22:48 >> [music]

2:22:53 >> One ball, one strike.

2:22:59 Jordan Barth has a single today. Now he

2:23:01 trails a ball and two strikes.

2:23:03 By the way, Brett, I liked Mix's use of

2:23:05 the golden batter in the eighth because

2:23:06 you're coming back to that heart of the

2:23:07 order anyway.

2:23:09 Popped left side. Logan Lacey gathers it

2:23:11 up. Firefighters are one out away here

2:23:14 in Scottsdale.

2:23:17 Logan Lacey

2:23:20 Last night had one boofed on him going

2:23:23 between the legs. This time gets it the

2:23:24 old-fashioned way.

2:23:26 But what a matchup we have here.

2:23:32 EVERYONE IN SCOTTSDALE ON THEIR FEET.

2:23:36 JOHNNY HUMMEL

2:23:38 and Kyle Martin.

2:23:41 K Mart, three golden batter

2:23:43 opportunities this year. Don't need it

2:23:46 right here. He's the final hope for the

2:23:48 Tailgaters.

2:23:51 K Mart, golden batter home run when the

2:23:53 Tailgaters had their backs against the

2:23:54 wall. They tied it up at three apiece

2:23:56 against the Coconuts in Frisco.

2:23:59 Right here, he's in the driver's seat,

2:24:00 two balls and a strike.

2:24:03 That was his first and only home run

2:24:05 thus far in 2026.

2:24:08 Can we get number two here in the Grand

2:24:10 Canyon State?

2:24:13 Now, Johnny Hummel back even.

2:24:16 Firefighters one strike away. Two balls,

2:24:20 two strikes, two outs.

2:24:25 Popped out to right. Late break FROM

2:24:27 TRIMBLE. DOESN'T MATTER! THE

2:24:30 FIREFIGHTERS COME FROM BEHIND AND WIN

2:24:32 GAME TWO HERE IN SCOTTSDALE 3-2.

2:24:39 >> [cheering]

2:24:41 >> You had to have it. You needed to GET

2:24:43 IT. THE FIREFIGHTERS GOT IT.

2:24:46 IN A MASSIVE SITUATION in the ninth

2:24:49 inning, it is their ninth, 10th, and

2:24:51 11th ROUND PICKS, THEIR FINAL three

2:24:53 picks in the Banana Ball Player Draft

2:24:56 that come up in the biggest spot.

2:24:59 And from potentially staring at the

2:25:01 Banana Ball Open life going before their

2:25:03 eyes,

2:25:04 they dance.

2:25:22 >> [cheering]

2:25:29 [cheering]

2:25:40 [cheering]

2:25:44 >> The Firefighters come back in a massive

2:25:47 situation thanks to the bat of Dalton

2:25:49 Cornett and an unbelievable relief

2:25:52 performance from Jared Donaldson.

2:25:54 Four innings of work,

2:25:57 five strikeouts.

2:25:59 The man shoved. I beg your pardon, it's

2:26:00 three innings of work, six through the

2:26:02 eighth, and he absolutely shoved. But

2:26:05 the first home run of the season for

2:26:07 Dalton Cornett changed the trajectory of

2:26:10 this game. Gave the Firefighters a ton

2:26:12 of confidence.

2:26:14 And after a three-run eighth, they

2:26:16 played one in the ninth, and that's as

2:26:18 big a one as they can get. And Michael

2:26:20 Schwartz is standing by with DC3.

2:26:26 Guys, can we all take a deep You know

2:26:27 what?

2:26:30 Who let this man down?

2:26:32 All right, we we spoke about it. Good

2:26:34 question, Tyner. We spoke about that

2:26:36 after you hit that shot back to your

2:26:37 girlfriend on the mound. What was it

2:26:38 like to secure that win? That felt

2:26:40 great. I mean, the boys The boys were

2:26:42 locked in today. Um you know, it was hot

2:26:44 hot today, but we we brought the heat

2:26:45 even more. Your birthday is coming up

2:26:48 during the Banana Ball Open in just a

2:26:49 few weeks. How important was [music] it

2:26:51 to stay in this to be alive in this

2:26:54 tournament? Well, I like to think that

2:26:56 we're going to be in the Banana Ball, so

2:26:58 I I I think we're going to be in the

2:26:59 Banana Banana Ball Open and uh we're

2:27:01 excited about that. We're ready to play.

2:27:03 All right, this comes from our uh kid

2:27:04 [music] fan of the game, Brody. He was

2:27:06 up in the booth. What do you like to do

2:27:09 in your off time? Question of the game.

2:27:11 I like to watch movies A LOT.

2:27:13 YEAH, MOVIES! ALL RIGHT, MOVIES! REAL

2:27:16 QUICK, OUR OFFENSE WE GOT A GOOD

2:27:17 OFFENSE.

2:27:19 CASEY, REAL QUICK, HOW GOOD DID THAT

2:27:21 FEEL? [music]

2:27:22 IT FELT GREAT, you know? You know,

2:27:23 hanging out with everybody. We have a

2:27:25 good offense and we're going to HIT

2:27:26 THEM. THE PARTY [screaming] ANIMALS

2:27:27 ACTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO HIT THEM EVERY

2:27:29 PLAY. AND YES, WE DO.

2:27:31 AND YES, MOVIES. Uh

2:27:35 That's my boy.

2:27:37 I'll see you later.

2:27:39 Signing out.

2:27:40 Michael, don't ever give the microphone

2:27:43 up. That is the first thing and don't

2:27:44 give it up to Mason Maxwell. But the

2:27:46 Firefighters, [music]

2:27:48 boy, it was a movie for them in the

2:27:49 eighth and the ninth inning. Dalton

2:27:51 Cornett, his first homer of the year, a

2:27:53 two-run blast, a bat flip he'll

2:27:55 remember, and the Firefighters, down 2-1

2:27:59 going into the eighth, score [music]

2:28:00 four runs in the eighth and ninth

2:28:02 combined and find a way to come back and

2:28:05 win 3-2 the final over a red-hot Texas

2:28:08 Tailgater bunch, and they do it against

2:28:11 what [music] I believe is one of the

2:28:12 best two, maybe three closers in the

2:28:13 game, and Reese Miller. Dalton Cornett,

2:28:15 the showman of the night, but you could

2:28:17 have said that about a couple different

2:28:18 guys.

2:28:18 >> Yeah, I I I That's where I got to

2:28:20 interject. [music]

2:28:20 All right, Dalton Cornett was awesome

2:28:22 today.

2:28:23 Two-run homer, big-time moment.

2:28:26 I

2:28:27 The two best players in this ballgame

2:28:28 for the Firefighters today were Mason

2:28:29 Maxwell and Jared Donaldson. I mean,

2:28:31 let's just call a spade a spade. Jared

2:28:32 Donaldson able to get that win in the

2:28:34 eighth inning. What it was, it's six

2:28:36 strikeouts he had across three innings

2:28:37 of work. Mason Maxwell, three for four

2:28:39 today. Both of those guys I mean, we're

2:28:41 we're

2:28:42 falling very short if we don't mention

2:28:44 the [music] performances of both of

2:28:45 those guys. They don't win that ball

2:28:47 game without them. Firefighters, Zach

2:28:48 Staten, let's move to the bigger picture

2:28:50 now. We talked about how this was a much

2:28:52 win ball game. Had to win this ball

2:28:54 game. Had to have it. Now four and five,

2:28:56 [music] back into that picture. Back

2:28:58 into that banana ball open picture. What

2:29:00 do you think this did for the morale of

2:29:02 that locker room down there for those

2:29:03 boys?

2:29:03 >> Well, it's massive for a couple of

2:29:04 reasons. Number one, it keeps you as you

2:29:06 said, [music] the open is now officially

2:29:08 open for you. You move into really good

2:29:10 spots there. You still have the

2:29:11 tiebreaker over the Loco Beach Coconuts.

2:29:13 But it's the confidence and the ability

2:29:15 to respond. [music] I said it. They lost

2:29:18 to the Coconuts at FSU. They came back

2:29:19 and won two against them. They lost

2:29:20 against the clowns on Saturday, beat

2:29:22 them on Sunday in Montgomery. [music]

2:29:24 They lose to the Tailgaters last night.

2:29:25 They come back tonight in a really tough

2:29:27 situation this afternoon and [music]

2:29:29 score four in the last two frames

2:29:31 against Reese Miller who has been

2:29:33 absolutely unhittable for the first

2:29:35 parts of this banana ball.

2:29:36 >> One off of Reese Miller. One off of

2:29:38 Reese Miller. Finally find a way and one

2:29:41 run in the ninth inning to be able to

2:29:42 get him. That's a big win for the

2:29:44 Firefighters. We talked about a couple

2:29:46 of guys to shout out. Austin Temple,

2:29:48 four innings of work to start the game

2:29:49 out, three of them were scoreless. He

2:29:51 was tremendous against Chris Clark who

2:29:53 is the best starting pitcher [music] in

2:29:54 banana ball. He stood toe-to-toe and

2:29:56 gave up just one point of damage. Austin

2:29:58 Temple really good today. Both of those

2:29:59 guys really strong there. I mean, you

2:30:01 look at Austin's and he gave up that

2:30:02 three-run homer. Outside of that, I

2:30:03 mean, excellent performance. [music]

2:30:05 Chris Clark performance excellent as

2:30:07 well. Uh we won't see you guys next

2:30:09 weekend. We got some banana ball coming

2:30:11 at you in two weekends. We're going to

2:30:12 take Easter weekend off as a sport and

2:30:14 then coming up in a couple of weekends,

2:30:16 historic for the sport. The Loco Beach

2:30:18 Coconuts playing their first ever

2:30:20 headliner game. That'll be in

2:30:22 Charleston, South Carolina. They'll kick

2:30:24 that weekend off on Friday night, 7:00

2:30:25 Eastern time. Tailgaters bananas, second

2:30:27 Tailgaters Football Stadium at UNC,

2:30:30 University of North Carolina, 7:00 p.m.

2:30:32 Eastern time. They'll kick off game one

2:30:34 on Saturday, April the 11th and then

2:30:36 Firefighters Party Animals return to

2:30:38 Albuquerque, New Mexico. Headliner there

2:30:40 for the animals, Saturday, April the

2:30:42 11th, 9:00 Eastern time, 7:00 p.m.

2:30:44 Mountain time there on the Party Animals

2:30:47 YouTube channel. Zach Staten, final

2:30:48 thoughts on this great weekend in

2:30:50 Scottsdale, Arizona. I shouted out a lot

2:30:51 of Firefighters. Let's give a shout out

2:30:53 to Jordan Hussein as well. 100% career

2:30:55 trick play. First Texas Tailgater to get

2:30:57 to 100 trick plays. He was awesome

2:30:58 today. Seven trick plays. He was

2:31:00 tremendous.

2:31:01 But that's a big one for the

2:31:02 Firefighters. And again, we talked about

2:31:03 it last night. These two teams were so

2:31:05 even. It played out in the end. Split of

2:31:08 the series here in Arizona. Couple of

2:31:10 big ya-yas, couple of great starting

2:31:11 pitching matchups here today. And as you

2:31:13 mentioned, Jordan Hussein, seven trick

2:31:14 plays. That now tied him second for the

2:31:17 second most trick plays ever in a single

2:31:19 banana ball game. Had 100 and reached

2:31:21 that milestone today as well. Man, a

2:31:23 great crew we got. I said this yesterday

2:31:25 on the broadcast. We travel a lot of

2:31:27 people from Savannah. We've had the

2:31:28 truck, Mohawk Mike, our producer, and

2:31:30 our sit myself here. Four straight

2:31:32 weekends of Tailgaters shows. We've

2:31:33 traveled people from Savannah to all

2:31:35 different spots of the country. That

2:31:36 group is led by Mohawk Mike, our

2:31:37 producer. Alex Gross, our director back

2:31:39 in the truck. Michael Schwartz was

2:31:41 awesome on the sideline. Zach Staten,

2:31:42 wonderful always to work with him. For

2:31:44 those wonderful people both in Savannah,

2:31:47 Anaheim, and in Conway, South Carolina

2:31:49 this weekend. Thank [music] you guys for

2:31:51 sharing this Sunday afternoon with us.

2:31:53 Have a happy Easter. We'll see you in a

2:31:54 couple weeks. And until then, on behalf

2:31:57 of our great BTV crew, ZACH,

2:31:59 FIRE UP, BABY. WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

2:32:02 In two weeks.

2:32:27 >> [music]

2:33:08 [music]

2:33:16 [music]