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Sold-out crowd welcomes Savannah Bananas to Sahlen Field

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Savannah Bananas took over Sahlen Field Friday night for their first of three games this weekend in the City of Good Neighbors.

A sold-out crowd of over 16,000 brought the excitement and energy that has become a staple of “The Greatest Spectacle in Sports” as the Bananas put their unique spin on America’s pastime and brought it to Western New York.

There’s no shortage of moments that will make you smile…

Like little Jack’s home run to start the night or four-year-old honorary firefighter Henry, who got to fulfill every child’s dream and spray his dad in the face with a fire hose.

It’s these kinds of fan-only experiences that youngsters like Ben and Liam look forward to.

“I love the excitement and the fact that it’s more than just winning. It’s a complete experience,” says Liam Swartz.

“I like the stunts they do during the game. I think it elevates the level of the game a little bit,” Ben Eiman adds.

Although the experience may seem aimed at children, the Savannah Bananas experience is something the whole family can enjoy.

“We follow them on TikTok and social media. My daughter knows all the dances, so we’re ready to see some Banana Ball,” Mark Kuntz told 7 Sports.

Whether you’re 5 or 75, it’s clear that Banana Ball will continue to create new fans every day through the power of what you see on the field and on social media. Savannah Banana infielder Jackson Olson sees it every time he visits a city.

“It’s more important to do it in person and make that connection in person,” Olson said. “But when you do it on social media and that little boy or girl says, ‘Hey, look what Jackson posted,’ I think that’s really cool and all these guys have those kinds of stories and it’s really special to be a part of something like that.”

And of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to Buffalo if a folding table hadn’t been broken along the way.

The Savannah Bananas will host two more games this weekend at Sahlen Field. One on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. EST and the other on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST.