Monday, April 17, 2017

NM State Aggies vs UMKC Roos Softball 4-15-17

As much as I’d like to crow over a couple of Aggie victories (spoilers), I’m still getting over a mild cold that manifested on Friday, just like the last softball game I attended.  This is second cold in three weeks.  Sometimes I think my workplace is actually a bio-hazard lab.  Still, I’d made commitments to go to Saturday’s softball double header and to going to lunch with my dad, when I should have stayed in bed.  It felt like my head was in a vice all day. 

Well, at least it was a lovely sunny 90 degree day with a slight breeze to keep things from getting hot.  I was wearing my new NM State Softball t-shirt courtesy of a Sports Accessories giveaway, which I have to say, looked pretty good.  It was Aggie Kid’s Club Day, but there was actually a strange lack of children at the game.  During player introductions, Aggie catcher, Nikki Butler, brought a couple of little girls with her to stand with the team.  Another little girl threw out the first pitch.  This was all very endearing.    

Ron was with me and I hope I didn’t infect him.  I’d brought an umbrella for the sun.  He was amazed I had an actual El Paso Diablos umbrella.  Unfortunately for Game 1, he was sitting to my right, and I couldn’t use it.  Luckily, we changed sides for Game 2.  Aggie baseball was finishing up on the road at the same time as this game was starting.  Between fiddling with my umbrella and a non-user friendly radio, I missed the end.  Ron didn’t have any trouble tuning it in and informed me that the Aggies had won.  Of note during the game while I was listening earlier, Brent Sakurai hit another triple.  He’s closing in on an Aggie record. 

The crowd filled in well for Game 1 and thinned out for Game 2, but was still pretty good.  I didn’t notice immediately, but Tamara William and Tyler Ellis from the basketball team were in the unofficial student/athlete section of the grandstand.  Me and Ron were in the unofficial senior citizen section (which was full) across from them, and I didn’t get a chance to congratulate the girls on their season.  Surprisingly, they were still there for Game 2 until the end.  (Cutie Tamara doesn’t have anything better to do on a Saturday evening?) 

“It was too good to last,” said Ron.  His nemesis, the old man, showed up after being absent from several Aggie events.  He was in fine form, loudly cheering on the girls the whole time.  This time there was something of an answer.  There was a loud Roos fan in the center of grandstand, the unofficial visiting fans’ section, who cheered on his girls.  I didn’t find any of this terribly annoying, though there were a couple of fans behind us who seemed to be doing play-by-play commentary on a baseball game they were watching.  I never figured out what teams were involved in the game.



Game 1     

The first thing I noticed was that the Aggies’ regular left fielder, Amy Bergeson, wasn’t in the game.  She showed up as a pinch runner in Game 2, but that was it.  I hope she’s okay.  Also, Nikki didn’t catch this game, which didn’t surprise me, since it was a day game after a night game.  She ended up DP’ing for both games.  Local girl, Alexis Maynez did all the catching.  I’ve been rooting for her to do well.  She really always seems to trying hard.

Kayla Green started for the Aggies.  She looked very poised out there for the game.  For her five innings, Kayla avoided having a bad inning.  She walked a couple in the fifth, but really helped herself out fielding by snagging a hard, low liner and then a popup in front of the plate.  Maybe her playing first base briefly earlier in the season wasn’t a stretch.  The Roos had their own “ball” chant during those walks, where they were counting up the number of balls, but it didn’t seem to get to Kayla.  The Aggie defense was solid behind her.  Alexis had her head up and made a couple of snap throws to bases to keep runners close.

The Aggies got the scoring going in the first, as Kelsey Horton was brought in via a centerfield error.  Roo pitching held the Aggies for the next two innings, but things got ugly in the fourth for them.  Victoria Castro hit a two-run homer that just cleared the left centerfield wall.  The Roo centerfielder seemed to come up with it to rob her, but it may have bounced off her glove, which she threw down in disgust afterward.  I’ve actually seen a major league player do that, not just Little Leaguers.  Now noticing I’ve mentioned her twice, I feel bad for Roo centerfielder, Kendra Leach.

Alexis faced a new Roo pitcher right after that and singled off her.  She always looked like she could hit when was in the batter’s box.  It was good to see her put it together for a hit.  I put an “IP” note on her progress on the scorecard to indicate being moved up by an illegal pitch.  Three more runs scored thanks to a walk, a single, a hit batter, and a run walked in.  During Nikki’s at bat in the inning, she did almost decapitate teammate Caity Szczesny on third base at the time.  Caity came up smiling and shaking her head. 

Up 6-0 in the fifth, Victoria singled her way on.  Alexis stepped up to the plate next and homered.  It was her first of the year, probably her career.  The dugout exploded for her.  It may have been more for her getting the big hit than ending the game 8-0 on a run rule.     For that shot, Alexis joins Victoria and Kayla for my players of this game.     
        
We spent the intermission in the Ron’s car in the air conditioning.  I was mostly head down over my scorecard trying to add things up.  (I did a really poor job for the day.  Events were complicated and I wasn’t feeling well.)  I missed the girls Ron was ogling who were walking by.  Unfortunately I did see a scene play out on the practice field next to the stadium.  Lia Lombardini, the Roo’s pitcher who gave up the game-ending home run, was being consoled by another player.  They hugged after a lengthy talk, and I suspect there were some tears involved.  Now I felt bad.  I didn’t want these girls beaten to the point of crying. 




Game 2

We got back inside just as the game started.  I immediately noticed there was a female umpire for this game, but heckling was still allowed.  I missed the lineups and never really recovered.  I was able to score the plays in the first, but wasn’t sure which Roos were involved.  It’s a good thing I was properly seated for the bottom of the inning, because it was a complex affair.  With Haley Nakamura on, Kelsey Horton came to bat.  She’d had a quiet Game 1, so her two-run blast to right center was completely expected.  It was her ninth of the year.  Nikki and Fahren Glackin reached, and Victoria came up and hit another home run.  5-0 Aggies. 

The Roo right fielder made a great diving catch on the next batter.  (Again, I missed the lineups.  I’m not sure who was where to give credit.  [Monday edit: After looking at the official scoring, I’m more confused than ever.  I think Alex Larson was in right field for the first inning.])  Myself and several other Aggie fans were applauding her in spite of our rooting interests.  It was looking that bad for them.  Alexis was up next.  The right fielder made another dive at her liner, but that ended up going for triple.  Destiny Blueford tripled her in and scored herself on a passed ball.  7-0 Aggies after one inning.

I could hear somebody, maybe the coach, tell the Roo dugout, “Don’t get down.”  Unfortunately for them, the Aggie second inning just piled on with three more runs.  The frame ended with the Roo right fielder making a great basket catch.  [Monday edit: This may have been Abby Warkentine’s play in right field.]  Up 10-0, the Aggies started putting in some subs in the third.  Kelsey went to play first, where she probably should be to begin with. 

Samaria Diaz, pitching for the Aggies, finally allowed a Roo run in the third.  I think this was the inning that Alexis dropped a foul tip for a strikeout, that instead ended up turning into a hit.  In the fourth, two more Roo runs scored via Kendra Leach, giving her some redemption for the day.  [Monday edit: Kendra was the pitcher for the first inning of this game, then moved to center.  Alex Larson went to the mound to pitch the rest of the game.  Kendra wasn’t listed as a pitcher and Alex wasn’t listed as an outfielder on the program.]  Alexis would hold on to a third strike foul tip this inning for a strikeout.  She learns quick.  10-3 Aggies. 

In the fifth, Alexis belted a double to leadoff.  I’m sure she never wanted this day to end, going 5 for 6 in total.  [Monday edit: Alexis was named WAC Hitter of the Week for this performance.]  Amy Bergeson came in as a pinch runner for her.  She was advanced to third on an error that got Brandy Hernandez on base.  Brandy attempted to steal second.  The catcher’s throw went high and into centerfield.  Amy trotted home for the run, bringing the score to 11-3 and another run rule game.  My player of the game picks are Kendra Leach for the Roos, and Victoria, Alexis, and Kelsey for the Aggies.

It’s hard to make two run ruled games into an epic struggle.  [Monday edit: Epic struggle would describe filling out these scorecards.  I made some corrections on mine according to the official scoring.  On Game 2, even if I had gotten the original UMKC lineup down, I would have been lost.  Apparently, the Roos catcher didn’t take an at bat.]  Friday’s win versus the Roos was at least closer at 5-2.  Ron was somewhat unhappy and felt like he’d been cheated out of four innings.  Both games played in under an hour and half.  He did get an Easter egg from one of the fan giveaways.  Stay lively at these softball games.  They’re always throwing stuff into the stands.  Where was the Easter Bunny anyway?  He showed up at a baseball game last year.  No wonder there weren’t any kids here for the game.


The Aggies’ next game is a Tuesday double header versus the Arizona Wildcats, which they announced as number one in the nation.  Good luck and sorry I can’t come for that.  I’ve already scheduled a day off to see the El Paso Chihuahuas on Wednesday.  I at least hope that I’ll show up in good health for the girl’s next weekend series.          


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