WAC Softball Tournament Game 9, 5-13-17

Continued from Part 2

There was a good long 45-minute break between games.  I had made a mistake in not eating a meal before the game, thinking I was just going for one game.  I made a worse mistake in suggesting getting a meal between games, since I was hungry.  On the way out of the stadium, I took a quick look at the championship trophy which was on display on the courtesy table.  Unfortunately, the graduation crowd was letting out at the same time, so it took some time to get out.  We ended up at Pic Quik, where Ron got a burrito at the Santa Fe Grill, and I got a 6” cold cut at Subway.  At PQ Treats, I snagged a frozen Tornado and a milkshake for Ron. 

The reason this was a mistake was when Ron reminded me that we wouldn’t be able to take the food back into the stadium.  Not that the meal was that bad, but we both ended up shoveling the food down way too quick.  Should have ate at the ballpark.  The good news was that we weren’t able to go to McDonalds because of the traffic, which was the other fast food option.  That would have been worse.  Unfortunately, after the game, we were both still full and didn’t have room for a better dinner.  I mention all this only because it was the only real disappointment of the day.  It would have been better with a good meal.

I re-entered the stadium just as the game started (Ron followed about 10 minutes later), but didn’t miss anything.  I didn’t even have any trouble filling out the lineups in-game thanks to the PA’s good announcing.  My notes for this game were extremely scanty as I was fighting the sun.  I finally popped my umbrella and put my rally towel under my hat and used it to shade my face.  I probably looked dumb, but there was guy in front of me doing the same thing with a paper towel that looked worst. 

The crowd was about the same size, but some of the people were different.  They were still very into it, though there were some fans behind us that were talking some serious hockey halfway through the game.  Ron’s unofficial niece came in.  A guy with an extremely cute little white, puffy dog was there.  More interestingly, some attractive women suddenly showed up.  I wonder how they knew about this game and why they weren’t around earlier.  Many of them looked pretty athletic, like maybe they were former players, though they weren’t together.  There was a striking blonde below us with her husband and two little boys.  She had tats going up both her arms that somehow didn’t make her look bad.

Sitting even closer was another pretty blonde woman of a very outgoing sort.  I slightly met her as she sprayed on her sun block, which the wind immediately carried into my face.  She offered me and everyone else around us usage of her spray.  I hadn’t seen her at the stadium before, but she was extremely into the game.  I certainly enjoyed this game more just watching and listening to her passionately cheering and going after the umps (whom she accused of calling “nipple” strikes).  There was plenty of boisterous crowd noise, but she seemed to be leading it.  She also teased and flirted with the little boys, who she made friends with, threatening kisses if the Aggies won.  So, we have this good-looking woman who gets excited by Aggie sports and is good with kids.  I probably should have proposed to her right after the game.  Maybe I’ll see her again.     


I think I did a bit better scoring this game, but mostly because one of the teams didn’t score.  The Aggies were now the visiting team, having moved into the other dugout and now wearing their black and gray “Sandman” outfits (Logan’s Run reference).  During this game, I had Ron check Twitter and Aggie Baseball won big again against Chicago State.  Twitter was the only way to keep up with the baseball team this weekend.      

Top of the first, the Aggies led off the inning hitting.  They had to do this earlier in the tournament, but it still must be weird being the visitor in your own stadium.  Kelsey Horton got plunked to start off the game.  Do you want to make her angry?  Fahren Glackin singled, and Victoria Castro reached on an error.  Caity Szczesny drove in Kelsey, and Rachel Rodriguez drove in the other two.  It was like the last inning of the last game never ended.  The Aggies just picked up where they left off.         

The top of the third ended on a great diving catch by Paige Bouska of Seattle U.  Other than that, there wasn’t much to report.  Pitching was finally coming into play for the championship.  The attendants were handing out WAC goodie bags between innings occasionally, but you had answer a question.  One time there was a “Name that Tune and Artist” contest.  A couple of other times, they asked trivia questions about Seattle U players.  “Oh, I knew that,” said an Aggie fan laughingly.  They didn’t ask any Aggie trivia.  Also entertaining between innings was the Aggies’ trainer going out to deliver water to the umps.  She was rather attractive in her tight little shorts.

For the bottom of the third, an error and a walk put two on for the Redhawks, and it was time for a pitching change.  Coach Rodolph pulled out her secret weapon, Fahren Glackin.  The coach had been saving her all season for just this moment (or neither Sam nor Kayla could go any further).  I had seen her pitch in relief effectively earlier in the season and had wondered why I hadn’t seen her since.  I mentally crossed my fingers and hoped that my wishes to see her in the circle were not about to backfire on me.  I seriously doubt Seattle was expecting to see Fahren pitching and succeeding at bats would prove that.  She committed a balk or illegal pitch right after she came in (the pretty blonde fan went crazy over this call), but Fahren didn’t allow them to advance any further.    

Things quieted down until the sixth.  The Aggies loaded the bases on a walk and two hits.  Pinch hitter, Kennedy Johnson drew a walk to drive one in.  Kelsey then came up, and they actually had to pitch to her with no one out.  She hit a popup to the outfield, but owing to the power of her swing, the outfield was playing deep.  The wind knocked it down, and the ball dropped right in for another run.   Three more runs would score on a single, sacrifice, and a double.  Even a pitching change didn’t help the Redhawks.  An excellent play on a liner at second by Kaylee Ree almost ended the inning with a double play, but it continued.  Jeanelle Medina would drive in two more before a liner to the pitcher finally brought the frame to a close.  It was 10-0 Aggies.

Seattle U’s coach seemed to be conceding in the sixth with a pair of pinch hitters.  The players were not.  A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out.  Coach Rodolph stayed with Fahren.  There was a popup to Rachel Rodriguez at short for the second out.  A drive to center died with the wind still blowing in, and fell into Victoria Castro’s mitt for the third out.     

Never being able to figure out the run-rule, I was surprised with the final out of the sixth as the Aggies charged out of the dugout.  The Aggies won the championship!  Its good thing the players know the rules.  For the rest of the celebration, they were no longer serious young women, but happy, carefree girls.  As hard as this tournament must have been for them, it was a wonderful to see that release.     

The PA asked for a round of applause for Seattle.  A few of the girls were wiping away tears, but trying not to show it.  They were up three runs and three outs away from the championship.  I don’t think the less of them.  (I’m listening to an interview with Derek Jeter right now, since his number was being retired on Sunday.  As Jeter tells it, when he first started playing professional ball, there were days he felt like crying on field.)  The Redhawks lined up on the third base line for the award ceremony.  A couple of their players received All-Tournament honors.   

The Aggies All-Tournament team players were Misty Hoohuli (nice send-off for the senior), Victoria Castro, and Samaria Diaz.  Sam accepted her plaque limping.  She had seemed okay coming out of the game.  (For that matter, I wonder if Kayla is okay.  Ron had reported one of the Aggie pitchers was clearly hurting in an earlier game.)  The Tournament MVP was Rachel Rodriguez.  She seemed genuinely surprised and delighted by the award.   (Her and Fahren get my stars for this game for what it’s worth.)  Rachel got taken aside for an interview.  Coach Rodolph was as well, but her interview finished with a bucket of water getting dumped on her head by her players. 

Family members crowded around the netting, waiting to congratulate the team.  Ron and I left and found the student association tent unguarded.  Ron had found the tent earlier in the game and brought back some much needed cold water.  We filled up on water and grabbed a couple of protein bars.  I mused that those WAC tournament shirts might be discounted at this point, but declined to check.  Ron said goodbye to the ticket taker, whom he’d befriended this week and asked if she’d be working the baseball games next weekend.  Outside, members of the Redhawks were leaving, carrying their equipment.  They were going in one’s and two’s and since there wasn’t a bus, I wonder where they were going. 

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a celebration dinner for us either, because of our stuffed down late lunch.  We were both exhausted, Ron probably more so given two days’ of cumulative fatigue.  He dropped me right off at home.  Since he’ll be attending his granddaughters’ high school graduation next Saturday, we probably won’t be at the last baseball game together.  This was a good way to go out for the season.  Getting to see your team win a championship is always great and memorable. 

I’m not sure how to put a bow on this season, especially since it isn’t over yet with the girls going on to the NCAA tournament.  Hopefully, I’ll get to see some of their re-match against Arizona, whom they played earlier this season.  (The Aggies were nearly completely blanked in a double header at home, except for Kelsey breaking up a no-hitter in the seventh with a home run.)  I’ve seen this team really overpower other teams and really get overpowered.  Quality pitching will stop Kelsey and the offense, but anything less than that will get pounded.  Walking Kelsey all the time is not a winning strategy.  Ask Seattle.    

The pitching is a puzzle.  I’ve seen Kayla pitch really well, but not so much this season.  She’s too prone to giving up home runs.  I don’t know if it’s mechanical (I think I’ve seen her use three different wind ups over two seasons), or due to injury, or if it’s mental.  I know she’s got ace stuff; she just needs to put the pieces together.  Sam pitched way more than a freshman probably should, but she handled it extremely well, even smiling often out in the circle.  Right now, she misses solid contact for weak grounders and flyouts.  Maybe next year, she can get some swing-and-miss stuff to go with it.  Coach Rodolph I know you love her bat, but please use Fahren more in relief to take some innings off the other two.   With so many good players coming back, this team should still be contending for a conference win next year.