NM State Aggies vs GCU Lopes Softball 4-3-21

This recap is going to be a little melancholy even given that I’m recapping watching a win.  (Spoilers.)  The Friday MLB news was discouraging to say the least.  There was bad news for NMSU sports after the softball game.  And, I need to start with a sad digression about Aggie Soccer.  The softball game feels almost irrelevant.

 

I meant to go to Aggie Soccer last weekend for their last Saturday home game.  I was all ready to go when a black cloud came over.  It came with a cold wind and sprinkles.  I decided not to go at that point.  A half hour later, it cleared off.  It was still cold and breezy, but I still could have gotten to the game on time.  Since Ron already wasn’t going, I just gave up.  The Aggies won.  Dmitri Fong played in goal and was then honored for Senior Day.  I felt really bad I’d missed seeing her, even if I wouldn’t have been able to talk to her afterward.     

 

I found myself hedging about going out the softball game, but Saturday was so beautiful-looking, I couldn’t resist going even though Ron wasn’t going to be able to make it.  Even then, he talked me into going early again.  He’s convinced they’re going to sellout if you’re not there when the ticket window opens.  There was no issue even with reduced capacity.     

 

I haven’t really been following the Softball team.  They spent most of February and March playing tournaments in Florida.  By and large, they’ve been a .500 team in and out of conference.  I’ve been ambivalent about the roster.  There isn’t much glamour in the lineup like Kelsey Horton, Caity Szczesny, or Jeanelle Medina.  Diminutive Brandy Hernandez isn’t there to root for.  The team lost two great players as transfers and I’m not sure they’ve recovered.  More recently, they split a double-header with GCU on Friday night.  The Aggies lost a late lead in the first game and came back late in the second game.

At the park, I figured out it was warmer than I thought it was.  I’d put on sunscreen, but not a lot.  Ron thought GCU had some pretty players.  I’d remembered their cute curly redheaded freckled pitcher, Lexy Coons.  I saw her behind the dugout as I walked in through the gates.  There was also a GCU fan lady there with the same hair.  I wondered if she was her mother.  Being over a half hour early, I found a shady spot behind the stands and watched the pretty ticket girls rather than the teams taking warm-ups.  I had my iPad with me to test the open WiFi I’d discovered at baseball, but that didn’t work.  So much for live scoring. 

 

I finally reluctantly went in to find a seat after Mike, one of the regulars, waved hello to me.  We just about didn’t recognize each other with masks on.  (That mask was real unpleasant and sweaty in the heat.)  The crowd was a bit sparse and about half were there for GCU.  That said, the entire crowd was largely unmotivated by events on the field.  I don’t know if it was the crowd size, the heat, or the masks.  Maybe all three. 

 

Where I usually sit with Ron was filled with GCU fans, so I sat up high in the center grandstand.  Usually those seats are filled.  It was a pretty good view of the field.  There was one major obstruction, or should I say distraction, to watching.  A very attractive GCU girl was sitting at the scorer’s table.  Her blonde hair was in ornate braids.  She wore a pair of short shorts that showed off her long legs.  On field, the Aggies were doing a weird dance, but having fun with it.

  

I thought these scorecards added up in spite of all of the weirdness with softball rules.  However, they do disagree with the official scoring.  They gave GCU four errors in the game and other stuff.  I was going with what I saw and what the PA announced at the end of the innings.  When the lineups were announced, the Aggies’ starting pitcher, Matalasi Faapito, was the leadoff hitter.  There was also a Designated Player batting.  That left the “Flex Player,” Jayleen Burton at shortstop, without a spot.  I’m glad I caught all that, otherwise I would have been lost.  I still put Jayleen on the scorecard. 

 

Mata labored in the top of the first, along with the crowd.  I was already sweating.  There wasn’t any scoring, but every GCU batter was making her work.  The Aggies started their half the inning singing as usual.  They sounded rougher than I’d remembered, but were loud and vigorous.  Mata began with a double.  Catcher Nikki Butler drove her in with a nice easy slap to the opposite field. 

 

Two hits later and the bases were loaded and GCU brought out a new pitcher.  I questioned why a pinch runner wasn’t put in for Nikki, but I’m not sure anyone would have scored on the second hit.  The DP, Briana Gallegos, came up with great walkup music.  I think it was a Herb Alpert sample.  (No, I don’t have Shazam.)  She hit a high bouncer to short.  Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage seemed to be screened by Gabby Aragon running passed her and never corralled the ball.  Two runs scored on the error.  The bases were reloaded after a walk.  Kendra Levesque came in as a pinch hitter.  She took some big swings, but struck out to end the inning.  3-0 Aggies. 

 

It was a long first inning.  There were also numerous stoppages for meetings and umpire meetings.  I think whatever life there was in the crowd kind of got drained out right there.  The second inning started with the first of six hit batters in the game.  There was a great diving catch on a ball in center by Gabby.  Then it was wiped off by an illegal pitch call.  Good thing I was doing the scorecard in pencil. 

 

After a walk, a muffed infield grounder loaded the bases for the Lopes.  The fans wanted obstruction called on the runner on the play.  I’m getting out my baseball rulebook so you know this is going to take a minute.  Obstruction is on the fielder interfering with the runner.  Interference is the runner/batter interfering with the fielder. 

 

For this particular play, it’s up to the umpire’s judgment if a runner “willfully and deliberately” interfered with the fielding of a batted ball.  There’s no other guidance on that rule.  That said, there appeared to be some incidental contact, so it could have been called.  Then again, there had already been a couple of disputed plays to this point, so everything was going to be questioned.  While there was no alcohol being sold, it was hot and everyone seemed irritable.   

 

Back to the game, Mata hit another batter, which forced in a run.  3-1 Aggies.  Mata got on to start the bottom of the second on another error by the GCU shortstop.  In fairness, while it was an infield popup, it was high enough to almost hit a passing airliner.  The wind blowing in was causing fielding problems.  (I’m trying to be nice.)  Mata was left stranded. 

 

There was a t-shirt toss into the crowd earlier.  Before the third, there were souvenir balls tossed.  The crowd still didn’t seem to be into it.  Athletic Director Mario Moccia came in with his two girls.  I almost didn’t recognize him with the mask.  Why wasn’t he with the Volleyball team, since they were playing for a championship today?  They left after a half inning.  That girl in the boot riding a medical scooter was in the crowd, but the narrow aisle didn’t allow for her to race with it like she was at the baseball stadium a couple of weeks ago.  My mask is smelling.  It’s a bit gross.

 

Mata had a 1-2-3 third.  The PA mentioned the Volleyball team was playing now and promised updates from the game.  Maybe Mario left to watch the game.  Gabby slapped a gapper in the bottom that went to the wall.  The fielders immediately threw up their hands.  The ball got lodged in the fence for a ground rule double.  Briana singled.  She took second later.  I don’t know how.  I think I’m watching the game, but apparently I’m not.  I looked up at some point and she was at second. 

 

Left fielder Antuanett Dean took her first at bat after being pinch hit for in the first.  If there’d been a radio call for the game, I suspect their scouting report would have said she was “speedy.”  Dean easily beat out an infield single to score Gabby from third.  There was another tough play by Anjolee at short as she hesitated on a grounder by Mata, which allowed in another run.  (This play was later ruled an error.)  A walk to Ramsay Lopez, called “Rambo” by the dugout and fans in the stands, loaded the bases, but the inning ended on a popup.  5-1 Aggies.

 

I’m fascinated by the GCU girl at the scorer’s table.  She’s texting and her thumbs are moving faster than the eye can follow.  Mata worked another quick inning in the fourth.  Kayla “K-Bo” Bowen leadoff and appeared to be hit on the helmet, but was called back to the plate.  This touched off an immediate argument with the coaches.  The fans got vocally involved in the dispute too.  Kayla singled anyway.  Briana and right fielder Jillian Taylor both walked to load the bases.  The inning ended with Dean immediately called out on colliding with her batted ball. 

 

The girl on the scooter went over to talk to the GCU girl.  She seemed to be asking about a ruling on the field.  The GCU girl was very nice to her.  (Ah, she’s good with kids.  Wife material.)  She also chatted with an Aggie guy that worked on the other side of the scorer’s table off and on.  They didn’t appear to be flirting, but she seemed really friendly, not that I was going to meet her anyway.  Behind me, two young guys calling each other “Bro,” kept going on about how good they were during their playing days in high school.  They should have been telling the GCU girl instead the regulars in the stands.  That might have been more worthwhile.

 

Mata came out after walking the second batter of the fifth.  Chloe Rivas came in and took her spot in the batting order.  She gave up a single, but got the next two outs.  The PA mentioned the current weather here and in Phoenix, where GCU is.  It was 90-something there.  No update on the volleyball game.

 

Chloe was hit to start the bottom of the fifth and Rambo as well.  Lexy came on in relief.  Ooh, events on the field were now distracting me from watching the scorer’s table.  Sorry.  Cute redhead.  Freckles.  Lexy proceeded to hit Nikki to load the bases.  The woman I thought was her mom left the stands.  I don’t know if that’s a confirmation or not.  Maybe she couldn’t bear to watch.

 

Audrey Shebloski came in to pinch run for Nikki.  Kayla came up and singled to drive in two runs.  Gabby was hit to load the bases.  Audrey was thrown out at the plate on a fielder’s choice by Briana.  Audrey got her money’s worth with a hard slide into the catcher.  Jillian worked another walk to force in a run. 

At this point, the run rule was looming.  Part of me wanted the Aggies to win and for me to get out of the heat.  A small part of me didn’t want Lexy to lose the game and I wanted to see more of her.  Dean was pulled from her at bat after one pitch.  Hope Banales, who is one of the cuter ones on the team, took over, but struck out.  I didn’t understand the strategy there at all.  8-1 Aggies.

 

Chloe gave up a single to start the sixth.  She got two flyouts and a ground out to end the inning.  Lexy gave up a couple of singles in the bottom and got into trouble.  Anjolee at short made a nice play to get the lead runner on the next grounder.  Nikki ran into her on the next grounder and was out for interference to end the inning.  Yes, there was plenty of grumbling in the crowd after that.  Given how small a softball infield is collisions are often hard to avoid. 

 

For the first play of the top of the seventh, Rambo threw to Maya Martinez covering first.  Maya did a little tap dance to nip the runner.  There was no further drama as the Aggies closed it out and won 8-1.  The team went out to the circle afterward and clapped along with the fight song and yelled out a “thank you” to the crowd.

 

Gameballs.  Matalasi Faapito gave up 1 run over 4+ innings and went 2 for 3 with an RBI.  Kayla Bowen went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI’s.  Chloe Rivas pitched 3 scoreless innings.  It was a dominating performance by the Aggies even without any home runs. 

 

At the end of the game, there still wasn’t an update about volleyball.  I considered going up to the pressbox, but decided against it.  Outside the stadium, the GCU parents brought out some little Easter baskets while waiting for their players.  I called dad and offered to bring him Chick-fil-a for dinner.  I watched the second half of the first of the Final Four games with him. 

 

I called Ron to ask about the volleyball when I got there.  He gave me the bad news that the Aggies had lost in straight sets.  They were all close.  As good as the Aggies have been, I wasn’t surprised since Utah Valley has a good team, but I was still crushed.  (It’s okay girls.  We know you played hard from looking at the stats.  We still love you.  Go get ‘em next year.  Big hug.)  My only momentary solace was watching the other Final Four game at home later.  I had no rooting interest in the game, but Gonzaga’s last second near halfcourt winner in overtime over UCLA was thrilling.

 

So, that’s probably it for Aggie Softball for me this season.  Their next two homestands conflict with Aggie Baseball.  Even in pleasant conditions, that softball grandstand was not fun to sit in.  I’m not even really enthusiastic about going to baseball.  I may be finding excuses not to go.  I did get everything I wanted to see in today’s game: an Aggie win and Lexy.