NM State Aggies vs La Salle Explorers Baseball 3-10-19

So far, Aggie Baseball had had three very entertaining games with La Salle.  For today’s Sunday game unfortunately, we had some impending forecasted weather coming in.  It was at least only cool and overcast to start.  Ron was with me for another game and we were in good spirits.  I just wished I’d brought my sunglasses for the glare of the shinning white sky.   

Inside, I ran into the fellow I referred to before as the “Old Gent,” who I knew worked in some capacity for the university.  He chatted with me for a moment to ask if I worked for the team.  This kind of thing happens when you get seen filling out a scorecard at every game you’re at.  While I was embarrassing myself telling him that I was just a fan, I finally got a good look at his hard card.  He is Herb Taylor, and after a Google search, I found out that he’s the Senior Associate AD in charge of Football, Baseball, and Men’s Basketball.  He’s an important fellow.  I can finally call him by name now, as long as I can remember it.

Also familiar in crowd, I noticed the late Lori Paulsen’s son, the honorary captain of the football team.  He was easy to recognize as he was wearing his custom football jersey, just like the pictures I’d seen him in.  I hope him and his dad enjoyed today’s game. 

I was in the bathroom before the game and one of the opposing players came in to use the facilities.  Now, I really wonder about the visitor’s bathroom facilities.  I didn’t recognize his number and didn’t say anything.  I’m sure it was embarrassing enough to be using the fans’ urinals.  Back inside, I noticed a young woman with a stuffed bear.  It was “Dog Day” at the park, but I didn’t know you could also bring stuffed animals.  I’ve got some stuffed friends at home (Baby Jane, Teddy Mittens, Y2K Bug, and Bearly) who’d probably like to see a game.  I’ll ask. 

Adam Young, with the radio pregame, announced that Noah Haupt would be in at DH.  Jason Bush played his way into catching today over Braden Williams.  Caleb Henderson was out for unexplained reasons.  Tristan Peterson was in at first.  There was no announced curfew or run rule.  Rain was forecast on the way for 4:00pm, but Adam was pretty sure, even with the 1:00pm start time, we’d be close to done by then.   The threat of rain did not keep a decent crowd from arriving. 

The Aggies had a great bottom of the first.  Logan Bottrell got it started, as he kicked-in the afterburners for a hustle triple.  The Aggies did a good job of getting on and getting in this time, as opposed to Game 1 yesterday.  However, Kevin McGowan at third for the Explorers had a really rough inning that extended it.  He lost a high infield popup in the near pure white, cloudy sky, and then got a throwing error on a tough grounder.  The Aggies were up 4-0 after one, and thanks for not destroying my scorecard in the first inning by only sending nine men to the plate. 

This was too precious.  A little boy came in dressed as an Aggie pimp.  He had the baseball hat, the hoodie up over it, the track suit bottom, and an Aggie medallion hanging around his neck on a Mardi Gras necklace.  He was styling. 

Chance Hroch pitched two good innings to start the game.  He ran into trouble in the third.  It began with the most controversial call of the game . . . by the official scorekeeper.  The leadoff batter walked.  Hroch made some throws over to first to check on him and one of them got away from Peterson.  The runner advanced to second.  Somehow, this wasn’t an error.  Adam was shocked when he checked the official scoring later.  Befuddled, he thought maybe the runner had been hit by the throw, but that’s still an error.  When I checked the play-by-play on the website, it just said “Runner advanced.”

Hroch retired the next two batters, but after a walk, two runners scored on an error.  Joey made a great catch and throw on a grounder deep in the hole, but Peterson couldn’t come up with it.  A single brought in another run to tighten up the score to 4-3 Aggies.  In these last two Sunday starts (3-3-19), Hroch can get rattled when things go badly behind him.

The sexy was back today.  I’d describe Emerson, but really there’s nobody like her to compare her too.  It’s not just me noticing the attractive marketing intern at these baseball games.  On the walkway, I saw two little boys walking past her in the other direction at one point.  They both turned around, like that meme, and ogled her.  Dude, did you just hit puberty right now too!  Later, I caught one of the regular fans sitting by me, who’s probably in his 40’s, getting an eyeful of her.  Then, I saw a handsome young man working a handheld camera turning around to watch her go up the stairs beside him.  Quite simply, this chick is appealing to every guy.     

Emerson did lead a kid down to the field for the window toss challenge.  The kid took a full windup, mirroring the pitcher warming up.  Unfortunately, he lacked control and completely missed the target.  Emerson gave him the prize hat anyway.  When he came back to the stands, two young women sitting in front of me flirted with him as he walked by.  Also in the stands, Lia Mosher and Jordan Pleasants from the volleyball team came in.  I didn’t recognize the girl with them, but I hope she’s a new freshman recruit.  She was tall, well-built, and attractive.  She looks like she would be a good addition to the team.      

In the bottom of the third, Noah Haupt nearly hit one out, but left fielder Quentin Brown almost robbed him at the wall.  Instead, the ball popped out of Brown’s mitt and Haupt ran for a triple.  Unfortunately, he was left stranded there.  Hroch was back on track for the fourth with a couple of strikeouts.  Easton Corbin tickets were also given away between innings.  Mingus singled to start the fourth, but for some reason tried to stretch it and was thrown out at second.  No problem.  Joey Ortiz cranked off a homer to left that clanked off the scoreboard.  5-3 Aggies.

Hroch had another good inning in the fifth, but there was plenty of action in the stands.  A foul ball dropped into the stands.  That’s always exciting.  The pimp Aggie kid walked past the girls sitting in front of me.  He didn’t have his sunglasses on.  He stopped and gave the girls a look that said How you doin’? like Joey from Friends.  The girls giggled, obviously flattered by the attention of such a mack daddy.  By the way, one of the girls was wearing a ripped pair of jeans, which is fairly normal, but the entire front legs of her jeans were torn off.  Why not just wear shorts at that point?

The Aggies threatened in the bottom getting two on.  There was another Explorer error, as the centerfielder bobbled a Peterson hit, which moved the runners into scoring position.  Starter Aiden Frye pulled a Houdini and got the next three batters with two grounders and a strikeout.  Fired up, the Explorers came back in the sixth.  They chased Hroch with a hit, an error at third, and a run-scoring single.  The La Salle dugout actually booed the error on Mingus; they wanted it scored a hit. (The official scorer was taking it on the chin today.)  Wyatt Kelly came in and put out the fire.  5-4 Aggies.

By the bottom of the sixth, it was getting cold.  The volleyball girls and the girls in front of me left.  (You should have worn whole jeans, Miss.)  Mingus doubled to start the Aggie frame, but not before fouling one ball onto the canopy and another into his own dugout.  Coach Green had to hobble out of the way of that last one.  Mingus was sac’d to third.  Joey attempted a suicide squeeze play that didn’t come off.  I assume that was called from the dugout.  With that nonsense out of the way, he proceeded to hit a two-run homer.  It was a monster.  The ball either went into the treetops in left or over them. 

7-4 Aggies.  The excitement wasn’t over.  Tristan Carranza got a triple to deep center.  He was waved home.  Credit to Peyton Sorrels at second for a great throw home that got Carranza at the plate.  TC came up chuckling.  It wasn’t his fault.  The crowd applauded the gamble and the great fielding effort.  Aldo Fernandez came in in the seventh.  He walked the leadoff batter, who scored on a single.  The single was a swinging bunt in the infield that rolled right in front of Aldo.  The ball then just spun away from him.  7-5 Aggies.  For the stretch, I was joined in singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame by a chorus of kids behind me.  This should happen every game. 

In the bottom, Peterson hit a blooper and Logan Ehnes got an infield hit after some confusion, as nobody could decide who was covering first.  (Another error?  Who do you give it to?)  The younger Willams brother, Brenden, came in to drop a sacrifice.  Jason Bush, who replaced Braden Williams at catcher today, made the coach’s lineup decision look good by smacking a line drive three-run homer to right.  10-5 Aggies.  Bottrell singled afterward.  He then proceeded to steal second and third.  He’s 8 for 8 in steals this season.  Joey also found the canopy with a foul.  It’s getting dangerous sitting in the stands.

The wind picked up ominously in the eighth.  Matt Munden gave up a double and a walk, and gave way to Mitchell Allen, who finished off the inning with a pair of strikeouts.  Sprinkles.  I wonder what time it is?  I vacated to higher up in the grandstand under the canopy.  I was still getting sprinkled on.  Thank goodness it didn’t actually rain, because the canopy is useless.  From my new vantage, I could see Ron standing out beyond right field under a tree.  He was still waiting for foul balls and home runs.  (He’s gone mad.)  Up top, I could also hear another voice coming from the pressbox, not Adam’s.  The Explorers brought along their own broadcaster. 

Nearing the end of my notes page and trying to protect my scorecard from rain, I gave up on taking notes.  The bottom of the eighth was a complete cluster-f for La Salle.  The Aggies ran up six more runs.  McGowan racked up two more errors at third.  Joey hit the canopy with another foul.  Brenden scored two with a single.  Nice job.  Nick Gonzales got his first hit for the game and drove in a run.  The Aggies batted around in the best possible way.  I could use the unused ninth inning column for the overflow.         

Chris Barraza worked the ninth.  He gave up a single and a walk, but then got a strikeout looking and a double play to end the game.  Aggies win 16-5!  I was in such a rush, I actually forgot to record the last play.  I was worried about the impending rain and I needed to go to the bathroom.  There was a big crowd in the “kiss and cry.”  I saw Emerson there.  Maybe she’s dating one of the players.  Nice catch for the guy if that’s the case.  (Terrible pun.  Shoot me.)

I met Ron later in the parking lot by his car.  He was beaming.  He’d collected three balls.  Significantly, he’d gotten Bush’s three-run homer ball.  I tried to talk him into going back and giving him the ball in returned for a signed one, but he wouldn’t.  For some reason, he was shy about meeting the players.

Kevin McGowan was the Explorers’ player of the game hitting 3 for 5, but with four errors at third.  Not knowing the player except for these four games, I’ll say he might have just gotten the yips today.  These things happen.  I’ll give freshman pitcher, Aiden Frye some credit too.  He gutted it out and kept it close for his six innings.  (Given the bullpen today, I can see why the coach stuck with him.)    

For the Aggies, who to pick?  Joey Ortiz went 3 for 6 with two home runs.  Tristan Peterson went 3 for 5.  Jason Bush had 4 RBI’s including a three-run home run.  Nick Gonzales had a rough three games hitting.  That said, he was still getting on, scoring, and drove in a run with his only hit today.  This seems like the definition of star player: he still contributes, even if he’s not hitting.  I noticed he was also using another walkup song this weekend.  Both of them are good, as opposed to most of the crap that his teammates use.  (Sorry guys, your walk up music sucks.)  Aggie relief pitching went four innings and only gave up one run. 

When I got in the car, I looked at the time.  It was after 5:30pm.  The game had gone over four-and-a-half hours.  No wonder I needed to go so bad.  It was a good thing that the expected rain at 4:00 was just sprinkles.  Strangely, it didn’t feel like that long a game.  I guess it depends on how interesting the game is, and this was an interesting game to watch.  This was a great series this weekend.  Here I was somewhat dreading three games in two days, but I’d had a good time.

We went to Raising Canes again for dinner.  I’d forgotten to use my free drink prize coupon.  So I ended up with two drinks.  (That prize didn’t make any sense.  All their meals come with a drink.)  I had the green lemonade for St. Patrick’s Day (it was normal lemonade).  We barged into Freddies next door for their ice cream.  I should say forced our way in, because of the large crowd inside.  It took 15 minutes to get our order and mine wasn’t that great.  Given that their burgers aren’t that great either, I don’t know why Las Cruces is congregating there.  Other than that minor blip, it was a great weekend for baseball.