NM State Aggies vs GCU Lopes Softball Game 1 4-20-19

It was hot and breezy to start this double header at the Softball Complex against GCU.  The two conditions sort of canceled each other out, so it was okay.  Ron had a family gathering this evening and couldn’t come.  I sat by fellow fan Danny behind home plate.  He was in a good mood as we chatted about the team.  They were giving out Aggie visors at the entrance.  I didn’t really want one, but the pretty girl handing them out kind of insisted.  I meant to try to give it away during the game, but wasn’t able to and had to find someone at work to take it.  I actually have too many giveaways in my possession at this point.

It’s too bad Ron couldn’t make it.  Those two GCU players he liked were playing in the game, Kaileigh Holland at catcher and Gianna Nicoletti in the outfield.  I didn’t see my favorite adorable redhead, Lexy Coons, when teams were introduced and was worried for her.  (She’s listed on the program as “Lexy,” which is probably what she goes by, but she’s “Alexa” in the official scoring.  This, and the spelling of Kaileigh’s name [Kay-lee], caused me some editing problems.)  The GCU girls danced a jig before the game.

It was another great crowd for the game.  Aggie Softball has acquired some fans this season.  (There are also two players from Las Cruces on the team.)  The Ruidoso High School Softball team was in attendance in team shirts.  I’m not sure if they were here in Las Cruces playing a tournament or not.  The hair and makeup on some of these girls was spot on, so they didn’t just come here right after playing.  The PA thanked them for coming between innings during the game, and they did stay for both games.  A few kids were out with the Aggie girls during introductions.  Kayla Green was having fun with a little girl before they ran out to circle.  It was so cute.   

Kayla worked an efficient first with a strikeout.  Yessie Morrison gave up a hit to Kelsey Horton, but also had a quick inning.  Yessie made an impressive nonchalant catch of a comeback liner by Jeanelle Medina.  Kaileigh Holland came up first in the second and hit a home run that hit the top of the wall.  Would Ron have cheered if he’d been there?  Kaileigh is rail-thin for a softball player, much less a catcher.  She has a good arm though and could hit.  There was a double next and then a ground out.  Maddie Dowdle hit a grounder to third.  Mya Felder deflected it.  Jeanelle was able to field it, but had no play and another run scored.  2-0 GCU.

Shelby Shultes, who’d done so well yesterday, earned a start today as the DP.  She worked a walk to start the bottom of the second.  She was sacrificed over, but there was another groundout following that.  Local player, Casie Roberto, came up next and jacked one out to left center.  The crowd was completely jacked too.  This was her first college home run.  The score was tied at 2.  Brandy Hernandez followed that with a blooper over third base.  Sierra Smith at short dove for it in a good effort.  Brandy was left stranded to end the inning.

Nikki Butler, catching, got hit on a foul to start the third.  The ump gave her a moment and walked the ball out to Kayla and chatted with her.  Kelsey came over and patted Nikki on the helmet and they all shared a laugh.  Laughing off these minor hurts is part of the job as a catcher or ump.

Kayla walked Shea Smith, the second batter of the inning.  Savannah Tourville singled down the third base line.  Shea thought about taking third as Brandy came up with the ball.  Brandy held the ball for a second and dared her to try.  The Lopes had scouted her potent throwing arm.  Unfortunately, Brandy needed another six inches in height on the next batter, as Kaylee Dietrich doubled just beyond her reach and drove in two, 4-2 GCU. 

Kayla got a strikeout next.  A guy in the stands actually called out, “Changeup!” before the final pitch, but it didn’t help.  Lilly Bishop singled up the middle next.  Kaileigh tried to come in and score, but Victoria Castro threw her out from center.  Nikki got Kaileigh in a bear hug as she came into the plate.  (I’m sure Ron would have been jealous.)

A girl with the Ruidoso team got a prize for the pocket contest.  The whole team was into the giveaways.  The Aggies went down with a double play in the bottom of the third.  Kayla gave up a leadoff single to start the fourth, but no damage was done.  Kayla Bowen was swinging in anger in her at bat in the bottom.  She hammered one to center, but the wind blew it back in.  Mya, who’d walked in front of her, was doubled off to end the inning.

Kayla was nicked on the ankle on a hard liner up the middle to start the fifth.  It didn’t seem that bad when it happened, but Coach Rodolph and the trainer came out to look at her.  Kayla took a couple of practice pitches and seemed okay, but came out anyway.  It’s hard to speculate, but she did seem to be walking okay later in Game 2 (she wasn’t playing).  Maybe her ankle was numb after the hit, or they thought it would swell up. 

Chloe Rivas came in to pitch and started off with a strikeout.  There was a foul ball that dropped in nearby us.  It hit a spot that was just vacated by a girl that was sitting there.  (Those things are like yellow cannonballs.)  Chloe allowed a single to Kaileigh next.  Dietrich then hit a high foul over third base.  Brandy made a great play by the fence and then threw out Shea Smith at the plate.  Except the ump called her safe.  Let me put it to you this way, Shea got up and argued before she realized the call was “Safe.”  She thought she was going to be called out.  The crowd was all over the ump, “Go back to calling high school games!”  The Ruidoso girls said, “We don’t want him!”  (Just kidding.)  5-2 GCU.

Beautiful Megan Hart and Kiley Tonge from the Volleyball team came in.  They were all smiles chatting with a booster.  (I need to be a booster.)  Casie walked to start the bottom of the fifth.  Keala Brown ran for her and Brandy moved her up to second.  Kennedy Johnson pinch hit and singled Keala in.  Jeanelle reentered the game and stole second, where Tori drove her in with a double.  5-4 GCU.

Mya made a good play on a popup by the dugout on the first batter of the sixth.  However, the ball grazed the roof and was ruled foul.  On the next pitch, Mya deflected a grounder, but Jeanelle stayed with it and threw out the runner from deep in the hole.  I was questioning before if she could play short, but I’m not anymore.  Chloe finished off the inning.

Ah, there’s my cute redhead.  Lexy Coons came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth.  I was not rooting for her.  (I was hoping to run into her afterward and console her after a bad outing.)  She has an odd rocking motion when pitching and works up some of her own infield chatter.  Dietrich went in to catch, but Kaileigh stayed in the game.  Looking at the official scoring, seven players changed positions for the Lopes.  I’m not going to bother trying to figure that out on my scorecard.  Lexy pitched an in-order inning.

Between innings, it was announced that the Aggie Women’s Golf team had won this afternoon for their fifth WAC Championship in six years.  They are really good.  The first GCU batter of the seventh was called out for hitting outside of the box.  Shea singled next.  Savannah hit a Texas Leaguer between right field and second.  KB seemed unsure about taking it and had to dive at it and dropped it.  Samaria Diaz came in right after to pitch.  She gave up two walks, which forced in a run, but got the next two batters.  6-4 GCU. 

Lexy got the first two outs of Aggie seventh.  Kennedi Sorensen came in to pinch hit and, down to her last strike, doubled.  This got the crowd into it.  Sarai Mejia came in to pinch run.  Kelsey came up and was also got down to her last strike.  She took a close pitch that got an “Oooh,” out of the crowd.  She worked a walk on a full count.  Sarai stole third on the walk.  Tori came up and was down to her last strike too.  She hit the ball off the end of her bat and grounded out to end the game.  GCU won 6-4.

Myself, and perhaps the other Aggie fans, would have felt worse about the lost, but it was against a good team.  The Aggies fought it out to the end and the game was pretty entertaining regardless.  Kaileigh Holland had a good game hitting for GCU going 3 for 3 with 2 RBI’s and a home run.  Lexy Coons might have gotten a little rattled at the end, but pitched two scoreless innings for the save.  (They’re both pretty, too, but that has nothing to do with my objective analysis.)  Kennedy Johnson for the Aggies gets a gameball for her pinch hit, RBI single in the fifth.  I thought Chloe Rivas did a good job in her two and 1/3 innings of relief.

On to Game 2.