NM State Aggies vs UMKC Roos Softball Game 2, 4-27-19

Continued from Game 1.

Ron and I retreated to his car to cool off.  I downed two water bottles.  I’d actually needed that drink in the third inning, two hours ago.  Night had come and the evening was cool and beautiful.  When we came back in, I noticed some girls practicing softball pitching with a baseball underneath the grandstand.  It was a nice scene for a ballpark.

Kennedy Johnson continued at DP for this game, along with Sarai Mejia in right.  Brandy Hernandez resumed left field duties and batting ninth.  Samaria Diaz was back out in the circle to start Game 2.  She gave up a single, but struck out two in the first.  In the bottom, Kelsey Horton hit a grounder through the third baseman’s legs and hustled it into a double.  The official scorekeeper listed that as a hit.  Even Roos fans were outraged. 

A little girl nearby us didn’t want to go chasing fouls.  “It’s too much work for a lollipop,” she said.  She wasn’t a gamer.  In the second, a foul went straight back over the screen and a different little girl caught it.  She received a round of applause from the crowd.  Now, there’s a gamer.  (I told Chuck about it.  He felt even worse about dropping his foul last weekend.  I shouldn’t have said anything.)  Samaria was overpowering this inning with three more strikeouts.

Then the bottom of the second happened.  Here’s what for sure happened.  Mya Felder singled and Casie Roberto beat out an infield hit.  KJ hit a three-run line drive homer to left center.  She was having a heck a Senior Day.  Sarai got an infield hit as her grounder bounced high and hit pitcher, Kailyn Packard, in the face mask.  You figure any pitcher wearing a mask has probably been hit in the face before.  Packard was clearly stunned, perhaps having a flashback, after the hit.  The coach and trainer came out to check on her.  Packard stayed in to a round of applause.

Okay, then it all got weird.  Brandy got on by a fielder’s choice.  After this, I got confused.  Faith Willis, at short, had problems and the ball kept finding her.  I initially had her with four errors this inning.  In spite of my issues with the official scorer, I went with the announced two errors, though I’m not entirely sure on which plays.  (I’m afraid to look at the official game recap.)  I stopped taking notes and held off on scoring, as I tried to process events.  This only made things more confusing when more oddness happened.

I think Jeanelle Medina got on by an error, a dropped ball at first from short.  Kelsey, next, hit a grounder to short.  Brandy was running by at the time and her feet got fouled with the ball.  She started to run off the field, but was pointed back to third and stayed there to load the bases.  Was Willis obstructing Brandy before she tripped on the ball?  Victoria Castro sac’d her in.  Nikki Butler singled in two runs.  I think I had that as another error, as the ball went to short and took a high bounce, but seemed like it should have been handled.  Mya walked.  An error on another bouncer to short loaded the bases before the final out was recorded.  6-0 Aggies.  I’m at least sure of score.        

Sam got two more strikeouts and a groundout in the third.  However, there was also a walk, an error, and a three-homer by Bre Hunter.  Here we go again, I thought.  6-3 Aggies.  Brandy singled in the bottom.  Willis made a good play on a liner for the second out.  And then, Kelsey Horton went straight into legend.  She’s the Aggie home run leader and she’s hit big home runs, but this one was special.  Kelsey hit a two-run line drive home run straight into the scoreboard and actually put out some of the lights.  I told you all, she’s The Natural!  Meanwhile, AD Mario Moccia gritted as he applauded, “We just fixed the d*mn thing!”  (Just kidding, though probably not.) 

I almost don’t feel like recapping the rest of the game after that.  It’s too anti-climatic by comparison.  A plague of locusts did descend on the stadium.  They flew around the lights and occasionally into the crowd.  The hail of frogs landed just south in Anthony.  The highlights continued.  In the fourth, Sam deflected a high liner to Jeanelle, who caught it, stepped on second, and threw to first for an inning-ending double play.  The Aggies went down in order in the bottom.  The Pocket contest asked fans for a $2 bill.  There was a winner.

The Roos scored two in the fifth to make it 8-5.  They were not going away.  There were some highlights here.  Sarai made a good running basket catch in right.  Sydney Garcia hit a run-scoring double and advanced to third on the throw in.  Perhaps her dad in the crowd got angry that she hesitated before getting there.  Sheesh. 

The Roo fans had been getting pretty salty since the second inning.  They did get a laugh over Bre Hunter, who played great in this double header, as she beat out an infield hit, but tripped on first base and faceplanted.  (They also found Tom’s cheering fairly amusing.)  Sam had a laugh, too.  She lobbied on a check swing to the ump, didn’t get it, and then laughed it off.  If Samaria seems to have a secret to her success, it’s that she really seems to be having fun out there, not taking it too seriously, and playing loose.    

Shelby Shultes, pinch hitter extraordinaire, came up in the fifth and singled.  Tori singled her in to make it 9-5.  The Roos scored again in the sixth, as Catherine Friloux drove in Faith Willis.  9-6 Aggies.  Casie caught the final out on a popup in the infield.  She fell backward on her back to come up with the catch.  Mya doubled to start the bottom of the sixth.  Casie singled her in.  KJ then hit a high bouncer that hit Madason Shaw in the face at third.  The ball went into center and Casie scored.  Madason seemed okay.  Maybe the ball didn’t hit her hard in the face?  11-6 Aggies.

Entering her ninth inning of work for the day, Sam still looked like she was having fun.  It’s hard not to admire that attitude combined with her performance.  Holy cats!  I can’t believe what I saw come into the stadium earlier.  A pretty girl wearing pure fetish-inducing black vinyl pants came in.  I’m not even into that and I was mesmerized.  She left in the seventh, presumably to go party.  I nudged Ron.  She had the same effect on him.

Umm, back to the game.  Sam got two quick outs.  She gave up two walks on close pitches.  I could see the outfielders going nuts wanting the game to finish.  Sam appropriately finished the game with a strikeout.  Nikki flipped the ball one more time as the team celebrated.  The PA told everyone to stick around for Senior Day ceremonies and thanked the UMKC fans for attending.  That’s always a nice touch.

Aggies win 11-6!  Let’s hand out those gameballs.  Bre Hunter is again our Roo MVP with a home run and four RBI’s.  Kelsey Friggin’ Horton, just for that unforgettable blast in the third capping an unforgettable Aggie career.  Kennedy Johnson had a heck of a Saturday, going collectively 5 for 8 with 7 RBI’s.  Make sure her mom is in the stands at the WAC Tournament.  9 innings, 18 strikeouts, 2 earned runs.  No wonder Samaria Diaz could smile so easily.  

Senior Day Ceremony

First up, the PA recognized the Roos’ only senior Maegan Rollow.  She waved to the UMKC fans in the stands with an armful of flowers.  The Aggie ceremony seemed a bit rushed compared to the others I’ve seen for some reason.  It was almost like something was missing.  (Ahem, Kayla Green. Ahem.)  I don’t want to do this here, but I have to.  Whatever happened between her and team, Kayla did a great job for the program, leading your pitching staff to two WAC Tournament Championships.  If she was here in town and willing to go on field, you guys really should have recognized her.    

Like I said, it felt kind of rushed.  I wasn’t really able to write down all of the players’ accomplishments at the time.  Sorry if I’m getting stuff wrong and leaving stuff out.  Victoria Castro had a career .300 average and the top batting average for this season.  Kennedy Johnson made the all-tournament team last year.  (I could see that happening this year too, after today’s performance.)  Kelsey Horton was another .300 career average hitter.  She was an iron-woman starting every game she played (if I heard that right).  She’s a two-time WAC Player of the Year and a Tournament MVP.  I could even see Roo players listening to her accomplishments in awe.    

Here’s where I’d normally gush over the seniors.  I certainly did that with Kelsey last year, perhaps to the point of being inappropriate.  I have the highest respect for Kelsey and her talent, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s attractive.  Actually, if Tori could play with her incredible hair loose, I’d totally fan-cheat on Kelsey with her.  (And I have seen Tori hit the ball harder and further, but distance doesn’t matter as long as it goes over the wall.)  Kelsey, in a postgame interview, put a great bow on the game by noting that all three seniors (who were present) homered today.  Let’s just end here on a happy note.