NM State Aggies vs Northern Colorado Bears Baseball 3-20-21 Game 2

 
Game 1

Game 2

Ron wasn’t entirely happy with my dinner choice because there was a long line at the Chik-fil-a drive through, but I was adamant.  I was also sure my decision was going to be looking good after we started eating.  We did run late though.  As we came in, the first out was made on the first Bears batter.  Although fans were encouraged to bring in their own food and drinks for the game since the concessions were closed, I knew this would also run afoul of their mask mandate.  So, I was lightly scolded while eating.  There is no sense behind these rules; they’re just meant to make thinking people crazy and dumb people feel virtuous.  I’m not going to say this ruined my experience, but I don’t think I’m going to want to go to the ballpark like this passed this season.

 

The Bears were glad to see the last of Chris Jefferson.  They promptly scored two runs off of Aggie starter, Josh Laukkanen, in the first.  The Aggies didn’t stop hitting either.  Zerek Saenz started off with a triple.  Brandon Dieter drove him in with a double.  Kevin Jimenez was hit by a pitch.  The Aggies on base then executed a double steal, which resulted in an errant throw by the catcher and another run scoring.  A double by Austin Duffy and a single by Britt Graham brought in two more runs to make it 4-2 Aggies.  The Aggies had their own run-scoring error in the second.  A bad throw by Graham on a steal attempt of third after a strikeout brought in the Bears’ third run.  The Aggies came right back in the bottom, as Saenz collected another hit and KJ drove him in.  5-3 Aggies.

 

In the bottom of the third, I can say for sure that the Aggies scored two more runs to make it 7-3.  Saenz got another hit and drove in one of those runs.  The scoring on the other run is a bit of a mystery.  Adam Young on the radio had to wait for an official scoring and I’m not sure he understood it either.  Tommy Tabak tripled and Duffy walked to put runners on the corners to start the inning.  Graham bunted to the third base side.  Just inserted Bear pitcher, Ian Torpey, came off the mound to field the ball.  Tabak danced off third baiting a throw.  Torpey hesitated and then made a bad throw to first.  Graham was safe and Tabak scampered home on the overthrow.  I had that scored as an easy error, but officially it was somehow a sacrifice or a hit and an RBI.  There was an attempted double steal right after, but since one of the runners was caught, the other steal didn’t count.  I am lost.  I found out that there’s unsecured Wi-Fi at the ballpark.  I may start bringing my iPad to double check my scoring on the spot and to get further explanation. 

 

Anyway to the fourth, Ben Des Rosiers came on in relief for the Aggies after Laukkanen gave up a home run and a single.  The scouts in attendance got out their radar guns.  I think he’s a prospect.  Des Rosiers induced a double play ground ball and then got a strikeout to end the frame.  The Aggies didn’t stop scoring either.  Duffy tripled in two runs to make it 9-4 Aggies.  It was a fly ball, but as soon as Matt Burkart in right field got turned around twice, it was trouble.  There was a swirling wind blowing over the stadium that was causing the fielders fits on balls in the air.

 

Saenz came up to start the fifth.  This time, the infield overloaded to the left.  Dramatic shifts do not normally happen in college ball.  Saenz promptly slapped one to the right.  The Aggie dugout and the fans loved it.  That kicked off a 4-run inning.  KJ singled in Saenz, Tabak hit the fourth Aggie triple of the game to drive in two, and Duffy doubled in a run.  13-4 Aggies.  I made notes this inning on Ethan Mann and Graham having great walk-up music.  I appreciate enjoying at least some of the players’ musical tastes.  I mention this mostly because I almost left in the sixth when the PA played Baby Shark between innings.  Saenz singled in the inning to go 5-for-5.  This is ridiculous.  He scored on a dropped popup to short.  It was that tricky wind again.  14-4 Aggies.

 

Adam was mentioning the run rule coming into play at this point and, of course, jinxed it.  Ben McKay, who had just dropped that ball at short, led off the seventh with a home run off of just entered reliever, Joey Arellano, to spoil it.  Another run was doubled in.  Tabak made an effort to get those runs back by leading off with an Aggie homer in the bottom.  There was a t-shirt toss into the crowd for it.  But, there was to be no run rule today.  Burkart hit his second homer in the eighth to make it 15-7.  Graham certainly wished the game had ended early as he took a foul to his “lower area” in the eighth.  The bottom of the eighth was scoreless for the Aggies.  This broke an 11-inning scoring streak going back to the previous game.  Saenz also flied out.  I think he did that on purpose to not expose his mutant superpower to hit.  Sam Leach, Game 1 starter, tripled in the ninth and was driven in for the last run of the game.  Tristan Stacy did make a great foul catch in right fighting the wind.  15-8 Aggies final.  The game went three hours and, thanks to Daylight Savings Time, the sun was still up by the end.

 

Gameballs.  Ben Des Rosiers got the win for throwing three scoreless innings of relief.  Derek Saenz went 5-for-6 with 4 runs and an RBI.  Tommy Tabak went 4-for-5 including 2 triples, a home run, and 3 RBI’s.  Austin Duffy was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI’s and came within a single of hitting for the cycle.  For the Bears, I’ll note Matt Burkart for clubbing 2 home runs. 

 The scouts were discussing the NCAA tournament and following GCU’s loss.  They seemed pleased with the final score of this game.  I think these guys bet on everything.  Megan Hart was not up front this time.  Her friend and former teammate was there.  I don’t think she’s on the team anymore.  She’s apparently dating a player, as she waited in the Kiss-n-Cry for the team to come out and was wearing an Aggie Baseball shirt.  Oh my goodness, Hitting Man himself, Derek Saenz was standing in front of me while I was waiting on Ron in the bathroom.  Saenz is from here and his family was there to meet him.  I should have said something, since other fans were congratulating him.  Apparently, I’m not very social with strangers while wearing a mask.  (He won the Player of the Week award Monday.  Congrats!)  Admittedly, I was maybe a little more excited by a little wiener dog that somebody was walking into the area.

 

Ron and I went to Caliches after I took my truck home.  Ice cream is for winners and I still have a couple of two-for-one coupons left.  Current Aggie tickets don’t have any coupons on them.  As happy as Ron was with seeing baseball and a couple of wins, I think he was happier with Caliches’ seasonal Key Lime flavored frozen custard.  I shouldn’t have listened to his weather forecast for Sunday.  He said there were going to high winds, but they actually held off until the very end of the game.  I had cancelled going when he told me and listened to the game over the radio.  The Aggies completed the sweep, 7-4.  The Bears’ home run hitting kept them in the game.  Zerek Saenz continued to hit.  He went 15 for 19 in the series.  He’s unsurprisingly leading the conference hitting over .500.  Catcher Jason Bush got hit on a backswing and almost ended up in a fight.  He’d taken enough abuse this series. 

 

Sorry this recap is poor even by my standards.  I’m out of practice and disheartened, but it was good to get out to the ballpark and see a couple of wins.  I’m planning on going to some more Aggie Sports for the rest of the spring.