NM State Aggies vs CBU Lancers Baseball 05-16-21

I really find myself wishing that that game from two weeks ago had been last game of the season.  Events didn’t go any better today than yesterday, if not worse.  That said, I’m glad I went.  As nearly always in baseball, there are some little moments that don’t always show up on the scorecard that make the sport worthwhile.  We had a few of those today in the most unexpected places.  Now, that I’ve pretty much spoiled everything, let’s get on with the recap.

 

Ron called early.  He was flat on his bad back and unable to move, so he wouldn’t be going.  I kind of figured that would happen as much pain as he was in yesterday.  He was very disappointed to not be going out for the final Aggie home game.  The day was brilliant in the 80’s with a light breeze and clear blue sky.  No weather delays in sight today.  I had no excuse for not going, though I was skeptical I was going to see an Aggie win.

I arrived at Presley Askew Field just as the PA was announcing the CBU seniors for the Senior Day ceremony.  I got to my seat as Jason Bush was honored as a sixth year senior.  He’s one of my favorites.  A group of girls came in to cheer for him.  I thought they were Hooters girls, but I noticed later that they were wearing tank tops with his face printed on them.  Chris Jefferson was honored.  I hope he’ll make it into professional baseball.  He certainly should get a chance.  Several other players were honored as graduates, but they weren’t actually seniors, so they might be back.

 

Emerson, our favorite sports marketing intern, escorted Jefferson’s and Bush’s moms to the mound to throw out the first pitches.  (The boys may have gotten their athletic talent from their dads from what I saw.)  It was a sweet moment as they all hugged afterward.  The mask sign made a comeback today briefly.  I said, “Hi,” to the dog I’d met last time, but I wasn’t sitting by him.  He did introduce himself to a little girl nearby.  She seemed apprehensive, but eventually warmed up to the big furry dog. 

What’s mind blowing about these scorecards is that they added up correctly.  I’ve had much cleaner scorecards that were totally off.  Does this mean I’m getting better at this?  It would make ironic sense that my last scorecard of the year is the one where I finally figured out how to do it.  By next year, I’ll be back to guessing and having to go crawling back to the official scoring.

 

Cam Blazek started for the Aggies.  He got a couple of quality strikeouts to start.  Zerek Saenz made a diving basket catch to end the inning.  I switched around several seats trying to avoid the sun.  I was up by the pressbox again, but at this time of day the sun was coming in.  For the bottom half of the inning, I couldn’t see the pitcher with the pole in the way.  Kevin Jimenez singled, but that was all.

 

Finally in a better seat, I could see the field, but not the scoreboard.  The father and son and the hot blonde from yesterday were back in the crowd.  Zach Smits at first dropped a throw to let on the first batter of the second.  This began a parade of errors later in the game.  Cam was shooting peas though, and worked around it. 

 

The people below me brought in a big sack of McDonalds.  I don’t usually think anything of McDonalds, but it does smell good and I’m hungry.  More on these people later.  Brandon Dieter led off with a single.  He stole second, even stumbling, when the catcher dropped the ball.  Nothing came of it. 

 

Bush’s fangirls came in with sacks of unidentified food.  I may be more interested in the food than the girls.  Back to the fans below me, one of the girls has a nearly shaved head and is wearing spaghetti straps and is sitting in the sun with extremely pale skin.  I’m feeling sunburn just looking at her.  In the top of the third, Ethan Mann took a tough error at third on the second batter of the inning.  John Glenn then came up and hit a monster home run to right center.  The outfielders barely moved.  2-0 CBU. 

 

A family came in directly below me in the bottom of the third.  The dad brought mitt.  He’s probably going to be disappointed if he’s looking to catch a ball.  The dog did come over and say “Hello,” to him and got amicably petted.  And then my pen ran out of ink and I had to persevere with a pencil.  Zerek had an epic at bat after a bunt attempt and worked a walk.  There was a botched pitchout on a botched hit-and-run.  (I think CBU has cracked the Aggies’ signs.)  This resulted in Zerek stealing second.  KJ was struck out looking after a long AB.  The ump had a wide strike zone.  Mann was then given an intentional walk.  Cal Villareal took offense to that and singled in Zerek.  2-1 CBU.

 

To the top of the fourth, Emerson came out for Aggie trivia.  The little girl and a nearby little boy were playing with the dog.  It was too sweet.  Harrison Spohn led off with a single.  He stole second and took third on a bad throw by Bush.  It was a tough way to start an inning.  Spohn was then sacrificed in.  Zerek made a nice running catch on the flyball.  Nick Plaia then hammered a solo homer to the same spot Glenn had.  It was his first home run of the year.  There was a bad throw by Mann from third that was ruled an infield hit.  Blazek worked out of further damage.  4-1 CBU.

 

Emerson came out and tossed souvenir balls to the crowd.  The dad with the glove caught one for his daughter.  I stand corrected.  AD Mario Moccia came in earlier.  He visited the pressbox, but didn’t come on the radio.  I was disappointed, since he usually says something interesting.  He was sitting below, chatting with a fan.  (Mario had his mask off.)  I noticed his daughter was sitting above with friends by the pressbox.  She came in later with sacks of What-a-burger and cups of ice cream.  I’m now completely dying of hunger.  This isn’t even fair.  Mario did stop her as she walked by, but she stiffed him without giving him anything.  At least, I’m not alone in hunger.  Adam later reported that she also retrieved a couple of foul balls and brought them to the pressbox.

 

The Aggies got two hits to start the bottom of the fourth.  Smits had an infield hit that was scored an error to load the bases.  (I’m having a problem with the official scorer.)  Tommy Tabak just missed a grand slam home run but for a leaping catch by Chad Castillo.  It did work as a sacrifice to bring in a run.  Zerek singled to bring in two runs.  Castillo bobbled getting the ball, which moved Zerek to second.  4 all.

 

Blazek got a strikeout and a flyout in the fifth, but gave up a double off the batter’s eye in center that nearly went over.  After a walk, Lyle Hibbetts came in to finish off the inning.  The Aggies went down quickly in the bottom.  Between innings, Emerson came out for the pocket contest and was handing out Aggie lunchboxes.  That was a heck of a giveaway.  (I didn’t have any of the items in my pockets.)  Back to the McDonalds fans, the girl with the bad haircut and about to get sunburn was getting felt up by her man-ish girlfriend.  Unlike last time, this was a definite lesbian encounter and not the hot porn kind.  I definitely don’t want to be seeing this, but they’re directly in front of me and it took me long enough to find a seat in the shade.  I live with it.

 

There were changes for the Aggie infield for the sixth.  Smits was taken out, Mann went to first, and Jake Baer took over at third.  We almost lost Bush at catcher as he took a back swing to his “lower area.”  He bent right over, but got up and waved off the trainer with a strangely high-pitched voice.  This was painful symbolism for what happened in the inning to the Aggies.

 

Hibbetts came out after two walks.  Ian Meijia comes in a walks another to load the bases.  Damon Keith then unloaded them with a grand slam.  It went to right center again.  The Lancers have figured out the jet stream wind going out of the stadium today.  With that, Keith took over the WAC lead in home runs over Ethan Mann. 

 

By this point, I’m trying to get the Chihuahuas’ game on my radio, but can’t get decent reception.  After two more walks, a hit, a hit batter, and another run, Hayden Johns was brought in.  He struck out his first batter, which was the first out of the inning.  Then there was a sacrifice, a double steal (no one covered second), a two-run single, and finally a flyout to center.  That was 8 runs off of 3 hits and 5 walks (and a hit batter).  12-4 CBU. 

 

The Aggies went down in the bottom of the sixth with a double play.  Ben Des Rosiers pitched in the top of the seventh.  Castillo singled in Keith, who had walked.  He then took second, which was ruled a stolen base, but seemed more like indifference.  The bases were loaded with a walk.  By this point, we were a run away from a run rule.  God help me, I was rooting on hit, but it didn’t happen.  13-4 CBU.

 

Emerson came down to see, who I think is her boyfriend, former player, Logan Ehnes (4-7-19).  He’d been down in front talking to one of the regulars for much of the game.  Emerson led Logan out as he trailed behind.  Dude, put your arm around her waist, hold her hand, at least smile (and put a ring on her).  The lesbians were more affectionate.  Sh****t.

 

Mann homered in the seventh to keep up with Keith and put the run rule more out of reach.  13-5.  Another Aggie pitcher started the eighth.  Bush warmed him up, but he was taken out to a round of applause before the inning began.  Several other players were also changed out.  Mark McNelly, who came in defensively, was plunked hard to start the bottom of the eighth.  He stole second, but didn’t advance further.  Adam Young on the radio talked about seeing the previous Lancer starters’ intense workouts before the game.  He mentioned Chris Jefferson works out about same.  This was the secret to being a great starter: the work ethic between starts.   

 

Nick Rogers came out for the top of the ninth, but not wearing the number listed in the program.  For a moment, I thought they’d taken somebody from the stands to pitch (which might have worked out the same).  Rogers gave up four hits in a row directly up the middle.  (I might have tried repositioning the infielders.)  Even with a double play, a couple more runs still scored.  Now, they score runs.  Where you in the seventh?  Now I officially hate the Lancers.  They’d get theirs before the end.  17-5 CBU.

 

Tristan Stacy led off the bottom of the ninth.  Hey, what happened to him?  He was regular at the start of the season.  (Where’s Noah Haupt for that matter?  He’s not on the roster.)  Surprisingly, Chris Jefferson donned a helmet for his first Aggie at bat.  The crowd and the dugout roared.  He struck out, but it was a great moment anyway.  Did he talk the coach into it or was it the coach’s idea?  Local player, Ryan Olson, came in and was given a hit, though the fielder made a bad throw.  Connor Laux was hit on the helmet, but he was okay. 

 

Cal Villareal, the only starter left in the lineup, singled.  There was an error on the play, which allowed Olson to score.  The Lancer coach came out infuriated.  He brought in another pitcher to try and get the final out.  Mark McNelly came up and grounded to short.  However, third and short collided trying to get the ball.  I laughed out loud.  It was a perfect Little League single.  Oh, now I’m glad this game went to the ninth.  A run scored and McNelly was given a single in the scoring.  I can’t believe that wasn’t some sort of error.  A groundout to first finally ended the game.  17-7 CBU was the final.

 

Gameballs?  Sure, why not?  Damon Keith had the big blow of the game with his sixth inning grand slam.  Michael Carpentier came in in the sixth inning and finished going 2 for 3 with 3 RBI’s.  Liam Rocha pitched 3 effective innings of 1 run relief. 

 

For the Aggies, Zerek Saenz was 1 for 3, but drove in the 2 runs that tied the score in the fourth.  Hayden Johns was the only one of three Aggie pitchers in the sixth to record any outs.  That was a bad spot to be in.  He gave up three inherited runs, but finally finished the inning.  Finally, Chris Jefferson gets a gameball for taking that at bat and Jason Bush gets one for playing through the pain.  I hope he’s still able to entertain his fan club this evening.    

 

I’m sure those Lancer guys were really looking forward to hearing from the coach after the game.  That’s what you get for not finishing this game an hour ago.  That was three-and-a-half painful hours.  So, we had 24 runs, 11 pitchers, a bat-around inning, most of the players got subbed out, and 6 errors (should have been more).  And you wondered why I was so happy about the scorecards adding up. 

 

CBU and GCU will be playing each other for the WAC Regular Season Championship next weekend.  Having seen them both demolish the Aggies in person, I can say the Lopes are the better team.  If GCU can avoid giving up the big inning to the Lancers, they can sit back and wait for them to self-destruct.  The Aggies have a bye-week going into the tournament in two weeks with only a Tuesday game against Arizona.  They had gotten offers to play out of conference, but turned them down.  I interpret that as no one offered to pay them to play them.         

 

I had finally identified one of the player’s walkup songs earlier in the week that I liked, The Chemical Brothers’ Galvanize.  It was used in a commercial and I found it from there.  Unfortunately, nobody used it this weekend and I don’t remember which player used it.  Meanwhile, there’s still another one that I like that I still can’t figure out, even though I know what song it’s sampling from.  It’s a mystery. 

 

What’s also a mystery is what’s going to happen in the fall.  Will there be games?  Will I be able to go?  I don’t know.  Aggie Baseball at home has been a bit brutal this season.  It’s been uncomfortable for multiple reasons.  I may give a quick summary of Aggie Sports for my upcoming Memorial Day post, but not now. 

 

After the game, I waved to Adam in the pressbox.  I hadn’t actually realized I was virtually sitting right next to him.  Three weeks ago I’d wanted a Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich from Dominos, and I finally paid off that desire.  I also wanted a What-a-burger and McNuggets, but I held myself back.  Everything felt a little better after eating.    

 

I only got to hear the post game of the Chihuahuas game (they won).  Afterward, KROD went right to the ESPN Sunday night game between the Padres and the Cardinals.  I called my aunt in Missouri, who’s of course a Cardinals fan, and we talked baseball.  Any day with a good meal and some baseball can’t be all bad.