NM State Aggies vs GCU Lopes Baseball 5-15-22

 

We’re back for a final time this year at Presley Askew Field.  We say goodbye to our seniors and to the home portion of the 2022 Aggie Baseball season.  I got a Brisk tea and Corn-in-the-Cup at Concessions one last time.  Unfortunately, they didn’t put the cheese on it, but I ate it and somewhat enjoyed it anyway.  I was wearing the t-shirt Ron got me yesterday and asked him to take my picture, which I posted for the previous game.  

 

We arrived in time for the Senior Graduation ceremony on field.  We joined fellow fan Michael in watching the proceedings.  I’d mentioned that he’d had a Fathead portrait of Logan Galina stolen from him yesterday.  That was cleared up today.  Logan’s mom had lifted it.  She wasn’t there when these were handed out and Michael was just holding it until he could give it to her. 

 

There were four graduating players and a bunch graduating players who were out of academic eligibility (or something like that).  I forgot which player, but one guy came out with his girlfriend, who was wearing Marilyn Monroe Seven-Year Itch little white dress.  Yikes!  In that category, Sports Marketing goddess Emerson was also out on field.  I had plenty of opportunity to admire her one last time before she goes on to bigger and better things. 

 

Ron turned in a couple of more foul balls and got another Football helmet statue, which he gave to me.  I noticed my co-worker Valerie in the crowd with her family, so I gave it to her.  It was hot and cloudless outside.  During the ceremony, a player girlfriend (probably) had a dog that was unable to stand on the hot metal stands, so she had to hold him.  The Diamond Club was about empty.  I kept seeing fans with passes coming into the grandstand to be under the canopy.  After we sat down, I thought I could smell burning flesh.  I hoped it wasn’t me burning.  Thankfully, we were mostly in the shade for the game.        

 

A really good crowd showed up and they were a lively one.  Duke Keith was again filling in to call the game.  Ron decided to listen to him this time, but probably wasn’t happy with the broadcast.  Duke was a bit rough, like butchering Hunter Antillon’s name (he keeps wanting to accent everyone’s name), but he had his moments.  GCU was wearing somewhat impractical black tops with dark purple numbers.  I’m sure that they were hot to wear, and Duke mentioned that the numbers were hard to see.  The Aggies were wearing their black tops yesterday in the heat and seemed to fade as the game went on.  Today, they were in their whites.  

 

No drama on the scorecards for this last game, but plenty on the field.  The first twist was the surprise start by Sammy Natera.  Our injured ace was cleared to start.  There weren’t any scouts in the crowd, so I assume this wasn’t announced before this weekend. 

 

Sammy was working a bit slow and using a bunch of pitches, going deep in the count, but was generally effective.  He started the first with a looking strikeout.  Duke commented that pitching in college baseball was all about, “Location, location, location.”  Sammy did give up a walk.  The fans were all over the ump and some of comments were coming in over the microphone.  Duke chuckled, “You can hear everything here at Presley Askew Field.”  Sammy finished out the inning without damage.

 

Brandon Dieter led off the bottom with a single and advanced on a wild pitch.  There was a walk, but the inning ended with a double play.  Logan was batting second again today.  Earlier last week against the Lobos, he’d gone 5 for 5, though without a home run.  This series, it looked like he was pressing to go deep. 

 

Sammy gave up a walk to start the second, but finished the inning with two strikeouts.  Hunter Antillon, who was catching, had some problem getting the ball back to Sammy a couple of times.  The fans and the players were still on the ump.  As Duke said, “Chad Veater is receiving encouragement from the fans.”  Veater was also busy constantly correcting the scoreboard count, which was off and confusing everybody. 

 

During the inning, Ron brought back a scoop of Caliches in a cup.  They were handing them out up front, after the game had started.  I committed the scorekeeping sin of missing a play as he gave it to me.  It was worth it.  After the bellyache I got yesterday from Caliches from their Strawberry Shortcake sundae, this did a lot to repair my relationship with them, especially on a hot day. 

 

There was a confused fan at the game in a Padres top, but wearing Giants hat.  I think he was with GCU, but I’m not sure.  There were trivia contests about the graduating players during the game.  They started off with really obscure personal stuff before getting to their home town, which is on the program.  I think this contest was mostly weighted for the players’ families’ benefit.  In the bottom of the second, Nolan Funke got on via getting hit and was moved to second on a grounder.  Hunter singled later.  Coach Green gave Funke a really bad send around third base and Nolan was out by a mile. 

 

Emerson was all smiles coming out for the Pocket Contest.  She was enjoying her last home game.  They were handing out more Football helmet statues.  Sammy gave up a hit in the third, but racked up a couple more strikeouts.  In the bottom, Dieter came up and blasted a line drive shot to center to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead. 

 

Another GLAM (Glamorous Ladies of Aggie Marketing) grad was honored.  I missed her name, but she went out with Emerson and Marketing Director, Nicole Sacks, and they all did a t-shirt toss to the crowd.  Lyle Hibbetts came in to pitch the fourth.  I’d seen someone warming up last inning, so I wasn’t terribly surprised.  This was a rehab session for Sammy.  They’re probably hoping to have him in for a full start against Utah Valley this weekend, when the Aggies are playing to try and get into the tournament. 

 

Hibbetts started off with a walk and a double.  I was excited in a scorekeeping sense on the next batter, who popped up to the second.  I saw the ump signal an out before the catch.  This was the first time I’ve seen the Infield Fly rule invoked.  Except that I later watched this video, and since the runners were on second and third, that rule didn’t apply here.  Oh, well.  Jonny Weaver then came up and drove in the runners with a single.  There was another single afterward, but the batter was thrown out trying to steal.  Hunter’s throw looked a bit late, but it was on the money.  2-1 GCU.     

 

In the bottom of the fourth, Funke blasted a high-arcing monster shot that might have gone over the batter’s eye.  That tied the score at 2.  Unfortunately, the Aggies had only scratched out three hits to this point.  To the top of the fifth, there was a leadoff single, but Hibbetts worked out of it thanks to some great defense.  For the last out, Kevin Jimenez made a diving play behind first.  From the ground, he weakly bounced the ball to Logan, who stretched and scooped to get the out.  It wouldn’t be an Aggie game without these two making another great play.  The Aggies went down in order in the bottom.  The radio call briefly cut out for a couple of minutes.  Ron was away from his seat at the time.  I thought he had maybe cut their cord, because he was tired of Duke mispronouncing Hunter’s last name.

 

I took no notes for the next two innings.  Things were happening, but mostly for the Lopes.  In the sixth, Homer Bush Jr. drove in a run with a single.  That was part of a three-hit inning.  With two on, Frank Dickson IV was brought in and got a looking strikeout to end the inning.  3-2 GCU.  The Aggies got two on via walks in the bottom, but weren’t able to get a hit. 

 

In the seventh, Dickson gave up two singles to begin the inning.  A double play erased one of the runners, but a wild pitch brought in the other to make it 4-2 GCU.  The Aggies got two hits in their half, but nothing came of it.  Noah Estrella came in for the eighth and was greeted by a home run by Josh Buckley to make it 5-2 GCU.

 

Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth for the Lopes.  This name proved to be too much of a mouthful for Duke, as he worked on an abbreviation for it.  Edwin Martinez-Pagani, another long name, doubled.  Tommy Tabak then drove the both of them in with a home run to right.  5-4 GCU.  BCV came out, to Duke’s relief, and the Lopes’ closer, Vince Reilly, came in.  He’d pitched yesterday and gave up a single to start this outing.  Hunter came to the plate with two outs.  The dugout and the crowd were cheering him on, but unfortunately, he struck out.

 

Alex Bustamonte worked the ninth for the Aggies.  Preston Godfrey was set to come in to pinch hit last inning, but went to play right this inning.  After two outs, he misplayed a liner.  The runner went for two and Preston gunned him down at second.  It was another good defensive play by the Aggies.  Preston then singled to begin the bottom of the ninth.  Reilly made several pick off throws, before finally catching Godfrey, which pretty much ended the rally.  Logan struck out to end the game, which ended an 0-5 day for him.  GCU wins 5-4 and sweeps the series. 

 

The game felt long, but only went a bit more than three hours.  For the Gameballs today, Brandon Dieter gets one for going 3 for 5 with a home run.  Tommy Tabak gets one for his two-run homer late.  Though Sammy Natera only went three innings, he looked good.  Alex Bustamonte also had a clean inning.  For the Lopes, Vince Reilly stood out for me with his 4-out save, especially after working the day before.    

 

I’m going to admit, I got a bit choked up after the game ended.  It’s been a mostly miserable, disappointing season, but it’s sad that it’s done for the year.  I had my autographed team picture with me the last two days.  I didn’t have an autograph from Logan Galina on it.  If I’d run into him, I was going to ask, but I wasn’t going to wait around like a fanboy.  As Ron and I were leaving, Ron drove by the GCU team bus, where they were loading up.  Ron yelled congratulations to one of the players and good luck in the tournament.  The Lopes did play well and they played with class.

 

We picked up two pizzas and breadsticks at Little Caesar’s afterward.  Strangely, this meal cost way less than that meal at Jason’s yesterday (one sandwich, ½ sandwich and a salad).  We went to his brother’s house.  It was a bit empty without Ron’s dad there.  We all ate on the pizza and I brought home leftovers for the next couple of days.  We caught the end of the NASCAR race and the Phillies and Dodgers game.  (Darn Dodgers comeback win.)

 

The ESPN game with the Cardinals and Giants came on.  I didn’t anticipate staying for the whole game.  I was planning on starting to write this in the evening.  But Ron was my ride, so I was staying as long as he was.  I was glad I did.  There was a great on-field interview with Harrison Bader during the game.  With the Cardinals up big, Albert Pujols pitched the ninth in his two-way debut.  That didn’t go well, but he got three outs.  Right now, I’m hoping for a trip to see the Chihuahuas, so hopefully my in-person baseball viewing isn’t done for the season.