NM State Aggies vs UTRGV Vaqueros Baseball 3-26-23

It was another beautiful day in the Mesilla Valley.  I waited outside my apartment for Ron to pick me up for today’s noon game between the Aggies and the Vaqueros.  The parking lot at Presley Askew Field was a little empty, as we were way early.  There was a tailgate going on with a knot of Vaquero fans.  They’d be out in force again and probably make up about half of crowd for the game.

 

Inside, oh boy, we were in the shade and discovered there was cold breeze blowing.  It dropped the temperature about 20 degrees.  Ron went back for a jacket.  I just had to settle for being cold.  Luckily, we started getting some sunlight after a couple of innings and then everything was fine.  More ominously, Adam Young on the radio call said there’d be high winds before the end of the game.  That forecast was correct, but at least for the fans, the wind was blowing out and not into the stands.

 

Ron said yesterday that he thought the guys were having more fun without Coach Kirby around.  Out on field, the guys were involved in a serious game of hacky sack, as they used to under Coach Green.  UTRGV wasn’t taking BP on the field.  They appeared to be working out at the batting facility instead.  There was a bit smaller crowd (and they were better prepared for the cold than we were), but it was still pretty good at 710.

 

Meanwhile during the game, new Men’s Basketball coach, Jason Hooten, was introduced at a press conference at the Pan-Am Center.  I never saw a picture, but apparently there was a large number of fans there.  Athletic Director Mario Moccia said he first found out that Coach Hooten had taken the job from his teenage daughter.  She’d befriended the coach’s daughter and had the inside scoop.  Mario also went out of his way to thank Sam Houston State.  They were very gracious and accommodating in allowing NM State to poach their coach.  

The starter in last Tuesday’s Aggie victory over the Lobos was Darius Garcia.  On short rest, he was coming out to start today.  Darius looked small and very thin out on the mound.  He was on a pitch count on Tuesday and the Aggie bullpen was already active in the first inning.  However, it was a quick start with a couple of strikeouts to begin the game.  The umpire was calling strikes, perhaps slightly concerned about the weather later. 

 

In the bottom of the first with two outs, catcher Nick Gore, who was pushed up in the order after yesterday’s performance, worked a walk.  Christian Perez came up next and jacked one out to left.  The Vaquero left fielder seemed to have a bead on it, but the wind carried it over the fence for a two-run homer.  The Aggie dugout was pumped.  The Aggies got another walk and a single, but left the inning without further damage.  2-0 Aggies.

 

The first pitch of the top of the second went right out over the left field wall, as well.  A single and a walk followed for the Vaqueros.  Next came a play that pissed me off.  Not for the play, but for the scoring.  What I saw was a bunt attempt at the plate and Nolan Funke at third fielding the ball and way overthrowing first base.  The runner at second scored and there were runners at second and third at the end of the play.  Next, there was a three-run homer that cleared the bases.  I had two unearned runs for the inning.

 

The official scorer had the batter getting an infield hit, Perez at first making an error that advanced the runner, and the runner at second somehow scored on the infield hit, but not the error.  All five runs in the inning were considered earned and charged to Darius.  No, I can’t make sense of this.  It’s hard enough keeping a scorecard without fighting the official scorer on top of it.  Regardless, the Vaqueros were now up 5-2.

 

In the bottom, Vaquero Kade York made a good jump catch on a liner to short to start the inning.  Romeo Ballesteros beat out an infield hit and Mitch Namie singled after.  Unfortunately for the second game in a row, Kevin Jimenez hit into a double play that involved his liner getting caught and the runner on first getting doubled off. 

 

Darius worked the third as his last inning.  He gave up a walk, but no further damage.  The Aggies went down in order in the bottom.  Gore hit Vaqueros pitcher Colten Davis on a comebacker to start the inning, but Davis stayed with it and got the out.  The fourth was fairly quiet for both sides as well.

 

Brandon Pimentel started the fifth with a monster shot over the batter’s eye in center.  That one was on Adam.  He’d just said that Aggie reliever Saul Soto hadn’t allowed a homer this season right before it happened.  After a couple of singles, the Aggies brought out another reliever.  Jacob Sanchez, who’d already hit a three-run homer, did it again.  After that blast, Funke had his second or first error of the game depending on how you’re counting it, as his throw pulled Perez off the bag.  The runner was caught stealing to end the inning.  9-2 UTRGV.

 

In the bottom, KJ doubled and Gore drove him in to make it 9-3.  That was Kevin’s 200-th hit for the program.  In the sixth, the Vaqueros hit their fifth home run of the game to make it 10-3.  The wind was picking up as predicted and definitely took that one out.  In the bottom, Vaquero second base Isaac Lopez was either showboating or was practicing DP’s on a grounder by Romeo.  He fielded the ball and tossed it to York covering second, who then threw to first for the out.  If that razzle-dazzle hadn’t worked, his coach might have pulled him immediately.  I couldn’t get angry over the play.  It was something I’d never seen before at the park.   

 

Several members of Aggie Softball came in around this time and sat right below me and Ron.  We were both too shy to say anything.  It occurred to me, I could have mentioned knowing their previous teammate, Melika Ofoia.  I could have also asked how their coaches were doing, since they’ve been out.  I recognized Kayla Bowen right in front of me.  I think Jayleen Burton was in front of Ron.  My favorite, Jillian Taylor, may have been hiding under a hoodie another row down.  Ron noticed one of the girls was carrying a yellow Pokemon doll.  He wondered if it was team punishment for something.  Maybe she just wanted to take her doll to a ball game.  (Is this cool?  Could I bring my teddy bears?)

 

In the seventh, Romeo made a sliding catch and a long throw to nip a runner at first.  However, a walk and a single scored another run to make it 11-3 Vaqueros.  In the bottom, Davis made a catch on a comebacker to start the frame.  He got one more out before the coach came out to get him.  Davis did not want to leave, but he’d thrown 102 pitches. 

 

The Vaqueros tacked on another run in the eighth to make it 12-3.  It could have been worse.  Sakemi Sato was brought in with the bases loaded and two outs.  He got a strikeout to end the inning.  The Aggies threatened with two on in the bottom, but didn’t score.  Sato gave up a single in the ninth, but then got three quick outs.  The Aggies mounted a comeback in the last frame.  They scored three runs, including a two-run homer by KJ.  The final was 12-6 Vaqueros.    

 

At least it was fairly quick at two hours and 41 minutes.  Easy Vaquero gameballs go to Colten Davis getting the win in six and 2/3 innings, giving up 3 runs, and getting 9 strikeouts.  Jacob Sanchez had a monster game with two 3-run home runs for 6 RBI’s.  For the Aggies, Christian Perez, who I don’t think deserved an error, went 2 for 5 with 2 RBI’s with a 2-run home runs.  Kevin Jimenez did the same on his way to his milestone hit.  For pitching, Sakemi Sato did well not giving up a run when he was inserted into a difficult situation and had a scoreless inning, something the other five Aggie pitchers did not have.

 

This morning, dad was having reception issues for watching NCAA Tournament games.  I offered to let him come over to watch, instead of me going to baseball today, but he didn’t want to.  He thought he’d be able to watch anyway.  After Ron and I had lunch at Burger King, we went over to visit him to see the second half of one of the games.

 

We found him watching NASCAR instead.  He wasn’t able to get the basketball game to come in.  Ron kept him an updated on the basketball score, while we watched the end of the race.  They were at COTA and it looked like a good race.  My favorite NASCAR driver, Chase Elliot, was a guest commentator during the race.  Also, my favorite F1 driver, Jenson Button, was in the race.  Man, I totally made a bad choice today for sports viewing.  I should have told everyone I was staying home and watching the race.  Shoot.