Troy Cox Classic Softball: NMSU vs Creighton 2-24-23

Using the Creighton gameday image to do something different

Ron and I were munching on our sandwiches in the stands when the Aggie game versus Creighton started.  (We smuggled them in.)  Shiyazh Pete, who may have gone for something to eat as well, came back in and sat down with us after the game had started.  This time, I was next to the large Aggie Football lineman and spent most of the game talking to him.  As a consequence, I have about a half page of notes and it’s all just annotations on the game itself.

 

Ron and I were sitting near the center of the grandstand and for some reason balls were flying back there.  In the previous game, one came right to me.  A guy front of me intercepted it and we were both briefly holding it before he got ahold of it.  Right after this game started, a ball came back and bounced next to me.  I caught it off the bounce.  I handed it to Ron to give to a kid.  (They take the balls up to the press box for candy.)    

 

When Shiyazh came in, I told him that a foul ball hit where he was sitting.  He said he’d always wanted to catch one.  I mentioned that I’d seen the Men’s Basketball team here once.  When a foul ball came to them, they took cover like it was a grenade.  Ron chipped in that I had caught a ball at Aggie Baseball.  It’s not worth the effort to find the post (because I don’t remember where it is), but a ball did land in my lap once. 

Shiyazh is holding the flag

On that subject, Shiyazh had no comment on the Men’s Basketball team scandal.  So much for inside information.  He was interested in my scorecard and how to score the game.  Also, though he’d played baseball at some point, he wasn’t entirely clear on how the game was played, so I was explaining some rules, too. 

 

Ron offered Shiyazh a snack pouch of little cookies that he’d brought in for dessert.  He also got a hot dog that Ron had got from the concessions when they were giving them away at the end of the night.  Ron caught a souvenir t-shirt tossed into the crowd.  Ron gave it to me, since it was in my size.  I gave it to Shiyazh when said he knew someone he could give it to.  I’m sure the NCAA will be investigating this booster scandal shortly.

 

It turned colder as the sun went down, but the crowd was listed as twice as large as the Nebraska game earlier.  (I’m still doubting the numbers.  I don’t think they were counting people who stayed from game to game and didn’t leave the stadium.)  I didn’t dress warmly enough.  Ron brought out a blanket for me.  Shiyazh was in shorts and a bit cold, but he was tough.  He knew some of Softball team and was out here to support them.  I told him one of girls owed him a date for sticking it out for them in the cold.  He was all, “Ah, shucks,” about it.  Maybe he’s working on one of them.  (In my opinion, catcher Hannah Lindsay might be a good match for him physically.)          

 

Jordin King started this game for the Aggies after finishing the previous game.  She gave up a walk and then a two-run homer to Kailey Wilson in the first.  2-0 Blue Jays.  In the second, after giving up a solo home run to Alyssa Gappa, Jordin came out for Laurali Patane.  Unfortunately, that resulted in two singles and a hit batter loading the bases.  A groundout, a single, and a wild pitch scored three more runs.  Aydenne Brown came in and finished off the inning.  6-0 Blue Jays.

 

It felt like the Aggies were still in shock over getting no-hit.  Hannah Lindsay snapped them out of it with a leadoff home run to start the bottom of the second.  (See, she’s good girlfriend material.)  Gappa made a good dive play at third on the next batter, but fielding errors would define the rest of the inning.  After a single, there was a dropped foul ball on Kristen Boyd’s at bat.  With new life, she hit a home run for two unearned runs.  Gabby Aragon singled next and a throwing error moved her to second, but she was left stranded.  6-3 Blue Jays.

 

Kayla Bowen hustled out a triple in the third.  She was driven in on a sac fly by Kaylin Jackson.  6-4 Blue Jays.  Meanwhile, Aydenne worked two good innings.  In the fifth, she gave up a solo home run (by Gappa again) to make it 7-4.  Aydenne was interesting to watch.  She was obviously cold out in the circle.  She’d smile a lot, though.  Occasionally, she’d get irritated by the ump’s calls.  It was not your usual stoic pitcher performance.  

 

The bottom of fifth and whole game hinged on a questionable call by the ump.  With a runner on (Bowen), Hannah was pegged solidly on the knee.  You could hear it in the stands.  After a protest from the Creighton coach, Hannah was called back to the plate to finish her at bat.  (She’s tough, too.)  The crowd was not pleased with this development.  Adam Young on the radio call said the ump must have ruled that she didn’t make an effort to move out of the way.  Just to make it more silly, she took a walk anyway.  Hannah would be relieved by a pinch runner and subbed out at catcher. 

 

Jackson then singled and there was a play at the plate.  The throw beat Bowen there, but just to make sure everyone in the crowd was angry, she was called safe.  The catcher seemed to have trouble handling the ball.  It was ruled she didn’t have the ball under control when Bowen crossed the plate.  After another single, which loaded the bases, Boyd brought them all in with a double.  (She was thrown out at third trying to draw the throw away from home.)  The Aggies took the lead, 8-7!

 

Gabby was also perhaps hurt as the final batter of the inning.  She may have been hit on the head on a return throw by the catcher to the pitcher.  She came out of the game, as well.  In the bottom of the sixth, Jillian Taylor was grazed by a pitch, appealed to the ump, and was immediately given first.  (Maybe he liked her better.  She is rather cute.)  In the top of the seventh, Jayleen Burton squeezed two sky-high popups at short and Aydenne finished off the game with a strikeout.  Aggies win 8-7!

 

This was a great bounce-back game and fun to watch.  We’ll hand out the Gameballs.  Alyssa Gappa for the Blue Jays gets one for going 2 for 3 with 2 home runs and some good defense.  Kristen Boyd was a wrecking crew for the Aggies going 2 for 3 with 5 RBI’s.  Aydenne Brown did an excellent job in relief going over 5 innings and only giving up 2 hits and 1 run.  I still question taking her out early in the previous game, but I can’t argue with the results.  Coach Rodolph’s move gave them a chance to win here.

 

Ron and I said our goodbyes to Shiyazh and we all had a formal introduction (a little late).  I wouldn’t be surprised to see him again at Softball.  I ran into Tayelin Grays, senior on the Women’s Basketball team, on the stairs.  I noticed her working at the game (part of her degree probably).  I said “Hi,” and congratulated her on her career.  She seemed pleased with the recognition.  Ron, meanwhile, soothed a couple of angry Blue Jays fans.  They’d been pretty vocal over the play at the plate.  He gave them the official explanation.  And that was the end of a long day of softball.  More to come tomorrow.