Yesterday’s game, had ended on an epic walk off home
run by Preston Godfrey to win it for
the Aggies over SFA. I was okay with missing
out on watching Fernando Tatis Jr.
hit 2 home runs for the Chihuahuas
on a national broadcast. Today, I was
going to be missing out on another Chihuahuas game with Tatis, along with an MLB game, and the IRL race at Long Beach,
a race I’d like to see, but seem to miss every year. Would it be worth it again?
Unfortunately, there was a surprise cold, stiff breeze
blowing in the morning. This would be an
ominous portent for the pitchers today.
Ron, who I was going with, did not care about what else was on TV today;
he was into this game. When we got to
the stadium, he went to the bathroom.
While I was waiting, last night’s starter, Pablo Cortes, walked by, then Keith
Jones II, then the Lumberjacks’ coaching staff.
Inside the grandstand, Ron talked to one of the Aggie
coaches on the field, whom he’d recently befriended. Ron then went up to the press box to talk to Adam Young on the radio call today. As I joined them a little later, Adam asked
me, “What is this about a triple play where the defense didn’t touch the
ball?” I’d told Ron about my favorite
anecdote from Chihuahuas’ announcer, Tim
Hagerty’s new book, Tales from the Dugout, and
he’d told Adam. Adam was genuinely
intrigued.
I told him, but I’m not spoiling it here. I also told him I liked his interview with
Aggie reliever, Matt Maloney. Adam added that Matt was really raw, being a
converted catcher, but he profiles as a potential pro. Adam absolutely beamed when asked about his
first child that’s due in July. He’s
looking forward to it and already saying he’s not going to be prepared for
games in the fall.
We also had a chat with fan Michael. It was a day for meeting-and-greeting. The little boy was back as the bat boy in the
Aggie dugout. He was again all over
retrieving bats and balls. The kid’s got
a future in baseball. Noah Estrella, one of the team’s best
relievers, was starting today to get him some work. Logan
Galina was back at first today.
The crowd was okay. It was listed at over 600. One of those in attendance was Superfan Tom. He was in fine voice today cheering on the team . . . for the entire game. By the end, the Lumberjacks probably wanted the frat boys back from yesterday heckling them. Assistant Athletic Director Herb Taylor walked by and told him to keep it down to no effect. (He may not have been being serious in that request.)
To start off the game, Noah had a couple of looking
strikeouts and a home run to left in between them. Did I mention that there was a good breeze
blowing out from right to left? The wind
helped that one.
In the bottom, Lumberjack
starter, Reid Bowyer, walked the
first three Aggie batters. I don’t know
if he didn’t have it today or was too mindful of the outgoing wind. Nolan
Funke had no trouble taking advantage of that wind with the bases loaded. He popped the ball into the Jetstream and it
flew right out. Grand Slam! I should have been more elated at this point,
but that wind was blowing for both teams.
I was sure this would not enough to win today.
After another walk by Bowyer without getting an out, he
was relieved by Caleb Rutledge. The parade of pitchers begins. Good thing for SFA that the frat boys weren’t
here to comment on this. Rutledge
finally managed to finish the inning without further damage, though the Aggies
sent 9 batters to the plate. I noticed
two kids running up to the press box.
They were carrying 5 collected foul balls. They were going to be busy for the rest of
the game. 4-1 Aggies.
To start the top of the second, an SFA batter fouled one
straight back into the net at Tom. That
had to be a coincidence? Didn’t it? The Lumberjacks went small ball. A hit batter, a stolen base, and a single
scored another run for them. After
another single, Noah got out of the inning with a strikeout/throw out on
another attempted stolen base.
The hot Pan-Am Girl was glowing, happy, and bouncy today,
as she tossed out hats and t-shirts. She
seems to be getting into the job. I think
there were a few Aggie athletes in the crowd, but I didn’t identify any of
them, except for maybe Mya Hammack
from the Soccer team. She looked nice. KJII singled to begin the bottom of the
second, and Mitch Namie followed
with a walk, but both were left stranded.
At the top of the third, two beautiful, rambunctious
golden retrievers came in. I did not get
to meet them, but Ron did. He said they
were very friendly. Tom and a group of
little kids were now alternating cheering.
Noah got the first out, but then loaded the bases with a double, a walk,
and a single. He struck out the next
batter on 3 pitches, but then gave up a 2-run single.
Coach
Zuniga had ridden Noah as far as he could and brought in Aaron Treloar. He gave up a run-scoring single, but on the
play, Cole Hill tried to score from
first. Damone Hale in center relayed to Logan in the center of the
diamond, who hit Nick Gore at the
plate for an easy out. However, it was
now 5-4 SFA. Hale wasn’t having it. After two outs in the bottom of the third, he
jacked one to left out with the wind and tied it at 5. Treloar worked a 1-2-3 top of the fourth to
make it stick.
KJII began the bottom of the fourth getting on base again
with a single off a new SFA pitcher. After
a strikeout and a walk to KJ, Funke drove in Keith with a single. Christian
Perez then grounded to first. The
ball was thrown to second for the force, but the return throw went to the SFA
dugout and bounced back on to the field.
Kevin made it home on the error.
Perez went to second and then to third on a passed ball, where Gore
drove him in with a single. That was 3
runs with some help from the Lumberjacks.
8-4 Aggies.
I was still nervous.
I wasn’t enjoying the game to this point. No lead seemed safe with that wind. Hayden
Walker was the next Aggie pitcher.
After a double, an error, a stolen base, and a fly ball out, Walker was
pulled for Sakemi Sato. With two runners in scoring position, he was
helped out by Logan catching a big league foul by the SFA dugout. A fly ball to the outfield ended the inning
without damage.
A loud bird suddenly started chirping in my ear. He was near press box and singing into the
radio microphone. Logan took one for the
team in the bottom of the fifth and was hit by a pitch. KJII was on again via walk. Both got moved up a base on a grounder by
Mitch. KJ hit a weak bouncer up the
middle that rolled into the outfield and scored 2. Kevin took second on a passed ball before the
inning ended. (I can’t believe I
correctly identified two passed balls in this game.) 10-4 Aggies.
The wind was dying down a bit, but I was still
concerned. Ron was muttering
incoherently next to me. Hopefully, he
wasn’t stroking out; I wanted to watch the rest of this game. Sato got in immediate trouble to start the
sixth with a single and a walk.
He was relieved by Kade
Benevidez. Perez took a grounder to
third, stepped on the bag for the force, and threw to Logan, who made a big
stretch and completed the double play. Kade
then got in trouble with a hit batter and a walk to load the bases. A short blooper to center looked like it
would fall in, but Hale ran it down to end the inning.
More new pitchers cycled in. The Aggies only worked a walk in the bottom
of the sixth. Cade Swenson worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh. KJII singled again in the bottom, but was
thrown out on a strikeout/throw out to end the inning. In the eighth, SFA led off with a
single. Another single led to a fielder’s
choice bringing in a run. Funke made a
great jump throw to KJ for a force out on that play. Kevin was stepped on by the runner, but was
able to walk it off. Tyler Hoeft came in to get the final
out. 10-6 Aggies.
Another new Lumberjack pitcher came in for the bottom of
the eighth. Crew Wilson got the first two outs, but then gave up a single to
Perez. Gore put an exclamation point on
the afternoon with a massive home run. The
wind carried it over the scoreboard in left center. Up next, Preston, Adam on the radio, and the
crowd complained about a low strike call.
Even in a potential blowout, umps get no slack. Preston singled his way on anyway. Hale did the same, but was thrown out trying
to steal second. (He should have slid
into the bag.) 12-6 Aggies.
Hoeft came back out to finish it in the bottom of the
ninth. He hit the first batter, but got
the next three outs. Logan made another
great play at first to feed Hoeft for the final out. Aggies
win 12-6!
By the end of it, I might have joined in a mob tossing Tom
out of the stadium. Great win, but an annoying
and nervous one. The teams used 14
pitchers in this 2 hour, 49 minute game.
The Aggies out-slugged the Lumberjacks in this one and won the battle of
the staff days in pitching.
For Gameballs, Nolan
Brown on SFA impressively went 4 for 4 with 2 RBI’s today. For the Aggies, I got bag full. I’ll give an honorable Gameball to Logan Galina. He may have saved a couple of runs today by
resuming his first base duties. Nick Gore went 2 for 5, but drove in 3
in the game.
Adam speculated that either Keith Jones II or Nolan
Funke would be getting a WAC Player
of the Week nod. KJII went 3 for 3
and got on base for all 5 of his plate appearances. Funke went 2 for 5, but had 5 RBI’s,
including a grand slam. Looking for this
weekend’s stats for both, I think it will go to Keith. [Edit: it went to a guy playing for Tarleton, who also had a heck of a
weekend.]
In an unprecedented more, I’m also handing out a Gameball
to all six Aggie relievers today: Aaron
Treloar (got the win), Hayden Walker,
Sakemi Sato, Kade Benavidez, Cade Swenson,
and Tyler Hoeft. Cumulatively, they gave up only 1 run in 6
1/3 innings. (They also had 0
strikeouts, which is weird.) You guys
were nails.
Afterward, Ron and I got stuffed at Jimmie Johns and then further stuffed with frozen custard at Caliches. We walked it off at Barnes & Noble, while I picked out a gift for a departing friend at work. Great weekend for the Aggies with the sweep. Hopefully, they can keep up this confidence for the rest of the season.
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