NM State Aggies vs UTA Mavericks Softball 4-22-23

Using Friday's Promo image because it looks cool.

After a fun morning at Aggie Volleyball and a great lunch at Chik-fil-a, Ron and I made it over to Softball for the Aggies' final game of the weekend against UT-Arlington.  I'd nearly forgot all about their double header last night.  I tuned into Game 2 in the seventh as the Mavericks tied it and went on to win it 6-7 in extras.  They'd also had a late comeback win in Game 1, 3-5.  UTA only had two pitchers and only used one for the two games on Friday.  Jessica Adams threw over 240 pitches for the Mavericks that night.

 

Ron had been there for it.  The only highlight of the game was when Marketing Director Nicole Sacks tossed an Albuquerque TV news crew out of the stadium.  Ron had found her before the game today and asked her what happened.  She said they were bothering fans there asking them about the latest university sport scandal.  She told them to ask fans outside the stadium and to not bother the ones inside watching the game. 

 

I don't feel like going over the latest developments with Men's Basketball today.  The “scandal” that ESPN dug up about Women's Basketball was just piling on.  I chose to ask Nicole about her t-shirt.  It was an Aggie Empire Star Wars-themed black shirt that had “Pew Pew” inside the logo.  Unfortunately, she said it was an old one from years ago.  I was hoping it was for sale somewhere.

 

Kayleigh Thomas was there from Volleyball.  I think she was working there.  I was still too shy to say anything, though she was around for most of the game.  There was a good crowd for the game, 575 officially, but seemed like more.  Oddly, I noticed a couple of fans wearing Vegas Knights hockey hats.  No, they weren’t together either.    

 

UTA brought some fans.  Meagan Smith's dad was wearing a jersey with a picture of his daughter on it.  There was a loud lady behind us for the game, but that's okay.  Their team was in eye-catching bright blue uniforms with orange socks and belts.  The PA apparently didn't have the phonetic spellings of their names and stumbled all over them during the player introductions. 

 

It was bright, sunny, and warm out.  This was regretting wearing double socks with my slightly too-big boots.  Ron just about boiled.  A little delivery robot brought out the first pitch ball.  Ron laughed at it, but ushers tossed out souvenirs from its sponsor and he got a little football.  For the Anthem, Jordin King and Kaylin Jackson took a knee.  The Mavericks had several black players on their team.  None of them a took a knee. 

 

The new Men's Basketball coach, Jason Hooten, threw out the first pitch.  His daughters play softball, which explains why he how he did such a good job of it.  He'd also come up into the stands for a t-shirt toss in the first inning.  

Aydenne Brown started for the Aggies.  There was a breeze blowing out to left field during the game.  Gabby Aragon made a nice running catch into the wall on the first batter.  Marley Neises came up next and homered to left near the pole.  Aydenne seemed to be laboring with her pitches.  She gave up a single, but escaped without further damage.  1-0 UTA.

UTA’s other pitcher, Gracie Bumpurs, started.  Jessica Carreon has apparently taken over at second and been moved up in the order to lead off.  She laid down a bunt where the ball stopped within a foot of the opposite batter's box, and she beat it out for a single.  Jillian Taylor singled right after.  Jess tripped rounding second, but still made it to third under the tag.  No problem.  She was able to walk home after Kayla Bowen hit a line drive homer to left center. 

 

During Gabby’s AB, Coach Rodolph made a loud comment from the dugout questioning the strikezone.  The ump stopped the game and issued a warning to her.  Reagan Hukill made a couple of nice plays in left to end the inning.  3-1 Aggies.  After the inning, the coach went over to talk to the ump.  Hopefully, it was for an apology. 

 

In the top of the second, Gabby threw out a runner trying to stretch a single to a double with a good tag by Jess.  Aydenne was looking better and her offspeed was working.  She finished off the inning with a strikeout.  The Aggies went down in order in the bottom.

 

Coach Hertel from Volleyball came in with a student between innings.  I think it was a recruiting visit.  They left after an inning.  Keep in mind, the coach was working all morning with the tournament.  He’s a busy guy.  Aydenne was having more control issues in the top of the third with a couple of walks in the inning.  There were also two stolen bases (and one in the first).  Jayleen Burton at short saved an extra base on a wild throw from Kendal Lunar on one attempt.  Still, no runs scored.  The Aggies went down in order again in the bottom.

 

I noticed some interesting fans in the stands that weren’t usually around.  It turned out that there was a $2.5k scholarship drawing for grad students.  A guy won and I think his friends with him were more excited.  The grad students left after the drawing.  Presumably, they’re busy.  Aydenne worked a 1-2-3 fourth. 

 

In the bottom, Hannah Lindsay singled and Savannah Bejarano pinch ran and stole second.  Gabby bunted for a single.  Bumpurs threw the ball wide of first.  Gabby took second and Savannah came home for an unearned run.  Next, Neises in center caught a Paige Knight fly ball.  Gabby tried to take third on it, but was out on a good throw.  The Aggies were now up 4-1.

 

Aydenne gave up a single, a walk, and threw a ball to the next batter in the fifth.  She came out for Felicia de la Torre.  Felicia finished the at bat with a walk and was immediately taken out.  Laurali Pantane came in with the bases loaded and nobody out. 

 

The UTA fan lady behind us was irritated the subs and shouted out, “Let them play!”  Neises bunted next.  Laurali had no play after fielding the ball and a run scored.  A sac fly brought in another run.  Jillian made a great throw to the plate, but it was dropped.  Laurali finished the inning still having the lead, 4-3.

 

Bumpurs made a great catch on a comeback liner for the second out of the bottom of the fifth.  Jill singled and Kayla came up to bat.  You could sense it coming before it happened.  Whammo!  She crushed one out to the club house beyond the left field fence.  Hukill admired it from left field as it went out over her.  Some loud rock music was playing outside the stadium just to add some drama to the moment.  Savannah made the last out of the inning in Hannah’s spot.  Given Hannah had walked and singled earlier as the DP, I wonder if she was hurt.  6-3 Aggies.

 

It was a bit of a bad sign in the top of the sixth when a Maverick batter smacked a hard liner into the Aggie dugout.  One of the assistant coaches may have been hit, but he was okay.  Lindsey Franklin came up next and homered.  6-4 Aggies. 

 

In the bottom, Bumpurs got the first out, but Paige singled.  Kendal came up.  The coach called time during the AB for a chat.  Paige came over from first and gave her a pep talk, too.  Kendal then singled to right.  Paige made a pirouette to dodge the grounder.    

 

The iron-woman, Jessica Adams, came in to pitch.  She gave up a single to load the bases, but two fielder’s choices, including a play at the plate, ended the inning.  Oh, Jackson pinch hit during one of those.  She fouled a couple of balls off her shin and came out of the game limping.  I hope this doesn’t impair her ability to kneel for the Anthem. 

 

To the top of the seventh and the Mavericks began with a single and stolen base (their fourth of the game).  Ron was having a flashback of yesterday’s games.  It certainly seemed like it.  After a groundout, Morgan Westbrook singled to drive in Hukill.  Laurali buckled down and induced two groundouts to end the game.  Aggies win 6-5.  Resume breathing. 

 

It was two hours and 22 minutes of tight, nervous softball.  Thankfully, the Aggies salvaged one game, but they probably should have swept.  UTA isn’t a great team and they were down on arms.  For Gameballs, I’ll give Jessica Adams on UTA one for her lockdown relief effort.  I hope she has a rubber arm.  She passed by me on the way to the bus outside.  I wanted to tell her I was impressed with her performance, but she didn’t look like she was in the mood.  The face paint she was wearing might have been a little intimidating, as well.   

 

For the Aggies, Kayla Bowen obviously gets one for going 2 for 3 with 5 RBI’s and 2 home runs.  Aydenne Brown didn’t seem to have her best stuff, but kept the team in it and got the win.  Laurali Patane was a bit shaky in relief, but came through.  After the game, Coach Rodolph was happy with her performance.  Yesterday, Laurali had told the coach that she didn’t have it, and Coach Rodolph appreciated her honesty.  

         

There was another autograph session after the game.  Ron was a little shocked that I wasn’t interested.  Part of me was, but the previous session had just left me cold.  I didn’t think it’d go any better this time and it would have felt weird going for autographs again.  (What would I do with it?  I’ve already got the card on display at home.  I don’t have anywhere to put one at work anymore.)  Ron had to split right after, so no ice cream run.  (That’s okay.  I had a bunch of leftover cake from work at home.)  We were both pretty content with today’s Volleyball exhibition and the Softball win.