NM State Aggies vs Sac State Hornets Baseball 4-30-23

It’s been a disappointing weekend, but entertaining at least.    

 

Friday’s game to start the Aggies’ series with the Sacramento State Hornets was so close to being a great win.  Down by 2 in the ninth, the Aggies tied it.  Kevin Jimenez had singled in the tying run.  On second, he drew a pickoff throw to try and get the winning run to steal home, but that run was cut down.  The Aggies lost it in the tenth.  They went down 2 in the top, but did get 1 back in the bottom to finish 6-5.  Sac State had 4 errors, but also 4 double plays.  One of their runs came in via a ball getting caught in Nick Gore’s catcher’s gear.  As per the rule book, which Adam Young brought up on air, the runner on third was given home as a free base.

 

Saturday, Ron had family obligations.  He said he might go to the game after it had started.  I probably would have gone myself, but I’d mentioned to dad about going over and watching a game with him.  Walking down to his apartment and seeing what a nice day it was, I realized I’d made a mistake. 

 

I had a nice time with dad, though the MLB game we were going to watch was canceled for rain.  The substitute game was great anyway.  We also flipped over to watch Aunt Judy’s Double-A Springfield Cardinals playing a national game on Stadium.  However, I missed out on the Aggies run ruling the Hornets 21-9 in person, though I did listen to it on the radio.  It was only that close because Sac State got several runs in garbage time.  The Aggies had an 8-run fourth.  Ron was going to be furious that he missed out on the Raising Cane’s Challenge and free chicken strips.     

 

Sunday was another beautiful day.  The temperature reached into the low 90’s with lots of sun.  Ron and I, and most of the 553 crowd, made sure to sit in the shade at the park.  (The center section was almost empty.)  I picked up some Corn-in-a-cup coming in, but had to settle for a Mountain Dew, instead of a Brisk tea to drink.  That soda wasn’t terribly refreshing in the heat. 

 

Inside, I finally made the acquaintance of Coach “Hawk,” whom Ron and Fan Michael already knew well.  (I can’t find him on the roster.)  I congratulated him on yesterday’s win and asked about one of the home runs.  Adam had said it went to the Softball parking lot.  “Oh, no.  It went all the way to the dorms across the street,” then he winked, as I appeared to believe him.  

 

Assistant Athletic Director Herb Taylor came over and put his arm around me and introduced me as the “Stat Man,” because I’m always keeping score.  (If only he knew how poorly I’m doing it, especially today.)  I told him, “Happy Birthday,” as the team Twitter had shown him receiving cake and balloons yesterday at the game. 

 

Ron and I then met with Michael.  (I was meeting-and-greeting like a mayor today.)  Once again, the conversation was about food, though this time, chili.  I have no opinion, since I don’t eat spicy food.  (Yes, I live by Hatch and their famous chili.  I was scolded later in the evening by a friend, who moved from here to back east, where he can’t get good chili.)  Catcher Nick Gore’s family was sitting behind us, though today he was at first with Logan Galina injured with a sore hand.  I saw a couple of dogs in the crowd.  One was a friendly-looking Doberman, whose owner was getting dragged behind him.    

This was a challenging game to score.  I finally resorted to using the official scoring for all the player totals.  I don’t really disagree with anything, though.  The umpiring for today’s game, however, was baffling.  It might have influenced the outcome in an indirect fashion, but I take nothing away from the players’ actions. 

 

Tyler Hoeft started for the Aggies.  I’m guessing there weren’t a lot of options for starters.  The Hornets began with a single.  The next batter hit a grounder to Nolan Funke at short.  He made a bad throw to second to get the lead runner and a run scored on the overthrow.  Funke had already had a bad weekend with errors.  Looking at this game as a whole, I think the Hornets were aiming at him. 

 

Hoeft gave up another single, but got a double play next.  That did score another run.  Finally, a comebacker hit Hoeft on the leg.  The deflection caught Kevin Jimenez at second off guard, but he managed to smother it and get the out.  2-0 Hornets with two unearned runs. 

 

Keith Jones II turned on the first pitch in the bottom of first and sent it over the centerfield wall on a line.  The centerfielder seemed to have a chance on it, but couldn’t get to it.  There was a t-shirt toss to the crowd afterward.  By the way, there were no between innings events during the game.  There were no promotions for this weekend either.  2-1 Hornets.

 

Aggie alum, Joey Ortiz got called up to the Orioles last week and did well.  Adam on the radio reported that he’d been sent down.  Unfortunately, he missed playing with his college teammate, Kyle Bradish, who was pitching today.  I think they’ll be playing together at some point in the near future.

 

The top of the second began with a walk, but two outs followed.  Josh Rolling came up and doubled the runner home.  This was an earned run.  The next batter hit a ball to KJ at second.  It looked like the ball hit the lip between the infield turf and outfield grass (which looks horrible and uncared for).  The ball took a bad bounce.  KJ took an error and another unearned run scored. 

 

A single followed.  Martin Vincelli-Simard came to the plate with two on.  He fouled off a pitch that nearly took out his third base coach.  He then straightened out that swing and jacked one to the scoreboard in left center.  That was three unearned runs, since they all occurred after an error with two outs.  Another single followed, but catcher Hunter Antillon threw out that runner when he tried to steal after a dropped pitch.  7-1 Hornets.  The Aggies went down in order in the bottom.

 

Hoeft walked the first batter of the third and was relieved by Aaron Treloar.  It’s hard to judge Hoeft’s performance as 6 of his 7 runs were unearned.  Aaron gave up a single, but then got a double play and fly out to end the inning.  AD Mario Moccia came in looking very casual.  He seemed to be delivering a box of hot dogs to the press box.  That’s a good boss.

 

The Aggies punched back in the bottom of the third.  Preston Godfrey walked.  KJII doubled.  Mitch Namie doubled them both in.  It came at the cost of him pulling his hamstring and coming out of the game, though.  7-3 Hornets.

 

To the top of the fourth.  Aaron threw a pair of pitches to the backstop to a couple of batters.  Those had to be uncomfortable at bats for the batters.  On the final out, KJ was shifted to the other side second base and a grounder came right to him.  Not bad scouting. 

 

The bottom of the fourth began with a ground out to first.  What followed was four straight singles, which plated 2 runs and chased the Sac State starter.  Hunter had a particularly good at bat.  He stared down two curveballs with two strikes and worked a full count before getting his hit.  The Hornet reliever lasted three batters with no outs, two doubles, a single, and 4 more runs.  Jorge Bojorquez at third had a chance at getting the first out on a foul by the Aggie dugout, but lost it.

 

Needless to say, the crowd was into it by this point.  Xavier Richards came in to pitch.  He got a strikeout for the first out.  The last pitch was originally ruled a foul tip, but then called a foul tip strikeout.  The crowd disagreed.  Christian Perez came up next and doubled in the final Aggie run of the inning.  7 straight hits in the inning and 7 runs scored!  The Aggies were now leading 10-7!  Jaw dropped.

 

My legs were crossed to hold up my notebook.  My foot fell completely asleep during the inning.  I nearly panicked when I uncrossed and my foot was dead.  Alan Aguero came in for the top of the fifth and worked a quick, lockdown inning.  There was a little comedy as Funke got a putout, but the return throw to him went over his head and into left field.  The final pitch of the frame looked low, but was called a strike. 

 

Richards worked a 1-2-3 bottom.  I think all of the bats were tired after the first half of the game.  The strikezone seemed to get wider in the top of the sixth and also went quickly.  Perhaps the ump had early dinner plans?  In the bottom, KJII worked a leadoff walk to get on base for his fourth at bat in a row, but was left stranded. 

 

Aggie Coach Zuniga pressed his luck in the seventh and left Alan in for another inning.  Rolling hit a line drive homer to center to start the inning.  He lost his helmet rounding second.  Alan was clearly laboring.  On one pitch, I was sure he was about to be called a pitch clock violation.  After issuing a walk, he was removed for Pablo Cortes.

 

Weihiwa Aloy came up next and doubled the run in.  The scoring was later changed to give Damone Hale a tough luck error in center.  I question this ruling.  It would have been a great play if he’d come up with the catch.  So, it’s another unearned run.  Cortes got a strikeout for the first out, but then gave up a walk, hit a batter, and finally gave up a 2-run scoring single (1 earned, 1 unearned). 

 

Will Sierra was brought in a batter too late.  He got crossed up with Hunter and a pass ball brought in another unearned run.  The Aggie dugout wanted interference on the batter on the play, but were denied.  Hunter also took a foul tip.  He wandered around home plate trying to shake it off.  The ump gave him time.  The Aggie dugout yelled, “Sharknado!”  I’m not sure if that was his nickname or Will’s.  The ump’s strikeout got smaller, but Will got the final two outs to end the inning.  The Hornets were leading again, 12-10. 

 

The Aggies worked two walks in the bottom of the seventh with the smaller strikezone, but couldn’t get a hit off Richards.  Some Aggie bench players made a power circle outside the dugout between innings, or they were doing a rain dance.  Will gave up a single in the top of the eighth.  He was still not getting the low strike called.  A drunk girl behind us was fairly entertaining.  “Come on ump!  Open your third eye!”  She had earlier shouted, “Hold the line!”  Whatever that meant.  Funke had two more putouts, as Hornet batters kept hitting it to him.

 

Cal Villareal, who’d come in for Mitch, doubled in the bottom of the eighth off their closer, Jack Zalasky.  He was left stranded.  Credit Jacob Cortez at second.  Funke hit a grounder that hit the second base bag.  Cortez stayed with it, juggled the ball, but still managed to throw out Funke. 

 

Matt Maloney had thrown a bunch of pitches in Friday’s loss, but was put in for the ninth.  He gave up two singles to start.  Hunter went out to talk to him, as another reliever was warming in the bullpen.  It didn’t matter.  Cesar Valero crushed a 3-run homer to left.  We were sitting next to some Sac State fans.  They and other Hornet fans and the Hornet dugout were all standing and cheering.      

 

The scoreboard operator missed one of the runs and had to be corrected by Adam and the Hornet dugout.  No reliever was brought in at this point.  Funke made a fancy spin and throw for the first out.  Matt got a ground out, but then gave up a solo home run before finally finishing the inning.  In the bottom, Jeffery Heard made great leaping catch at the wall in left for the first out and the next two batters went down quietly.  Sac State wins 16-10.

 

Well that was crushing, but that was a great game.  The crowd on both sides were really into it.  For all that action, the game still came in under 3 hours.  The pace-of-play rules are working.  The wind picked up right as the game finished.  Ron handed out a couple of balls he’d brought in to some kids. 

 

Speaking of that, let’s get to the Gameballs.  For the Hornets, Cesar Valero went 3 for 4 with 5 RBI’s, including that back-breaking 3-run homer.  The 9-spot batter, Josh Rolling, went 3 for 5 with 3 RBI’s and 2 homers.  Pitching-wise, Xavier Richards and Jack Zalasky combined for over 5 innings of scoreless relief.

 

For the Aggies, Keith Jones II went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI’s.  Mitch Namie and Cal Villareal shared the 2-spot in the lineup going 1 for 2 and 2 for 3, respectively.  They both drove in 2 runs.  Aaron Treloar and Alan Aguero were the most effective Aggie pitchers, only giving up 1 earned run in four innings combined. 

 

Out of 16 Hornet runs, 9 were unearned.  I think we can point an easy finger at the problem today.  Less obvious were the pitching decisions.  I would think Coach Zuniga, as the pitching coach, would have known better than to leave some of his pitchers in too long.  On the other hand, maybe he knew the rest of the staff couldn’t be trusted at all.       

 

There was a Hornet player by the gate with his parents.  (I didn’t get his number.)  Ron and I both told him, “Good game.”  Outside, some of the old dorms across the street were coming down.  Things are going to look different next year around the ballpark.  We late lunched at Jimmie Johns looking for a cold sandwich and cool tea after a hot day.  Ron starts his truck driving job on Monday.  He doesn’t know what his schedule will be going forward.  At least I plan on coming back next weekend for more baseball and the final home weekend of Aggie Softball.