NM State Aggies vs SU Redhawks Baseball 5-6-23

 

The Aggie Baseball Twitter put this fun picture up for May the Fourth (Star Wars Day, though actually the movie was released on 5-25-77).  It’s noteworthy because they’ve been recycling pictures for the last couple of weeks, in addition to not having any promotions for the games.  The program feels a little abandoned.

 

As do I.  Ron started his truck driving today this weekend, so I was on my own.  He’d called me Friday afternoon to let me know.  He asked if I was taking off that night, which I wasn’t.  Ron actually went to the game, unfortunately he didn’t know his schedule ahead of time so that we could coordinate.  Just as well, the Aggies lost to the Seattle U Redhawks, 10-8.  I was sort of listening to the game, in addition to keeping track of a couple other games and kind of looking in on a movie.  Oh yeah, I was working at my job, too.   

 

I met Noah Karliner’s parents outside the stadium, as they asked me to take their picture and introduced themselves.  Their son was starting today at first.  Due to injuries to the team, including Nolan Funke and Nick Gore just going on the DL, Karliner was literally fifth on the depth chart for the position.  That should tell you what you need to know about the Aggie infield defense this season.

 

Fan Michael was in his usual spot and I sat down with him.  Michael told me Ron had sat with him last night and told him about his new job.  Michael told me was also dressed as a masked and caped luchadore for Cinco de Mayo.  Sorry I missed that.  It was a bit like sitting with the mayor, as various other fans came by to greet him. 

 

One was an NMSU policeman.  He’d been part of the investigation into the Men’s Basketball team and had been glad when his part in it was done.  I’ve got so much to write about from this weekend, I don’t want to get too far into discussing it.  The officer did confirm something I’d heard earlier in the week from someone at work.  AD Mario Moccia had had his contract extended five years by the outgoing chancellor.  Apparently, all of the coaches’ contracts at NMSU are tied to his.  If he gets fired, they’re all released from their contracts.  This explains why he wasn’t fired for the scandal.  I’m still having trouble believing this revelation.  I need more confirmation.

 

There was an odd moment as the umpires came on to the field.  Players in the Aggie dugout started heckling them.  This was shocking and didn’t seem very smart.  This went back to last night’s game.  There was a play on the foul line that the umps probably got wrong.  Over the radio, I could clearly hear some woman screaming hysterically about the call.  Michael also said the home plate ump was blowing balls and strikes.  Let us say, events that followed this weekend did not enhance their reputation.

 

At least it was a beautiful day.  It was sunny and partly cloudy with a bit of a breeze.  The sun was hot enough to force Michael and I to change seats a couple of times.  Finally, he retreated under an umbrella.  I moved up higher in the stands.  There wasn’t a great crowd (att. 497), but they were loud, especially Michael.  I think there were a couple of soccer players present, but those were the only Aggie athletes I noticed.

Noah Estrella started for the Aggies and worked a 1-2-3 first.  Keith Jones II led off the bottom with a double.  Christian Perez came up after two outs and muscled out a two-run homer to left.  Impressive.  Preston Godfrey came up after.  He prematurely tossed his bat on a presumed walk.  Surprisingly, he diplomatically apologized to the ump.  2-0 Aggies.

 

To start the second, Romeo Ballesteros at short made a great dive on a hit, but couldn’t hold on to it.  The runner was advanced to second, but picked off there with a great move by Noah to Romeo.  Noah allowed a double and a single, but kept them from crossing the plate. 

 A cute new marketing girl tossed out some t-shirts between innings.  That was the extent of giveaways today.  There was music coming from next door at the Softball field.  They’d be playing today, too (annoyingly at the same time).  Catcher Hunter Antillon came up this inning.  The Antillon brothers’ grandma passed away this week.  Hunter had hit a home run in Friday night’s game and driven in 3 runs.  The Aggies drew two walks and hit a single, but Nestor German, the SU starter, left them stranded with three strikeouts.

 

The wind picked up a bit and was blowing out.  To the top of the third, after a strikeout, a batter singled and was advanced to second on a throwing error by Romeo.  The next batter got on when Karliner missed picking up a grounder.  The next batter drove a ball out to the wall, but only got a single as the middle runner didn’t go, but the lead runner did score.  Noah escaped further damage with a timely double play.  2-1 Aggies. 

 

Redhawk Derek Gellos at third made a nice running catch on a foul to start the bottom of the third.  Preston made the final out on a groundout, but the first baseman tripped him at the bag and sent him tumbling.  Coach Zuniga came out and argued obstruction, but to no avail. 

 

The Redhawks had two popup singles to center in the fourth.  That would seem to indicate that the wind was blowing in.  After that, the umps had a conference on the field.  Adam Young on the radio call had idea what they were talking about.  Hunter literally shrugged his shoulders at his dugout.  Play resumed without explanation.  Noah ended the inning with another double play.

 

Five hot chicks came in, not all together, in the bottom.  The small crowd had a bunch of pretty girls in it.  I didn’t score with any of them.  The Aggies got three runners on in the bottom, not all together, but didn’t score any of them either.  The wind was definitely knocking down any ball hit in the air.

 

The top of the fifth was a little weird.  Kaden Alberghini singled . . .  off the batter’s eye?  That was one long single.  I missed an out talking to Michael, but saw the end of the play.  There was a strikeout on the batter.  Alberghini tried to take second and Hunter’s throw went into centerfield.  As Kaden took third, Kevin Jimenez at second immediately called for the ball and stepped on second.  Kaden had missed the base and was called out for another double play (three innings in a row).  There wasn’t much of an argument from SU.

Mitch Namie was hit to start the bottom of the fifth.  KJ doubled by hitting a grounder that bounced off the pitcher.  The ball rolled into shallow right.  Perez stepped up and jacked one out to the trees in left.  While trotting around the bases, he blew a kiss while at second and stopped and posed at third.  Godfrey grounded out next.  Coach Zuniga argued with the ump right after.  Again, no one had any idea what the argument was about.  The play had been extremely straight forward.  With that 3-run homer, it was now Christian Perez 5, SU 1.

 

The breeze kicked up again.  It seemed to be blowing in, but the two Redhawk home runs in the inning would say otherwise.  A solo home run seemed to float over the wall to right.  After Noah threw a couple of wild pitches and walked the next batter, Trevor Antonson smashed a 2-run homer over the scoreboard in left.  5-4 Aggies.  The Aggies went down in order in the bottom.

 

The Softball game was starting by this point.  Noah came back out for the seventh.  He got a groundout and then gave up a single.  Cal Villareal in center made a great running catch for the second out.  Hunter gunned the runner at first down when he tried to steal second on a pitch out for the final out.

 

German was relieved by Kian Hogan in the bottom of the seventh.  KJ singled in the inning.  He stole second on what was scored as a wild pitch (I disagreed).  The ball went all the way to the backstop.  The catcher didn’t see it and turned around several times as his dugout was yelling and pointing.  Kev charged home and scored standing up.  6-4 Aggies.

 

Cade Swenson came in relief in the eighth.  He gave up a leadoff double, but struck out the next two batters with his offspeed working well.  He was relieved by Matt Maloney.  There was a hard liner to first.  Karliner used his height to jump and catch it in the air.  I could see his parents happy on the other side of the grandstand. 

 

Between innings, the PA was playing an up tempo Tejano song.  Some guys in the Aggie dugout were dancing to it as the part of crowd was clapping along.  They were loose.  The Aggies only worked a walk and a sacrifice in the bottom of the eighth.  In the top of the ninth, Maloney quickly got the first two outs.  Then there was an easy grounder to second.  KJ had a little trouble with the throw, but Karliner was given his second error for dropping the ball.  Matt reared back and blew the next batter away.  The at bat ended on a questionably called check swing, but whatever.  Aggies win 6-4!

 

It was two-and-a-half hours of nail biting fun.  Gameballs.  The Aggies can thank Christian Perez’s bat for his 2 home runs and 5 RBI’s today for the win.  They can also thank their pitching staff, who only gave up 1 walk for the game.  Noah Estrella got the win giving up only 3 runs in 7 innings with 5 strikeouts.  (Both starters threw over 100 pitches today.)  Relievers Cade Swenson and Matt Maloney gave up no runs in two combined innings of work.  In spite of 3 errors, the Aggie defense did turn in 3 rally-killing double plays.  For the Redhawks, Trevor Antonson went 3 for 4 with a 2-run homer.   

 

No time for further rumination.  I trotted over to the Softball Complex for the girls’ last home game, already in progress.