NM State Aggies vs Prairie View A&M Panthers Baseball 3-10-24

I probably shouldn’t have gone today.  I’ve actually been sick all week, but it didn’t take me out until Thursday night at work.  I missed work on Friday, though I did listen to Aggie Softball’s game.  Saturday, I was okay, but too wiped out to go outside, much less to a game.  (I hadn’t eaten all of Friday.)  Unfortunately, I was still coughing a bit on Sunday, but I really wanted to get out.  Hopefully, I didn’t pass anything around.    

 

I took some notes Friday night.  I had to choose between listening to either Aggie Baseball or Softball.  I’m not sure why they had both on the radio at the same time (different stations, of course).  I picked softball and figured I’d catch the end of the baseball game.  The good news was that I got to hear all of the game.  The bad news was that I was listening at home instead of at work, because I sick.  I only missed a bit of the game from puking fits. 

 

It was a very tight affair against WKU.  A solo home run by Jillian Taylor turned out to be all of the Aggies’ scoring.  WKU tied it in the sixth and threatened for more, but Krissie Boyd in right field made a diving catch that saved two runs.  The game went two extra innings.  The Hilltoppers took a one-run lead in the ninth.  Jillian threw out a runner at home from center to keep it close, but 2-1 WKU was the final.

 

Jaileen Mancha pitched all nine for the Aggies in a tremendous effort.  Desirae Spearman was playing, in spite of her injury.  She was in left field.  Maybe she’s just not able to pitch.      

 

Anthony Rifenburg from the Chihuahuas called the game.  He was a bit baffled by the softball rules at times, but was enjoying it.  Some fans standing in front of the pressbox got in his way once.  The crowd mic was picking up some people in the box who were scoring the game, which was a conversation I found interesting. 

 

Baseball finished at about the same time, but they only went seven innings.  The Aggies put a smackdown on the Prairie View A&M, 22-4.  I just got to listen to a little.  Trey Meza pitched six of the seven innings and only gave up two runs.

 

I was better the next day, but way too tired to consider going out.  Men’s Basketball played their final home game against FIU and won 77-70.  (They’d led by 26 at one point.)  After their first road win last week, I heard a story on the Aggie Coach’s Show.  The team was on a bus and Coach Hooten had the driver pull over at a Buc-ee’s.  He told the guys to get a drink and snack on him.   

 

Baseball was not on the radio, but Softball was later.  Unfortunately, the game came on an hour before the last scheduled time I’d seen.  I missed most of the game as the Aggies ended it early with a 9-0 run rule.  I found out later on the news that Baseball won their game 10-8.  From talking to Michael at Sunday’s game, he told me that the Aggies had been close to run ruling the game, but a late-innings relief pitching meltdown made it close.

 

This weekend was another cross-up in scheduling between Baseball and Softball.  I was wondering which games I should go to, but that was decided for me on Saturday.  I nearly missed going on Sunday.  There was a time change Saturday night that I only found out about by chance.  I’d checked on the radio before I left for the game to make sure the game hadn’t already started.  If it had, I wouldn’t have bothered. 

It was very nice out.  It was 53-degrees and sunny with no wind.  I’d sort of thought being out in the sun would be good for me.  Unfortunately, I was in the shade for pretty much of the whole game, where it was a bit chilly.  Inside the front gate, I was handed a large clear bag and a little baseball-shaped tub of lip balm (admittedly cute).     

 

It was a really good crowd at 572 considering the early start and time change.  Everyone did seem a little subdued.  Michael said he was surprised at the large crowd on Friday.  It was cold and raining then.  Baseball and Softball were again on dueling stations with a girls starting an hour later.  Adam Young on the baseball call relayed a couple of happy stats about the Aggies.  They’d scored 98 runs over the last six games and Nick Gore was batting a whopping .463.

I was so confident about these scorecards, I did them in ink . . . after I’d done them in pencil and made sure they were probably right.  Actually, I’m tired of my pencil scorecards not scanning well.  Today was a rare day where they added up.  The official scorer did change his mind twice, but I caught those.  (Adam had the call right when it happened.  I think the scorer has an inning to decide on an official call on a play.)

 

Hayden Walker started for the Aggies.  He gave up single in the first without further damage.  The Aggie offense put on their walking shoes in the bottom of the first.  Five walks in the first loaded the bases and forced in two runs.  Austin Corbett then singled in two more to make it 4-0 Aggies. 

 

The Panthers started the second with a double.  After a strikeout, there was a grounder to second.  Edwin Martinez-Pagani was playing there with the infield reshuffled with Steve Solorzano out for a couple of weeks.  (Given that he also pitches, it’s like losing two players.  Maybe there’s a reason there aren’t a lot of two-way players in development.)  EMP made a weak throw to Mitch Namie at first, who then dropped it.  Romeo Ballesteros picked up the defense with a catch on a low liner and then a throw to first for a double play.

 

The Aggies didn’t score in the bottom of the second.  In the top of the third, Romeo did it again.  This time it was a soft liner as part of a hit-and-run.  It was an easy turn for another double play.  About this time, Softball started.  I thought about turning over to listen to it, but some weirdness in the bottom kept me with the baseball.

 

Mitch led off with a drive to left field.  Michael Edwards made a dive for the ball at the wall, but it got down and Mitch made it to third.  A trainer went out to check on Edwards, but he stayed in.  Next, Sheehan O’Connor hit a ball up the middle through the pitcher’s legs without touching them.  The second baseman had a hard time following the ball after that and booted it.  Mitch scored from third with O’Connor safe at second.  (O’Connor was given a hit later with the error sending him to second.)

 

EMP drove O’Connor in with a double, which chased the PV starter out of the game.  The PV shortstop was given a tough error on a grounder by Keith Jones.  It was a difficult catch and throw that drew the first baseman off the bag.  This brought in EMP.  (This was later rescored as a hit and an RBI.)  Surprisingly, KJ was picked off during the next at bat.  It didn’t look like that much of move and throw, but it caught him off guard, even though it was the second attempt.  7-0 Aggies.

 

Walker cruised through the top of the fourth with two strikeouts and a ground out.  Titus Dumitru hit his second double of the game with one out.  Mitch singled him in.  The Aggies loaded the bases with another single and a hit batter, but weren’t able to bring in any more.  8-0 Aggies.

 

There was some loud cheering at Softball.  I flipped over to that game, but never figured out what happened.  Walker worked his last inning.  He gave up two singles and a wild pitch to start.  One run came in on a grounder.  Titus made a good sliding catch in right field for the second out, but Romeo made a bad throw to first that scored another run.  Walker finished his appearance with a strikeout.  8-2 Aggies.

 

In the bottom of the fifth, the Aggies strung together two walks and two singles to score two more runs.  They still the bases loaded with nobody out.  Victor Mendoza knuckled down for the Panthers and got the next three outs without giving up another run.  10-2 Aggies.

 

Conor Wylde worked a quick top of the sixth, only giving up a walk.  The Panthers brought in Corey Battery for the bottom.  He gave up a walk, two singles, and another walk, which brought in another run.  He was relieved by Leonardo Bravo with the bases loaded and no one out.  (Admittedly, I’m mentioning these pitchers because I like their names.)  Bravo got a double play, which brought in another run, and a flyout to end the inning.  12-2 Aggies.

The Aggies were now eligible for a run rule win.  Aaron Treloar was brought in to close it out in the seventh.  He gave up a single to start, but got a strikeout next.  The next batter pegged the runner at first on a line drive.  He had no chance to avoid it.  That was an out (credited to Mitch at first), dead ball, and the batter was given first.  A flyball ended the game.  Aggies win 12-2 by run rule!

 

I barely took any notes for the game and was not in the mood to do a long write-up.  It’s good this game was short and sweet at two hours and 17 minutes.  The Aggies have a rough schedule coming up, so they were pretty jacked about taking care of business today.  The crowd was a bit quiet.  We were still getting used to Daylight Savings Time (or that’s our excuse).  Most of the good Aggie plays were defensive ones and the game wasn’t close.

 

I have some Gameballs for the Aggies.  Titus Dumitru went 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles.  Mitch Namie went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI’s.  (Nick Gore was hitless today, but still had an RBI with a walk.)  No home runs for either team on this still wind day.  I’ll also highlight Aggie pitching.  Hayden Walker went five innings, only giving up 2 runs, and got the win.  Conor Wylde and Aaron Treloar worked two innings of scoreless relief.  Only one walk on the day for Aggie pitching.    

 

I hadn’t heard more than a couple of minutes of the Aggie Softball game during the game.  I knew the Aggies were losing, but didn’t even know the score.  After baseball, I changed stations and started walking over to the next door Softball Complex.  During that five minutes, the Aggies were down to their last out.  I didn’t bother going in, but stood at the fence and watched the end. 

 

It wasn’t the girls’ day, as they lost 11-0 to WKU in the fifth on a run rule.  That one went quick too, at an hour and half.  There were 400 there.  That was one reason I was concerned about these planned Sunday games, instead Saturday double headers.  There’s a pretty good possibility of most of these games being under two hours and not worth showing up for.

 

Back at my truck, I called my dad and asked if he’d like me to bring him some Raising Canes for lunch, since they’d handed out coupon cards at the gate with the win.  Maybe ten minutes later, he got around to saying, “No.”  That was pretty disappointing.  The coupon is still good for a couple of days, so he said he might be interested tomorrow.  I’m not sure if my appetite is all the way back anyway.  I’ll try to be well and more enthusiastic for the next series.