Wednesday, April 24, 2024

NM State Aggies vs FIU Panthers Baseball 4-21-24


I took off for today’s game in a t-shirt.  It was very pleasant out.  After a five-minute drive to the stadium, I got out there was suddenly hit with a cold, stiff breeze.  It was over 60-degrees, but probably colder with the wind chill blowing across the stands.  Most of the fans seemed like myself and were unprepared for the sudden shift in weather.  Fan Michael had grabbed a windbreaker from his car.  He was also listening to the game today on the radio, like I was.  I’d made a convert.  (It’s the best way to take in a game at the ballpark.)

 

Fan Ken sat out today’s game to watch the Indycar Long Beach Grand Prix.  Yesterday, he was a little miffed that he was missing the IMSA race at the same venue.  I admit, I would have liked to have seen those races myself, though the races there tend to be more glamorous than dramatic.  (And they’re on cable, which I don’t have.)  I was still missing the Looney Tunes marathon this weekend on TV.  What I’d seen after yesterday’s game had been hysterical.  This included three cartoons worth of “Duck Season/Rabbit Season.”  Need I say more? 

 

There was a first pitch from a university professor.  His family chanted, “Daddy,” during the pitch.  There was a second pitch, but this was actually a putt with a club from a member of the Aggies’ Women’s Golf team.  (She left it short.  Disappointing.)  The Aggie Baseball team photographer had her hair down today and was dressed a bit more conservatively than usual.  She looked beautiful, but she disappeared early in the game.  The Hot Pan Am Girl was not tossing out souvenirs today.  I felt a bit cheated in entertainment today.  (Crowd-watching is part of the baseball experience.)         


It’s hard to imagine with all of the scoring, but everything added up on my scorecard with the scoreboard.  Of course, I’m not checking all the numbers with the official scoring.  That might damage my ego. 

 

So was the wind a factor in today’s game?  Definitely in the top of the first.  Yesterday’s cycle-hitter, Armando Becerra for the FIU Panthers, hit a flyball to the outfield that blew straight out.  I think that was the only shot today that the wind was responsible for.  The wind wasn’t really blowing out; it was blowing uncomfortably on the crowd.  1-0 FIU. 

 

The Aggies struck back in the bottom.  Keith Jones singled and stole second.  Mitch Namie doubled him home.  He was called out at second, but the second baseman dropped the ball.  Coach Angier complained and umps had a conference and reversed the call.  Who needs replay?  Local player, Steve Solorzano is off the IL and had been playing this weekend without much luck.  With two on, he hit a liner to first, which was caught and turned into an unassisted double play by doubling off the runner.  1-1.

 

Hayden Walker was the Aggies’ starter.  He was pitching well, but the wind was hurting him.  With a runner on, Kishon Frett hit a popup that just drifted out of the infield into No Man’s Land.  Three Aggie defenders dove for it, but the ball fell in for a bloop double and a run.  2-1 FIU.  Damone Hale led off the bottom of the second.  He walked, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and was driven in on a sac fly by Edwin Martinez-Pagani.  The Aggies tied it at 2, however, the Aggies left the bases loaded.     

 

Hayden worked out of the top of the third with a strikeout and a double play.  Alex Ulloa threw his helmet after hitting into the DP.  The umpire gave him a warning and the FIU coach pulled him from the game.  In the bottom, Logan Galina was robbed of a hit on a sliding catch by Frett in the left field.  Solorzano hit another liner straight to first for the second out.  The Aggies rallied and loaded the bases on two singles and a walk.  KJ was hit by a pitch to drive in a run.  Once again though, the Aggies would leave the bases loaded.  3-2 Aggies.

 

Then the wheels started to come off in the fourth.  A walk and two singles drove in a run.  Brylan West doubled in two more.  5-3 FIU.  It is worth noting that no one was warming up in the Aggie bullpen in the inning.  Mitch struck out to start the bottom of the frame.  He said something to the ump and got a warning.  Logan was hit by a pitch and Solo finally got on base via walk, but they were left stranded.  Frett made a jumping catch in left for the final out.  He dropped the ball after the catch.  Coach Angier argued the hit with the ump to no avail.

 

Then the whole Aggie vehicle exploded to continue the car analogy.  Hayden pitched to six batters in the fifth without getting an out.  EMP made a couple of hustling plays on defense to no avail.  After five runs had scored (including a three-run homer by Frett), finally Aaron Treloar was brought in.  He gave up a two-run homer to West.  I was at least comforted that sunlight had finally crept over to where I was sitting.  It made it a lot more comfortable in the cool breeze. 

 

By this point, even the FIU dugout was tired of cheering.  The eighth batter of the inning was the first out.  After just three batters and a second home run given up by Treloar, Matt Romero was brought in.  Third baseman EMP made an extreme shifted play on a liner, where he was playing next to first base for out #2.  14 batters came up in the inning and the Panthers left the bases loaded.  13-3 FIU.  

 

By this point, Adam Young and Marcel Renteria on the radio call were relieving the old days doing blow out coverage.  The Aggies weren’t able to score in the bottom of the fifth and the Panthers didn’t score in the top of the sixth.  In the bottom, FIU put in their fourth pitcher of the game.  Yes, their coach was giving an early hook when his pitchers were getting in trouble.  The Aggies got three runs trying to stave off the run rule next inning.  Pinch hitter Preston Godfrey singled in a run and EMP tripled in two runs.  13-6 FIU.

 

Cho Tofte came on in the seventh.  He pitched to one batter and walked him.  Coach Angier came out and got him.  The radio said it was for walking someone in that situation.  Kade Benevidez came on and ended up giving up five runs, including a three-run homer to West (and he walked a batter).  18-6 FIU.

 

Not only were the Aggies facing a run rule loss in the seventh, Adam said that it was now 2:00pm and the game was under a travel curfew and this would be the end of the game regardless.  KJ walked to start the inning.  He was thrown out trying to take second on a wild pitch, but then this was overruled when the second baseman dropped the ball.  There was some delay on the call, which explains my scorecard scribbles.  Titus’ groundout was interesting in that the second baseman was playing next to the shortstop.  His throw to first probably wasn’t in time, but let’s get it other with.  FIU wins 18-6 and sweeps the series.

 

For Gameballs, FIU gets two.  Brylan West went 4 for 5 with 7 RBI’s and two home runs.  Kishon Frett went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI’s and a home run, but was pulled from the game late for some reason.  (It’s a bad sign that the Panther 9-hole hitter, Brendan Roney, had 5 plate appearances in a 7-inning game.)  For the Aggies, Mitch Namie went 3 for 4 with an RBI, and Edwin Martinez-Pagani went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI’s and really hustled on defense.  Your stat of the game is 14.  That’s the number of runners the Aggies left on base.  They had their chances today.

 

It was three hours of crushed hopes and dreams for the 456 in attendance.  And I thought the fans were dispirited after the last game.  The team photographer reappeared during the team meeting on field.  I did end up behind the Hot Pan Am Girl on the way out.  I had no idea she was here.  I assumed she was a player girlfriend, but she left and did not go to the “kiss and cry” where the players were.

 

Yesterday, I’d gone out with dad to Subway for lunch and to the bookstore.  (I’ll have another comic review at some point.)  Today, I went to Jack-in-the-Box to use a two free taco coupon.  It wasn’t the most filling meal, even with large curly fries, but it tasted really good, especially with an orange Coke.  From there, it was back home for more classic cartoons and the marathon.  (And a side trip for a chocolate-covered paleta.  So much for the diet.)  At least my back was feeling better for this game, though I may have re-aggravated it writing this.  (Not from the results of the game, just from sitting at the computer.)  

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