Tuesday, April 30, 2024

NM State Aggies vs LA Tech Bulldogs Softball 4-27-24


Looking outside the window right now in the late afternoon, I’m pretty glad they moved up today’s Aggie Softball game against LA Tech to 11:00am.  There’s a hard gusty wind blowing and it’s surprisingly cold for a late spring day.  I’m glad they made a decision on this game last night and gave everyone plenty of time to know about it, as opposed to last time.  

 

I’m starting off this post with some familiar refrains.  After last weekend’s performance, I waved off taking Wednesday off to see the Aggie Baseball team play Arizona.  I figured it wouldn’t have been worth falling a day behind at work to see the team lose badly.  Unfortunately, I was right there. 

 

I also finally thought to check Aggie Soccer’s Twitter before this weekend to see if they were playing an exhibition today.  They did have a game scheduled, but canceled it.  I did see a couple of soccer players practicing on field when I pulled into the Softball Complex.  There was a game going on at the next door baseball stadium.  The Aggies are away, but the facility does get used by some local teams.  In this case, I don’t know who.

 

I ran into fan Danny before entering the stadium and finally got to repay some of his hospitality earlier in the season.  I bought him a coffee at the concession and some tea for myself.  I didn’t need the drink because it was hot, but I’d been fighting getting a cold all week and needed to keep my throat wet.  (Thankfully, I didn’t get sick.)  Danny had bought a new stadium seat.  Previously, he’d just been using a cushion, but he wanted something better for the upcoming tournament.  I was glad my sore back got better, so that I could sit reasonably comfortably today.      

 

A decent crowd came out for the game.  Danny said last night’s game was a full house with three high school girls teams present and they were non-stop enthusiasm.  Today, I saw a LA Tech dad wearing LA Tech branded shoes.  That’s commitment.  I also saw a guy in a Brooklyn Dodgers hat.  They’re spending enough that they probably could field and east coast version of the team.

 

Unfortunately, the Aggies lost the game, 11-7.  They made a late game comeback attempt to make the score respectable.  The Aggies had made some costly errors earlier, probably because of a stiff wind playing with batted balls.  Danny was not kind in this appraisal of the team.  He’d thought they’d really butchered it in the field and pointed out a couple of individuals.  

 

One player Danny didn’t have a problem with was Desirae Spearman.  She not only won another Freshman of the Week honor, but was also recognized nationally as a top freshman.  Danny said she was hurt last night, but Des was in the lineup as the DP today.  We were sitting in the center stand among the group of women that have been there all season rooting for Des.  One of them may have been her coach from Hanks in El Paso.  There wasn’t a softball stadium when I went there.  (Or a baseball stadium or a football stadium.) 

  

The early start time would mean that there’d be no chance of using the stadium’s new LED lights this weekend.  They didn’t use them last night, but did test them out the night before and posted a Twitter video.  The lights are like Soccer’s lights and can flash and do multi-colors.  The girls loved them.   

 

Today’s scorecards had several goofs on it.  I feel like somebody should take my pen away from me at the ballpark.  I actually had to resort to using white-out in several places.  I think my numbers add up at least.

 

During the LAT player intros, the non-starters all dabbed.  That was cute.  The team was also good and loud from their dugout in the first.  Jaileen Mancha started for the Aggies.  She got into quick trouble with a hit batter and a single to start.  (That might have been scored an error on third, but it was called a hit.)  Another shallow single sent the runner at second home.  But there was Jillian Taylor in center and she gunned down the runner easy.  That got the crowd going.

 

What also got the crowd going was the home plate umpire.  They were all over him early.  The next batter walked, which they blamed the ump for.  Brooke Diaz doubled next and drove in two.  Jaileen helped herself out on the next batter.  She took a comebacker and threw out the runner at third, who’d stepped off the base.  Jayleen Burton at short also helped out.  She smothered a grounder and glove-flipped it to second for the force to end the inning.  2-0 LAT.

 

The Aggies strung together a couple of two-out singles in the bottom, but did not score. In the top of the second, Krissy Boyd in right made a diving attempt at a dying liner, but wasn’t able to come up with it.  Danny wanted the scorer to give her an error on the play.  Sheesh!  Jaileen got two outs afterward, including a nice strikeout looking, but another single and a double drove in two more runs.  4-0 LAT.

 

The Aggies went down in order in the bottom of the second.  Jayleen was given an error on a bad throw to first to start the third.  Jillian helped her out.  On a liner to right center, Jill made the catch and then threw out the runner at first, who strayed from the bag.  What an arm!  After the inning, Marketing Director Nicole Sack came out with a pile of hats to toss to the crowd.  It was a lot.  Danny said they had a bunch of giveaways last night.  I guess they’re clearing out the storeroom. 

 

Jessica Carreon hustled out a bunt single to begin the bottom of the third.  Jill followed that up with a single.  Des came up and blasted a line drive shot over the centerfield wall for a three-run homer.  Right after she rounded the bases, a big cloud passed in front of the sun like an eclipse.  I’m sure there’s a metaphor to make here, but I don’t know what it is.  The Aggies got a couple of two-out singles, but weren’t able to add on.  4-3 LAT.

 

A little toddler wearing a t-shirt identifying her with Krissy Boyd’s family tottered up and down in front of the crowd possibly trying to rally the crowd during the inning.  It was adorable.  Nicole came back out and tossed C-USA Softball tournament t-shirts to the crowd.  I remember paying $25 for a tournament shirt in 2018.  That was also the price of my all-tournament pass.  Now, it’s $60.

 

The top of the fourth began with another bad play at third.  It was ruled a hit.  Next was an attempted sac bunt, but was hustled into another hit.  Finally, a walk loaded the bases with nobody out.  A big flyball followed.  If the wind hadn’t been blowing, it might have gone out, but instead it worked as a sacrifice to bring in a run.  Jaileen came back to get the next two outs, including another big strikeout looking.  5-3 LAT.

 

There was a foam finger giveaway to the crowd.  The Boyd toddler got one and didn’t quite know what to do with it.  The Aggies went down in order in the bottom of the fourth.  It ended with Jill striking out.  On the previous pitch, she was about to toss her bat for a walk.  The crowd also thought it was a ball.  The top of the fifth began with a strike call and a sarcastic cheer from the crowd.  Jaileen got out of the inning with only a single given up.

 

The wind caused a flurry of spilled popcorn to fly over the stands.  With two outs in the bottom of the fifth and a new Bulldog pitcher, Devin Elam hit a liner that deflected off the LAT third baseman into the outfield.  She made it to second, though the throw got there at the same time.  Dev was left stranded.  Another cloud passed over and dropped the temperature with it.  It was dark enough that I took off my shades for a while.

 

For the top of the sixth, LAT only singled.  Their defense shined in the bottom.  Paris Endris (what a name) at first grabbed a grounder and dove at the bag to get the out.  Caroline Easom then made a running catch on a popup at second with her back to the infield.  Jaileen was still in to pitch the seventh.  The Aggie defense was stout again.  With two outs and a runner on first, Claire Raley doubled to deep right center.  Jill threw to Jess, who hit Kendal Lunar at the plate to nail the runner and end the inning. 

 

Jessica came up first in the bottom of the seventh.  She hit a looper to left that deflected off the fielder’s glove after a near collision with the centerfielder.  The ball went to the wall, as Jess tore around the bases and flopped across home for an inside-the-park home run.  What a thrill!  Unfortunately, that was all.  Des did hammer a massive foul during her at bat, but the Aggies would come up a run short.  5-4 LA Tech wins.

 

The right side of the stadium erupted with the final out.  I did not realize how many LAT fans were there for the game.  I’ll toss out the Gameballs.  For LA Tech, Mattison Buster came on in relief for the save going 3 innings with only one run allowed.  Kylie Neel and Brooke Diaz both went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI’s. 

 

For the Aggies, Desirae Spearman had that big three-run homer.  Jessica Carreon had that incredible home run the hard way and threw out a runner at home.  Jillian Taylor was worth the price of admission as usual with two great plays from the outfield.  While she didn’t have a great performance, Jaileen Mancha pitched a gutty game.  After two rough innings, she held the Bulldogs down and gave her team a chance.              

 

It was hard to be too disappointed by the loss after seeing those great plays on the field.  It was a hard loss given the series loss to a team with the same conference record.  Hopefully, the Aggies can salvage one tomorrow.  In the meantime, I took advantage of a large two-topping pizza deal for $7 from Dominos after the game and shared it with dad.  Thanks for that.   

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