NM State Aggies vs LA Tech Bulldogs Softball 4-28-24

What a beautiful day for a ball game!  It warm, not hot, with a clear blue sky and a light wind.  It was Senior Day and we were looking for a win.  Aggie Softball and the LA Tech Bulldogs were fighting for third place in C-USA.    

 

I met up with Fan Danny.  The ladies that were there for Desirae Spearman this season weren’t here today sitting below us.  Des wasn’t starting today, so I guess they didn’t come.  I saw a striking couple come in with a beautiful girl and a handsome young man.  It took me minute to recognize it was Peyton Castillo from the Volleyball team and her boyfriend.  (Boyfriend!)  Also, I saw a guy come in wearing a St. Louis Cardinals Hawaiian-style shirt.  It was sharp.  I’m sure my Aunt Judy would love one.  There were also several people bringing in flowers for the players later.

 

The game went to the dogs immediately.  I saw a smallish sheep dog, who looked so cute and friendly.  I didn’t get to meet him.  Surprisingly, legendary Aggie announcer, Jack Nixon was here.  He was easily recognizable in casual clothes.  He made a bee-line to the sheep dog to pet him.  Some people sitting below us brought in a Siberian Huskie pup, which was the cutest thing in the world.  I didn’t to pet him.  Later, someone brought in an adorable little bulldog—a bulldog-ette, if you will.  No petting there either.  Grrr.  I also saw a cute fluffy dog hanging around.  He’d make a grand entrance after the game was over with one of the players.    

 

There was radio today and I learned that all eight (8!) seniors would be starting today.  This was a bit of a risk, as two of the players, Savannah Bejerano and Xophia Venegas (making her first start ever in college), were very much bench players.  Sav would be taking over behind the plate for Kendal Lunar, who had caught all season.  (Danny was okay with this.  He doesn’t think much of Kendal.)  Kendal’s sister, Kayla Lunar, was back at third.  Dezianna Patmon is the best hitter on the team, but she was pretty rough in that position yesterday.  Dezi would be DP anyway.  The Aggies huddled up several times before the game started.  It was more than usual.    

 

I had help on the scorecard from Adam Young on the radio call today.  (This was the last broadcast until the fall.)  The game was reasonably straight forward and the Bulldogs were very easy to score. 

 

Aggie starter Emily Dix started the game with a walk, but came back with a looking strikeout and a couple of fly outs.  Xophia converted on her first chance in the outfield, though Jillian Taylor was there next to her looking a little nervous.  Jill was plunked to start the bottom of the first.  Jessica Carreon, who is usually the nine-hole hitter, was moved up to second.  After yesterday’s inside-the-park homer, we shouldn’t have been surprised by Jess slapping a double into the gap.  Jill scored on the play. 

 

Jessica was thrown out trying to steal second, but Dezianna and Riley Carley kept up the offense with a pair of solo home runs.  Dezi’s homer was a low liner just over the wall to right field.  There was a t-shirt toss after and I was unexpectedly bombed by a bundle.  Normally, a marketing person runs down the steps and stands in front of the crowd to toss.  Whoever this person was, she just threw them from the press box.  (Somebody else grabbed the shirt after it hit me.)  Carley’s homer just barely cleared the left field wall.  I was watching this time when the shirts came raining down.

 

After giving up a single, Bulldog starter, Allie Floyd, was pulled.  She was Friday’s starter and had thrown 125 pitches and had a rough go of it at the end of that game.  Yesterday’s starter, Brook Melnychuk, came in.  Jayleen Burton hit a double play ball to second.  LAT got one out, but missed Jayleen at first.  She ran into the ump at first before he could make the safe sign, but she was left there.  3-0 Aggies. 

 

As Savannah was the final out, she was late coming out.  I saw her grinning ear-to-ear before she put her mask on.  You could tell she was just so happy to be playing.  The crowd was still filling in.  (Bea Martinez from Channel 7 was one of them.)  It seemed a bit light to start, but ended up being decent (425) with a lot of friends and family present for Senior Day.  Today’s 12:00 start time had been moved up an hour.  The last two games were moved up for the wind.  This one was for a travel curfew.  This is probably why Baseball starts all of their Sunday games at 11:00am. 

Dix blew through the top of the second with a couple of strikeouts and a popup.  Melnychuk made a great play on a low liner to begin the bottom of the inning.  Xophia came up for her first at bat today and only her sixth as an Aggie.  She slapped a hit to the loud cheers of a group of friends and family there for her (and me).  Jess came up and laid down a perfect dead ball bunt for a single.  After her last two AB’s, the infield and outfield were both playing back on her.  Unfortunately, the girls were left stranded.

 

The top of the third went 1-2-3 for Dix, though the final batter was a workout.  Leadoff batter, Alannah Rogers had an epic at bat fouling off pitches.  Xophia went all out and dove for one of them in left.  Finally, Rogers hit a screamer at third.  Kayla caught it before it hit her in the head.  The Aggies went down in order in the bottom.

 

Dix had another in order inning with a couple more strikeouts.  Xophia made another dive attempt on another foul ball.  She was selling out for her chance to play today.  Some LAT batters seemed like they were trying to go the opposite way to hit to left field and Xophia.  Mostly they just got themselves out trying to do so.

 

In the break, one of the Aggie players danced for the crowd to YMCA by the dugout.  I’ll avoid naming names.  The bottom of the fourth began with another caught low liner.  This one went to the shortstop.  Krissy Boyd and Xophia singled next and Jillian came up.  Adam on the radio did call it before it happened.  Jill smacked a three-run homer and the crowd erupted as he predicted.  Bea was filming it from the top of the stands.  She ran down to the bottom to get a crowd reaction shot as well. 

 

Melnychuk fumbled a comebacker from Jess and she was on via an error.  (Jess might have had chance even without the error.)  The crowd erupted again.  This brought on another pitching change to Mattison Buster.  Uncharacteristically, the Aggie dugout serenaded the outgoing pitcher.  I’m not sure if there was some bad blood with Melnychuk.  Buster got the next two outs to end the inning.  Aggies up 6-0.

 

There were a bunch more giveaways to the crowd during the game.  During one t-shirt toss, Peyton and her BF were leaving.  The guy begged for a shirt, but didn’t get one.  He looked devastated, like I did when I didn’t get to pet any those cute dogs today.  He at least got to go home with Peyton, though.  Danny got up and chatted up Bea for a minute, since she was nearby.  That sly dog.  She seemed nice and pleasant with him and was smiling and laughing.  On the air, she’s a bit uptight.  Pistol Pete himself came in.  He’d be there for the ceremony.  (Where was Athletic Director Mario Moccia, by the way?)  Pete got a cheer and round of applause when he went up to the press box.

 

LAT began the top of the fifth with a pair of walks.  Coach Rodolph came out to talk with Dix.  Emily came back with a couple of the strikeouts and a foul out.  The umpire had a wide strike zone for the game.  The fans seemed okay with it.  His call for looking strikeouts was especially dramatic.  In the bottom, Sav legged out a bunt for a single and Krissy followed with another single, but they were both left on base. 

 

Jess began the top of the sixth with a jump catch of a liner at second.  Kayla caught another liner aimed at her.  Dix finished with a looking strikeout.  A murder of crows circled around the trees in the outfield.  That doesn’t really have anything to do with anything, but it sounds very evocative. 

 

Jillian was hit again to begin the bottom of the sixth.  She had zero reaction to it.  Jess singled right after, but Dezi hit a comebacker to Buster.  She threw out the runner at third and a strong throw across the diamond by Claire Raley got Dezi at first for the double play.  Dezianna complained about it and might have had a point. 

 

The Aggie infield had a long team huddle in the circle before the inning started.  I can make a guess as to what they were talking about.  A walk started the seventh inning.  Catcher Brooke Diaz came up and hit a gapper double to right.  Krissy had no opportunity for heroics to try and catch it.  Well, that broke up the no-hitter, which I haven’t been mentioning.  Adam was, but there was no jinx. 

 

Coach Rodolph came out for another talk.  During the break, they threw out whatever else they had for giveaways.  This included the state flag of New Mexico souvenir that I missed out on a couple of times this season.  I thought about calling for one, but didn’t.  A girl below got one.  She wore it like a cape and was all smiles. 

Emily rallied and got a foul out and a strikeout.  On the last batter, the crowd finally started getting on the ump, as they wanted the final strike.  A groundout to short ended the game.  It was Dix’s only grounder of the game.  Aggies win 6-0! 

 

Needless to say, I’ve never seen a no-hitter in person, but I have on TV.  Maybe it was too much to ask for, since the Aggies got the win.  (I’m imagining Jillian laying out with an impossible Superman catch in the outfield to save the no-hitter for the final out.)  Oh, well.  It’s been an entertaining two days at the Softball Complex anyway.

 

Gameballs.  I have to give one to LA Tech to Brooke Diaz for breaking up the no-hitter.  (It’s surprising the game went two hours given that one team almost went hitless.)  Also, Mattison Buster did well in relief for the second day in a row. 

 

For the Aggies, toss a Gameball to Coach Rodolph for playing the seniors today and for sticking with them.  For the players, Jessica Carreon went 3 for 4 with an RBI.  (And might have gone 4 for 4 without the error.)  Xophia Venegas went 2 for 3.  Given how little she’s been able to play that was some redemption.  No wonder she was a bit bitter about not playing.  Hopefully, she’ll find somewhere to play as a graduate student. 

 

Jillian Taylor was hit twice in the game.  I don’t know if she’s hanging over the plate, or if it was something personal against her.  Regardless, Jill got one hit today and it was a three-run homer.  (I would have liked to have seen one more awesome play in the outfield, as I got two yesterday, but let’s not get greedy.)  Lastly, our star performance was from Emily Dix.  She went 7 innings with 1 hit, 4 walks, and 9 strikeouts.  Let’s hope she can work up that magic again in the tournament.   

       

Senior Day Ceremony

Jessica Carreon and Jayleen Burton were the first seniors to pass under the tunnel that their teammates were making with their bats.  Oh, no!  That’s our middle infield!  What are we gonna to do?  The girls took the long final walk in happy alacrity.  Kayla Lunar was also in good spirts.  Wait, that’s our third baseman!  Oh, crap!  This a disaster!  Hers was the only uniform on the team that was completely covered in dirt.  I’m not entirely sure how that happened.

 

Savannah Bejarano was in tatters even before going through the tunnel and cried on all the coaches.  Krissy Boyd, in total contrast, seemed to be looking towards a happy future.  She came out with her toddler sibling.  I didn’t know she was Canadian and actually plays for their national team.  Xophia Venegas was all smiles.  The PA mentioned she currently has a 1.000% fielding percentage after that catch in the first inning.  Wait, wait, wait!  These are three babes on the team!  You can’t leave me like this!  This is a nightmare!

 

Emily Dix came out smiling, but crumbled when she got to Coach Rodolph.  The Aggies did need this win.  The coach stuck with her after starting a couple of late innings with walks.  Oh, no!  Emily just totally figured it out in this game.  We need her pitching next year!

 

Oh, no.  No.  No.  It’s Jillian Taylor taking the walk.  Noooo!  Not my favorite!  I’m completely crushed.  Jill was hopping up on her heels before going through the tunnel like she was coming out to start a game.  She was also the owner of the cute, fluffy dog I mentioned earlier.  She had a long list of accomplishments, including the over 96% fielding rate.  When I worked with Melika Ofoia, she told me the story that the other girls teased Jillian because she was a bit undersized.  Jill would flip up her shirt and show off her six-pack and told them she was in better shape than any of them.

 

Well now I have no reason left to come back.  I don’t even think there was an Autograph Day this season so that I could gush on Jill and tell Desirae we were both graduates of Hanks High School.  I need to tell Xophia that Logan will probably be popping the question to her soon.  (No need to thank me for nudging him.) 

 

Danny left before the ceremony and said, “See you next season at soccer.”  He’d asked me a couple of times if I was going to the Softball tournament.  I told him, “No,” but if the Aggies are in the championship, I’ll probably be there, since it would be on a Saturday.  I have work and endurance concerns about going out to the tournament for four days.  More seriously, I’m also not sure about coming back for Aggie sports next season.  I’ll think about it over the summer.  In any case, if this is my last Aggie Softball game for the foreseeable future, it was a pleasantly memorable one.