Aggie Baseball had a tough road trip last week. They lost 2 of 3 to DBU in their first C-USA series. The two losses were by run rule. Their win was in a 17-14 slugfest. In that game, Tommy Meluskey went 4 of 5 with 6 RBI’s and Chris Daniels was 3 of 4 with 5 RBI’s. Each had a 3-run home run. It was a great comeback win, as they were down 13-5 in the seventh. The Aggies also took a mid-week run rule loss to TCU. Cooper Reese finally made it back into a game to pitch, but didn’t do well.
On Friday, the Aggies started their next conference series against LA Tech and suffered a 13-8 loss. This was in spite of 4 LA tech errors. Bryce Campbell had 3 RBI’s, though all of his runs were unearned. I went to Softball on Saturday afternoon and declined to go to Baseball for the nightcap, after being slow-roasted in the heat. I missed a good one, but a long one. The Aggies won a 13-10 slugfest in a nearly 4-hour game. Steve Solorzano went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI’s and Jonatan Clough had 4 RBI’s. For pitching, Connor Wylde pitched 4 innings and only gave up 2 runs. Jack Turner had a 3-inning save giving up 2 runs, 1 earned.
Sunday morning, it was again hot. There were a few light clouds in the sky and there was no wind. The weather report early in the game was that it was 85-degrees to start. It got hotter into the mid-90’s before the end. However, we’ll take that to 80-degrees and humid in Louisiana.
The crowd was officially 712, but it felt lighter. This did include a contingent of LAT fans. On field, the Bulldogs were dressed what looked like the Chicago Cubs’ away uniforms (one of my favorites, actually). Marcel Renteria was here calling the game with Adam Young. Unfortunately, it was only on the TV call. I was listening to the Softball on the radio, which would be the final Aggie radio broadcast of the season. We had a live Anthem singer, again. We still haven’t identified her, except she has the same last name as Steve Solorzano and he hugged her after the performance.
I sat with Fan Michael, as usual. He had a low opinion of the LAT coach, who wouldn’t talk to him when Michael tried to start a conversation with him. He was impressed with Trey Hawsey on their team. He said, we couldn’t get him out. I asked about Cooper and he said he was out with an arm issue. Michael also said that they’d planted grass on the dirt mound berm. I asked how people were supposed to get to it, since it was behind the Diamond Club area. He didn’t know.
On the one hand, these scorecards added up without the help of the official scoring or help from the broadcasters. On the other hand, I admit, mistakes were made. Jake Carvajal started the parade of pitchers for the Aggies today. A single and a hit batter began the game. Hawsey came up. He is not short, but rather heavy and stocky. He battled on every pitch until he singled in a run. A double play brought in another and the Bulldogs had a 2-0 lead.
On the first pitch of the bottom of the first, Solorzano cranked out a monster home run to left field. Don’t throw this guy a “get-me-over” first pitch fastball. Aidan Taclas followed that with a double. Boston Vest drove him in with a triple and Easton Rulli brought him in with a single. Rulli was then caught stealing and a strikeout ended the inning, but it was productive and gave the Aggies a 3-1 lead.
Embarrassing moment in the top of the second. The PA music was still playing when the inning started. Catcher Dane Woodcook took the first pitch and turned around and made a slashing motion at the pressbox. That cut the music. Matt Houston, fresh off his 80’s TV show, crushed a home run center. (I’m sure that show is so obscure, nobody his age is teasing him about his name.) There was no wind, but the ball was carrying well in the rising heat. After a follow up single, Carvajal was relieved for JT Price, who finished the inning. We’re tied at 3.
Destiny, the adorable team photographer, was back. I’d noticed her on field earlier. She came by and said, “Hi,” to myself and Michael. She’s so sweet and dressed in such a pleasingly provocative manner (tight tank top and tight biker shorts).
Aidan Lombardi led off the bottom of the second with a single. Dane made a perfect bunt to move him over and ended up beating it out for a single. (Also, the new turf plays really slow.) The two attempted a double steal. Dane looked safe, but was called out at second. Don’t run on catcher Matt Houston. He always gets his man, just like on his TV show. After a walk, Solo singled to bring in Lombardi. However, a double play finished the inning. Aggies up, 4-3.
The top of the third was delayed for an argument between Aggie Coach Angier and the umpire crew chief. No idea what that was about. Hawsey led off the inning. On the second pitch, he hit a line drive home run to center to tie the score at 4. Clough almost impossibly ran down a sure double to left field. He closed in and reached out for it. That was the play of the game. Price finished out the inning without any further damage.
A couple of pretty Marketing girls were tossing t-shirts to the crowd between innings. A guy behind us wanted one. Michael lent him his cowbell help him get the girl’s attention and the guy got one. His name is Doug. He’s amiable fellow who’d moved in from Idaho. We both chatted with him during the game. I was jealous that he’d acquired Savannah Bananas tickets, who will be playing in El Paso in the near future.
The Aggies went down in order in the bottom of the third. Doug remarked, “Is that the first 1-2-3 inning of the weekend?” Price worked around a single, a wild pitch, and an error on a bad throw from short for a scoreless inning. Lombardi made a good play from second to get the final out. The Aggies had another in-order inning in the bottom. Clough twice thought he’d walked on Ball 4, but the ump called the pitches strikes. Matt Houston took bad foul ball off his helmet catching, but stayed in. Show Business is tough.
Hawsey again led off the fifth inning. He is one tenacious batter fighting off pitches. He’d single and chase Price from the game for Bradyn Barnes. Barnes gave up another single and had a wild pitch, but kept the Bulldogs from scoring.
A light breeze started blowing and we were getting a little shade from some light clouds. There were several pretty girls in shorts and tank tops in the crowd, though I didn’t see the Volleyball girls. Michael mentioned seeing a head-turning player girlfriend last night in go-go boots. Now I’m really sorry I missed the game.
Thomas Allen, the LA Tech starter, had cruised through the past two innings and gotten the first two batters in the bottom of the fifth out. (He might have taken penalty ball during Solo’s at bat for being too slow to the plate.) Taclas then singled and advanced after a bad pickoff throw. After a walk, Vest singled in Taclas and that ended Allen’s afternoon. Rulli greeted the next Bulldog pitcher with a 2-run single and put the Aggies up, 7-5.
Hazen Wright started the top of the sixth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out and Hawsey came up. The gravity of the moment was not lost on the coaching staffs. There were two separate conferences during the at bat, as Coach Angier talked to Hazen and the LA Tech third base coach talked to Hawsey. He ultimately popped out, but Sebastian Mexico came up and hit 2-run single. (“Sebastian Mexico?” It doesn’t seem fair that we’re playing a team with two great player names.) Carson “Chili” Timmons was brought in to finish out the inning. 7-6 Aggies.
In the bottom of the sixth, Cooper Reese ran out some new balls to the ump. At least, I got to see him on the field. Dane worked a walk in the inning. Solo took a hard hit hard on the elbow to put two on, but the Aggies weren’t able to bring in either of them.
Another argument delayed the top of the seventh. Coach Angier went at it with the home plate ump. Again, no idea. Solo dropped a popup on infield to start the inning. A sacrifice moved the runner into scoring position, but Timmons came back with a strikeout and a flyout to end the inning. Chili came off the mound screaming after the final out and charged into the dugout to pump up his teammates.
Doug and the people he was with left at this point. He was getting too hot. The way he was cheering during the game, I thought he was a real fan. (I’m just teasing.) If he’s too hot now, he’ll be missing profoundly Idaho shortly.
Meluskey began the bottom of the seventh with an excuse me swing that dribbled on the slow turf. Tommy was going to be safe, but pitcher Joey Wittig threw ball away trying to get him and Tommy ended up on third. Vest was next and was punched out with a looking strikeout on a delayed call. The fans and the Coach were now mad at the ump.
A troop of boys were charging up and down the aisle after foul balls during this inning, adding to the action. Rulli came up next and hit a hard, low liner back to the pitcher. Wittig ended up on his back like Charlie Brown, as the ball flew over him for an RBI single. Aggies up, 8-6. LA Tech brought a reliever to finish the inning. Rulli was caught stealing. Chalk up another one for Matt Houston, gunslinger. Rulli had words with Brecken Menuet at short while leaving the field. Michael had mentioned there was some bad blood between the teams over this weekend.
Clough taken out at left field. Granted, he was 0 for 4, but he was playing well in the field and not due to come up next inning. Julio Ramos began the top of the eighth, but only faced one batter, who singled. (I thought the 3-batter rule was in place in college baseball.) Dylan Weekly came in, faced Hawsey, and got him to ground into a double play. Lombardi made a nice smothering play from his knees to start it. Hawsey came out and went over to off to side of dugout and yelled and pounded his bat into the ground. Camden Kaufman doubled in the bottom, but was left stranded to set the stage for the ninth.
Weekly was still in. He struck out the first batter looking and got a ground out for the second. The grounder was rolling so slowly on the turf, I was afraid it might stop before it got to Vest at short. The crowd was into it. Hand it to the Aggie fans. When it’s close like this, they come alive. They virtually willed a looking strikeout to end the game. Aggies win, 8-6!
LA Tech is a good team. This was a great series win for the Aggies. Gameballs for the Bulldogs. Trey Hawsey was as advertised. He was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI’s and a home run. I don’t know whether or not scouts are looking at his numbers or if they are overlooking him because he doesn’t have the prototypical MLB build. Brecken Menuet also went 3 for 4.
Of course, I have to mention Matt Houston. Look at this Matt Houston guy. He’s damn handsome and his girlfriend is totally hot. He homered and threw out 3 baserunners. (Slow turf, again?) Matt also took a couple nasty foul balls behind the plate, so he’s tough, too. We’re waiting for Netflix to greenlight that revival series, Matt. (That’s actually actor Lee Horsley and Pamela Hensley in the picture from the TV show. My co-worker, who’s my age, had never heard of this show, so it is a bit obscure.)
Gameballs for the Aggies. Easton Rulli went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI’s. Steve Solarzano set the tone with his leadoff home run. The Aggies went through 7 pitchers with varying results. Dylan Weekly had the best day with 2 scoreless innings. JT Price and Carson Timmons also did well.
I ran into Trey and Robin Reese outside. I’d wondered where they were. Apparently, they were seated somewhere in the shade. They confirmed that Cooper was resting his arm, but wasn’t injured. They were thinking about lunch. I mentioned that I’d went to Sparky’s in Hatch last week and was impressed. Maybe they took my advice.
My stomach was irritated last night. I wasn’t enthusiastic about lunch, but called dad and asked if he was interested in a pizza, since Pizza Hut and Dominos were offering $10 large deals. He instead offered to reheat a hamburger, which he’d cooked up yesterday. I took that and it was pretty good. I ended up at the mall later looking for a couple of magazines and came away disappointed. Well, can’t win them all, but I’ll take the Aggie win today.
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