Aggie Softball had mixed results on the road since sweeping UTEP two weeks ago. They took two of three from Middle Tennessee. Faith Aragon was dominate in the two wins, allowing 2 hits and double-digit strikeouts in each. Her second win was a tense 1-0 decision, which Devin Elam won with a solo homer. The middle game was a 7-5 loss. Taryn Bennett gave up 5 runs in 2 innings. Tamara Carranza did have a 3-run homer in the seventh to make it close.
The Aggies also had a mid-week loss in Albuquerque against the Lobos, 10-6. Madi Bachman had a 3-run homer as part of a 4-run first. However, Destiny Perez didn’t get an out in the bottom of the first and gave up 3 runs. Taryn came in in relief and gave up 2 more and the lead for the rest of the game.
Friday night, the Aggies started their final homestand of the season playing the Delaware Blue Hens. The Aggies won it, 3-1. I was very busy with work and only made two notes. Faith got the complete game win only giving up a run. Johnna Aragon hit a 3-run homer for all of the Aggies’ scoring.
Driving in to the ballpark on late Saturday afternoon, I saw broadcasters Adam Young and Brian Cox on the video screen doing the pregame. Thank goodness the screen is working again. I ended up running into Adam in the bathroom. I thanked him again for answering my e-mail about the questionable call in Aggie Baseball last week. He was unusually salty and angry about the overturn of the call on the diving centerfield catch and hopeful that they’d institute instant replay in the near future. He did clarify that the home plate umpire overruled the second base umpire on the play in the outfield though he was nowhere near it.
The outfield had a large Pistol Pete logo on it with numbers of seniors. The field also had a bunch of big yellow spots on it. The grass is suffering without any rain. Today’s weather was a bit breezy with some hot sun. I was worried about the high wind forecast, especially for tomorrow.
There was an unexpectedly large number of Delaware fans in the crowd of 502. I told a Blue Hens fan next to me that I liked their colors and their mascot. He thanked me and didn’t speak to me again. DU was looking sharp in their white uniforms with big blue numbers. Several Aggie fans were in Aggie jerseys. Some were giveaways, but some were real, maybe from the Aggie Equipment sale that I missed twice.
These eventually added up, no thanks to the official scorer, who changed his mind a couple of times. Some of the plays were ambiguous. The Aggies and the Blue Hens have about even records, so I was looking forward to a good game.
Faith Aragon was the Aggie starter again. She started off with a looking strikeout, but it went straight downhill from there. The next batter hit a double. Then, there was a slow roller to third. Johnna Aragon couldn’t come up with the ball to put two on. It was ruled an error and later a hit. (Probably correct.) A wild pitch moved the lead runner. (I had it as a passed ball. The pitch hit catcher Kendal Lunar on the mitt.) The runner was cashed in on a groundout.
It wasn’t over. Faith then issued a walk. Aggie fans were complaining about the strikezone. One behind me might have been Faith’s dad. He sounded familiar. Faith hit the next batter to load the bases. Caylin Blazys drove in two with a single. Caylin then made a walking steal of second trying to draw a throw to score the runner from third. Kendal didn’t bite on that one. The inning finally ended with DU up, 3-0.
From crowd chatter, I gathered that the Blue Hens were playing #1 WKU next week. An Aggie fan told them that the Hilltoppers were tough from our meeting with them last month. There was a pretty little blonde with her hair up at the DU scorer’s table. Later, a hot brunette with her hair pulled back came in to sit at the Aggie scorer’s table. She might have been a former player or coach. Watching these two was more entertaining than the Aggies going down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the first.
Faith hit the first batter to begin the second. She got a comebacker next and threw out the lead runner at second base. However, a single moved the runner to third and another groundout brought in a run. Gianna Costaro came up and floated a two-run homer just over the left center wall and the defender there.
The DU section was not the place to be for an Aggie fan at this point. Faith’s dad was making a lot of excuses. She was pulled from the game for Zantelle Rodriguez. She was greeted with a single. There was then a popup on the infield. Destan Burks at second seemed to have it. Lauren Garcia joined her and they collided and both dropped it. It might have been the wind over of the field. They had a chance to get the runner at second, but didn’t get her. (No infield fly rule with two outs.) Zantelle finished it out, but now the Blue Hens were up, 6-0.
The first two Aggies singled in the top of the second, but were left stranded by Blue Hen pitcher, Josie Crossman. It was suddenly turning overcast. I had take off my sunglasses. Bridget Chapman doubled to begin the top of the third. In her at bat, Katie Scheivert was keeping the kids busy fouling off a bunch of foul balls that they were running down. She eventually singled to drive in Chapman. 7-0 DU.
The Aggies went down in order in the bottom of the third. Ellie Mulligan in left field squeezed the final out while fighting with the wall to make the catch. Madi Bachman was announced in the lineup, but didn’t come up to bat in the second. I finally saw her holding a clipboard by the dugout. No idea what happened. I thought I’d misheard the lineup announcement.
Zantelle began the fourth with two walks (and a wild pitch). Sorella Gallucci came up to bunt and ran into the batted ball for an out. Her mom was sitting in front of me judging by her t-shirt. She was chatting with an Aggie fan in front of her for the entire game, so some Blue Hens fans were friendly. On a grounder to short, Tamara Carranza tried to flip the ball to second and it was dropped. A run scored and everyone was safe. A pity double play ended the inning. The runner at first looked safe. The video board started to show the replay, someone thought the better of it, and stopped it. DU coach was arguing. Don’t give her any ammo. 8-0 Blue Hens.
A guy next to me asked about the run rule (8 runs after 5 innings). He might have been brother of an Aggie player, but was getting bored with the game. Unfortunately for him (and maybe the rest of us), Skye Johnson doubled with 2 outs in the bottom of the fourth. After a walk to Tamara, Violet Redondo, who took Madi’s place in the lineup, beat out an infield hit to score a run. The throw from third got past first base, though Violet didn’t advance. This was later ruled an error, but a tough one on the fielder. 8-1 DU and the early run rule was in doubt.
Mulligan homered to center to begin the fifth. Centerfielder Taylor Baca nearly had a play on it, but it went out. Run rule back on. After a single and a walk, Zantelle was replaced by Destiny Perez. Devin Elam in right wasn’t able to run down a single by Costaro, but did make the play of the game throwing out the runner at home. The runners on base got a late start waiting to see if she’d catch the line drive. Even the DU fans were impressed with the throw. 9-1 Blue Hens.
I noticed Madi running with the clipboard between innings with bench players. I guess she was okay. Now it’s really a mystery why she wasn’t in the game. The grounds crew was waiting by the left field wall. This is usually a signal the game is coming to a close. Go ahead and warm up the bus.
Not so fast. Three singles loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth. A sac fly by Kendal, which was mis-scored by the scorer, brought in a run. (As if, I haven’t mis-scored a half-dozen things on these scorecards, but anybody can make a mistake.) 9-2 DU and run rule averted.
It’s probably too bad we played another inning. In the top of the sixth, after a single, Devin hit the wall hard going after a line drive. She was knocked out. The ball rolled away and it was an inside-the-park 2-run homer. The trainers ran out to Devin and she was taken out immediately. She was able to walk off. Bella Clapp came in for her and made a play on the next batter. Two more singles followed. After Scheivert’s hit, she stopped play to tie her shoe. She gave a thumbs up to the dugout and she got a cheer from them. 11-2 DU.
The crowd was subdued. Even the Blue Hens fans were quiet and likely making dinner plans. In the bottom of the sixth, the fans were still complaining about balls and strikes. At least the ump did manage to anger both fan bases with his calls. It was another 1-2-3. The Aggies did not have the offense going today. Delaware wins, 11-2, in a 2-hour, 18 minute game.
Gameballs. For the Blue Hens, Katie Scheivert went 4 for 4 with an RBI, Gianna Costaro went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI’s including a 2-run homer, and Bridget Chapman went 2 for 4 with a 2-run homer. Josie Crossman pitched a 6-inning complete game, only yielding 2 runs. For the Aggies, to be nice, Skye Johnson went 2 for 3. That’s the best Aggie performance today.
I was just glad to be sitting down for a couple of hours. I felt like I’d been going all day up to this point. I did walk over to the Mall for Teriyaki chicken and a boba tea. (It’s my most decadent recurring purchase. The tea cost as much as the meal.) I also saw and immediately a grabbed Rocketeer trade paperback. I can’t wait to read it. The guy at the restaurant was pleased to see someone with a book. (Not sure how he would have felt, if he knew it was a comic book.) I was actually at the bookstore looking first at a 96-page Superman magazine on the rack that cost more than the 350-page Rocketeer trade. (Who can explain pricing?) No point in talking about the game. May as well talk about my day, instead.
We’ll see what the weather is like tomorrow. Hopefully, it doesn’t spoil ***Senior Day.***
