WAC Softball Tournament 2018 Game 6 CSU-Bakersfield vs Utah Valley

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Danny and I retreated to his car during the intermission to sit in some air conditioning.  The sun was going down, so it would be getting cooler shortly.  We were sitting directly across from the practice field.  The Wolverines were there.  I got to watch my favorite, their catcher Basia Query, take batting practice off a tee.  I was really impressed watching the coach work with the girls there.  I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he seemed very calm and patient with them.

On the flip side of the coin, the Seattle U coach came by and talked to the Utah Valley coach.  Oh, boy.  Yeah, he was still angry about what had happened in his last game.  (I wasn’t really pleased either.  The umps were probably right, but performed badly.)  The Redhawk coach then accosted someone walking across the parking lot to tell him his story.  As we got out of the car to go back in, he was on his cell phone.  I might have been talking the hotel.  He was complaining to them as well about the game.

The van next to us was one of their team transports.  An assistant coach was inside staring blankly with a thousand yard stare.  She was probably not looking forward to being with the coach this evening.  Thankfully, she was driving.  Danny said the ejected player from the game was sitting in the back.  She was inconsolable.    

It wasn’t much better at the stadium.  The Redhawks were still up front waiting for their rides.  Some were crying.  Others were taking it better.  It was awkward.  I felt bad for them since their season was over.  While I was moving through the crowd, I noticed that beautiful, nice blonde ticket seller that I’d met at the baseball games was now manning the booth.  I stopped and chatted with her.  She’d seen the girls coming out crying and felt bad for them too.

Inside, I picked a seat high up on the left field side, which was blessedly in the shade (finally!).  As I was setting up my seat, I looked over the stands and noticed I could see into the rear of the visiting dugout.  Just as I was looking, one of the Utah Valley players walked in and took off her shirt.  I quickly averted my eyes and kept my back turned to that area until the start of the game.  Not so much because I didn’t want to look, but because I didn’t want to get thrown out.  I could not have seen what I thought I briefly saw as she took off her shirt.  That area is exposed to the entrance too.  Surely she just removed her jersey and still had an undershirt on.  (Even though that wasn’t what it looked like.)

Danny joined me and promptly angled his cushion to look directly in there.  He was amused during the game as he saw one of the girls running back there between innings to take a couple of bites out of a burrito.  Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd filed in.  With the stadium in shade and temperature going down, it was actually pleasant.  When the teams were about to be introduced, the PA played their fight songs.   

A good crowd developed for both the Wolverines and the Bakersfield Roadrunners.  I saw Basia’s mom and dad sitting nearby.  (She looks like her mom.)  Perhaps I should have gone over and introduced myself.  (Just kidding.)  A few of the Aggie girls came in.  Interestingly, Kennedi Sorensen has a sister on the Wolverines, Lexi.  Their parents were there rooting them both on.  Since Lexi is a pitcher and Kennedi is a catcher, they were probably hoping have an at bat against each other.  (It happened in that Sul Ross St baseball game against the Aggies.)  It was unlikely to happen in the tournament unless the game was a total blowout (and both teams obviously needed to be playing each other).   

Near catastrophe struck right at the beginning.  Both of my mechanical pencils ran out of the lead.  Lucky I still had my pen with me that I take notes with.  Using ink on a scorecard is a somewhat nerve-wracking experience.  I tried being as careful as possible, but I think both of my scorecards are off from the official scoring.  (So business as usual.  What else is new?)  I also nearly ran the pen dry doing this game. 

The Wolverines got a rally going in the top of the first, but it likely got snuffed on an out call for the runner leaving too early trying to steal.  In the bottom, I could see their cute red-head third baseman, Kaylee Bott, furiously fighting the descending sun in her eyes.  From an appearance standpoint, she looks good out there without a visor or sunglasses, but from a game standpoint, I would suggest using them. 

In the top of the second, Wolverine Madison Sisco had an honest at bat.  She walked away before the ump called her out looking.  In the bottom, Roadrunner Chris Hipa got hit by her batted ball was called out.  That may have short-circuited their promising inning. 

Arianna Felix made a great diving catch in the third, but the Wolverines finally broke through with a run driven in by an error.  An argument ensued and it momentarily looked like there’d be another ejection before cooler heads prevailed.  (My notes got real skimpy this late in the day.  No details.  Sorry.)  1-0 Wolverines.  In the bottom, a nearby fan started heckling the umpire.  The umpire turned around and glared at him.  A guy sitting next to him ducked, “I don’t want to get thrown out with you.”  After the inning, the ump took off his mask and looked back at the heckler.  He then smiled and laughed.  Apparently, the ump wasn’t taking the jabs seriously. 

In bottom of the fourth, the Roadrunners tied it, scratching out a run, partly thanks to an error.  Ariana Acedo drove in Hipa from second, 1 all.  Kaylee hustled a leadoff triple to start the fifth.  Linnah Rebolledo drove her in on a sac fly.  2-1 Wolverines.  In the bottom, the Roadrunners left three on base, who got on via two walks and a hit batter.  Roadrunner Karah Wiseman accidently hit Cydney Curran, her teammate in the on deck circle.  Cydney glared at her and pointed at the field.  Hit it that way!

The Wolverines threatened in the sixth, but came up empty.  In the bottom, Roadrunner Ariana was thrown out at second by Skylar Cook from centerfield trying to stretch a single.  Top of the seventh, ouch, Basia pegged Peyton Angulo with a liner, as Peyton was running to second from first.  It was unavoidable.      

Third base for the Roadrunners, Paige Johnson, had been a one-person cheering section during the game.  She was screaming and jumping on about every pitch when she was in the field.  The Utah Valley fans were getting tired of it.  They really got sick of her in the seventh when she doubled in the tying run.  2 all.  It was just what I wanted after a long day of softball, the last game going extra innings.  A double play took out the Wolverines in the eighth.  The Roadrunners threatened, but didn’t score in the bottom.       

The top of the ninth was emotional.  For me, it was frightening.  A foul ball went over the net with some speed and headed right towards me.  It was like watching a big yellow cannon ball and was scary as hell.  It died before it got to me.  The guy who was ducking from the ump earlier tried to make a play on it, but didn’t come up with it.  I’m still having traumatic flashbacks.

At this point, I need to mention the Roadrunner starter, Summer Evans.  She was still in the game!  By the ninth, she was gassed.  The Wolverines finally broke through, starting off the inning with four straight hits.  By the time the coach finally came and got her, Summer had given up four runs.  Even then, she clearly didn’t want to come out.  Summer covered her face with her glove, crying, as she left the circle.  The entire crowd gave her a round of applause.  Cydney made a great diving catch on the infield to help end the inning.  6-2 Wolverines. 

The Roadrunners would score in the ninth on an error by Kaylee Bott and threatened to score more, but 6-3 Wolverines was the final.  Bakersfield was the next to fall out of the tournament.  Skylar Cook gets a gameball for her 3 for 5 performance for the Wolverines.  The star of the game though was Summer Evans for the Roadrunners.  Her 8 1/3 innings of pitching was easily the gutsiest of the whole tournament.  She only gave up two runs through 8.  I don’t know why the coach left her in for the ninth.  She deserved a better decision than a loss.

Well, that’s Day 2 of the WAC Softball Tournament.  It only took about 13 hours to play out.  (No, really.  I counted.)  I didn’t even think about doing anything like writing once I got home.

On to Day 3.

WAC Softball Tournament 2018 Game 5 Seattle U vs GCU

 

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Danny and I went for lunch between games.  We both saw a coyote walking around the small stream on campus.  I didn’t see him try to get into the game.  Maybe he was going to the graduation ceremonies at the Pan-Am.  We went to McDonald’s.  How did I end up at McDonald’s two days in a row when I haven’t been there in years (for good reason, their food isn’t good)?  Danny likes their coffee.  He says it’s good.  I got a Value Menu chicken sandwich, which as okay.  Once again, I gorged on Powerade to counteract the fluid loss from the heat.

This game between the Redhawks and the Lopes was going to be the first elimination game of the tournament.  The game started at 4:00, so there was still plenty of hot sun.  It did occasionally duck behind a cloud to give some relief.  The SU fans and GCU fans may have been about equal.  Both groups would prove to be passionate.

The Redhawks got the scoring started with a two-run homer by Madison Cathcart in the first.  After the home run, the t-shirt toss caught a fan by surprise as a shirt landed in her lap.  She wasn’t even signaling for one.  The Lopes turned a double play to end the inning.  2-0 Redhawks.  Grand Canyon’s first batter ran into a batted ball and was called out.  In the third, the same thing happened to a Seattle batter.  The fans on both sides were grumbling at the home plate ump. 

The Redhawks loaded the bases in the fourth on three singles.  The first out came on a play at the plate, and two more groundouts ended the inning.  Grand Canyon also loaded the bases on three hits in the bottom.  They almost lost a runner at home plate earlier, but she made it back to third as the bases weren’t loaded at that point.  Kendsey Hill singled in two runs next, with Jordan Keeton singling in another.  The girls in the GCU dugout then performed some sort of strange ritual.  I think they were throwing love out to the batters.  3-2 Lopes.

Madison worked a walk with style in the fifth.  With three straight balls on her, while the pitcher was starting to throw, she dropped her bat and started jogging to first.  The Redhawks threatened, but didn’t score.  In the bottom, Niki Gonzalez struck out, but made it to first on a passed ball.  This would be costly.  Bianaca Boling hit a two-run homer to make it 5-2 GCU.

Oh, boy.  Here we go.  I said there was a big controversy in this tournament.  We’ll try to piece this together.  Madison singled.  Bailey Thompson singled.  Nicole Bolasky singled to load the bases.  Madison scored on an error and Bailey went to third.  Nicole stole second.  Everything clear so far?  Susanne Morris hit a grounder.  There was a play at the plate and Bailey was . . .

The home plate ump never made a call.  Unsurprisingly, both groups of fans were up in arms.  The umps called a conference and came back with a decision.  Bailey was out at the plate.  That seemed sort of obvious.  Further, Susanne, the batter, was also called out.  You’re scratching your head.  I don’t know what happened.  Did the runner at home interfere with the catcher?  Did the batter step out of the baseline?  I didn’t figure it out while I was there.  [Edit: The official scoring was also completely cryptic.]

The Redhawks coach did not take this well.  Neither did their fans.  The ump ejected the coach, but had to live with the fans.  Danny and I were seated on the left field side by the SU fans.  It got a bit uncomfortable.  Danny thought he noticed the coach coming back into the stands in disguise later.  Then there’s what I heard the next day after Danny had heard some gossip.  The coach had actually mooned the umps, which was what got him run.

After the theatrics, Sara Dominguez singled in Nicole to make it 5-4 GCU.  In the bottom, Kendsey came up big again with a two-run home run dagger.  The final score was 7-4 Lopes.  The Redhawks became the tournament’s first casualty.  It didn’t end easy.  Maddy Kristjanson struck out looking to end the game.  She immediately started arguing with the umpire, who ejected her and then walked away.  Maddy went back towards the dugout, threw down her helmet, and then burst into tears.      

Redhawk Madison Cathcart gets a gameball for going 3 for 3 with 2 RBI’s.  Kendsey Hill gets a nod for GCU for going 3 for 3 with 4 RBI’s.  Brianna Aguilar pitched all seven innings for the Lopes, only giving up 4 runs.  It was a good game with some lousy umpiring.  Even if they’re making the right decisions, they weren’t making the decisions clear to the fans.  As others there said, “They lost control of the game.” 

My goodness, it’s been a long day to this point and there’s still a game left.  Can Game 6 possibly top this?

WAC Softball Tournament 2018 Game 4 UMKC vs Utah Valley

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Between games, I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t bother leaving for lunch.  I noticed a line of parents waiting for the Aggie team to exit their clubhouse.  I was a bit more intrigued by a little spot of shade by a pillar that was nearby.  I plopped down there and worked on my scorecards.  After the girls left, the Utah Valley girls came by to use their dugout for the game.  Yes, I saw my favorite, Basia Query go by.  We exchanged an awkward a smile and wave.  I’ll treasure the moment forever.

We hit peak hotness on the field.  In this case, I’m referring to the temperature, though metaphorically Basia also brought the heat.  Looking at my extremely skimpy notes, I’m thinking I wasn’t in the mood to write while sitting under a hot sun.  There was no escaping it.  Danny moved to a position in the center grandstand directly behind home plate.  I was glad to sit there too so I could watch Basia at work. 

While the Valley Girls were taking the field after being introduced, they fist-bumped the umps on the way out.  Right before the game, Basia shook hands with the home plate ump.  Entire team fist-bumps I haven’t seen before, but I think catchers usually greet the umpire.  I also learned during the introductions that I’ve been pronouncing her name wrong.  The singer from the 90’s that I liked with the same name pronounced it Basha.  In this case, it’s Baysha.  Now I’m curious where she got the name from.

 

I’m aching a little here over the exotic-looking catcher.  Let’s change topics.  The UMKC Roos looked really sharp in their uniforms.  Their pants were bright white with royal blue and gray tops.  The Valley Girls got good and loud in their dugout.  It may have been where I was sitting that I could hear them better than the Roos’ dugout.  A couple of Aggie girls came back to watch this game in spite of the heat.  

          

The scoring started in the second with Caragh Morris driving in Madison Sisco from third with a sac fly.  1-0 Wolverines.  In the top of the third with a runner on, Kaylee Bott made an error (ruled a hit) that let on another.  Then she had a mental error on the next play that loaded the bases.  (I hated writing that.  Kaylee looks awfully cute out on field.)  Kelsey Goodwin came up and tripled down the right field line, clearing the bases.  Olivia Fluehr followed that by doubling her in.  4-1 Roos.

The Wolverines came back in the bottom.  Lyndsay Steverson homered in herself and Peyton Angulo.  After another hit, Olivia took the field to pitch and finish the inning.  In the fourth, Lia Lombardini started the inning with a solo home run.  Kelsey Goodwin drove in another runner, who’d gotten on via an error.  6-2 Roos.

In the sixth, a hit batter, another error, and two fielders’ choices scratched out another run for the Roos.  I remember the infield yelling at the pitcher to throw to another base at one point, which she ignored.  Ah, I saw you working there Basia during the inning.  After one ball call, she turned her head to the ump and smiled, as she tried to sweet talk him.  (That would have totally worked on me.) 

The Wolverines would go out with a bang in the seventh.  Caragh absolutely bombed one to left field and hit the field house beyond the wall.  It was a great show of force, but the Roos would win it, 7-4.  This was a pretty good game, but hard to enjoy under somewhat harsh conditions.  I won’t say Utah Valley lost because of poor fielding, but three errors (and maybe more than that) didn’t help.  They were perhaps playing with some nerves.  Meanwhile, the last-seeded Roos just beat the number two seed.  They’re playing inspired.     

The fans got another break as we waited for Game 5.

WAC Softball Tournament 2018 Game 3 NM State vs GCU

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This was the specific day I had been dreading for the tournament.  No, not the Aggies’ matchup with the Lopes.  It was the schedule (four games) combined with the highest forecast temperatures of the week (I think it was over 100, I was afraid to look).  At least this game was in the morning, not that it cool, but it was more frying pan than fire (which would come later in the afternoon). 

This did not dissuade a good Aggie crowd from showing up.  I found Danny sitting on the left field side of the grandstand.  He felt this gave the best protection from direct sunlight at this time of day (it didn’t really matter).  There was a guy sitting down in front of us who knew how to watch softball in style.  He had a stadium chair with an attached side table with a cup holder.  Next to him, he had a wagon to carry the chair and was full of drinks and snacks.  What a setup! 

A group of football players came in and sat below us.  (This was the unofficial section where supporting Aggie players sit.)  Women’s Basketball coach Brooke Atkinson also came in, apparently from a workout.  I didn’t recognize her for a moment and missed saying “Hello” or something as she ran past.  Pan-Am PA Ed was there, but not doing the PA duties here.  Today was advertised as $1 Kid’s Day, but I didn’t see any kids for this game.  This meant that the stadium attendants were having to shag all of the foul balls.  GCU brought their fans too.  From the purple in the crowd, it almost looked equal.

It wasn’t the same without the Aggies’ walkup music.  Also, I couldn’t hear any singing from the girls in the dugouts.  Either they were both quiet, which I doubt, or where I was sitting was blocking the sound.    

 Kayla Green worked an efficient top of the first.  Rachel Rodriguez and Kelsey Horton got on in the bottom, but were stranded.  For the top of the second, Bianca Boling cranked a massive home run that bounced off the top of the scoreboard.  I had a Kelsey committing an error on the next batter, which was ruled a hit (another disagreement with the official scorer).  Kayla kept it together and got the next out.  The next batter hit a Texas Leaguer that fell in between three fielders.  They all collided.  The ball popped up and stayed in the air, where Rachel snagged it and ended the inning.  In spite of the 1-0 GCU score, it kind of felt like the Aggies’ day after that play.

Lia Mosher and Jordan Pleasants from the volleyball team came in.  Lia was wearing an Aggie volleyball shirt that said, “Unfinished Business,” on it.  The volleyball team is looking for a championship next season.  Coach Kathy Rodolph had made a surprising lineup choice with freshman Kennedy Johnson as the DP.  It paid off in the bottom with a home run in her first at bat to tie it.  Caity Szczesny and Rachel both got on ahead of Kelsey.  Credit to GCU; they pitched to her.  Kelsey wrapped the ball right around the left field pole though.  I could just barely see it from where I was sitting.  GCU starter Briana Aguilar was chased from the game.  4-1 Aggies.

Kayla got into trouble in the third with three straight singles, which loaded the bases.  Samaria Diaz came in.  Talk about tension, she went to full counts on the next three batters.  She walked the first batter to force in a run, but got the next two.  4-2 Aggies.  The Aggies threatened, but didn’t score in the bottom.  Coach Atkinson left, but said “Hi” to the football players on the way out.  A couple more football guys came in.  After watching for a while, the guys were all wanting to take at bats.  If they throw baseballs like Larry Rose III (4-14-18), I wouldn’t let them hold a bat.  

Fahren Glackin made a great play in the fourth by making a jump catch by the Lopes’ dugout.  In the bottom, Rachel got on ahead of Kelsey again.  I don’t think Kelsey got all of it, but she got enough of it to hit it around left field pole again.  I didn’t really see it again.  Now I know where not to sit when Kelsey’s playing.  The GCU pitcher just shrugged her shoulders afterward.  How am I supposed to pitch to her?  The football guys jumped up and called for t-shirt toss giveaway after the home run.  Another fan actually intercepted the shirt from them.  6-2 Aggies.

Sam was still making lots of pitches.  The ump may have been squeezing her.  At one point, she was in clear disbelief on a ball call.  Two runners got on in scoring position, but she stranded them.  During the stretch, the PA sang out the ending of the song.  He was good.  The Aggies didn’t score in the fifth.  GCU got a single to lead off the sixth, but Sam locked it down after that.

Caity got on to start the sixth and Rachel moved her over.  Unsurprisingly, they walked Kelsey.  Fahren took the first pitch to her after that and sent it over the wall for a three-run homer.  Alexa Coons was brought in to pitch to Nikki Butler.  (Alexa is a cute little red-head.  I was actually pleased to see her come into the game.)  Nikki got a hold of one pitch and hit it hard enough that Alexa actually jumped, clearly startled. 

Destiny Blueford made an appearance as a pinch runner.  Victoria Castro was next up.  While they weren’t playing walkup music for the tournament, during a break in the action, they played her tune like it was just intermission music.  Sneaky.  After two walks, the bases were loaded and Kennedy got the game-winning run rule hit.  Aggies win 10-2.

Interestingly, it could have been worse for the Lopes.  The Aggies left 8 on base.  Let’s hand out an easy gameball to Kelsey Horton for going 3 for 3, two home runs, 5 RBI’s.  You know, typical Kelsey.  Samaria Diaz gets a nod for a four-inning, no-run performance.  This was against the same team that scored 15 runs yesterday. 

This was a good start for a long day.

On to Game 4.

WAC Softball Tournament 2018 Game 2 Seattle U vs UMKC

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With over an hour between games, I decided to go get dinner rather than risk the concessions.  While my beloved Schlotzsky’s was nearby, McDonald’s actually sent me some coupons earlier in the week.  Since they wanted my business, I decided to give it to them.  The quarter-pounder and fries were okay.  If it’s possible to screw up ice cream, McDonald’s almost found a way.  The “Mcflurry” isn’t going to cause anyone at Dairy Queen or PQ Treats or Caliche’s to lose any sleep.  The best thing was the Powerade drink, which tasted terrible, but I’d lost enough fluids out in the heat that I didn’t care.

The air-conditioning at the restaurant also helped tremendously while I was eating.  A couple of guys, who were at the game, were there too.  They were talking about getting teachers passes to the tournament or to a Chihuahuas’ game in return for passing grades for some players.  Umm. . .  Hopefully, they weren’t talking about the Aggies, maybe some high school players.  Okay, that doesn’t sound any better.  Apparently, this only worked because the teachers agreed that the players were putting in the effort with schoolwork. 

Back at the stadium, I ran into a happy Adam Young, who was broadcasting all the games for the WAC network.  He seemed to be enjoying it.  I was wearing my Cardinals hat, his favorite team, so he was glad to see me.  I wasn’t wearing any Aggie gear today.  I had on my very cool Peanuts shirt, which I never seem to have any opportunity to wear. 

With the next game starting at 7:00, it became cooler and much more pleasant quickly.  I sat next to Danny again and we were in the shade.  There were two women umpires for the game.  They were dancing out on the field to the pregame music.  A bigger crowd came in.  Seattle U and the UMKC both brought in quite a few fans.  Both teams’ fans were highly partisan and active in the game.  The reduced temperature probably helped the crowd’s energy.  At one point, I even saw a Roo fan lady nearby holding up an iPad with a video feed to show relatives back home.

  

The Utah Valley Wolverines team also came in to watch.  Suddenly, I caught my breath.  It was her, my favorite opposing softball player, their catcher, Basia Query.  (Admittedly, I have other favorite opposing players in other sports.)  A year later, I had not forgotten her at all.  In fact, I’d been looking forward to seeing her.  She is gorgeous.  Unfortunately, they all sat behind us.  Danny would, over the course of the game, chat up some of the girls directly behind us.  Basia was seated higher up, so I had no chance of any interaction with her.  Even worse, I spilled my entire cup of water in my lap right as she walked by.  I got it all over notes.  Everything dried quickly, but after the game, I found out my pants and underwear were still soaked.

The first inning was nervous for both teams.  The Redhawks had an error in the top.  The Roos had two tough plays that could have been called errors, but were later ruled hits.  (This started a series of disagreements I had with the official scorer during the tournament.)  On one play, shortstop Morgan Bryn took a bouncer to the face.  A Roo fan nearby helpfully shouted out, “That didn’t hurt!”  Sports parents . . .  

Defense picked up in the second.  Redhawk right fielder Cherise Silvan made a great catch at the wall.  Their shortstop Maddie Kristjanson made a sliding play from her knee.  The Utah Valley didn’t seem entirely impressed with the game.  They didn’t really talk softball at all.  They weren’t even sure when they playing tomorrow.  The girls did sing along with the PA music.  They also piped up during the game to join Roo fans in heckling the umpire after a questionable pitch call, so they were watching.  

In the bottom, a Redhawks runner was called out for leaving early, I think.  Plays requiring a footnote don’t occur very frequently in baseball.  In softball, it’s almost every game.  There was a trivia question for a WAC goody bag about the Roos.  (I don’t even remember an Aggie question during the tournament.)  A Grand Canyon fan got it, right before a Roo fan could.  The GCU guy gave it to the lady anyway. 

After three and a half innings, Danny made the observation that we’d seen a game and a half, but only one team had scored.  In the fourth, a hit batter, an error, and a walk loaded the bases for the Roos.  Alex Larson singled in one run, then Sydney Garcia doubled in two more.  The UMKC fans went nuts.  3-0 Roos.  Third base Ashlin O’Brien followed that up with a great shoe-top catch in the bottom.

Olivia Fluehr led off the fifth with a home run.  Let me also mention here that she was the Roos’ starting pitcher too.  Their fans went crazy.  The Seattle fans and their bench got up in arms over a ball call.  They let out a sarcastic cheer on the next strike.  Two walks and another error got driven in by Faith Willis and Sydney and a wild pitch.  7-0 Roos. 

Mid-inning was the best fifth inning stretch of the whole tournament.  The Wolverine girls stepped up and sang it out.  It was great.  After that, a couple of girls seemed to be having a conversation about opposing players hitting on them.  They didn’t like it.  (How about opposing fans?  More specially, how would Basia feel about it?) 

Cherise on the Redhawks led off the bottom with a walk and Nicole Bolasky drove her in.  Actually, it was a little more complicated than the box score.  First base picked up an infield hit and threw it to the second baseman, who was covering first, except she wasn’t.  The runner scored from second and Nicole was thrown out trying to take second.  7-1 Roos.

Between innings was the second biggest controversy of the tournament.  (We’ll cover number one when it comes up later.)  There was a song contest.  The PA mis-identified the artist doing the song and invalidated the contest.  How do you confuse Kenny Rogers and Kenny Loggins?  Utah Valley girls were shouting out, “It’s Kenny Rogers!”  (Now that I’ve written that, I say the “Valley Girls” should be their nickname.) 

You’d never have guessed the score from the opposing fans cheering.  Both sides were all in.  For the sixth, the Redhawks’ fans got a loud “Let’s go Redhawks!” chant going as they got two runners on.  A run nearly scored on a fielder’s choice, but the batter was called out when she backed up on the baseline to avoid a tag.  The runner was sent back to third.  They weren’t able to score.

The Redhawks committed their third error of the game that let a runner on first in the seventh.  (The official scorer didn’t cut them any slack.  The Valley Girls didn’t either and laughed at the play.)  Cherise ended the top of the inning with a great play on a slicing fly ball in right.  (I didn’t actually see it.  It was out of my field of view.)  The Roo fans even gave her a hand.

Our final was 7-1 Roos.  The game honestly felt a lot closer because of the passion of both sets of fans.  Olivia Fluehr is the easy Player of the Game, going the full seven innings and only giving up one run.  And she hit a home run.  Sydney Garcia also had a good game with three RBI’s.  I’ll call this an upset since it was the last seed in the tournament beating last year’s runner up.  I wonder if Seattle is still in shock from Kelsey Horton’s walkoff grand slam last month (4-28-18). 

As the Valley Girls were leaving, Danny promised to root for them tomorrow.  I mentally promised to root for one of them tomorrow.  And that ended Day One of the WAC Tournament.

 

On to Day 2 and Game 3.

WAC Softball Tournament 2018 Game 1 GCU vs CSU-Bakersfield

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I hope you like softball, because you’re going to get a lot of it here for a while.  I’ll put up a couple of mild spoilers.  One, I got my $25 worth of ticket, easy.  Two, in spite of the 95 to 100 degree temperatures with no cloud cover, I somehow managed not to get burned to death.  Well, at least the weather cooperated with the tournament with no rain or blowing dust. 

I’d been looking forward to/dreading the moment that the WAC Tournament finally came up on schedule.  I’d had a good/horrific time at last year’s championship game (5-13-17).  The games were almost more drama than I could bear but had a happy ending.  The hot sunny afternoon day when it happened just about physically broke me and Ron sitting on those metal bleachers.  He’d been out there for a couple days watching.  I was only there for that afternoon. 

So, I wanted to see the games, but wasn’t sure I was going to be able to endure sitting for that long (at least 10 games in four days!) in that kind of heat.  I finally decided to take the time off from work to do it, though with a great deal of trepidation.  The other thing I was cringing from was the thought of writing all this up.  Not to mention, there’d be a bunch of scorecards to figure out, which would likely drive me insane (which it has).  I’d sort of mentally decided I’d do a quick summary of the games not involving the Aggies and do full write-ups of the Aggie games.  I could even do some of the writing after the games at night, so my memories would be fresh. 

One thing that didn’t really occur to me while I was worrying was that the games might be really entertaining.  That’s what made everything worthwhile.  Of course, there was no guarantee of that.  Aggies were the number one seed, but could also come out flat and lose their first two games, and then I’d be stuck watching teams I didn’t care about.  Well, those other teams ended up being interesting in themselves.  The amount of notes I took on games ended up having nothing to do with who was playing.  These recaps may go all over place in length.  I did not touch a keyboard during the tournament.  I was way too tired to think after the games.  So this is all being written after the fact.           

Let’s get this party started.  I never really got the exact temperatures for the week.  I probably didn’t want to know.  It was around 100 degrees for most of the week.  Today, there was a bit of a breeze to help.  Otherwise, it was cloudless and there was no shade at the stadium.  Thank you to the tournament organizers for providing a cooler barrel of water and cups for the fans.  That was a lot nicer than making everyone buy $4 water at the concessions.

I got my ticket, thankfully I knew what it was going to cost beforehand.  Inside on the courtesy table, there were programs and these buttons.  There was a benefit to showing up on Day One when the Aggies weren’t playing.  Last year, they were handing out little souvenir wooden bats, though. 

There was a nice little crowd in the stands for this game between the Lopes and the Roadrunners.  They were mostly the families of the players.  I saw Fahren Glackin from the Aggies there.  There might have been a couple of more.  The Old Man made it, of course.  AD Mario Moccia made a quick appearance.  He spoke with a lady from Bakersfield that looked familiar (Women’s Basketball coach?).   

Danny, who I’d met at soccer last year, was there too.  He had some interesting information.  After I’d mentioned that Kelsey Horton had won the Player of the Year award at the WAC banquet last night.  He said he hoped that she wore flats.  Last year, she’d twisted her ankle dancing.  Ah, that’s why she was limping in those tournament games.  He also said that they’re hosting the tournament this year because they won last year.  I’d thought the tournament site just rotated around or was bid for.

The heat was not bothering the GCU girls.  They were singing extremely loudly for the game.  (I got worn out quickly by GCU and their fans.)  Danny mentioned CSU-Bakersfield was leaving the WAC.  He didn’t think much of their sports programs this year. 

The Lopes put up a single run in the first.  1-0 GCU.  In the second, it went sideways fast for the Roadrunners as the bases were loaded and another run was singled in.  The Roadrunners’ pitcher, Summer Evans, was given a quick hook.  Unfortunately, the reliever’s first pitch went out for a grand slam home run by Loriann Olson.  The inning didn’t even end there.  Four more runs scored after that. 

It was 10-0 at that point.  The Old Man and several Bakersfield fans left.  They missed some interesting stuff.  Kaylynn Burt made a great catch of a Lopes’ foul in third.  But right after that, Bianca Boling hit perhaps the longest home run I’ve seen at the park.  It cleared the trees in right field.  That was a monster shot.  T-shirts would be tossed into crowd every time there was a homer.  I never tried for one during the tournament. 

The hits just kept on coming.  In the fourth, the Lopes scored four more.  Summer came back in with the bases loaded and got the last two outs.  Our first game final: 15-0 Lopes on a run rule.  The only thing more brutal than the heat at the stadium this afternoon was the game itself.  Sorry, this isn’t much of a recap, but the game wasn’t very competitive. 

It’s a bit hard to hand out gameballs when only one team showed up for the game, but the whole GCU team really brought their hitting shoes with them, so we’ll give it to them for that.  Okay this wasn’t the best start to the proceedings, but we’ve got plenty more to go.

On to Game 2.     

Baseball Journal May 5-8, 2018

5-5-18

After Aggie Baseball in the afternoon, I came home and started listening to the Chihuahuas playing the Isotopes.  In the fourth, Franmil Reyes hit another home run.  If it seems like I’ve been writing that sentence a lot, it’s because that was his seventh in four games!  Tim Hagerty was pretty sure that’s tied a professional record. 

Unfortunately, the radio signal dropped soon after.  While I would have liked to have heard the rest of Franmil’s at bats, I turned over my Rangers night time station.  It was 5-5 after 7 and a half versus the Red Sox.  In the bottom of the eighth, the Rangers had runners at first and third with nobody out.  Bad reception.  Now, bases loaded with two out.  Bad reception.  Jurickson Profar struck out.  No runs scored.

I switched rooms and got better reception, slightly.  The Red Sox got a triple and a sac fly to take the lead.  The Rangers went down in the ninth.  The Red Sox won 6-5.  Joey Gallo had two home runs in the loss, including a tape measure shot.  I flipped back to the Chihuahuas’ game, but it had just ended with the Isotopes winning 4-1.

Since I didn’t see an MLB game on a Mexican station in the morning, I’d hoped that maybe they were carrying the Dodgers/Padres game, since the series was taking place in Mexico.  It wasn’t on anywhere, so it probably wasn’t on.  However, baseball was not over for the night for me.  There was a Mexican League game on.  It was the Tijuana Toros versus the Saltillo (?).  The Toros actually have a “TJ” logo on their hat, which is odd, because that’s what Americans living near Tijuana call it.  

They have a nice stadium there in Tijuana.  Some luxury seats were behind home plate.  There was a big video board in the outfield and a large crowd there.  A ballpark reporter sampled some ballpark food on camera.  There were some other more interesting features.  It was hard to notice the constant music between every pitch.  Actually, they’d pause the music when the pitcher actually pitched and start it again right after. 

There was an ump-cam behind the plate.  There was a guy in a chimp suit with a straw hat dancing on the foul lines.  (The two other costumed mascots didn’t get as much air time.)  There were male dancers in the crowd, who got money stuffed into their pants.  There were cheerleaders.  Finally, there was a midget bat boy.  But just like the majors, they had instant replay reviews.  I don’t know where the home office is that does their reviews.  TJ won the game 7-1, if you needed to know.    

Oh, and for Cinco de Mayo, the main boxing match of the night featured Triple-G versus not-Canelo.  I ran into it in the first round and proceeded to flip around the stations to see if anything better was on.  Not finding anything, I went back and they were already replaying the knockout.  G used this guy as a speedbag.  I was counting and I think he hit him in the head 10 times in 10 seconds.  This is what you get when you cancel the scheduled fight and then pull somebody out of the crowd as the opponent.    

5-6-18

After I got home from today’s Aggie Baseball game, I flipped on the radio to listen to the Chihuahuas playing the Isotopes.  I’d missed most of a wild one.  It was 12-10 pups in the seventh.  They’d trailed 8-2 at one point in the game.  Both teams had a grand slam, and Franmil Reyes had hit another home run.  That’s eight for him in five games!  Regrettably, the Isotopes’ grand slam came in the seventh and they won 14-12.

After this game, the station went directly into the ESPN Sunday night game pregame.  It was the Cardinals versus the Cubs tonight.  Yadier Molina was out for a month for the Cards after a very hard shot to the groin.  Nolan Fox mentioned this during the Aggie game, as Adam Young is a Cardinals fan.  More pressing to everyone was the weather with storms in the St. Louis area.

The first rain delay happened in the bottom of the first.  By the time the second one happened, the radio station had powered down for the night and I was getting poor reception.  I watched a movie, but came back to the game, which was still going late.  The worst thing for the fans there or watching was that the game was tied and went to extra innings.  I thought I was over extra innings games after running into several last month.

In the fourteenth inning, Javier Baez homered to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.  In the bottom, Harrison Bader got on via an infield single with two out.  Dexter Fowler came up next, and with two strikes, hit a walkoff homer.  There was a delay on the call for some reason, but it stood.  4-3 Cardinals final.  The game finished about midnight my time, so it went about six hours.

     

5-7-18

It was another Kids Day day game for the Chihuahuas, but this one was in Albuquerque against the Isotopes.  The big story today was “Is Franmil Reyes going to hit another home run?”  In the second inning, the Isotopes had an inside-the-park home run.  Tim Hagerty gave a very enthusiastic call of the play.  Dusty Coleman was making his first ever start in centerfield.  The hill in the outfield came into play.  I don’t think he misplayed it, but it is a difficult outfield to make your first start in.

The Isotopes had another homer in the inning to make 8-1.  In the fifth, Dusty made a diving catch, and in the sixth, he hit a three-run homer to make it 9-6.  In the ninth, Franmil drove in a run.  It was his second hit of the day, so he kept a multi-hit hitting streak going.  The Isotopes won 11-7.  Tim had an interesting story about Nolan Arenado’s cousin and brother both being in professional baseball.  They all got together and played a wiffle-ball game live on Periscope.  A UPS driver stopped to watch, and they brought him into the game too.

At work later, I put on the MLB.TV free game.  It was the Giants and the Phillies playing.  The Giants seem to be getting on the free game a bunch this season.  They were already losing when I tuned in.  It just kept getting worse.  In the fifth, Gorkys Hernandez jumped at the wall for a home run ball.  He had it in his mitt but lost it.  8-0 Phillies at that point.  After, Gorkys laid flat on his back on the warning track, covering his face.  We all know that feeling.  11-0 Phillies was the final. 

5-8-18

I’m here at work and about to go on vacation tomorrow.  I’ll be at the WAC Softball Tournament, likely burning alive in 100 degree heat.  When I get back, I’ll have plenty to post from the hospital.  Checking out the team’s Twitter for the latest tournament news, what do you know?  At the banquet tonight, Kelsey Horton won her second Player of the Year award.  I’m sure this surprised exactly nobody.  When she won last year, I think she was a bit gimpy walking.  Now, she seems good and healthy.  All you girls on the other teams, sleep well tonight.    

For now, tonight’s MLB.TV free game was the Brewers and Indians in Milwaukee.  The roof was open and it looked lovely there, mostly because Front Row Amy was gracing us with her presence.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get Bob Uecker’s commentary.  My co-worker is still convinced he’s deceased and I wasn’t able to prove him wrong.

The Brewers were in their semi-throwbacks.  They’ve got the awesome “MB” logo and the yellow trim, but using their current blue color and Milwaukee script.  I got to see the first inning, where Travis Shaw demonstrated that he still owns Corey Kluber by hitting a homer off him.  There goes Bernie Sanders down the slide . . . wait, no . . . that’s Bernie Brewer.  I’m sure I’m not the first-est person to make that mistake.

Let’s pick it back up in the eighth, when I was able to rejoin the stream.  The Brewers were up 3-2 with two out and the bases loaded.  Manny Pina came up for a 15-pitch at bat.  The fans started loving it the longer it kept going.  People were laughing.  Front Row Amy was clapping.  Pitch #14 was fouled off and Edwin Encarnacion clanked on it.  It didn’t hurt though as Pina struck out looking on the next pitch.  The Brewers won anyway 3-2.

The Chihuahuas were playing the Rainiers in El Paso tonight.  The main attraction was Jayson Werth playing for Tacoma in all his mountain man glory.  In the pregame, Steve Kaplowitz was actually at the ballpark.  I missed his interview with hitting machine, Franmil Reyes.  I heard his at bat in the third.  He just missed another home run, but doubled off the outfield wall.  That was his second hit of the game, adding to his multi-hit hitting streak. 

I picked up the game again in the fifth when a complicated play gave Tacoma the lead.  In the sixth, Tim Hagerty had resorted to the rule book to try and explain the scoring.  It involved a force out, an error, and two runs scoring.  In the seventh, Brett Nicholas tied the game at 6 for the pups with a homer.  Unfortunately in the ninth, the Rainiers pushed across four runs and won 10-6.