NM State Aggies vs La Salle Explorers Baseball Game 2, 3-9-19

Continued from Game 1.

Game 2

Ron and I went to What-a-burger during the intermission.  I’d been wanting one of their Barbeque Chicken Strip sandwiches for months.  It was absolutely delicious, but shoveling it down my throat while listening to the first inning over the radio wasn’t the best way to have enjoyed it.  There was a smaller crowd inside than Game 1 when we made it in, but it was actually still pretty good given Aggie Men’s Basketball would be starting in a couple of hours.  One noticeable absence was marketing intern Emerson.  The game was a lot less sexy without her. 

In spite of coming to party late, I more-or-less managed to complete both scorecards.  That said, it was late, I was mildly indigested from eating too quickly, and it got predictably colder as it became night.  My notes for the game were sparse, so this may be a very functional, rather than colorful, recap.

It was still reasonably pleasant.  The night weather report for Philly, where La Salle is located, was 34 degrees and snowing.  While we were listening in Ron’s car, the Explorers took a 1-0 lead off a single, a stolen base, and a fielder’s choice.  Tristen Carranza would tie it with a leadoff home run in the second. 

Aggie starter, Chris Jefferson loaded the bases in the third after getting two outs.  He got a check swing strikeout to end it.  Logan Bottrell singled in the bottom of the third.  If we go back to Game 1, he was now 7 for 7!  The Aggies loaded the bases that inning, but didn’t score.  That was one carryover we didn’t need from the last game. 

The Explorers retook the lead with a run in the fourth, 2-1.  Some good Aggie defense kept it from being worse.  Jefferson made a tremendous throw on an infield hit from the third base line to get the runner at first.  Botts nearly got the scoring run at the plate from centerfield.  Nick Gonzales made a deep, over-the-shoulder catch at second to end the inning.  In the bottom, catcher Jason Bush got a big single to drive in two runs for the Aggies to retake the lead 3-2.

A pair of walks got Jefferson in trouble in the fifth.  One was cashed in to tie the score again.  In the bottom, Nick beat out an infield single and took second when the throw got away from the first baseman.  Carranza came up behind him and jammed a two-run shot to the opposite field.  The wind carried the ball just inside the right field foul pole.  With his second homer of the game, TC now matched Nick for the national lead in home runs at 11.  The next Explorer reliever fired his first warmup pitch two feet over his catcher’s head, so there were no more homers for the inning.

Coach Green had put Eric Mingus in as a pinch runner in the seventh.  For the eighth, he went to third and Caleb Henderson moved to first, their usual positions.  Matt Munden had a worked a quick seventh for the Aggies.  Freshman Justin Schubert came in for an efficient eighth.  The Aggies added a run on a Joey Ortiz single in the bottom.  During that inning, the ump warned Explorer reliever, Chuck Kelley, about something.  Adam Young on the radio, didn’t know what about.  Explorer Peyton Sorrels made a good, falling down catch at second to end the inning.

Mingus made a great charge, catch, and throw to get the first batter of the ninth.  At that point, my radio died.  I’d run dry two radios over the course of this double header.  Bush missed a foul popup behind the plate, but there was no damage from it, as Schubert closed the game out.

Aggies win 7-3!  That was another great game.  Your stat of the match was 10.  That was the number of Aggie runners left on base.  Between these two games, the Aggies left a lot on the table today.  Tristen Carranza was our hitting star.  He went 3 for 5, but his second home run of the game was the backbreaker.  I thought Justin Schubert looked good in his two innings of relief as well.

During the game, the halftime score at Aggie Men’s Basketball was announced.  They were killing CBU by 20 points.  Gee, you think the guys remembered their only conference loss this season?  Ron and I continued to listen to the game while we went to Caliches for custard.  The final was 75-63.  In the postgame, Coach Jans admitted he was concentrating more at the end of the game on how to get his seniors off the court to let the crowd applaud them individually, than on keeping up the 20-point lead.  The actual biggest story of the game was that a fan made a $5,000 half-court shot!  Clearly he took some lessons from Johnny McCants, the team’s half-court shot specialist. 

At the checkout window of Caliches, I ordered a key lime, and this time Ron followed my lead.  He took one bite and looked at me, “Dude!  This is delicious!  I should have ordered one of these last week!”  He even licked the cup when he was done.  I think me, Ron, and Aggie Sports would call this a very successful day.

NM State Aggies vs La Salle Explorers Baseball Game 1, 3-9-19

 

  

Game 1

It was the last scheduled double header of the season for Aggie Baseball.  I wasn’t entirely looking forward to a full day at the ballpark again.  I’d already almost gotten sick at one and really haven’t enjoyed these marathons.  I really wish they’d do two seven-inning games like they do in Triple-A for Pete’s sake.  When I first started going to these DH’s, it was a nine-inning game and a seven-inning game.  Theoretically, managers want these two full games before conference play so they can get more at bats and see more players in action, but I think shortening these DH games would create more pressurized situations or, at least, cut short some unnecessary batting practice.

Thankfully, it was a nice day.  Last night’s wind and hail storm during the game with La Salle had left all the seats at the stadium covered in a dash of mud.  Today, the light wind had a little chill to it and a smattering of clouds kept the sun from burning bare skin.  Later on, the wind picked up, but it never got bad.  The good weather brought out a pretty good crowd (and pretty good-looking with several attractive women).  There were a lot of scouts there.  I saw one clearly identified with the Padres.  I was sitting there aching watching them.  I wanted to look at the notes they were taking soooo bad.

Ron was with me for the game.  I wasn’t sure he’d be available today.  Consequently, he showed up during my breakfast while I was about to engage in hand-to-hand combat with a kiwi fruit using a knife.  I ended up having to skip it and was hungry for most of the game.  Before the game, we chatted about Captain Marvel’s history, since there are two movies coming out about the characters (Marvel’s Captain Marvel and DC’s Shazam).  What an incredibly tortured history this comic book character(s) has had.  I’d be tempted to write a blog post about it, but others have done it better than I could, and the story would take too long and would go nowhere.

Intern Emerson looked lovely.  That’s all I’ll say about her.  Apparently, I need something pretty to look at while watching Men’s sports.  (Don’t knock it.  Why do you think there are Cheerleaders at football and basketball games.)  The WAC commissioner threw out the first pitch at the game.  The home plate umpire was wearing a baby blue mask.  I’d never seen one of those before.  This time the Anthem somehow caught both teams off guard as they scrambled into position.  Coach Green hobbled over to stand in line.  It’s good he’s able to move around on his own now.

Aggie starter, Justin Dehn, gave up a leadoff hit to Peyton Sorrels of the Explorers to start the game.  Peyton got moved over to second and then danced around enough to where Dehn calmly turned around and picked him off.  Logan Bottrell led off the bottom with a hustle double on an opposite field hit.  Joey Ortiz delivered him with an oppo single.  1-0 Aggies.  Coach Green had mandated before the game that the guys try to hit to the opposite field.  He was right. 

Joey then made a poor decision to try to steal second on a bobbled catch by the catcher and was thrown out.  Tristan Carranza just missed a home run off the left field wall, settling for a double.  Left fielder Quinton Brown nearly straight robbed it, but kept it from going out.  The game had to be stopped for a couple minutes after.  I’d noticed Sorrels was having some kind of nasal problem at second earlier.  Finally, a trainer had to come out.  He had a nose bleed.  I wonder if he took a hit getting Joey at second.  Ron got up and left to go chase foul balls.  He is becoming dangerously obsessed.  The PA stopped asking for them back.  The Aggies left the bases loaded to end the first.

There would be radio for both games of today’s double header.  The WAC commissioner came on for the second.  He was here to present the Aggie Men’s Basketball team their award for winning the conference this season.  He was happy to be here to do it and very complimentary of New Mexico State.  Adam Young (I wonder why he’s not doing the TV for the basketball tonight?) gave some other scores and mentioned that Grand Canyon’s Softball team beat Florida State, the nation’s #1 team. 

PA Alexia reported that it was 61 degrees in Philadelphia and partly cloudy, which was about what it was here in Las Cruces.  She also read the following copy, “Fall is just around the corner . . .” she stopped herself, “Well, kinda.”  Alexia was promoting Aggie Football’s upcoming spring scrimmage.  There was an actual football schedule poster available on the courtesy table.  (I’m finally explaining that strange image at the top of this baseball post.)  The Aggies will be playing Alabama (that’s going to be a loss) and Las Cruces High School next season (that might be win).  Oh wait, that bulldog logo isn’t for LCHS, it’s for Fresno State.  That game might be another certain loss.

[Actually, I’m willing to bet there are quite a few reasonably well-off Aggie fans who would love to see a Crimson Tide game in Tuscaloosa.  It’ll be expensive, but you’ll at least be able to get a ticket, since there will be a section set aside for the opposing team, the Aggies.  Even better, you’d be wearing crimson there, so you’d blend in and might not get laughed at.  This is a genuine good opportunity if you’re a big college football fan.]

Nick Gonzales walked to start the Aggie third.  Explorers’ pitcher Jackson Ray rushed a throw on a fielder’s choice to try to get the lead runner at second and Nick made it to third on the overthrow.  The Aggies loaded the bases with no one out.  Sorrels made a great jump catch on a liner to start a double play.  Nick was cashed in on a single by Tristan Peterson, so they came away with something.  2-0 Aggies.

In the fourth, there was an Easton Corbin concert ticket giveaway.  Hey Emerson, I want those tickets if you’ll go with me!  (I didn’t say that out-loud, but I was thinking it.)  Adam gave an MLB spring training update.  Former Aggie standout, Tyler Erwin, was pitching for the Orioles.  Dehn cruised through another inning.  Nick was eating it up at second.  He was making play-after-play.  He outdid himself this inning with a great running catch and throw. 

In the bottom of the fourth, this time Ray made the play on a comebacker to get the lead runner at second.  Nick O’Day, in center for the Explorers, made the play of the day sliding to get a Nick Gonzales’ liner.  Even Aggie fans applauded him.  In the top of the fifth, Dehn finally ran out of gas and gave up a leadoff single.  He’d gotten 11-straight outs and faced the minimum through four.  Two walks loaded the bases and a fielder’s choice brought in a La Salle run.  2-1 Aggies.  After another walk reloaded the bases, Wyatt Kelly came in.  He put out the fire with a popout and a strikeout.           

Sorrels made another good play at second to start the bottom of the fifth.  However, the Aggies managed to load the bases again.  Kevin McGowan made a good stop at third for the second out, but Braden Williams, up next, brought in a run on a fielder’s choice to make it 3-1.  Ray was finally chased from the game after 112 pitches.  Wyatt worked an impressive sixth with two strikeouts looking. 

 

For the seventh, Nick and Joey both made great plays on grounders with Henderson stretching to get the third out.  Eric Mingus got the perfect bunt down in the bottom.  As it slowly rolled down the line, there was no chance of making a play on it, so the third baseman just stood over it and watched it, hoping it would go out.  The ump joined him as the ball stopped on the line and the ump ruled it fair.  The Aggies loaded the bases (for the fourth time?), but again didn’t score.

There was a happy announcement to start the fourth.  The Aggie Women’s Basketball team beat CBU on the road . . . like a red-head step child, 92-64!  Brooke Salas was solid with 22 points and 14 rebounds.  Aaliyah Prince, Gia Pack, and Stabresa McDainel also scored in double figures.  Gia came close to another triple double.

Andrew Edwards worked a good, quick eighth.  Carranza and Caleb Henderson hit back-to-back homers next to the scoreboard in left center to tack on two more runs.  Though no longer a save situation, closer Mitchell Allen came in.  He gave up a couple of hits, but finished it off.

Aggies win 6-1!  That game was closer than the score would indicate.  Here’s your stat of the game: 14.  That’s the number of Aggie runners left on base.  It could have been worse for the Explorers.  Going 5 for 5, nobody had a better day hitting than Logan Bottrell.  Justin Dehn had four great innings, but Wyatt Kelly was nails shutting down La Salle, along with some good defense.  Let’s also hear it for their starter, Jackson Ray.  The Aggies kept threatening, but couldn’t land that knockout blow early.  He kept it close.

Even better, the game finished in a just a bit more than three hours, so Ron and I didn’t have to wait too long to go get dinner during the intermission.  On to Game 2.

MLB Hot Stove Baseball Report

And with the final puzzle piece in place (more or less), I can finally finish writing this thing I started last year that I thought I’d be done with by early December.  I don’t even have a season preview issue at the moment.  I didn’t buy one last month because of two difference-making free agents not signing.  I’m not sure about buying one now since I don’t think I’m going to be blogging about baseball this season.  (I can’t keep writing about how I’m not able to sit down and watch games, either because of work or poor reception.)  It’s all very disappointing. 

As it turned out, I didn’t need to wait.  Neither of the two major free agents, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, signed with anyone who was going to contend.  The question of the offseason was not “Why did it take so long for them to finally sign?” but rather, “Why on earth did two teams eventually agree pay these two players so much?”  They kept holding out until two teams they really didn’t want to go to met their prices.  Thank goodness, now the Players’ Union doesn’t have to strike over these two not getting paid enough.  Everybody wins!  (That threat was the actual biggest story of the offseason.) 

It’s no secret why the big money teams passed on Manny Machado.  He was basically exposed for not hustling during the freaking World Series and being a dirty player.  Few contending teams could afford him and fewer than that want to spend the money and then have to apologize and make excuses for him later.  I’m not sure what the Padres were thinking in picking him up.  Their youthful and talented core, which I’ve heard plenty of with their Triple-A affiliate, could either develop into stars or be traded for stars during the season.  Since Manny isn’t a star pitcher, he can’t help the team be a winner right now.  At least there’s an early opt-out in the contract.

I listened to ESPN Sports Talk radio the day after the signing for a bit.  They were all over it.  Those two idiots in the morning had a baseball “expert” on.  This “expert” broke down the trade using an Elmo impersonation to the delighted giggles of the idiots.  I wish I was making this up.  I kept listening because I was fascinated by the sheer offense and stupidity of these dimwits. 

The next shift came on.  This host was angered by the deal.  He referred to the Padres as a “witness protection program for baseball players.”  (Heh, heh, that’s actually a good one.)  He was mad that Machado took the money to go with a loser instead accepting a bit less to go to a big market team that has a chance of winning now.  (Those teams wouldn’t take him at any price after his World Series performance.)   

Bryce Harper, in spite of the Nationals surrounding him with great players, couldn’t put the team on his back to even win a division series.  It’s not really his fault, but the guy is wearing a collar that says “loser.”  I could see him thriving somewhere else, but with last year’s injury and poor performance, who would want to spend all that money to take a chance? 

I pegged the Phillies as an up-and-coming team.  Getting a hold of free agents like Harper, Jean Segura, and JT Realmuto is a good move in the right direction.  Andrew McCutchen is a good veteran presence for the clubhouse.  David Robertson is a good addition to the bullpen.  Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel are still available.  Phillies ownership did pledge to spend “stupid” money this season.  More pitching would make them an actual contender.   

But, I have to question Harper’s contract: $330M, 13 years, no trade, no opt-out.  After 13 seasons, even Philly fans will be tired of booing him.  Bryce actually had better, but shorter, offers from the Dodgers and Giants.  He could have gone to the Dodgers, been paid more per year, won a couple of World Series, and been eligible for another huge contract in five years.  Unless of course, Bryce thinks he’s a loser too, in which case he made the right choice.  Machado isn’t going to put one fan in the seats in San Diego unless he’s helping the team win.  He’s not an attraction by himself.  Harper is.  So, it’s a good contract in that sense, since Philly fans will pay to show up to boo him. 

After this deal was made, I listened to some more ESPN.  (These are the only times I’ve been listening to them.  Yeah, they’re only good for blog-fodder for me.)  There I heard a couple of sportscasters celebrating like they’d just got paid too.  At least they feel like they deserve some of the credit for these two contracts.  Perhaps they do.  Most of these guys are in the players’ pants jobbing them.  They want to make sure they have a chance to interview them at some point, so they’re always on the players’ side of making more money.

What other moves caught my highly subjective interests? 

The Rockies inked Nolan Arenado to a long-term extension.  This will keep their fans happy.  They also signed Daniel Murphy, who should love hitting at Coors Field.  However, they lost Adam Ottavino to the Yankees.  The Rockies’ recent success was more due to their pitching, so I hope they’ve got more lined up. 

The Rangers finally traded Jurickson Profar.  What a waste.  This guy was the two-time prospect of the year that never panned out.  The Rangers received three pitchers in a three-team deal.  They need more.  With Adrian Beltre retired and Profar gone, they’ve picked up Asdrubal Cabrera, a second baseman, to play third.  The franchise has got two “halo” years with the closing of the old ballpark and moving into the new one next year.  After that, they need to put a team on the field.

The Reds were surprisingly frisky.  The Dodgers made multi-player deal to get Homer Bailey and some prospects from them, in return for getting rid of Yasiel Puig, Alex Wood, and Matt Kemp.  What a tremendous salary dump!  Bravo!  The Reds also did the Yankees a favor by picking up Sonny Gray.  Some have cynically commented that the Reds are stockpiling veterans to trade them for prospects at midseason.  Well, only if they play well, otherwise you guys are stuck with them. 

Meanwhile, the Dodgers picked up AJ Pollock, which could be a great move if he stays healthy.  They lost Yasmani Grandal to the Brewers.  I hope this move helps the Brew-Crew.  Let’s get Bob Uecker a championship guys!  

Who won the offseason?   

Me and other prognosticators did!  With Harper gone, we can all stop picking the Nationals to win something and then end up looking dumb.  (Shaking my head.  Watch them go to the NLCS just to spite everyone.)  Let’s add the Dodgers and the Yankees to this list, not for the deals they made, but rather for restraining themselves in not going after Harper or Machado.  (Everybody hates us so much.  Let’s not do anything to exasperate our un-likability.) 

More seriously, I’m picking the Cardinals.  Paul Goldschmidt seems like a really good fit for the team and the city.  I think he’ll thrive in St. Louis.  The best part of this deal is that it opens up first base on the Diamondbacks, perhaps for legendary fan-favorite Cody Decker.  Getting Andrew Miller for the Card’s bullpen should also help.  Look for the team to swing a good deal at the trade deadline if they’re seriously contending. 

Who lost?

The Indians, hands down.  They lost enough to probably end up not winning a very weak division.  (I’m interested to see if NM State Aggie Alum, Daniel Johnson, makes the team.  On Stadium’s MLB Prospects Special, an expert said the team was toying with the idea of using him as a pitcher?)  The White Sox, spurned by the major free agents, are no doubt feeling unloved.  Picking up Marwin Gonzalez and Robinson Cano may finally put the Twins over the top in that division.  Jerry Dipoto making trades from a hospital bed probably explains Seattle’s salary dumping maneuvers.  

I also lost.  This took way too long to write and ended up being crap for the effort.  Hopefully, the players will strike soon since they’re being so woefully underpaid.  Then I can avoid writing about the next offseason.  Ugh.  I’ll probably embarrass myself with some season predictions in a couple of weeks.     

NM State Aggies vs Delaware Blue Hens Baseball 3-3-19

I felt a bit better after a good night’s sleep after a long day of watching Aggie sports yesterday.  There was a bright, warm sun out, but a truly cool breeze.  It was hard to decide on a wardrobe, but I went with a jacket.  I was with Ron for the game. 

There was another great crowd at the park.  A bunch of Little League teams were there.  Business at the concessions was buzzing.  Given the line, it was a good thing I’d eaten beforehand.  The Aggie Old Gent said “Hello,” to me when I came in.  I need to find out his name. 

The Delware Blue Hens again looked sharp.  Their uniforms were white with blue trim.  I think I saw an Adidas logo on them just to give proper credit.  I could see the Softball girls practicing next door.  I chatted briefly with radio broadcaster, Adam Young, on his way to the pressbox.  We both agreed Women’s Basketball star, Brooke Salas, was great and we’ll miss her.  The Little Leaguers went out on the field with the team for the Anthem.  The guys gave them all high-fives as they filed past them. 

I’m developing an unnecessary and unproductive crush on the marketing intern, Emerson, at these games.  She was in the stands playing with a fan’s dog in the first.  She has an affectionate side.  The Aggie dugout gave a wave to leadoff batter Logan Bottrell.  The crowd seemed to enjoy it.  Via the radio call, we learned that Nick Gonzales is leading the country in batting average, home runs, and RBI’s.  Wow.  The Aggies scored via an error on Nick’s at bat to take a 1-0 lead.

Aggie starter Chance Hroch and the Aggie defense had a rough second.  A leadoff hit was later advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Owing to the sun and wind, Tristen Carranza in left field lost a flyball.  The run would have scored anyway, but the batter advanced to second.  A slow ground ball on the infield let on another runner, which then resulted in another run.  1-2 Blue Hens.  Neither bad play was an error, but neither looked good. 

During this half inning, I got to stare death in the face.  A foul ball went straight back and arced over the net into the crowd.  Unlike the last time this happened, I saw the ball clearly as it seemed to be coming right at me.  The previous time, I caught the ball in my lap.  Thankfully this time it dropped short and hit the walkway and bounced high into the grandstand.  Adam reported that a fan by the pressbox made a great catch.  I forced my heart out of my throat.  I will die for my love of this game!   

Logan Ehnes was hit on the ankle in the bottom.  He came up limping, but stayed in the game.  When your coach is sitting the dugout after having surgery earlier in the week, you don’t have many excuses for coming out of a game.  Tristan Peterson was hit next, but the Aggies didn’t score.

The third inning went 1-2-3 for both sides.  Blue Hen pitcher Jack Dubecq was hit on a comebacker, but stayed with it to get the out.  I ran out to the bathroom in the fourth.  The line outside at the concessions was even longer than before the game.  (I’ll bet they had plenty of cheese for corn-in-a-cup today, but I’m not bitter.)  Trying to turn a double play, Nick committed the first Aggie error of the series overthrowing first.  It was a good effort though and the right decision to try and throw it. 

In the bottom of the fourth, Ehnes and Peterson got some revenge by driving in a walk and a hit batter in front of them to give the Aggies a 3-2 lead.  In the fifth, normally sure-handed Braden Williams let a third strike go through the wickets.  This let the batter on, who was cashed in immediately on a two-run homer by Kevin Mohallen.  The Delware dugout erupted.  Hroch didn’t even look back after Mohallen hit the ball.  3-4 Blue Hens. 

Joey Ortiz was the next hit batter to start the bottom of the fifth.  Nick promptly doubled him in to tie the score at 4.  Caleb Henderson struck out looking for the second time in the game.  This time he showed frustration with the ump’s calls.  Ehnes drove in Nick for a 5-4 lead.  AD Mario Moccia came on the radio to start the sixth.  Hroch had a reasonably quick top of the inning.  Mario referred to a “Margarita inning,” where a pitcher only throws a few pitches.  Joey made a good throw to get the lead runner at third on a grounder to short.

In the bottom, PA Alexia announced it was snowing and 35 degrees in Newark, Delaware, where the Blue Hens are from.  Mario continued.  He talked about the stadium and field upgrades.  “I was sure a local quarry had provided the infield,” he said, referring to the small rocks that used to litter the basepads.  They had to clean up rocks around the bases all the time.  Mario noted that right field used to be 372’, not the current 345’.  It didn’t matter.  Before the BBCorr bats, those increased distances were no issue to hitting it out. 

While it’s hard to beat a team four times in a row, I actually wasn’t too worried about the outcome.  The Aggies added three more runs in the sixth to make it 8-4.  In the seventh, with Matt Munden now pitching, Ehnes brought a home run back by knocking it off the top of the wall.  It did go for a triple, but the runner was stranded.

Also in the seventh was my personal low-point of the weekend.  Aileen Galicia and a couple of her teammates on the Soccer team came in and sat down in front of me.  If I was regretting not going to talk to her on Senior day before (10-27-18), it was only getting more acute.  This was the second time I’ve seen her since then.  I don’t know.  Maybe if we’d spoken before, these meetings would have actually been more awkward.  In any case, Aileen was hurtingly beautiful.  She’s got this Ariana Grande vibe going for her now.  She was wearing an Aggie Baseball shirt, so this probably isn’t the last time I’ll be seeing her.  Sigh. 

On to the eighth, Eric Mingus at third made a great play, running and stopping a grounder, then getting the runner with a strong throw.  In the bottom, we had some comedy as two Blue Hens collided trying to get Joey’s bunt to move Bottrell over.  The throw hit the runner and moved Botts to third.  Adam was shocked when they pitched Nick up next.  He called it.  Nick cranked his nation-leading tenth home run.  11-4 Aggies after that three-run homer.  The Blue Hens brought in a position player to pitch to finish the inning. 

Aggie Softball’s practice ended and several players came in.  They walked past the soccer players and there was no interaction between the groups.  Later, a young fan got her picture taken with the them.  Mitchell Allen, the closer who has gotten very little closing work so far this season, came in for the ninth.  He struck out Jack Goan.  Goan helicoptered his bat down the third baseline on the final strike.  Allen gave up a double and a walk, which prompted a mound visit.  Adam did confirm that the umps are now counting visits.  Ehnes helped out with a great leaping catch at the wall, and Allen finished it off.

Aggies win 11-4 and sweep the four-game series.  Nick Gonzales went 3 for 5 with 5 RBI’s and a home run.  Scouts should be looking at this kid.  Chance Hroch struggled a bit, though his problems weren’t all of his making.  He did persevere well.  Matt Munden, Aldo Fernandez, and Mitchell Allen did a good job locking it down for three innings.  Aggie pitching only issued one walk today.  Your stat of the game is ten.  That is the number of walks and hit batters given up by the Blue Hens.  Five of them scored.

Pulling out of the parking lot, Ron retrieved a BP softball lying outside the softball complex.  He mentioned he’d heard that the softball team has to run laps up the football berm for every ball they don’t recover during practice.  We tried going to the new Freddies burgers, but they were full.  Raising Canes next door was much easier to get into.  I didn’t think Freddies was that great, so I think things will even out at some point.  We did get to watch the end of the NASCAR race in Las Vegas at my apartment. 

It would have been a pretty good afternoon after a good game and a win, but I was a bit despondent after seeing Aileen.  This felt like a long weekend (especially given that it’s taken until Wednesday to write all this out).  We’ll regroup and hope I’m more enthusiastic next weekend.  

NM State Aggies vs Delaware Blue Hens Baseball 3-2-19

During the Senior Day ceremonies at the Aggie Women’s Basketball game, I tuned into the Men’s Basketball game against the Chicago State Cougars on the road, which was going on at the same time on the radio.  I nudged Ron, who was with me, that it was on.  We started listening at halftime and the score was 43-15 Aggies.  Ron and I both looked at each other.  Did you hear what I just heard?  The guys had a good first half.  They’d win 92-58.  Ivan Aurrecoechea led the team with 17 points.  Four Aggies sat out the game with minor injuries.  Jack Nixon sounded a bit bored during the game call.  Alternately, he may have been in a hurry to get the game over with.  There was a truncated postgame.  Him and the team had to rush to catch the flight home.   

After the basketball game, we went to Zeffiro’s Pizza.  We learned there not to order triple pepperoni.  They’ll give it to you, but won’t tell you it’s not an optimal arrangement.  While listening to the end of the Men’s game, Ron checked out Game 1 of Aggie Baseball’s double header against Delaware.  The game was functionally over, but still had a while to go.  The Aggies won that one 17-3.  Via online stats, Eric Mingus had a modest performance going 3 for 4 with 5 RBI’s and a home run.  As you might suspect, the rest of the team hit well too.  Starter Justin Dehn went six innings only giving up three runs.  Aldo Fernandez and Chris Barraza pitched three scoreless innings of relief.   

I admit I nearly gave Ron a fake excuse to get out of going to Aggie sports today.  On the TV at the pizza place was the reason.  US Women’s Soccer was on this afternoon.  You know what that means right?  Yes, it was a chance to indulge in worshipping my favorite female athlete, Alex Morgan!  (Sorry to all of you female Aggie athletes.)  Oh, Alex.  I did get to see a bit of my soccer goddess in the pregame, but we left a bit after the match actually started.  Unfortunately, I didn’t think I could talk Ron into staying without embarrassing myself. 

Also, I wanted ice cream.  Did you know that the frozen yogurt place next to the pizza place was closed?  We found that out the hard way.  How disappointing.  (Crap really, I’ve run into the Volleyball team there twice.)  Caliches was open down the road.  I instantly picked the key lime with cheese cake.  Thank goodness it was back in season.  Heaven.  Okay, it was great but probably not as great as watching Alex Morgan, but let’s forget about it and go see Aggie Baseball.  Whatever.  (The match was a 2-2 tie versus England.  Typical soccer.)   

We arrived at Presley Askew Field between games.  Inside, that older gent who works for the sports department walked by me.  He saw me with my scorecard out, as usual, and told me to “Keep up the good work.”  I’ve finally made it into the big time.  As happened Friday night, the Blue Hens won the fashion show.  They looked exceptionally sharp with their yellow tops with blue letters and numbers.  Nice. 

Alexia was back as the PA.  Welcome back.  There were some fairly entertaining Greek boys and girls in the center section.  Good to see them out supporting the team.  They sang out the fight song when it was played before the game.  Gasp! Kelsey Horton and the Softball team came in (though not all at the same time).  They walked passed me in an intimating enough manner that I kept my enthusiasm to myself.  Oh, well.  The team and the frats were part of a really good crowd tonight.    

  

The Aggies got the scoring started in the first on a passed ball.  I’d noticed the Delaware catcher, #44 Jack Goan, was huge.  He was a foot taller than the ump.  1-0 Aggies.  I had a pencil for the “What’s in your pocket?” contest, but I wasn’t sure about the prize, so I avoided participating again.  The Aggie defense was good in the top of the second.  Joey Ortiz got the first out with a 360-degree spin on the catch and throw.  Starter Christopher Jefferson helped himself out by fielding a comebacker and getting the lead runner at second to start a double play.  In the bottom, Eric Mingus got a hustle triple off a deep flyball to center that nearly went out.  He was cashed in with an error to make it 2-0 Aggies.

In the third, a little girl won the window toss contest.  She got a cheer and high-fives from the Aggie dugout.  Nick Gonzales, with his modest .600+ batting average, only had one hit in this game, but it was a leadoff home run in the bottom of the inning.  Caleb Henderson followed that up with a solo homer.  The “There’s no crying in baseball!” clip played during a mound visit. 

Goan missed catching a foul ball.  It wasn’t an error, since it wouldn’t have been “ordinary effort” to catch it.  However, that didn’t stop the frat boys from going after him.  “Nice hair, bozo!”  The girl with them said she liked his “flow.”  “That’s why we’re making fun of him.”  Mingus drove in a run to make it 5-0 Aggies.  Joey struck out on a check swing with the bases loaded to end the inning.  Politely, the Aggies only sent nine men to the plate, and not more, so as not to destroy my scorecard. 

Jefferson cruised through another inning.  Nick started the fourth with getting hit hard enough that I could hear it clearly in the stands.  Ouch.  Three more runs came in for the Aggies, including one off an error.  8-0 Aggies.  Joey got a free pass the hard way too to start the fifth.  He was brought in on a sacrifice by Tristen Carranza to make it 9-0.  Jefferson continued to pitch from a rocking chair.  Two more Aggie runs came in in the sixth, including one off a wild pitch, 11-0.  My highlight of inning was the PA playing I’m Too Sexy.  Apparently, I was in the mood for bad nostalgic pop. 

During the next musical interlude, the Old Gent was dancing for the crowd to a techno tune.  Jefferson’s final inning was another gem, as he made two good plays on comebackers.  As part of a four-run bottom of the inning, two runs scored as Logan Bottrell got a hit on an infield single.  Jason Bush caught the defense sleeping and scored from first on the play.  Second baseman Erick Bowren for the Hens made a great play to end the inning.  The ball hit the base and popped up.  He smothered it and managed to throw out Nick at first. 

The eighth was uneventful.  The Blue Hens finally broke through in the ninth during Andrew Edwards’ second inning of relief.  Bowren drove in a run on a single, but was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double.  For the final batter, I don’t think I’d seen this before.  There was a delay for the pinch hitter.  The original batter and pinch hitter went behind the dugout to exchange something.  Batting helmet?  Gloves?

And we’re done.  15-2 Aggies in a spirited batting practice session.  That wasn’t too competitive.  How did this game last three hours and 40 minutes?  Half the game was the Blue Hens having eight innings of three and four batters.  The Aggies never even batted around in any of the innings.  Delaware issuing 10 walks probably didn’t help.  It was a long day at the university for sports today. 

Let’s hand out some game balls.  Chris Jefferson looked very good going seven innings while only giving up two hits.  Caleb Henderson was seeing the ball well, as he went 4 for 4 with a home run.  Eric Mingus went 3 for 5, driving in two.  Okay, let’s do this again tomorrow after I’ve gotten some sleep.  At least this recap didn’t run as long as the game did.

NM State Aggies vs Chicago State Cougars Women’s Basketball 3-2-19

Noooooooooooooo!

It’s Senior Day.  It’s the last time I get to see Brooke Salas playing in person!  (Probably.  There’s a scenario where I could see her playing again.  She might also randomly show up at some other Aggie sports event.)  I’m also going to be missing the glamorous Mills twins.  It sucks only getting to see them for just two seasons.  After today’s game, I certainly wish we could get another year out of graduate transfer Stabresa McDaniel.  She really lit it up.  And Baylee Robinson, thank you for your contributions to the program.

With all that out of the way, let’s get into it.  (A day late, because I was so tired last night after going to this game and the second game of an Aggie Baseball double header.  Who knew that just sitting around could be so exhausting.)  Ron was with me today and was excited for a day of Aggie sports.  (His wife is obviously okay with him being gone for extended periods of time on the weekends.  Perhaps she’s run out of “honey-do” tasks.) 

I was so nervous listening to the incredible end of that game on Thursday (2-27-18),  I almost couldn’t’ bear it.  This game against Chicago State, I was feeling more confident.  This team only had two wins this season, but at least I didn’t hear anything on the pregame about their entire university possibly going bankrupt.  Actually, we didn’t hear the pregame at all.  There was dead air for the first half on the radio.  Ron went over before the game and actually told broadcaster, Adam Young, about it.  Anyway, Chicago State did bring a full team, so I assume the school is on better footing.  Good for them.

There was a great crowd today with plenty of kids.  Families are essential for a good crowd.  It was the Pink game.  Both teams wore some pink.  Violist Christina Mitchell again provided a magnificent Anthem.  I’m not sure about the spelling or anything about her, but this time I made sure to write her name down.  I saw her later in the crowd with a husband and a kid (maybe) and some friends.  I’m glad she wasn’t there alone this time. 

The Cougars watched the Aggie team intro video and the player introductions with interest.  I usually watch what the opposing team does during the intros.  There’s no telling how they’ll react.  Cougar starters #34 Tamara Overson and #22 Ines Mata Boix had good physical size.  The other three looked really undersized.

First Quarter

And for the last time this season, the scorecard didn’t add up for me.  One day, I’ll get it right.  Adenike Aderinto got the scoring started with a steal and a pass to Brooke for the game’s first points.  I got a chuckle early watching a Cougar player box out under the basket with no one around her.  The Aggies were not playing physical at this point.  During the first timeout, PA Ed wished a “Happy Birthday” to a little girl in the stands.  A couple of Cheerleaders were there with her waving to the camera.

CS was fighting hard though.  They took a lead at 12-14.  Bre got a couple of baskets off of turnovers to get the lead back, 16-14.  However, the Cougars came back for a 16-18 lead at the end of the quarter.  Their bench was cheering up a storm.

Second Quarter

Dino Dash!  Darn, this will also be the last time this season for this tremendous event.  It was quite the prehistoric melee between the contestants in the T-Rex suits.  There was an actual steal during the conflict.  The guys wrestled and knocked over the goal.  The battle went on long enough that I thought the Ref’s were about to intervene so they could restart the game.  Eventually, one of the guy’s prevailed or came close enough to winning.  Please bring this back next year!

I was not concerned about the scoring deficit.  I was pretty confident the Aggies would come back and then some.  Off another steal, Nike found Brooke for another layup.  Dominique Mills got a great layup off a steal and suddenly it was 23-18.  There was some sort of rules confusion over a free throw by Bre.  She didn’t make the basket before the foul, so there should have been two foul shots, but ref insisted there should only be one.  Coach Atkinson didn’t complain.  Here was where I was missing the radio call for an explanation.

It was 26-21 Aggies at the next timeout.  The Aggie Cheerleaders and the Sundancers were honored.  The Roadrunner Review band started chanting, “Cheer!  Cheer!” for them.  They were also getting in a good chant during the game with “Chicago’s not a state!”  Ron was still snickering after the game over that one. 

Ines Mata did give CS a pretty good size advantage at times.  One on trip, she got her own rebound on a bunny three times.  She didn’t get the basket, but did finally get fouled.  She slapped the floor in frustration.  Senior #35 Alexa Blake came over and calmed her down.  I remember her from the last couple of years.  It’s hard to miss a naturally curly red-head out on court. 

Gia Pack found Brooke underneath the basket on a great assist to make it 32-22.  Again, Ines Mata got a couple more rebounds on her own shots, but made the basket this time.  Ron was yelling, “Box her out!”  The quarter ended on an exclamation point with Brooke burying a line drive three.  38-24 Aggies at the half.

Halftime

Yet another little kids hip hop dance troop performed.  I was chuckling watching an excited little boy in the stands dancing along with them.  He was a bundle of energy during the game.  The Cheerleaders gave the kids high-fives as they came off the court.

Third Quarter

I checked my radio during the half and the game was back on.  Yay.  Gia was having a great game shooting, rebounding, and assisting.  She got in another great pass to Nike under the basket to up the score to 43-28.  Brooke would later get called for a foul.  You could see her at the lane lobbying the official afterward.  The game finally got a bit physical between Baylee and #5 Destinee Pointer.  Though Baylee was a foot taller, they nearly came to blows.

Gia got another great assist to Kalei Atkinson for a layup.  Olverson and Ines Mata started scoring in bunches for the Cougars.  But, there was Stabresa answering with 15’ jumpers and a late three.  She was feeling it.  58-44 Aggies after three quarters.

Fourth Quarter

Again for the last time with season, the Cheerleaders lifted up Pistol Pete for a human pyramid.  They were a lot more confident doing it this time.  I wasn’t fearing for Pete’s life.  The little kid nearby did a kid-version of the Macarena as it was being played during the break.  Mom, get this kid some dancing lessons; he’s a natural.

Brooke hit a jumper to start the final quarter.  Bre got a wide-open layup off a steal.  Gia found an open Kalei for a three.  Brooke went down court on a pass to Bre for a layup.  Gia made a tremendous jumping, between-the-legs save of a ball going out.  I felt like I was watching the Globetrotters putting on a show.

Baylee got a layup.  The Aggie bench, with Brooke sitting out briefly, erupted for her.  70-50 Aggies, timeout.  The Band was recognized.  They are essential for the fan experience.  Back to action, Brooke got a steal and passed to a running Aaliyah Prince for a layup.  Bre found Brooke in mid-air with a pass and a bucket.  The Aggie girls were having fun out there.

With two minutes left, all of the seniors were out on court playing.  They were then all taken out together as group to a standing round of applause.  I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but I got choked up anyway.  I’m getting choked up again, just writing this.  I told Ron afterward.  He admitted he felt some manly tears forming during the moment.

The game wasn’t in doubt, but there was still something to play for.  Like I said, Gia was having a great game.  Via the radio, Adam said that she was one assist away from a triple-double.  Brooke had gotten one earlier in the season, only the second one in program history.  The girls tried to make it happen for her, but the last couple of shots didn’t go.  77-54 Aggies win.

Gia Pack did finish with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists.  No reason to be too disappointed.  Brooke Salas finished with 16.  Stabresa McDaniel had a monster game with 20 points.  For the Cougars, Ines Mata Boix had 17 and Tamara Olverson had 16.  They put up a good fight today.

Ceremony

Adam’s postgame interview with Coach Atkinson was over the PA for everyone to hear.  She did say they were aware of Gia’s stat’s and did try to get her the triple-double.  The Coach also thanked the fans for their attendance and enthusiasm.  Compared to many of the places the team plays, she was very happy with what the team gets for their home games.

The graduating seniors were honored.  I was intrigued by the Mills Sisters graduation plans.  They majored in something titled like “Independent Study?”  Brooke came out last.  Adam stopped his broadcast to allow the audience to hear PA Ed read off her mile-long list of playing accomplishments.  To sum it up, she’s the second best Aggie Women’s Basketball player ever.  (She’s only behind Anita Maxwell from the 90’s, who finished with over 700 more points than Brooke.  She must have been a heck of a player.)  Gia, a junior, was also honored with a 1,000-point ceremonial ball.        

Next, a WAC official presented the team with their regular season championship award.  The team cut down one of the nets.  Nana Sule, one of the injured players this year, cut off a snip.  Ed couldn’t identify her at first since she was wearing a t-shirt with no number.  I know the coach really wanted her playing this season, so hopefully she’ll blossom next year.  (She also has a killer smile.)  Brooke made the final cuts and put the net around her neck.

The team staff cut down the other net.  I found out the cute little blonde trainer was named Maddie.  She was in a sparkly blouse.  Coach Atkinson got the last cut on that net.  For my last Coach’s wardrobe segment, I noticed she was wearing sparkly heels. 

It’s been a great season to this point.  The team has one more regular season game before the WAC Tournament.  We hope they’re ready for the big show.  If they don’t win there, there is a possibility they could be playing here in the NIT Tournament.  I plan on covering their postseason as much as I can.  

Sports Journal February 19-28, 2019

2-19-19

Lacking a Thursday game this week, the Aggie Men’s Basketball team scheduled a DII game on Tuesday versus the Texas A&M International Dust Devils.  Jack Nixon and Justin Hawkins were not entirely taking this game seriously during the radio coverage.  They got into a discussion about Eli Chuha’s real height.  Jack claimed he was 6’11”, if you counted his upstanding hair. 

It was already 11-3 Aggies at first timeout.  Coach Jans put in put five subs.  The Aggies are pretty deep.  The Dust Devils only had eight players with them, because of a couple of concussions.  Ivan Aurrecoechea got a dunk, so he seems to be well on the way to recovery.  Eli missed a jam and instead stuck the ball into the gap between rim and backboard.  Johnny McCants hit a three.  It was 41-20 Aggies at the half.

At this point, I started watching The Gifted on FOX.  I probably should have stuck with the blowout basketball.  I’ve seen less melodrama and bad acting on any given soap opera.  I checked in with the game periodically during the commercials.  The main highlight I heard was the fans getting free Chik-fil-a with a pair of free throw misses.  I missed Trevelin Queen getting a windmill dunk, though if you’re just listening over the radio, you pretty much still missed it.  80-42 Aggies was the final.  Eli Chuha and Trevelin Queen led the team with 14 points each.

2-22-19

Aggie Baseball started their series against the Yale Bulldogs on Friday.  I was actually glad I was watching this over the Internet and not there in person.  It was 42-degrees out with a 22mph wind.  Aggie starter Brock Whittlesey looked miserable out on the mound, then the rain started.  It didn’t affect his pitching though.  The Aggies scored four runs in the bottom of the first.  Two batters got hit.  Tristen Carranza actually took his base smiling.  Their coach, Brian Green, ruptured his Achilles in practice and he was still out there coaching, so no excuses for pain. 

By the second, it was raining harder, but it actually looked a bit like sleet.  Yale scored one in the inning, but Aggies came back huge.  Tristan Peterson drove in two runs, and Braden Williams doubled in two more as part of a five-run inning.  9-1 Aggies.  Whitt worked through the fifth and gave up two more runs, but the Aggies hadn’t stopped scoring, so it was 13-3 when he came out.  The wind and rain had stopped by that point, but you could see players’ breath.

I wasn’t able to watch much more, but by the sixth, the Aggies were putting in the reserves.  The final was 19-6 Aggies.  Nick Gonzales went 4 for 5, and Braden Williams was 2 for 2 with five RBI’s.  Aggie pitching had a bunch of walks in the game, but 11 walks and five hit batters did in Yale.  Ron is a hardcore fan.  He was there.  He got there a bit late and reported that the crowd was deserting by the fourth.  He did get wet out there.

2-23-19

After my retreat from the cold wind at the baseball stadium this afternoon, I continued with listening to the double header over the radio.  But at the same time, the Aggie Men’s Basketball team was having a big game with UTRGV at the Pan-Am.  When I drove by on the way home, the parking lot was packed there.  I’d checked earlier in the week; the game was sold out. 

I ended up switching back-and-forth between games.  Of course, this meant I wasn’t really listening to either.  Also, I had a headache from catching cold at the park and couldn’t concentrate.  The Aggie Basketball team was up 45-32 at the half when I started listening.  In the second half, they added to the lead.  Ivan Aurrecoechea was playing this game with a vengeance.  The Vaqueros were the cause of his injury last month.  He took a hard foul and was nearly injured again.  It was ruled flagrant and got him hot.  It was the same type of play that he got injured on before.

The chippie play continued and the ref’s finally had to start getting involved.  The UTRGV player who fouled Ivan was later ejected for his second flagrant foul.  Even the coaches started getting into it with each other.  With the game pretty much in hand, the Aggies started playing for the crowd.  Trevelin Queen got a steal.  He then faked out Jack Nixon and crowd on jam, but went for a layup instead.  Queen later made a behind-the-back pass to Ivan, who did jam it.  Justin Hawkins let out a little cheer for the play and then apologized for the outburst.     

The Aggies had been up by at least 20, but were down to an 8-point lead with less than a minute.  Coach Jans didn’t seem bothered by it as he had the reserves in.  The Aggies won 88-79 and will have the top seed at the WAC tournament.  Ivan Aurrecoechea led the team with 20 points.  Hawk wasn’t surprised that the anger in the game didn’t come to blows.  Usually players say, “Hold me back!” when they’re not serious. 

Meanwhile, the Women’s Basketball team also clinched the #1 seed with a tight 70-67 win over UTRGV on the road.  Brooke Salas had 20 and Gia Pack had 17.  Aggie Softball went 2-3 at the Mary Nutter Classic tournament.  They beat North Carolina 6-2 (complete game for Analise de la Roca) and beat Cal 6-5 in ten innings with Samaria Diaz pitching most of it.  They lost a close one to nationally ranked Oregon 1-3 and dropped a blowout to Missouri, 0-15, on a run rule.  (I found out later that game started 20 minutes after that 10-inning.)  On Sunday, they lost to Ohio State 1-5.

2-26-19

In spite of confirming the start time a couple of times, the baseball game between the Aggies and Texas Tech still started an hour earlier than listed.  All right for you guys.  I missed the competitive part of the game.  Aldo Fernandez started and did well.  He only gave up one run over three innings.  In the fourth, when he was out of gas, he talked pitching Coach Anthony Clagget into letting him face one more batter with two on.  That was one batter too many.  That three-run homer broke it open.

Aggie relief pitching was reasonable.  In particular, freshman Justin Schubert went an inning with two strikeouts and no hits.  Logan Ehnes ran into the fence making a catch with the bases loaded in the sixth to keep the final score at 0-7 Texas Tech.  On the downside defensively, Eric Mingus made another error at third.

The otherwise potent Aggie offense only produced five hits for the game.  They had some hard luck DP’s, but several hard-hit balls.  Like I said elsewhere, Aggie hitting is going to mash against average pitching, but not against great pitching.  Adam Young broadcasting said that Tech may be a national championship contender.  I’m sure Coach Brian Green would love to schedule more contending teams, but probably doesn’t have the budget to.  Amazingly, this game took just under three hours.  Attendance was listed at over 3,000 for a Tuesday afternoon!

2-28-19

The Aggie Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams had both clinched the top seeds at the WAC tournament last week, but both were playing UMKC tonight to outright win the conference.  The Men played early first in Kansas City.  Owing to being busy and distracted, I wasn’t listening to the radio call, but did have the scoring up.  The guys seemed to have it in hand at the half being up 39-21. 

I started listening to the Women playing at home in Las Cruces at that point.  When they reached halftime, I switched back over to hear the end the Men’s game.  The guys cruised to a 75-55 win.  Terrell Brown and Johnny McCants led with 12 points each.  McCants got another highlight reel jam on an alley-oop.  The team had 18 turnovers, but only gave up 10 points off them.  Coach Jans delayed talking to Jack Nixon as he was talking to family and friends who came to see the game.  “I’m not telling him to hurry up,” said Jack.  Though the Women were only at halftime, Jack did predict they’d win as well.

Or alternately, he jinxed them.  Jack obviously wasn’t keeping up with the game.  The ladies started out well with a couple of early steals and firing three’s and went up by six.  However, the Roos came back and took the lead.  It was 15-26 UMKC after 10 minutes off of a 12-0 run.  Brooke Salas had zero points and had only taken one shot.  More embarrassing though, the scoreboard operator got the score wrong twice, causing delays.

Brooke did finally get a couple baskets in the second and the Aggies closed the score to 31-33 Roos.  Early in the third, the Roos increased the lead to 10.  Again, the Aggies got close.  Brooke suddenly had a double-double.  But again, UMKC pulled away with an 11-point lead.  Gia Pack, who was also scoring well but was probably trying to do too much, ended up face-down on the court after a collision on the last play of the quarter.  She was okay, but started the fourth quarter on the bench catching her breath.

I’d just about given up and thought their 20-game conference home-winning streak was over.  They were down 12 when the Aggies rallied and got within four with an eight-point run with five minutes left.  The Roos came right out of a timeout and hit a three to get it back up to seven.

From here, the Aggies completely turned up the wick.  Aaliyah Prince was a real sparkplug on offense and defense.  The Roos started coming apart and making mistakes.  With two minutes left, the Aggies were down by three and then by one.  The crowd at the Pan-Am started going wild.  The Aggies finally took the lead on a 16-3 run.  A Prince shot put the Aggies up by three with 31 seconds left.  The Roo’s started intentionally fouling, but Dominique Mills buried her foul shots to ice it.  Aggies win 68-61! 

That last quarter was epic, championship-level play from the Aggies.  Gia Pack led all scorers with 18 points and added 12 rebounds.  Brooke Salas had 17 points with 13 rebounds.  Ericka Mattingly and Brooke Hampel of the Roos both had 17 points.  I’m kind of hoping the Aggies don’t play UMKC in the WAC tournament.  It’s really hard to beat the same team three times in a season, especially after a pair of close games this year.  After the game, Coach Atkinson congratulated the players, her assistant coaches, and the previous staff for their recruiting and gave them all the credit for winning the WAC regular season.  That was very classy of her.