El Paso Margaritas vs Salt Lake City Abejas 5-5-19

I’ll get to the weird title here in a minute.  I’d been looking forward to this for three weeks.  At work, a manager offered some Chihuahuas tickets on sale for charity.  I asked Ron and he was all for it.  I’d offered Ron sporting event tickets from work before and he’d either said “No,” or said “Yes,” but canceled at the last minute.  (You get fired from a place, you tend to not want to socialize with your former co-workers.)  Unlike those times, this time the tickets weren’t giveaways; I was actually on the hook for some money. 

I was relieved when Ron showed up Sunday morning, no problems.  The only other wildcard was the weather, but that was beautiful today.  It was nothing but warm and sunny.  Perhaps even better, I was pretty sure our seats were under the second deck.  They were and we were cool in the shade, unlike the last two times (9-3-18 and 9-5-16).  So without any problems, all that was left to do was enjoy the game.   

Sunday morning and evening is definitely the best time to travel between El Paso and Las Cruces.  The traffic was light both ways.  At least some of the road construction was finished from last time.  Of course, it’s still going on, even on the weekend.  Maybe someday we’ll see what the interstate looks like without orange barrels.  During the trip, Ron pointed out a new Porsche dealership.  I spent most of my time filling in the scorecards from yesterday’s debacle.  I’d just finished by the time we got to the ballpark.

From the nearby parking garage, we joined a good-sized queue a bit more than an hour before the game, maybe 15 minutes before the gates opened.  As usual, everyone in Chihuahuas gear had on something different, a triumph of merchandising.  The throwback Diablos gear that debuted last year was also all over.  A couple of guys in front of us had on the red hats.  A guy next to us had on Diablos socks. 

Ron had asked earlier if the Chihuahuas were going to be playing somebody with a dumber name today.  You know, like the Surfin’ Bears or the Baby Cakes or the Chicken Strips.  (One of those names is real.  I’ve copyrighted the other two, certain that some teams will want them at some point.)  I said, “No,” but then I remembered that the pups would be taking on an alternate identity today, like Fresno and their famous Tacos uniforms.  I’m pretty sure the Chihuahuas marketing staff took that as a challenge.  

So, meet the El Paso Margaritas!  I don’t know if these pictures really do justice to these uniforms.  They’re like the gaudiest pajamas ever.  You can’t stop seeing them after you’ve seen them in action.  The neon lime green was that bright.  I could tell this was already a splash with the fans.  There were several people wearing Margaritas jerseys and t-shirts already in the park.  In the teamshop, people were lined up to buy them.  Meanwhile, the Salt Lake team was going with Abejas on their uniforms, but nothing else was weird about them.

 

A pocket-emptying checkpoint and airline-style wanding has now been set up before the gates.  Ron remembered he had a pocket knife with him and went back to the car before we got to security.  I went ahead and waited for him inside.  It was fairly quick.  A group of little girl Folklorico dancers performed just inside the gates.  There was also a cow mascot working in the concourse handing out a bunch of cardboard cow ears to the kids.  I waved to the cow as we went by.     

Since we were early, I got to pick up a giveaway neon lime green Margaritas umbrella . . . hat.  Okay, I wasn’t really into the umbrella promotion, but hat aspect I wasn’t aware of until I got there.  These things seemed dangerous to everyone around the wearer.  At the very least, they block the view of the people sitting behind you.  We found that out the hard way during the game.  Thankfully, the shade eventually moved to cover the couple in front of us wearing them and they took them off. 

I don’t have a picture of me wearing it, because I gave mine away.  By strange coincidence, a former co-worker of me and Ron’s from another business we worked at together, Terri, was sitting next to us.  She expressed interest in the hat for her granddaughter with her, so I gave it to her.  If we’d been in the sun, I might have been wearing it, but I suspect that would have been the only time I would have done so.  That said, a couple of the guys in the bullpen were actually wearing them, so they were technically team gear. 

We hit the team store first.  It was crowded as ever.  Ron was looking for a hat and settled on a camo floppy hat.  It wasn’t big enough on his head to cover his ears, but he liked it to the tune of $30.  I couldn’t find a team set of baseball cards.  I finally asked someone and she told me that they don’t produce them until about halfway through the season.  I was ambivalent anyway, but surprised they didn’t have any older sets out.  I was sort of looking for those PCL All-Stars packs they usually carry.

Okay, now for the real news.  How were the concessions?  Ron had been instructed to pickup another dogbowl by a relative, so he got steak nachos.  It took him awhile to eat them, as there was quite a bit in there.  I got a hamburger and fries ($16 with large drink).  I doused both in ketchup and gobbled down them down.  They were good.  The fries were unique with some flavor.  The burger was a bit processed, but was juicy and also had flavor.  The bun was pretty unique too with kind of a glazed top and fresh.  If I hadn’t choked it down, trying to finish before the game, I would have enjoyed it more.  I had to run to the bathroom before the game started just to get the ketchup off my hands so I could fill out my scorecard.

 

I also picked up the large souvenir cup, so I could get a cheaper refill later.  I wanted to keep hydrated, even in the shade.  I’m not sure if you can bring the cup back for other games in the season.  I thought I read that somewhere, but I couldn’t find it on the website.  From reading the rules, I think they allow people to bring in one sealed water bottle, which was what Ron did for a drink.  There are also nice clean water fountains in a couple of places at the park.  In addition, I got a large bag of kettle corn ($8).  It’s lightly sweet and very tasty.  I had trouble keeping my hands out of it, while still tracking the game.

  

It was a good crowd, though probably less than the evening games.  Not every seat was in the shade like ours.  The green “seats” were full and there were plenty of fans in the party areas.  I saw one co-worker at the game in another section.  When I came in to work on Monday, I found out there were several in our section down the third base line, but I hadn’t seen them and they didn’t notice me either apparently.  There was a large crane in the background working on a downtown building.  The Plaza Hotel had scaffolding on it as well.  The Anthem was performed by a Mariachi band.  To be honest, it didn’t sound like they’d played it before.  Given some more practice and I think they’d do a better job.

The Chihuahuas are in first place in their division.  Ty France, who I’d been looking forward to seeing, had been called up by the Padres recently.  Jacob Scavuzzo was out with an injury.  Boog Powell wasn’t in the starting lineup either.  (Admittedly, I might mostly like these guys for their names.)  The team is coming off a 12-game winning streak.  They then lost two games, but had just won on Saturday.  But the question is, how will the Margaritas play?  

I missed the lineup announcements washing my hands, but that was no problem with the lineup posted on the giant video board for the whole game.  Actually, I had some issues, since the roster listed in the program was just about worthless with so many players optioned and called up after it was printed.  Dillon Overton started for the pups.  He got two quick outs in the first.  You know what, this whole game was played with a really good pace.  Let’s hear it for the pitch clock.  (In all honesty, the guys on both teams played like they didn’t like playing out in the heat.  This game played quick until about the eighth.  The game finished a few minutes over three hours.)  Credit to Jared Walsh.  He hit a double straight into an exaggerated shift against him.  Overton loaded the bases, but ended the inning with a strikeout.

 

The Margaritas (it took me long enough to learn how to type out the word, “Chihuahuas”) went down in order in the bottom of the first.  A foul ball hit in our section, but lower down.  Ron must have been terribly disappointed.  I had wanted to make sure I was done with my meal before the game started so I didn’t attract any foul balls.  There are too many highlight videos of fans at the ballpark getting their meals and drinks ruined.  The foul rebounded to the front row where a guy with a mitt and wearing the umbrella hat caught it.  He was a definite ballhawk.  A couple of innings later, I noticed a guy in the next section hand a foul to a kid.  The ballhawk must have seen that, too.  He walked over and gave his ball to another kid.  (I’m not sure I would have been that generous.)

I’d brought my portable radio with me.  Unfortunately, not the little one I take to Aggie games, this was an emergency radio that gets AM, which was where the game was broadcast.  I’ve dropped this thing and had the earbuds yanked out of my ears enough times to where I hate it.  For today’s game, I couldn’t hardly hear it with the crowd and the PA speakers nearby.  Also, I finally figured out that one of the earbuds had a short in it.  I’d heard it lightly at the last couple of Aggie games, but now it was unbearable.  So, I couldn’t really hear Tim Hagerty with the game call, and it wasn’t until the second that I could finally see homeplate, when the fans in front took off their umbrella hats.

The Bees (I’m not using their Spanish name) went down in order in the second.  The pups (I’m giving up on Margaritas too) got a single, but didn’t score.  A little girl in the dugout was on camera announcing the players.  On the third batter, they showed her, but the park PA actually announced the batter.  She looked confused and disappointed.  At the end of the inning, they showed her again.  The PA apologized for stepping on her lines.  “I’m sorry, Madison.  I owe you one.”  (“Madison” probably wasn’t actually her name.)  The PA almost said “Chihuahuas” once, but otherwise had no trouble with calling them the Margaritas. 

In order again for both sides in the third.  The field looks really good considering it’s been used for soccer.  You could just barely see the outline of the pitch.  We had a t-shirt toss fail in the bottom.  The guy on the back of the ATV, fired the t-shirt gun in the air and the bundle came down on the bullpen mound on field.  One of the pitchers threw it into the crowd.  Yeah, that guy was nowhere near as good as Emerson at Aggie games (or as gorgeous) tossing t-shirts. 

The Bees went down in order in the fourth.  Field reporter, Andy Imfeld, was serving drinks to some women in the bar.  It was $2 margaritas at the park today.  No, there wasn’t a riot later.  The cups were small.  One of my co-workers later was questioning if there was really alcohol in them.  I heard an interview with Andy once.  He was asked how he was able to maintain his positive energy for every game.  He said he does have his bad days when he gets to the park, but when reporting, he always remembers that it’s somebody’s first game and wants it to be fun for them.  What a great attitude.

Luis Urias walked to start the bottom of the fourth.  He was picked off, but that turned out to be a balk and he moved to second.  Was that the first balk I’ve ever recorded on a scorecard?  Shrugs shoulders.  I got to see some park improvements that I’d heard about.  The lounge on top of the Big Dog House looks tremendous, even though it doesn’t seem to have many seats facing the field.  The patio area along the first base line, where me and Ron roasted once, was now a party area with shade.  There’s also some extended netting for protection in the area.  Matt Thaiss, at first for the Bees, made a great play reaching into that party area for the final out.

I really don’t have much to report for girl-watching.  There wasn’t much to see, especially compared to your average Aggie Baseball game.  The one co-worker I saw was pretty (and she’s pregnant).  There was another girl that reminded me of one of my favorite Twitch streamers, but that was about it.  Maybe I wasn’t in the right section.  I have seen good-looking girls in the sections closer to the plate.

     

Between innings, Andy demonstrated how you could order items with an app to have food brought to you.  I think.  A fan walked by with a Harvard shirt that actually read “Awkward.”  Clever.  Urias made a great play on a liner to start the fifth.  However, Overton gave up a single and a double that scored the first run of the game.  He did finish out with two strikeouts.  1-0 Bees.

There had been a couple of Baby Race heats before the game.  Between frames, they had the finale.  The Chihuahuas’ bullpen catcher looked on at the spectacle.  In the bottom of the inning, the pups got two on, but failed to score.  The best play was on a Michael Gettys big foul to the first base side.  The ball deflected twice off the second deck and the dugout.  A guy in the first row turned around and caught it. 

The sixth featured the Dunk contest.  Given the heat, the contestants probably appreciated getting water splashed on them.  It was unlikely they were going to be able to answer the margarita trivia anyway.  Terri’s granddaughter brought back a dogbowl meal from the concessions.  This one was an ice cream sundae.  Ooh, it looked good.  I seem to recall seeing it on a menu before for $20.  (A single scoop is like $8.)  Down the row, I noticed her family had also bought the souvenir stand with a bag containing at least a ball and two bats.  (There was a bin of oversized squishy Chihuahuas balls there that I was tempted by.)

Oh, and the ballgame.  In the sixth, Overton was relieved by Eric Yardley after a double.  The runner would score on a single and then a fielder’s choice to make it 2-0 Bees.  There was a big bobble on that FC, but Peter Van Gansen did get the force.  Between frames, there was a fan race in the outfield with the contestants dressed as the ingredients for a margarita.  (They really went all the way with the theme today.)  The Chihuahuas only scratched out a single in the bottom.

Paco Rodriguez relieved Yardley with two outs in the seventh, after a double, passed ball, and a walk.  Paco got a strikeout looking to leave the runners stranded at the corners.  The pups went down in order again in the bottom.  That two-run lead was looking insurmountable.  Terri was getting upset next to me.

Between innings, there was a t-shirt catch contest with a fan on field using a net with the t-shirts being shot from the gun.  I don’t think he actually caught any.  A couple of attendants walked down the aisle with a couple of bats.  I guessed what was going on, and so did the ballhawk guy.  He went over to them and volunteered for the Dizzy Bat Race later.  The Bees went down in order in the eighth.  Jason Vossler, at first, made a good play reaching into the stands for the final out.

Kiss Cam!  The camera kept panning back to a nice-looking middle-aged couple.  The husband saw it and didn’t do anything.  The wife finally noticed on the fourth time and immediately kissed him on the cheek.  The best kiss was a senior couple in the second deck.  The husband really laid one on his wife.

The Bees brought in their third pitcher to start the eighth.  Van Gansen started off with a single.  Gettys hit a grounder to short.  There was some hesitation and the play at second was close, but the ump ruled Van Gansen out.  The crowd showed some life and got all over the ump.  After a walk to Urias, Josh Naylor singled to drive in Gettys.  The crowd roared.  Seth Mejias-Brean then hit a liner.  Naylor ducked under it and Urias scored.  Then Austin Allen came up and blasted a three-run homer to right field over the Santa Fe Bridge.  The crowd exploded.  5-2 Margaritas!  (Why not?  Let’s party!)

Before the ninth, the ballhawk guy won the Dizzy Bat contest.  It was good karma to give away that ball.  Luis Perdomo came in to finish out the game.  Except that didn’t happen.  Van Gansen had two errors on one play, misplaying a grounder and then throwing the ball away.  One run would then come in on a sacrifice for the second out, but a single drove in another run to make it 5-4.  Boog Powell came in to play left field.  I’m not sure why that happened. 

Perdomo awkwardly stepped off the rubber on the next batter and was called for a balk, which scored the tying run.  (I’m sure I’ve never recorded two balks on a scorecard.)  The umps did confer afterward, but the play stood.  It was 5-5 and all of the runs for the inning were unearned.  The crowd didn’t react well, but many of them had already left by this point.  Between innings, they played a montage of inspirational movie speeches.  I’d seen this last time at the park.  It’s great.  I didn’t write them all down, but it starts with Bluto’s pep talk from Animal House.      

Matt Ramsey came in for the Bees in the bottom.  He struck out the first two Chihuahuas batters.  Gettys then singled and Urias followed him with another.  Gettys advanced to third on the play.  With two strikes on Naylor, Ramsey put the next pitch into the ground past the catcher.  Gettys scrambled home as the crowd rose and cheered.  I could hear Tim shouting something over the radio, but I couldn’t hear it over the noise.  I wouldn’t find out until listening to the next day’s game.  The Bees catcher had appealed, claiming Naylor had swung and was out.  Thankfully, it all stood as called.  Margaritas win 6-5!  I totally concurred with Tim with Austin Allen and his three-run homer being the play of the game.

Right after, I told Ron I was about to permanently un-invite him to any more Chihuahuas games if they’d lost today.  He has not been a good luck charm for the team.  Outside, there was that sax player out playing again.  I tossed another dollar into his case, like I did last time.  “Ice cream is for winners!”  This time for sure.  Oddly, both of us were too full for a meal, so we just looked for dessert.  After going by a couple of options, we ended up at Sonic.  Ron got something in a cup that was more than he wanted.  I got a cheap ice cream sandwich that turned out to be pretty filling.  Okay, along with the Aggie victory on Sunday, this was a great day for baseball.

NM State Aggies vs UTRGV Vaqueros Baseball 5-4-19

***Insert picture here of new Aggie Star Wars t-shirt that I didn’t get at the ballgame.  Oops.***

When you’re sitting at your team’s game and you’re actually hoping they get run ruled to end the game quicker, you know it’s been a bad day at the ballpark.  Well, the worse day at the ballpark still beats the best day at the office (except for paydays).  Yeah, I didn’t even get the giveaway shirt just to make me even more salty.  This report is going to be late because I am worn down from covering Aggie sports this school year, and I wrote down a bunch of notes that I don’t want to type out on a game that functionally ended in the top of the first inning. 

Bad news: the Aggies lost to the Vaqueros on Saturday, 21-11.  No, they weren’t playing football.  The Aggies were run ruled on their home field by a conference opponent.  They fell behind UTRGV again in the standings after they’d managed to tie them with a great win on Friday, 17-8.  I have seen a worse loss in person (vs Texas Tech, 15-4, 4-4-17), but if this game had gone the whole nine, who knows?

The good news is that the Aggies came back from this loss on Sunday and absolutely ruled.  (Bad news: I didn’t see it.  I was with Ron at a Chihuahuas game.  Good news: it was a great game.  I’ll recap it later.)  After a ruinous performance by Aggie pitching on Saturday, unbeaten Chance Hroch said, “Hold my beer,” and pitched a complete seven-inning run rule 10-0 shutout.  More unbelievably, the victory took under two-and-half hours.  Saturday’s game was just over four hours, but felt longer.  Hey, even better, Aggie Softball swept their final series to secure a #2 seed at the tournament.

So, with all these spoilers up front, let’s get down to it.  Ron and I were greeted at Presley Askew Field by a football flying out of the visitor’s dugout.  I did say this wasn’t a football game, right?  UTRGV was playing catch before the game, including even with a fan in the stands.  They were wearing orange tops and gray pants and looked like they were wearing pajamas.  If it had a high collar, it would at least look like an old-timey uniform.  Strangely, this would prove to not be the worst uniform I’d see this weekend.  That would happen at the Chihuahuas game.     

“May the Fourth Be With You.”  Groan.  There was a time when everybody loved Star Wars.  Anybody still loving Star Wars is basically loving the memory, not anything that’s been produced since after Return of the Jedi came out.  The franchise survived The Holiday Special and Jar Jar Binks, it’ll somehow survive Disney.  (I saw an inspirational video once by the guy who played Jar Jar.  He almost committed suicide because of the hate.)   Peter Mayhew, Chewbacca, died right before the fourth, so there was some sadness with this years’ remembrance.  All that said, I was wearing my Aggie Empire shirt with the Stormtrooper on it, and I was looking for the advertised Star Wars t-shirt giveaway.

Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper were at the entrance.  Leia, with the honey buns hairstyle no less, joined them.  There weren’t any t-shirts given away there.  I was afraid of this.  They were only going to be tossed to the crowd after Aggie strikeouts.  We’ll revisit this later.  Leia and Darth would be fighting with lightsabers in the Aggie dugout before the game, but they weren’t throwing out the first pitch.  That went to Aggie alum and El Paso weather forecaster, Monica Cortez.  She was happy as heck to be there (and way shorter than she looks on TV).  Darth did harass the umps, though.

It was a great day for a game.  It was warm and sunny with a breeze.  A great crowd came out for the game.  There were lots of pretty young blondes (player girlfriends).  A trio of glamorous volleyball players came in.  UTRGV did bring some fans.  Unfortunately, they brought their own version of Tom.  Amusingly, they actually sat next to each other for a short time, before Tom tired of the company and moved, and then left altogether.  This guy was lightly haranguing the opposing players directly though, which I found to be a faux pas.  Frat boys doing it is one thing, but presumably a dad of one of the players doing it was unseemly.  He was keeping a scorecard like me, but was sitting there in bare feet doing it.   

The game did not start off well for the Aggies or the fans.  It took a half hour to play out the top of the first.  Justin Dehn put the first six batters on base.  The second batter, Christian Sepulveda, hit a no doubt homer to left, but not without controversy.  PA Alexia, radio broadcaster Adam Young, and myself disagreed on how to pronounce his last name.

Dehn struck out the seventh batter, which activated the t-shirt giveaway.  Emerson came out to various Star Wars sound effects and tossed them.  They looked pretty good with “Pew Pew” written on the front of it.  I decided I wouldn’t signal for one unless nobody else was interested, which obviously wasn’t going to happen with the large crowd.  A kid down below me got one.  The Vaquero dad asked to see it and admired it.  That was Dehn’s only out.  Aldo Fernandez had to come in and finish the inning.  7-0 UTRGV. 

Aldo finished the inning with a K.  Emerson and Darth came out to toss more shirts between innings.  Darth seemed a bit apathetic.  Speaking of this, I’d read that there was going to be a Darth Vader impersonation contest, but it never happened.  I’d been working on mine.  I was disappointed. 

Conner Dotson hadn’t given up a home run this season for the Vaqueros.  That almost came to an end in the bottom of the first when Nick Gonzales solidly hit the left field wall, a couple of feet from clearing the fence.  Tristen Carranza came up next.  A guy fan in the stands called him “Trizzy.”  I guess that really is his nickname.  I’m going to stay with TC, because it’s cooler.  He grounded out, though he did show up the ump earlier in the at bat by trying to take first on a close pitch for a walk.        

Ron was still sitting with me to this point.  After two more runs scored in the second, I told him, “Time to put in the pitching machine.”  Vaquero Anthony Gomez was hit by a pitch, but swung at it and it was called a strike.  He got a single anyway.  The Aggies scored in the bottom on an error and a single by Tristan Peterson, so there wouldn’t be a shutout.  9-1 UTRGV. 

Adam reported that the team did a walk for ALS this morning.  Were they tired?  Chris Jefferson came in and took about ten minutes to hit one batter and issue a walk.  Pitching Coach Anthony Clagget came out and gave him a talk, but three runs scored afterward anyway.  Adam was giving out information Aggie players in the minors by this point.  Eric Mingus made a diving catch on a foul to finally end the inning.  12-1 UTRGV.

For the window contest, a kid won a lightsaber.  That was a pretty good prize.  Pistol Pete came by.  He was out of uniform, but that curly mustache was hard to miss.  The other Pete was at the game too, still recognizable without the six-shooters.  The Aggies came back in the bottom of the third as Dotson started losing control.  He walked five and forced in two runs without a hit.  Boy, five walks were just what this game needed to move it along.  This time TC turned around and looked at the ump for his call before taking his walk.  UTRGV finally had to put in another pitcher, Max Balderrama, to end the inning, 12-3.  We were two hours in and only three innings done.

Finally, a quick inning in the fourth as a caught stealing and a double play ended the top of the inning.  I’d question running with a nine-run lead, but not against this Aggie offense.  Catcher Jason Bush apparently had the best Aggie arm today with that putout.  The bottom went quick too with another double play.  I think Jason’s pretty blonde girlfriend was sitting in front of me.  She’d cheer for him special when he came to bat.  She stayed to the end of the game.  That’s some real loyalty here.

I’d noticed a pretty woman come in with an unfortunate walking disability.  She was using a walker and another guy helping her and two other guys were with them.  They were sitting up front, but moved in behind me later (perhaps tired of the Vaqueros fan dad).  She tapped me during the inning to ask if I was working for the team.  I get that a lot.  She thought that the Aggies were doing well “this quarter.”  I was kind of speechless, but did note that she was younger than I thought and I complimented her nice nails.  I wanted to talk to her more, even if I knew I’d probably end up having to explain the infield fly rule, but I wasn’t quite sure what her relationship was with the three guys.  It didn’t seem to be marriage and kids like I’d initially thought.  They all left between innings, and me and her waved goodbye.  Maybe we’ll meet again.      

It seemed like one of the kids for the I Scream contest got stage fright.  Both of the kids got prizes and a round of applause.  The Vaqueros added on three more runs in the fifth.  One came in on a sacrifice and another on a two-run homer.  Nick was playing hard, diving to try to stop a single.  He then came up second in the bottom with Joey Ortiz on and jacked one into the scoreboard in left center.  After Logan Ehnes singled and stole second, Peterson hit the second two-run homer of the inning.  The right fielder tried to climb the wall to get it.  Balderrama hadn’t given up a home run either this season.  12-7 UTRGV.

The Vaquero dad was yelling “Swing!” during the inning and finally got on my nerves to where I was finally yelling on plays.  He might have been motivating the batters, because they were swinging well.  Emerson threw out shirts after the home runs.  I wasn’t sure if they were the Star Wars shirts or not.  I was standing to applaud one of the home runs and she was standing in front of me and I didn’t signal for a shirt.  She seemed a little miffed and had to throw it to someone higher up.  Sorry, I just didn’t want to deprive anyone more enthusiastic about a giveaway shirt than I was.

Justin Schubert started the sixth for the Aggies.  He started off with a looking strikeout.  Alexia called for a t-shirt toss, but no one came down to do it.  Emerson may have been catching her breath.  Going up and down those grandstand steps from the pressbox would be a good workout.  Peterson made a good play on a high bouncer to get an out at first. 

Emerson, I think, was back down in front for the Pocket contest.  Whoever it was was in a Stormtrooper mask and giving away lightsabers.  “Is anyone wearing a Star Wars t-shirt!”  Obviously, these toys should be going to any kids in the crowd, but I was getting up anyway.  I noticed one other young woman in the crowd who was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt, and she was already standing next to Emerson.  So much for that.  At least the co-ed seemed happy with it, very happy.  You know, unextended, those toy lightsabers looked a lot like neon dil . . . err . . . ahem.      

Ron came back out of breath from chasing fouls for a couple of innings.  It’d gotten hot and he’d had enough.  I was happy he brought me a bottle of water.  Top of the seventh, Schubert had an awkward landing coming off the mound.  Coach Green came out and asked how he was doing and apparently gave the wrong answer and had to come out.  Chris Barraza came in.  He let in two more runs to make it 17-8.  He did get a strikeout.  Wow, did Emerson look hot . . . because she’d worked up a sweat throwing out all those shirts during the game.  Hey, it could have been worse.  There could have been a lot more than 6 K’s and 2 homers.

The Aggies rallied again in the bottom of the seventh.  They loaded the bases and UTRGV brought in their closer, Ryan Jackson.  He surrendered a bases clearing double to make it 17-11.  Jackson ended the inning by striking out Logan Bottrell.  Botts spun around like a top swinging at the final strike.

There was some sort of announcement about the El Paso Chihuahuas being at the final Aggie home series?  I’ll be on the lookout for that.  Barraza didn’t make it through the eighth.  Matt Munden came in and gave up a three-run homer.  The crowd deserted at that point, even the Vaquero dad (thankfully).  We got some comedy as a little boy dramatically called out a foul ball.  He also did the Worm between innings to the PA music.  Me and Jason Bush’s girlfriend thought it was funny.  Meanwhile, Jason had a rough inning blocking balls in the dirt (or whatever that artificial stuff is). 

The Vaqueros scored another run to set up a run rule with a ten-run lead.  The Aggies didn’t score in the bottom of the eighth and it was finally over.  21-11 UTRGV wins.  Let us never speak of this game again.

Should I hand out some gameballs for this?  Yes.  Coleman Grubbs for the Vaqueros went 4 for 5 with 5 RBI’s and a home run.  But, I doubt he would have done as well against the pitching machine.  The Aggies did show some real fight coming back after that first inning.  After going down five in Friday’s game, they knew they could do it.  Tristan Peterson had the best day going 2 for 3 with 4 RBI’s and a homer.  The only problem was the pitching; they just couldn’t stop UTRGV from scoring. 

At least you already know that the Aggies came back magnificently on Sunday.  I’m sorry I wasn’t there for it, but I had a date with the Margaritas (explanation forthcoming).  

Sports Journal April 26-30, 2019

4-26-19

Aggie Softball started their last scheduled home series tonight against UMKC.  For some reason, the Aggies were wearing their road grays again.  They do look good though.  I was able to watch over the Internet via the WAC Digital Network.  Adam Young and Brian Cox were on the call.  Basically, I got to watch the first couple of innings and the end.

In the first, Nikki Butler drove in a run with a single.  Mya Felder then hit a ball hard enough that I could hear it going out before I saw it for a two-run homer.  The Aggies went up 3-0.  In the second, Jeanelle Medina doubled in the bottom of the order, who were on base, to make it 5-0.  Shelby Shultes, playing DP, actually stole a base before being driven in.  I didn’t know she was a threat.

I picked the game back up in the sixth.  Samaria Diaz, pitching for the Aggies, had a no-hitter going.  Adam did not mention it, like a good broadcaster, but did hint at it.  The third batter of inning got an infield hit.  Jeanelle dove for it and stopped it, but had no play.  She gave Sam a sheepish grin afterward.  It didn’t faze Samaria at all and she was all smiles too.  

In the bottom of the sixth, Casie Roberto homered to make it 6-0.  Kelsey Horton singled in Brandy Hernandez to make it 7-0.  The Roos are the best running team in the WAC.  In the seventh, one of their few baserunners attempted to steal for some reason.  Nikki threw her out.  That was her second put out of a runner for the game.  Jeanelle was smiling again after making the tag.  Samaria Diaz got the 7-0 shutout, only allowing one hit, with 11 strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Aggie Baseball was playing Sac State in Sacramento, also on the WAC Network.  They’re playing for first place in conference, so it was an important game.  I got pissed listening to the Sac State call.  They have food trucks at their games.  They’re having a music festival before their game tomorrow.  They have people tailgating the parking garage beyond the outfield wall.  They have better sponsorship in their commercials.  Their players were using 80’s music for their walkup songs.

The best I can say for the Aggies is that they either brought a bunch of fans, or the team was making a whole lot of noise from the dugout.  At times, it sounded like an Aggie home game, if not better than.  Their announcer was impressed with the Aggies’ offense, but reminded the viewers that Sac State had national-level good pitching.  They’re undefeated when scoring six runs and 22-5 scoring at least three runs.

Here’s your summary from the first half of the game that I mostly missed.  In the second, an error with two outs brought in a run for the Aggies.  That was all Scott Randall, the Sac State starter, gave up in his six innings.  In the eighth, with runners on corners, one via an error, Joey Ortiz sac’d in a run after a massive battle at the plate.  2-0 Aggies.

Brock Whittlesey worked a masterful game for the Aggies.  He went seven and 2/3.  He only gave up two hits.  Whitt was taken out after giving up his second hit in the eighth.  Aldo Fernandez came in.  He gave up a hit, but got a strikeout to end the inning.  In the ninth, the first two Aggies reached on hits.  For some reason, Coach Green had power hitter, Tristan Peterson, bunting, which just resulted in an out.  Kevin Jimenez came up next and singled in a run to make it 3-0.  A new pitcher came in with the bases loaded and one out.  Bruno Teramoto pinch hit, but struckout.  A foul out ended the inning.

They were going to regret not adding on.  Keaton Graf came in for the bottom of the ninth.  He gave up three hits and a run scored with one out.  The bases were loaded with a walk.  A shallow popup to the outfield got the second out.   Unfortunately, down to their last strike, the Hornets walked it off with a bases clearing double.  Sac State won 4-3, as their team stormed the field.  Here’s your stat of the game: the Aggies left 15 runners on base.

4-27-19

I was at Aggie Softball during this game, but read about it afterward.  Aggie Baseball had a great 12-4 bounce back win over Sac St.  Justin Dehn got the win going five innings, only allowing three runs.  The relief corps went the other four and only gave up one run.  That’s a great turnaround.  Offensively, Eric Mingus had a huge day with six RBI’s and a three-run homer.  Kevin Jimenez went 3 for 5, and Brendan Williams, as a pinch hitter, had one hit and an RBI.

4-28-19

I didn’t go anywhere this Sunday, but, boy, was I busy with sports anyway.  First up was some NASCAR at Talladega.  In all honesty, I think I’m enjoying watching Shannon Spake in the pre and postrace segments more than anything else this season.  The first wreck may have happened during the first commercial break of the coverage.  I had flipped over to something else, and when I got back, they were interviewing drivers at the care center.

 

I did see the end of the race.  There was a big wreck with about six to go.  There were two single-car incidents that happened afterward, but no caution was thrown, as they didn’t interfere with the racing.  However, a third multi-car wreck on the last lap froze the field and gave Chase Elliot the win.  One of the ladies at work, who is part of a NASCAR picker, had chosen him for the win, so she was quite pleased with the result.  (I stopped participating in the picker when money and voluminous rules came into play.)

That “something else” on another station was College Softball on Stadium.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen them show a softball game, though I’m not surprised they would.  After being burned so many times last year over phantom scheduling of College Baseball, I was surprised this actually came on, though.  This was a Mountain West matchup between Nevada and Boise State in sunny, but very chilly Boise.  They have a nice grassy knoll beyond the outfield.  The dugouts and pressbox looked great.  However, their stadium with un-shaded metal bleachers isn’t any better than our facility here in Las Cruces for the fans. 

The Wolfpack went up 8-0 after three innings and I nearly abandoned the game.  But, the Broncos came back and tied it at 10 in the sixth.  I couldn’t tune away from the comeback.  The game went to extras.  The Broncos unfortunately gave up a two-run homer in the ninth and lost 12-11.  I noticed the coverage was using the term “DH” instead of “DP” in the game.   

I checked in on the Chihuahuas on the radio at some point early in their game in Las Vegas against the Aviators.  What I heard was an excited Tim Hagerty.  Luis Urias had hit three home runs in four innings.  I kept listening at that point, as Tim was hoping to call a four-home run game.  Urias wasn’t able to do it, but the pups won 10-6 and swept the series.  I got the impression several balls went into the outfield pool.  That area is definitely collecting balls from what I’ve heard.

After the softball was over, I finally checked in on Aggie Baseball at Sacramento State over the Internet.  (I was trying not to watch TV, video on the computer, and listen to the radio at the same time like someone who has some kind of sports-related mental disorder might try to do.)  I came in in the eighth with the Aggies up 3-2, but with two Hornets on and nobody out.  Aldo Fernandez came into the game.  He got a strikeout and started a DP to keep the score the same.  Aldo came back out for the ninth to close it out. 

The Aggies won 3-2, in spite of three errors.  The Sac State announcer questioned that the Aggies hadn’t beaten anyone out-of-conference, but had to acknowledge that they haven’t lost a series in WAC conference play.  Chance Hroch got the win, going six innings, and only giving up one unearned run.  Nick Gonzales and Tristan Peterson both homered in the game.  And if you need your car washed in Sacramento, go visit the “Quick-Quack Carwash.”  (I’m still jealous of their teams’ sponsors.) 

I tried listening to the Cubs versus the Diamondbacks later on MLB.TV.  The game video was blacked out (since the D-Backs are on local cable), but the radio audio was available.  Unfortunately, my connection kept dropping.  I would have given up, but the game went into extra innings and I wanted see who’d win.  It was also nice to hear Greg Schulte again.  We used to get AZ games over El Paso radio. 

Big cheers went up for both teams on every good play.  There are a bunch of Cubs fans in the Phoenix.  In the twelfth, the Cubs loaded the bases with nobody out and Anthony Rizzo up.  Connection drop.  Got it back.  And the Cubs did not score somehow.  In the thirteenth, the Cubs tried to steal home with two outs.  Unfortunately, I heard that ill-thought out strategy play out.  The D-Backs got close to ending it in the bottom.  And then something came on TV and I gave up because of all of the drops.  (The Cubs won 6-5 in the 15 innings.  Five total runs were scored in the last inning.)    

The ESPN game came on the radio after the Chihuahuas’ game.  The Indians and Astros were playing, but I really wasn’t paying attention.  Flipping around the TV later, I found the Monterrey Sultans playing on a Mexican station.  Those guys have a nice crib there.  I decided to watch Les Mis on Masterpiece Theater instead.  (That was a mistake, I admit.  Where’s all the frickin’ singing and dancing, damnit!)  

4-30-19

This was a big day for Aggie Softball and Baseball.  Both teams were matching up against Power-Five Schools.  (I still don’t really know what that means other than they’re playing against much better programs.)  My viewing of said events was an exercise in frustration.  The softball started first.  There was video, but no sound.  There was also no live scoring, other than the camera sometimes focusing in on the scoreboard between innings.  For Game 2, there were live stats, but the video dropped shortly after the game started.  For baseball, there was video, but I couldn’t get the sound to come up to more than a whisper.  There was our local radio call, but there was about a 30-second delay with the video.  Live stats also dropped off early in the game. 

Aggie Softball was playing #17 Texas Tech here in Las Cruces.  This was a makeup series added to the schedule late.  I didn’t have live scoring, but Ron and my co-worker, Chuck, were there and I did get some updates.  Surprisingly for such a good matchup, this wasn’t a well-attended game.  If this had been on the schedule originally, I’m going to say a lot of local softball teams would have shown up.  I’m not even sure if Texas Tech fans came, like they did for that weekday afternoon baseball game a couple of years ago (4-4-17).

 

Analise de la Roca started Game 1.  She was doing pretty well through four innings.  The Aggies even had a 4-3 lead thanks to a Shelby Shultes’ home run.  The fifth inning was a six-run disaster.  I think saw Coach Rodolph make two trips to the circle trying to nurse Analise through the inning, before finally putting Chloe Rivas in.  Chloe gave up an inherited run, but worked two and 1/3 innings without giving up a run of her own.  Victoria Castro did homer in the bottom of the inning, but that was the last of the Aggie scoring.  9-4 Texas Tech was the Game 1 final.  The Red Raiders even had two errors in the game.

For Game 2, the Aggie bats got into it.  Samaria Diaz pitched a complete game, 8-2 Aggie win.  Kayla Bowen homered and singled in a run.  Mya Felder also homered, so the two freshmen did well.  Shelby doubled in a run, Tori tripled in a run, and Kennedi Sorensen, off the bench, drove in two runs pinch hitting.  This game feels like a good sign for the team at the WAC Tournament next week.

Meanwhile in baseball, the Aggies were playing the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson.  By the fourth inning, two hours into the game, Adam Young, on the radio call, was horrified by how long game was going.  This was turning into a repeat of these teams’ last meeting (3-19-19).  It ended up being four-and-a-half hours. 

Just a couple of observations before starting the recap.  The outfield looks absolutely massive at Hi Corbett Field with towering walls.  When Noah Haupt hit a triple off the centerfield wall in the sixth, it looked like it was about a mile away.  There was a great crowd there, including a couple hundred Aggie fans.  Unfortunately, there was also one really obnoxious fan yelling out during most of the game.  I think it was mostly during three-ball counts.  I don’t know about the players, but it completely got on my nerves.

The Aggies started off well by scoring three runs in the first and knocking out the Wildcats’ starter.  AZ came back in the bottom with a five runs and likewise taking out starter Chris Barraza.  Arizona had another big four-run inning in the seventh, but the Aggies kept adding runs through each of the first seven innings. 

Offensively, the big blow was Tristen Carranza’s three-run homer in the fifth.  Joey Ortiz was on base and AZ elected to intentionally walk Nick Gonzales to face “Trizzy.”  (I don’t know why Adam keeps calling him that.  That’s probably what his girlfriend calls him and only her.)  TC had four total RBI’s on the day.  Logan Ehnes, Eric Mingus, Kevin Jimenez, Noah Haupt, and Nick all had two RBI’s.  Joey went 4 for 5 hitting.  I hope all the scouts in attendance for the game were impressed with these guys.      

Defensively, Chris Jefferson’s two-inning appearance, starting the fifth, held the Wildcats scoreless for two frames.  Brock Whittlesey coming in in the seventh, on his bullpen day, probably saved the game.  AZ had cut the Aggies’ eight-run lead in half and were threatening more when Whitt put out the fire with a double play.  Keaton Graf worked the last two innings for the save.  He gave up a two-run homer, but not the lead.       

NM State Aggies vs UMKC Roos Softball Game 2, 4-27-19

Continued from Game 1.

Ron and I retreated to his car to cool off.  I downed two water bottles.  I’d actually needed that drink in the third inning, two hours ago.  Night had come and the evening was cool and beautiful.  When we came back in, I noticed some girls practicing softball pitching with a baseball underneath the grandstand.  It was a nice scene for a ballpark.

Kennedy Johnson continued at DP for this game, along with Sarai Mejia in right.  Brandy Hernandez resumed left field duties and batting ninth.  Samaria Diaz was back out in the circle to start Game 2.  She gave up a single, but struck out two in the first.  In the bottom, Kelsey Horton hit a grounder through the third baseman’s legs and hustled it into a double.  The official scorekeeper listed that as a hit.  Even Roos fans were outraged. 

A little girl nearby us didn’t want to go chasing fouls.  “It’s too much work for a lollipop,” she said.  She wasn’t a gamer.  In the second, a foul went straight back over the screen and a different little girl caught it.  She received a round of applause from the crowd.  Now, there’s a gamer.  (I told Chuck about it.  He felt even worse about dropping his foul last weekend.  I shouldn’t have said anything.)  Samaria was overpowering this inning with three more strikeouts.

Then the bottom of the second happened.  Here’s what for sure happened.  Mya Felder singled and Casie Roberto beat out an infield hit.  KJ hit a three-run line drive homer to left center.  She was having a heck a Senior Day.  Sarai got an infield hit as her grounder bounced high and hit pitcher, Kailyn Packard, in the face mask.  You figure any pitcher wearing a mask has probably been hit in the face before.  Packard was clearly stunned, perhaps having a flashback, after the hit.  The coach and trainer came out to check on her.  Packard stayed in to a round of applause.

Okay, then it all got weird.  Brandy got on by a fielder’s choice.  After this, I got confused.  Faith Willis, at short, had problems and the ball kept finding her.  I initially had her with four errors this inning.  In spite of my issues with the official scorer, I went with the announced two errors, though I’m not entirely sure on which plays.  (I’m afraid to look at the official game recap.)  I stopped taking notes and held off on scoring, as I tried to process events.  This only made things more confusing when more oddness happened.

I think Jeanelle Medina got on by an error, a dropped ball at first from short.  Kelsey, next, hit a grounder to short.  Brandy was running by at the time and her feet got fouled with the ball.  She started to run off the field, but was pointed back to third and stayed there to load the bases.  Was Willis obstructing Brandy before she tripped on the ball?  Victoria Castro sac’d her in.  Nikki Butler singled in two runs.  I think I had that as another error, as the ball went to short and took a high bounce, but seemed like it should have been handled.  Mya walked.  An error on another bouncer to short loaded the bases before the final out was recorded.  6-0 Aggies.  I’m at least sure of score.        

Sam got two more strikeouts and a groundout in the third.  However, there was also a walk, an error, and a three-homer by Bre Hunter.  Here we go again, I thought.  6-3 Aggies.  Brandy singled in the bottom.  Willis made a good play on a liner for the second out.  And then, Kelsey Horton went straight into legend.  She’s the Aggie home run leader and she’s hit big home runs, but this one was special.  Kelsey hit a two-run line drive home run straight into the scoreboard and actually put out some of the lights.  I told you all, she’s The Natural!  Meanwhile, AD Mario Moccia gritted as he applauded, “We just fixed the d*mn thing!”  (Just kidding, though probably not.) 

I almost don’t feel like recapping the rest of the game after that.  It’s too anti-climatic by comparison.  A plague of locusts did descend on the stadium.  They flew around the lights and occasionally into the crowd.  The hail of frogs landed just south in Anthony.  The highlights continued.  In the fourth, Sam deflected a high liner to Jeanelle, who caught it, stepped on second, and threw to first for an inning-ending double play.  The Aggies went down in order in the bottom.  The Pocket contest asked fans for a $2 bill.  There was a winner.

The Roos scored two in the fifth to make it 8-5.  They were not going away.  There were some highlights here.  Sarai made a good running basket catch in right.  Sydney Garcia hit a run-scoring double and advanced to third on the throw in.  Perhaps her dad in the crowd got angry that she hesitated before getting there.  Sheesh. 

The Roo fans had been getting pretty salty since the second inning.  They did get a laugh over Bre Hunter, who played great in this double header, as she beat out an infield hit, but tripped on first base and faceplanted.  (They also found Tom’s cheering fairly amusing.)  Sam had a laugh, too.  She lobbied on a check swing to the ump, didn’t get it, and then laughed it off.  If Samaria seems to have a secret to her success, it’s that she really seems to be having fun out there, not taking it too seriously, and playing loose.    

Shelby Shultes, pinch hitter extraordinaire, came up in the fifth and singled.  Tori singled her in to make it 9-5.  The Roos scored again in the sixth, as Catherine Friloux drove in Faith Willis.  9-6 Aggies.  Casie caught the final out on a popup in the infield.  She fell backward on her back to come up with the catch.  Mya doubled to start the bottom of the sixth.  Casie singled her in.  KJ then hit a high bouncer that hit Madason Shaw in the face at third.  The ball went into center and Casie scored.  Madason seemed okay.  Maybe the ball didn’t hit her hard in the face?  11-6 Aggies.

Entering her ninth inning of work for the day, Sam still looked like she was having fun.  It’s hard not to admire that attitude combined with her performance.  Holy cats!  I can’t believe what I saw come into the stadium earlier.  A pretty girl wearing pure fetish-inducing black vinyl pants came in.  I’m not even into that and I was mesmerized.  She left in the seventh, presumably to go party.  I nudged Ron.  She had the same effect on him.

Umm, back to the game.  Sam got two quick outs.  She gave up two walks on close pitches.  I could see the outfielders going nuts wanting the game to finish.  Sam appropriately finished the game with a strikeout.  Nikki flipped the ball one more time as the team celebrated.  The PA told everyone to stick around for Senior Day ceremonies and thanked the UMKC fans for attending.  That’s always a nice touch.

Aggies win 11-6!  Let’s hand out those gameballs.  Bre Hunter is again our Roo MVP with a home run and four RBI’s.  Kelsey Friggin’ Horton, just for that unforgettable blast in the third capping an unforgettable Aggie career.  Kennedy Johnson had a heck of a Saturday, going collectively 5 for 8 with 7 RBI’s.  Make sure her mom is in the stands at the WAC Tournament.  9 innings, 18 strikeouts, 2 earned runs.  No wonder Samaria Diaz could smile so easily.  

Senior Day Ceremony

First up, the PA recognized the Roos’ only senior Maegan Rollow.  She waved to the UMKC fans in the stands with an armful of flowers.  The Aggie ceremony seemed a bit rushed compared to the others I’ve seen for some reason.  It was almost like something was missing.  (Ahem, Kayla Green. Ahem.)  I don’t want to do this here, but I have to.  Whatever happened between her and team, Kayla did a great job for the program, leading your pitching staff to two WAC Tournament Championships.  If she was here in town and willing to go on field, you guys really should have recognized her.    

Like I said, it felt kind of rushed.  I wasn’t really able to write down all of the players’ accomplishments at the time.  Sorry if I’m getting stuff wrong and leaving stuff out.  Victoria Castro had a career .300 average and the top batting average for this season.  Kennedy Johnson made the all-tournament team last year.  (I could see that happening this year too, after today’s performance.)  Kelsey Horton was another .300 career average hitter.  She was an iron-woman starting every game she played (if I heard that right).  She’s a two-time WAC Player of the Year and a Tournament MVP.  I could even see Roo players listening to her accomplishments in awe.    

Here’s where I’d normally gush over the seniors.  I certainly did that with Kelsey last year, perhaps to the point of being inappropriate.  I have the highest respect for Kelsey and her talent, and it doesn’t hurt that she’s attractive.  Actually, if Tori could play with her incredible hair loose, I’d totally fan-cheat on Kelsey with her.  (And I have seen Tori hit the ball harder and further, but distance doesn’t matter as long as it goes over the wall.)  Kelsey, in a postgame interview, put a great bow on the game by noting that all three seniors (who were present) homered today.  Let’s just end here on a happy note.