by Bryce Reedy
Tuesday, Oct. 11, was the annual softball vs. wrestling softball game. The game was a close one this year, but it was the softball team that once again came out on top after seven innings, by a score of 6-4.
Despite the outcome, both teams enjoyed getting to go up against one another.
“It was awesome,” wrestler Payton Tawater said. “I enjoyed every bit of it. It was fun and I think that everyone came out here and competed the best that they could. Unfortunately, we couldn’t win but it’s all okay.”
“I thought it was a good turnout,” softball player Baylee Boren said. “And I know before the game the wrestlers were kind of talking some mess so I think that we came out and gave it to them.”
Both teams were talking smack back and forth throughout the game, trying to get in each other’s heads.
“I have to try and get in their heads the best that I can,” Tawater said. “They throw heat at us all day long, [so] we have to try our best to get in their heads a little bit and at least get a chance at hitting the ball.”
The wrestlers were able to keep the game close, but two home runs by infielder Kaila Jacobi and outfielder Hailey Hinson were the key run contributors for the softball team.
“It was fun,” head softball coach Ben Garcia said. “The good part about it is that the wrestlers and the softball team are able to kind of adopt each other if you will. So there is a lot of support […] They made it kind of tricky this year. Put in some twists so it was kind of neat to win it again.”
This year’s game wasn’t played as an ordinary softball game. The athletic department threw in some unique events each inning in order to make the game more entertaining for all those involved. Some of the twists that they threw in there were having to run the bases in reverse order, an inning of kickball and one pitch softball.
The event that garnered the most attention from both sides however was the rule where in the fifth inning the only way your team could score was you had to eat a hot dog before leaving third base. Both teams ended up with players getting to third base that inning and having to eat a hot dog. One of those players was Boren.
“Okay I was very excited because I was hungry,” Boren said. “But then once I got [the hotdog] it was so dry. I needed some ketchup or something but it was tougher than I thought it would be.”
Softball’s regular season doesn’t officially start until Feb. 4 while wrestling has their first meet of the year on Nov. 5, with their annual maroon and white dual being held Nov. 10 in Brownson arena at 7 p.m..
