Team Scruggs took the win in softball while men’s soccer lost to Bowling Green

By Tyler Clifton, Staff Writer

A doubleheader took place last Friday at Hayden and Corcoran Fields, featuring two Muskie sports back-to-back.

The afternoon consisted of the men’s basketball team playing a slow-pitch softball game on the baseball field, followed by the men’s soccer team playing their first preseason game of the year against Bowling Green.

The softball game provided fans an opportunity to see the men’s basketball team do something far more casual than what they’re used to seeing. 

For those in attendance, one of the more exciting elements to watch was the assistant coaches play.. Assistant coach Jonas Hayes hit home runs in two consecutive at bats. 

According to junior health services major Amanda Hagedorn, that was the most fun part of the game.

“You could see everyone was smiling and having a good time. The players were laughing as Coach Hayes was jogging around the basepaths,” Haegdorn added. 

When asked who took the softball game most seriously, junior criminal justice major Jack Dzierzanowski had only one answer.

“Oh, Coach Steele by far,” he said. “In fact, there were a couple times where he pegged some of the players and the umpire almost threw him out.”

The game ended 10-7 with a win for fifth-year senior guard Paul Scruggs’s team, and after the seven inning game was completed, the teams decided to play an extra inning just for fun.

Once the game ended, students, staff and faculty made their way over to watch Xavier’s men’s soccer take the pitch for the first time this season. 

The Musketeers are coming off a relatively rough 3-7-1 year, but they have higher expectations coming into this season.

The fans were loud at the start and only grew more raucous  when Xavier scored a quick goal to take an early lead.

The cheers quickly went silent, however, as Bowling Green scored two quick goals to take a 2-1 lead going into halftime.

The match played out  similarly in the second half as Xavier attacked early, but Bowling Green proved to be the better team on the day, 

The final score was 4-2 Bowling Green.

The men’s basketball will play their true season opener on Nov. 9 against the Niagara Purple Eagles in Cintas Center. 

The men’s soccer team’s next game is at home at 6 p.m. on Friday against Eastern Illinois in what will be their official season opener.