| In an amazing play late in the game, catcher Hailee Vigil catches a fast pitch from third base to send Emery to the bench after an attempted run to home base. The play fired up the Dinos who had an amazing defensive showing. |
A lot of changes took place at the Carbon Dinos softball game on Tuesday. The most noticeable however was the fact the ladies have improved quite drastically since their last home game.
The Dinos hosted long time rivals, the Emery Spartans. The game found both teams competing with their full efforts, especially on defense.
The game began with both teams determined to win. It is difficult to say whether the strong determination was caused by the competition or because of the long history the two teams have with one another. Either way, the game was close, with both teams hitting well, but not being able to do much past hitting, because of the solid defense each team displayed.
The game remained tied at zero up until the third inning, in which the Spartans jumped ahead of the Dinos. The Spartans then scored a second run in the following inning, followed by the one and only run by Carbon in the fifth.
The game was still within reach for the Dinos as they entered the seventh inning, trailing the Spartans 3-1. This inning would seal the fate of the Dinos, with the Spartans capitalizing on errors made by the Dino defense. The Spartans would score two runs in the seventh, leading to the downfall of the Dinos, 5-1.
Although the Dinos did not walk away with a victory, the team was successful in terms of improvement. The battle between the two teams was one of the best displays of defensive play ever witnessed at the Dino ballpark.
The game was a total team effort by the Dinos, however, the strong defensive skills of Dino catcher, Hailee Vigil was outstanding. On several different occasions, Vigil had the opportunity to make her presence known. During an amazing play, Vigil lunged forward, falling face first into the dirt to catch a bunted ball from Emery. Amazingly, Vigil held strong and caught the ball to send the Spartan hitter to the bench.
A second amazing play involving Vigil came late in the game, when the bases were loaded with Spartan runners. The hitter sent the ball into left field. The ball was quickly snatched up by the Dinos third base player who sent the ball quickly to home. Vigil, with foot on base stretched with all her might to catch the ball and send the sliding Emery runner to the dugout. The play lifted the Dinos spirits and made all in the stands ecstatic.
Not only were changes made on the field, but also at the coaching position. Tony Pinedo coached his first game Tuesday, after being appointed to the position, following the resignation of former softball coach Don Gressmen. “I didn’t find out that I was to coach the team until Monday afternoon, but I was excited. This team has a lot of talent and I am happy to be a part of it. This is a tough situation for all, but the girls have really adjusted,” commented Pinedo.
The Dinos will return to action Thursday afternoon as Lehi visits in a region eight show off.