Lady Dinos make big strides in St. George

By Sun Advocate

The Lady Dinos proved their legitimacy in 3A softball with a win over Pine View and a strong showing at a St. George tournament March 19 and 20.
Carbon stole eight bases and had 14 hits in the 10-8 victory against Pine View on the eve of the tournament. Brittany Pollastro hit her first of two home runs, going 2 for 5.
Morgan Warburton went 3 of 4 and Brooke Herrick was 2 for 4 from the plate, scoring four times and setting the Lady Dinos up for a great offensive weekend.
Carbon then opened the tournament with a 10-0 win over Mountain View Christian out of Las Vegas, Nev.
Warburton went 3 for 3 and Whitney Montoya was 2 for 2. Pollastro was 2 for 3, including a double and her second home run of the tournament.
Lacey Timothy, who pitched for Carbon the majority of the tournament, gave up only three hits.
It was Union, the fourth ranked team in the state, which handed Carbon its first loss of the tourney when four errors in the fifth dispelled Carbon’s 6-1 lead.
The Lady Cougars defeated Carbon, 7-6.
According to head coach Tony Pinedo, the Lady Dinos played as well through the first four innings as he has seen them play all season.
“We made some outstanding defensive plays in the game,” Pinedo stated. “But in the fifth inning we fell apart.”
Carbon followed with a 9-5 loss to South Sevier. The Dinos lead 5-3 after the first inning. However, the loss of senior catcher Hailee Vigil on a home plate collision set a bad tone for the remainder of the game.
Vigil left the game with a fractured left hand and will be unable to play for at least six weeks.
Pinedo said the loss of Vigil greatly impacts the team and everyone hopes to have her back before the end of the season.
“She was one of our team leaders. She lives for softball and we need her back for the state tournament,” he commented.
Carbon split the two remaining games of the tournament, taking a narrow 3-2 loss against Boulder City, Nev. and annihilating Park City 15-4.
In the Boulder City game, poor pitch selection cost Carbon a win despite the strong pitching of Timothy and Carbon’s third homerun of the weekend by Warburton.
Herrick finished with two of Carbon’s four hits.
Against Park City, Carbon had 11 hits and only one error while Timothy gave up only five hits.
Herrick stole three bases and Halee Rasmussen went 2 for 3 in the victory.
Pinedo said the weekend was a great push toward the region season, which opens against Emery at Carbon on March 25.
“We feel like we’re headed in the right direction,” Pinedo concluded.
The Emery game begins at 3 p.m.