On Wednesday, the Carbon Dino baseball team made the trip to the Uintah Basin and Vernal to take on the Utes. After returning from the Mesquite tournament last weekend, the Dinos were looking to get back in the win column. All of the game’s offense came in the first three innings, as the rest of the game was all about defense; luckily, Carbon maintained its lead and walked away with a 4-1 win.
Carbon ended its opening weekend in Mesquite with a 3-2 record, but suffered a loss in the final game to host Virgin Valley.
Carbon started out in their first at bat with Logan Bennett sending a triple to center field, then with one out, Adrian Vasquez came to the plate and sent a line drive to right field, driving in Bennett to give Carbon the lead. The Utes would come back in the bottom half of the inning to answer the Dinos as the game was tied going into the second.
After neither team could find a run in the second inning, Carbon came up in the top of the third and was looking to put some runs on the board. Maddux Willson got things started with a single to third, getting him on base. Brody Ware came up with two outs on the board, drawing a walk after Willson advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch. Xander Pappas came up and singled to the right fielder, scoring Willson to give Carbon a one-run lead. Jacen Urbanik was up next and sent another hard grounder to left field for a single, scoring Ware. With the score 3-1, Kanyon Grant sent a double to left field, bringing Pappas home to put the score at 4-1.
The remainder of the contest was all about defense, with no runs scored the rest of the way. Carbon kept Uintah off the scoreboard and closed out the Utes, taking the 4-1 win.
Urbanik led the way for the Dinos, going 3-3 and collecting an RBI. Ware went 2-3, scoring one, and Pappas was 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the win.
Pappas also got the start on the mound, collecting five hits and one run on five strikeouts while collecting the win. Paxton Falk closed things out with one inning of work, giving up one hit and striking out one.
The Dinos will head back south starting on Friday for the St. George tournament, facing teams from Centennial, out of Boise, Idaho. Pine View, a St. George area school, and Silverado from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Carbon will finally have its home opener on Tuesday, March 17, when they welcome East High School to Price.
Game time is set for 3:00 p.m.