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Show BAC < A BA BY IAN SMITH/STAFF WRITER PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER SAMUELS erious injuries have been part of many athletes' careers. After suffering one injury, there's almost a sense that an athlete will be re-injured or just never be the same. One such athlete is working to stay on the field and stay healthy so he can be an asset to his team. That athlete is redshirt sophomore third baseman Dallas Carroll. Carroll has suffered through a tough stretch of his collegiate baseball career and is now back in the lineup, looking to make a difference for the Utes. In 2013, Carroll appeared in 28 games for Utah. He was having a good season, hitting .282 at the plate, including three doubles and two triples. Among other statistics, he had 12 RBIs and reached home plate 15 times himself. In a game against Arizona in late March, however, Carroll suffered a broken foot, cutting his season short. He was forced out the rest of the year due to the injury. Upon returning to the diamond for the 2014 season, he went through an offseason in which his twin brother, Dalton — a pitcher for the Utes — said he worked hard to get his mind and body right again. "It was tough, especially the first injury with [Dallas'] foot," Dalton Carroll said. "Knowing how much he worked to get to this position in college baseball. To see him go down, it was tough at that time and I think the second time was even tougher because of how much rehab he had to do to get back into shape and his foot back ready to play." However, in the team's first game of the year against Sacramento State last season, Dallas was run over by an opposing player who was racing to third base in the first inning. He knew something was wrong after the collision but still managed to finish the inning before being taken to the hospital, as he could barely lift his arm. "The surgery itself was good': Dallas Carroll said. "I think everything went fine, everything feels fine now. They ended up putting a plate in and, I think, nine screws. Everything feels fine and hasn't really given me any problems:' Dallas was diagnosed with a broken collarbone and had to go through therapy, which lasted from March until June of that year. He said the main point of therapy was to get the mobility of his arm back while not being afraid to lift his arm and having confidence in S his body. While a lot of people can have reoccurring injuries with a broken collarbone, Dallas said he eased into his therapy. He didn't want to move too fast and put the healing bone in jeopardy of another break. Both of the injuries Dallas has suffered have been "bizarre accidents" and have caused him to have sudden flashbacks to the injury, but he said he can't get caught up on memory and just has to look past it. Dalton said not having his brother come hand him the ball at the beginning of the inning was a change for him. "The toughest for me, at least, was watching him go down the second time': Dalton Carroll said. "Props to him for coming back and playing summer and getting back to where he needed to be so he can be a key part in this team this year:' Another offseason of recovery was upon Dallas and staying in the treatment room more was important to him. Dallas wanted to be healthy and stay healthy for the upcoming 2015 season. Not only did he push himself in the treatment room, he pushed himself in practice so he could get caught up to where he should be. Dallas said the hardest thing about his recovery was not being able to play with his team. Having to sit there and watch really took a toll on him and made him realize a bigger picture. "At any moment, I could be done playing the sport that I grew up [playing], that I love playing': Dallas Carroll said. "It just gave me a little perspective of the game. I mean, not take it for granted and just work:' Dalton said it was tough for him to not have his brother traveling with him when he's on the road, saying Dallas still hasn't been to some of the ballparks he has. Despite his absence on the diamond, Dallas' teammates have been there for him throughout his career. Dallas said his team may crack jokes about him somewhat, but they do it to keep him relaxed and so he doesn't worry about getting hurt again. Dallas credits his teammates and coaches for being with him every step of the way through his recovery. "He's a tremendous athlete': said head coach Bill Kinneberg. "All those athletic things that are necessary to be a good baseball player, he has. For us right now, it's just a pleasure to have him on the field ... What a difference it makes having him out on the field:' As the 2015 season begins, Dallas has had a good start to the season, as he's batting .355 at plate and has 11 hits on the year. He has also racked up six RBI's after only eight games. Dallas said he hopes that he can help the 8 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2015 } team make the postseason and place well in Pac-12 conference play, and do it injury-free. "Compete every pitch, I mean, get better every single day': Dallas said. "Obviously, try to stay on the field every single game. Just doing the little things that I can do to help the team get better and win:' i.smith@chronicle.utah.edu @ISmithAtTheU Utes never doubt in face of impossible odds BY BROCK JENSEN /STAFF WRITER PHOTO COURTESY OF LORI RIMIREZ t was an incredibly unlikely scenario. The chances of getting out of the jam were not high, yet the Utah softball team never doubted. "We knew we could do it," said third baseman Kristen Stewart. Utah found itself in a pressure-filled situation during the final game of the Mary Nutter Classic last weekend, going to extra innings versus Cal Poly. After failing to score in the top of the eighth inning, the Utes were still tied 1-1. Cal Poly started the bottom half of the inning with a runner on second base in accordance to the international tiebreaker rule and on an 0-2 count, Cal Poly's first batter got a base hit and reached first. The runner on second advanced to third on the play and, as a result, was just one base away from scoring. So the situation stood as follows — runners on first and third, no outs, and Cal Poly needing just one run to win. Not an easy hole to dig out of. "There was a little bit of pressure with the runner on third," said second baseman Hannah Flippen. There typically isn't a great chance of getting out of this kind of situation in softball without losing the game, but the Utes remained confident. "We never felt like the game was out of our hands': said captain Kate Dickman. "We always knew we were going to win that game." Despite the situation that Stewart described by saying "all odds were stacked against us': there was still no doubt in the players they would get out of the inning. Because of this belief, the madness that soon ensued was not a surprise for the team, but it sure was a spectacle for everyone else who was following the game. Pitcher Miranda Viramontes got the pitch call from the coaches and prepared to deliver. What resulted is a play that the team will be talking about for the rest of the season. The Cal Poly batter hit a high ground ball down the third-base line that was on a crash course for the backhanded glove of Stewart. Also by that outstretched glove however, was the Cal Poly runner on third. Reacting to the hit, the runner just barely took a step off the bag, and then the incredible happened. "I was thinking in my head that I just had to turn and tag the girl," Stewart said. Stewart did just that. She tagged out the runner to keep her from scoring, but the play wasn't done there. She immediately turned to second base and fired the ball to Flippen, who stood on the bag to convert the force out at second base — a double play. "At first, I wasn't even thinking of throwing to second': Stewart said. "I just turned and tagged the girl and then saw Hannah there on second." In the blink of an eye, the Utes went from an impossible situation to having two outs and just one runner on first. "Everyone was just cheering and yelling and Coach, who usually doesn't show that much emotion, even got in on it," Stewart said. "It was just crazy — it literally brought chills to my body." Head coach Amy Hogue was not short on praise for Stewart's play. "It wasn't a fluke thing for her — she knew she was going to get that ball," Hogue said. "These kids are all believers, and the ball came to one of our biggest believers in Stewart' It wasn't just by chance that the play developed the way it did, as Utah was trying to force a ground ball down the third base line. Utah coaches made the correct call and Viramontes executed that pitch call exceptionally. "Our coaches are so good at calling pitches, the play just could not have gone more perfectly': Flippen said. Viramontes followed up the big-time play with a strikeout to end the inning. Utah would go on to win the game 3-1 in the next inning. In what looked like an inevitable loss, the Utes showed their clutch factor by making what may be one of the best situational plays this season. "I don't wish scenarios like that to happen. But now that I know the ending, those kinds of situations are so good for us as a team': Hogue said. As for the athlete who made the play, she didn't hesitate when asked where this play ranks for her all time. "That was my best play. It was just so heads-up': Stewart said. Being able to make the physical play in a pressure-filled situation was big, but it was the timeliness and mental awareness that really made it special. When the prospect of a win for the Utes looked nearly impossible, they pulled together and showed their confidence, trust and belief in each other's abilities. They truly never doubted. bjensen@chronicle.utah.edu @brockjensen02 9 |