A lot of teams have pitchers that share time on the mound. They often say it doesn't matter which of them throws, but in the case of Juan Diego's pitchers it really has to be the case for the team to be successful.

When Atalea Rainaldi is pitching, the team's other hurler, Stacy Smith, is behind the plate catching her throws. The two split pitching duties Friday afternoon with Rainaldi earning a 5-4 win over Manti and Smith getting the 10-7 victory over South Sevier in the latter of the two games.

"My knees are a little sore," said Smith, adding that it doesn't matter to her which one of them is on the mound as they have faith in each other. "We love each other. We don't care."

Smith is in a unique position to help Rainaldi, who is a year younger, because she is both a pitcher and a catcher. The sophomore, who plays second base when Smith pitches, said she gladly takes advice from her older, more experienced teammate.

"She (gives me advice) all the time," Rainaldi said. "It's great."

Both girls see the Soaring Eagle continuing their stranglehold on the 2A softball title.

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"We have a really good chance," Rainaldi said. Adds Smith, "We knew we'd have to come ready to play every game, and I think we've done that."

Juan Diego had some help refocusing itself at the end of region play from a very unlikely source.

They lost a double-header to region champions Grand just before the 2A State Tournament started.

"It was a very good eye-opener for us," Rainaldi said.

The team's first win on Friday started out much better than they envisioned. The Soaring Eagle opened up with four hits and scored five runs against Manti's Jennie Nielsen. Their offense forced the Templars to change pitchers and Mandy Hatch earned the inning's final two outs and only allowed three more hit in the game for Juan Diego.

Manti didn't get a hit off of Rainaldi until the third inning and it scored all four of its runs that inning. Both teams made some great plays defensively, but maybe the most spectacular was when Manti second baseman Holli Harman snagged a scorching grounder going down into partial splits and then throwing to first for the out without getting up off the ground.

Juan Diego will play the Manti vs. South Sevier winner at 11 a.m.

In other tournament action Friday:

MANTI 7, BEAVER 6: The Templars' Cassie Lund tripled home the tying run in bottom the ninth, and then Holli Harman knocked in the winning run thanks to Beavers' sixth error of the game.

JUAN DIEGO 5, MANTI 4: The Soaring Eagle advanced in the winner's bracket of the 2A tournament with a big first inning in which the Templars were forced to change pitchers after seven batters.

Stephanie Barman smacked a double and Brittney Nielsen hit a triple. Nielsen's hit drove in the game's first run, lead-off batter Stacy Smith.

SOUTH SEVIER 2, BEAVER 1: At the bottom of the sixth inning, Shantel Winn walked and was moved to third base by Nichole Dowell's bunt. She scored off Afton Abbott's sacrifice bunt. Dowell moved to third on an error and then she scored on a wild pitch to earn the win for the Rams.

Beavers' pitcher Kassie Davis threw a perfect game for 4 3/4 innings before the Rams' Robbie Tanner hit a single to centerfield.

SAN JUAN 3, GRAND 2: The Broncos won when Cheyna Shumway got on base with a single and then scored on an error. Teammate Chelsea Hunt smacked a home run in the first inning to give the unranked Broncos a 2-0 lead to start the game.

Rachel Saggboy hit a double to get on base in the bottom of the first and then scored on a wild pitch. Whitney Ankrum temporarily tied the game for the Red Devils when teammate Hilary Rees hit a single in the fifth.

NORTH SEVIER 12, ENTERPRISE 5: North Sevier eliminated Enterprise with a huge offensive outing. Kendra Willardson hit a triple and Heather Mickelsen smashed a home run in the win. The team earned 17 hits to Enterprise's four hits.

JUAN DIEGO 10, SOUTH SEVIER 7: Ashley Nielson went 3-for-4 and scored three times as the Soaring Eagle earned a spot in the 2A State Championship game.

Elle Lindgren hit an inside-the-park home run in the top of the first for the Rams.

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BEAVER 11, NORTH SEVIER 10: The Beavers won the high-scoring game by striking out Karissa Pickett and then throwing out pitcher Natalie Hales as she tried to steal second for a rare double-play.

Kasta Nielsen went 3-for-3 and scored three times in the win that kept the Beavers alive in the tournament.

MANTI 5, SAN JUAN 1:Aubrie Cox smacked a double for the Templars in their bid to stay alive in the one-loss bracket. Manti's Jennie Nielson pitched a complete game as the team overcame three errors with six hits in the win.


E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com

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