softball
Piotrowski helps Titans improve record to 8-0 in the South Suburban
Aside from being a talented player, Tinley Park sophomore Grace Piotrowski is a nice kid.
During a timeout in Tuesday’s game, she went over from her shortstop position to help Oak Forest base runner Delaney Burns tie her shoelaces.
“We play travel together, and we played when we were really little,” Piotrowski said, smiling. “I’ve known her for all my life.
“She was tying one shoelace and said, ‘Can you tie the other one?’ I said, ‘Sure.’”
Piotrowski did a lot more for her own team, however, in Tinley Park’s 9-4 South Suburban Blue victory.
In the fifth inning, she drew a walk and scored the run that put the Titans in front for good. She added a two-run single in the sixth.
Kristin Kavalauskas added a pair of doubles for Tinley Park (13-1, 8-0). Amelia Bresnahan contributed a triple and a single, while Jules Gomez went the distance for the pitching victory.
Paxton Hoop hit a home run for Oak Forest (5-4, 4-3). Victoria Conley added a run-scoring double.
Tinley Park coach Wendy Podbielniak laughed about Piotrowski’s shoe-tying gesture.
“When I played (at Mother McAuley) I could see myself tying them together,” she said. “Like on Kerri Rochowicz from Maria, sure.
“But here’s the thing. It is a battle, but these kids respect each other. The coaches respect each other. The kids grew up together, and they’re super-nice kids. When we play it’s a battle, but it’s not ugly.”
The Titans broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the fifth when Piotrowski worked a one-out walk.
The next batter, Kavalauskas, found a gap in right-center for an RBI double.
Piotrowski and Kavalauskas went back-to-back again in the sixth with a two-run single and an RBI double as the Titans scored five times to pull away.
“I knew we were going to come back,” Piotrowski said.
“We weren’t going to give up against them. It was a dogfight, but it’s always fun.”
Piotrowski is hitting .554, with six doubles, three homers and 22 RBIs.
“I’m just trying to keep it simple,” Piotrowski said. “I’d rather get some doubles and hit the ball up the middle. I want to have solid at-bats.”
Gomez (7-1) rebounded from a shaky fourth to slam the door on Bengals threats in the fifth and sixth. She ended both innings with strikeouts.
“Getting those runs boosted me 100 percent,” Gomez said. “I felt more confident going back out. I just needed to shake it off.”
Oak Forest didn’t have a base runner until Hoop hit a monster home run to left field with one out in the fourth. Conley and Kate Elias added RBIs in the three-run rally.
“It was competitive there for a little bit,” Oak Forest coach Katy Dammer said. “We have to clean up some mental and physical errors on defense. They capitalized on it, and they’re one of the better teams in the area.”
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