Annalia Paoli

Albert Gallatin

The past week: The freshman hit a two-run walkoff homer in the eighth inning of Albert Gallatin’s 6-4 win against Waynesburg Monday, moving her team to 15-3. After that win, she is batting .521 with 41 RBIs.

Check this out: Paoli has hit 11 home runs this season and is verbally committed to Pitt. What factored into your decision to commit to Pitt? I went to several camps, but when I went to Pitt, it was like home for me. I just love the facility and the campus and the coaches. It just felt like home, and I knew then. Were you cautious to make

the decision pretty early? No, I had to think about it a little bit, but I knew, once I committed to Pitt, that it would be perfect for me. Because I love being close to home, and that’s only like an hour and a half away, and I think that’s going to be perfect for me. And I think I’m going to get a great education there. Are you surprised you’ve hit 11 home runs? Yeah, I wasn’t expecting to hit that many my freshman year. I work hard, so I’m really proud of myself for doing that. What’s allowed you guys to have success this season? We’ve had a really good team this year so far. We’re not done. We’re ready to make a run in the playoffs, and there’s a lot of really good hitters on this team. I’m just really excited to see how far we go in the playoffs. What are some of your favorite artists to listen to? I like Taylor Swift and Sam Hunt. Favorite Taylor Swift song? Enchanted. Something people would be surprised to know about you? Probably how good I am with little kids. I just love little kids, being around them, and they all seem to like me ... I like being a big part of family, spending time with my little cousins and brother. Do you want to work with kids one day? Actually, no, I want to be a physical therapist because I like working with sports injuries. Do you have a pro athlete you really respect, and why? I like Andrew McCutchen because he never gives up and he’s always been a good hitter, and I just look up to him. So you’re a big Pirates fan? Yes, my whole family is. What do you think of this season so far? I think they’ve been doing pretty good. I haven’t gotten to watch a lot of games because I’ve been pretty busy with school ball and stuff.