Piotrowski producing
Sophomore gets two hits as Tinley Park shuts out Richards but sees batting average drop under .700
For Tinley Park’s Megan Piotrowski, it was another great day at the old ballyard.
The sophomore outfielder went 2-for-3 and drove in the only run of the game.
The only thing she failed to do was raise her batting average. It’s hard to do when you’re flirting with .700.
“Yeah, it’s pretty crazy,” Piotrowski said. “I mean, with the amount of numbers, honestly it gets me confused. I’m just like, ‘Wow.’
“Realistically, all I’m looking for every day is solid hits. I don’t look for anything else.”
She had the only solid hit that mattered Thursday as Tinley Park beat host Richards 1-0 in a South Suburban Conference crossover in Oak Lawn.
Piotrowoski’s two-out single in the top of the fifth inning proved to be the game-winner for the Titans (15-9, 12-4 SSC Blue). Emily Korduplewski fired a one-hitter, striking out eight.
Mia Albon had the only hit for the game for Richards (14-10, 9-8 SSC Red). Emily Chavosky struck out six and allowed three hits.
Korduplewski took a no-hitter into the seventh. She retired Meghan Wirtz for the first out before Albon ripped a line-drive single to left-center.
“Usually, I’m pretty good at hitting my spots,” Korduplewski said. “As soon as I let go of it, I kind of knew it was going to be hit. It was right down the middle.
“I was pretty effective overall, though, constantly changing speeds and throwing the ball in a different spot every time.””
Piotrowski’s winning hit came in a clutch, two-out, bases-loaded situation.
She swung and missed at the first pitch and fouled off the second. The count was 2-2 when she went with an outside pitch and dropped an RBI single into right field.
“My approach was just to get the ball on the bat,” Piotrowski said. “I had to see the pitches in. When those two pitches were a little outside, I got a little scared, actually.
“The ump had kind of a big strike zone,
but I knew that I was going to pull through. It just so happened that I got a perfect pitch.”
Korduplewski appreciated the special delivery.
“Megan is just an amazing teammate to have,” Korduplewski said. “I know I can count on her in so many ways.
“I really appreciate her out there in the outfield. I know that anything even remotely close to her, she’s going to get. And when we’re struggling on defense, she’ll pick us up on the offense.”
Piotrowski’s stat line is quite an eye-opener.
After Thursday, she’s hitting .672 with 37 runs, 10 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 27 RBIs.
Tinley Park coach Annalisse Scott has pretty much the same reaction as Piotrowski every day when she updates the batting averages.
“It’s incredible,” Scott said. “I secondguess myself. Sometimes, I go back and make sure everything is right.
“Megan is such an all-around athlete.
And for being such a young player, she’s such a leader and important part of our team. She’s awesome.”
Piotrowski isn’t a sophomore surprise, either.
As a freshman, she batted .500 with 31 RBIs.
“I started off pretty slow,” Piotrowski said. “It was quite nerve-wracking playing on the varsity level as a freshman. Once I got used to it and we started playing the bigger games against Lemont and Oak Forest, I started to calm down.
“Beating Lemont once was quite amazing, having that happen.”
Piotrowski is following up a pretty tough act. Her older sister, Grace, was a standout for the Titans from 2017-19. In her final season, she hit .592 and earned all-area honors. She’s currently playing at North Alabama.
“We talk quite a bit,” Piotrowski said, laughing. “She always compliments me, but she loves to say that she’s always better than me.
“But we all know. I might be better.”