On a career-best day at the plate, junior infielder Lilia Flores actually made the play of the game for Tinley Park with her speed on the bases during the sixth inning.
Flores saw her chance with the Titans trying to hold onto a two-run lead.
“I know I’m very fast and I trust my speed,” she said. “I was watching the pitcher very carefully.
“I just took advantage of what she was doing.”
Flores drove in five runs and stole home for a vital insurance run Friday afternoon, lifting host Tinley Park to a wild 12-11 nonconference victory over Mother McAuley.
Loyola-bound senior outfielder Megan Piotrowski went 4-for-4 and scored four runs for the Titans (14-10). Senior outfielder Emily Nuskiewicz was 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs.
Sophomore outfielder Lily Schwartz went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for McAuley (7-11). Senior shortstop Abbey Williams staged a late rally with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh.
The Mighty Macs’ late sequence amplified the value of Flores’ gutsy move to steal home after she drove in Piotrowski with her second double, which expanded the lead to 12-9.
“She’s such a smart player,” Tinley Park coach Annalisse Scott said of Flores. “My first base coach asked me if I sent her, and I said it was all her.
“She came on varsity as a very athletic player but a very quiet one. Now at the end of her junior season, she is such a loud voice for our team. She has taken on a leadership role.”
Piotrowski said Flores’ open and exuberant nature is like a shot of adrenaline for the team.
“On the field, she has that serious character,” Piotrowski said. “Outside the game, she makes it fun. The game is so mental and it’s nice to have somebody who’s different.
”She’s a big personality and we love having her.”
Flores finished 3-for-3 with a walk and scored four runs. Swiping home was her sixth steal of the game. She bookended her best-ever day with RBI doubles in her first and last at-bats.
“When I go up to the plate, I have that attitude that I want to hit,” Flores said. “With my runners in scoring position, I want to make sure they score.”
“After that first double, I just wanted to carry that energy and really help my team out.”
In her third season on the varsity, Flores has come into her own, hitting .353 with 24 hits, 27 runs and 21 RBIs. Eight of her hits have gone for extra bases.
After a broken finger marred her sophomore year, Flores dedicated the offseason to improving her hitting. She’s detailed and meticulous on game days, going through rigorous warm-ups.
She also plays the song “KYLIE!!!” by Chicago rap artist Lucki, which contains the opening lyrics, “We play whatever time the championship is.”
The song puts her in the right frame of mind and also relieves any stress.
“I’m big on listening to music, especially when we have serious games with big competition,” Flores said. “That’s how I create energy and get hyped for the game.
“I make sure to play that specific song before going out on the field.”
Flores first started playing softball at age 6. The game has transformed her personality.
“I was very shy when I was younger and I wanted to change that,” Flores said. “Now, I’m a very energetic and competitive person. That’s what my coach says is the biggest difference in me.”
Scott has watched Flores expand all facets of her game.
“She’s constantly talking to people in the dugout or at practices and is encouraging everyone,” Scott said, praising Flores. “It’s not just what you do on the field, it’s what you do off of it.
“Lilia is such a positive force for us.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
