Junior center fielder Megan Piotrowski is planning to push her boundaries for Tinley Park.
Not that she was timid in the past, but she’s getting comfortable with doing new things this spring — and getting out of her comfort zone.
Exhibit A is her leadership approach, something coach Annalisse Scott is beginning to appreciate, even if the Titans only played their first game of the season Tuesday.
“She’s getting comfortable in the leadership role as an upperclassman this year,” Scott said. “Our underclassmen are definitely looking toward her for that.
“Even at practice, she’s picked up our freshmen. She’s teaching them things that need to know for the season. She’s going to be a huge piece for us this year.”
Piotrowski, a Loyola commit, started off her season with a pop of power Tuesday afternoon for Tinley Park in a 7-3 victory on the new artificial turf field at Stagg in Palos Hills.
She singled twice for the Titans (1-0) and crushed a solo home run in the fourth inning that bounced off the top of the left-center field wall … with the wind blowing in.
“I knew I had to attack early in the count,” Piotrowski said. “I knew once that ball was across the plate, I knew it was going to be gone.”
She also scored three runs and drove in pair. Defensively, she made a nice running catch of a fly ball in the seventh inning that helped squelch a Stagg rally.
That plate performance gave junior pitcher Emily Korduplewski just about all the runs she would need. Korduplewski scattered five hits and struck out 11 for the Titans.
Stagg (0-3) came within 3-2 in the fourth on a double by junior pitcher Lily Henning and a single by sophomore catcher Rachel Lacina. Henning, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, struck out seven.
Korduplewski was ever grateful for Piotrowski’s offensive exploits, especially the homer.
“Seeing her hit that home run was assurance that my team, offensively, had my back,” she said.
Piotrowski and Korduplewski both started playing in softball with the Tinley Park Bulldogs travel program. They played together in middle school and now high school.
Scott, meanwhile, knew Piotrowski was special right away her freshman year.
“First day that I saw her at tryouts,” Scott said to be specific. “She was pretty quiet her freshman and sophomore year, but she’s always led by example, just being naturally gifted.
“She plays higher-level travel and they want to play like her. They want to be as good as her and compete with her.”
The offseason was a revelation for Piotrowski, who traveled across the country playing for the Orland Park Sparks. She went to Kansas City, Colorado and California, which provided a perfect situation to learn what her boundaries were.
“It’s kind of nerve-wracking the first time you go traveling,” she said. “You’re playing against big teams, college coaches are going to be there, they are going to be watching, so you have to kind of be on your best game.
“Once you get in the groove, you lose all those nerves and play softball.”
The college recruiting process was another eye-opener, especially when schools started reaching out last September. Certainly, that was stressful to a degree, but it was fun, too.
“I knew something I’d like was coming my way,” she said. “I think it was a perfect fit for me.”
But there’s this season to focus upon, and rest assured, her teammates are going to hear plenty from her because that’s another boundary to break.
“I try to be the loudest on the team,” she said. “That’s my main goal.”
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
