Mackenzie Marotta
School: Plum
Class: Junior
Sport: Softball
Claim to fame: As Plum (14-5, 8-4) took on Burrell on Monday, Marotta had a hit and two RBIs. On Tuesday, she pitched the Mustangs to a 10-0 win over Deer Lakes. She threw five no-hit innings and struck out five while also homering, doubling and driving in three runs. Plum will take on Chartiers Valley in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs Monday at West Mifflin at 3:30 p.m. The Mustangs beat Chartiers Valley, 13-0, in the first game of the regular season.
What positions do you play?
Pitcher and third base, but I can also play anywhere else. I’m more of a utility player.
How did you record your RBIs on Monday?
My teammates were able to get on base, and I knew I had to get them in. I just picked out a good pitch and was able to drive a ground ball through the infield into left field.
How did it feel to pitch a no-hitter?
It felt really great. I wasn’t even thinking of it while I was pitching. I was just trying to get the job done and knew my defense was there behind me to help. When the game was over and I finally realized, it felt very good.
What specific pitch was working for you that day?
I don’t know if it was a certain pitch, but I knew I was hitting the outside corners a lot and they were standing off the plate and that made it easier for me because they couldn’t reach those pitches.
Was it easier to pitch and get the no-hitter knowing the team put up 10 runs to make it an abbreviated outing?
Definitely. When our bats are hot, it makes it a lot easier to go out and pitch. I know that the score that we put up was a huge cushion for me, and it calmed me down a lot. I was confident knowing that if they did score, we were going to counter with runs of our own.
Take me through the at-bat when you hit the home run. Was it a solo home run?
Yes, it was a solo home run. I saw a few pitches outside the zone to get a head in the count. All day my timing was a little off, so I focused on waiting on the ball and on the perfect pitch or something I liked, and when I saw it, I attacked and hit it as hard as I could. It worked out. I wasn’t trying to hit a home run. Just trying to hit a good pitch.
How did you get your other RBIs that day?
I hit a single through the shortstop and third baseman and crushed a double that game.
How excited are you to be back in the playoffs?
It feels great, and our team is really eager because in the last few years that I’ve been playing, we’ve been knocked out in the first round. So far this season, we’ve been doing very well, and our bats are hot and I think were peaking at the right time. We’re looking forward to getting one win at a time, and, hopefully, it turns out right for us on Monday.
What is the team going to need to do to maintain the hot bats and the hot streak you’re on?
For the bats, we need to lay off the bad pitches and stay relaxed in the box and know that one at-bat is not going to determine the game for an individual hitter. We’ve proven all year that the entire lineup can hit. We need to play for each other.
Chartiers Valley have improved a lot as the season has gone along. What’s it going to take to pull out a win?
We’re going to have to play great defense because we know they have great hitters. The thing that helps us most is our hitting, so we need to focus on that, make sure we maintain the high level we’ve been hitting at. We’re not taking them lightly. We know our win was earlier in the season, and they might have had a bad game but we know they’ve been playing very well this season. They’re only one seed below us, and anyone can beat anyone at this time of the year.
What individual goals did you set for yourself this season?
I really wanted to focus in on my hitting and pitching. At the plate, I wanted to get ahead in counts more often and have better pitch selection, find my pitch and not swing at pitches not good for me. In pitching, I need to focus on location and know where it’s harder for the opponent to hit that ball.
Do you have a favorite college softball team you like to watch?
I’ve been watching Oklahoma and Tennessee a lot this year. Obviously, Tennessee’s pitcher is crazy good. She’s exciting to watch. Oklahoma’s hitting is really good, and both teams play with high energy levels.
Favorite subject in school?
I like the sciences. Either biology or chemistry are my favorite. I’m all about getting straight to the point and having a final answer.
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
I also play volleyball and I play for Plum as well, so I really enjoy that. I also love spending time with my friends and family.
Is there a hobby you would like to learn or take up?
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I really want to learn how to surf.
If you were a superhero, what would your power be?
Reading people’s minds.
What would be your kryptonite?
Letting my emotions take over sometimes.
Last film you watched?
I think it was “The Notebook.”
If money were no object, what would you do?
Something with animals, maybe work at a zoo.
If you could be an animal for a day, what would you be and why?
I would be a dolphin. I like being at the ocean or the beach.
Would you rather be the funniest or smartest person in the room?
The funniest.
Who inspires you?
My parents inspire me the most. They taught me to work my hardest and never give up.
Michael Hanz
School: Freeport
Class: Senior
Sport: Baseball
Claim to fame: Hanz went 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and scored three runs in a 10-0 win over Southmoreland on Monday. On Tuesday in the Yellowjackets’ second game against Southmoreland, Hanz was 2 for 3 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and scored two runs in a 12-0 win. He closed out his week going 1 for 3 with an RBI in an 8-1 victory against Highlands on Wednesday. Freeport (13-6, 8-4) will take on Waynesburg Central on Tuesday at Gateway in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs.
What positions do you play?
I am a first baseman, and I pitch but I haven’t been able to pitch much this year.
Where would this week rank for you in your high school career in terms of production?
It’s been one of the top moments I’ve had in my high school career. Especially because it’s my senior year and I had missed the first four games of the season due to coming back from shoulder surgery. So to pick up right where I left off last year has been one of my better moments.
To what can you attribute your success at the plate this season?
Using a lot of motivation and working hard, grinding every practice and every day off in between. Just dedicating myself to get back to 100%.
Take me through that 4 for 4 performance on Monday. How did you collect those hits?
I’m looking for any pitch in the zone that I can jump on early. I’ve been getting pitched around a lot this year, so I’ve been looking ahead early in the count. Even if that first pitch is there, I’ve had the mentality of trying to hit it hard.
Tell me about the home run you hit on Tuesday.
That was one of the hardest balls I’ve ever hit. It was early, and I was up in the count 1-0 and once I get ahead, I’m looking to do damage to anything in the zone. There happened to be a pitch on the outer third of the plate, which is my favorite zone, and I was able to drive it over the fence in left-center field.
What was the key to you guys rolling off eight wins in your last nine games to close the regular season?
It was a lot of hard work at practice. Starting off 0-2 in our section, we knew that if we wanted a shot at the playoffs, we had to give 110% every day. Coach (Ed) Carr did a great job of emphasizing that. Our main focus was to continue to win.
How do you look to keep that momentum going in the playoffs?
We look to keep everything simple and continue to play like we have the last nine or 10 games. Playing gritty and taking advantage of the opposition’s mistakes and capitalizing in big situations.
How bittersweet is it to have a five-way tie for the section title?
It’s an odd feeling for sure. Looking back on it now, we feel like we should have been alone at the top. We had two bad games at the start, but, from then on, we kept grinding out wins.
What are you guys going to need to do to pull out a win on Tuesday?
We have to keep our heads down and block out the noise. We don’t think with the way we played down the stretch that our seeding is fitting, and we feel like there are a lot of people doubting us. We just have to block out that noise and focus on playing the game the way we know how.
What individual goals did you set for yourself?
My main goal was to get back on the field and contribute any way possible. Whether that was getting an at-bat here and there before I was fully the DH.
Favorite baseball team and/or player?
My favorite player is Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox.
What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
Just a strong support group of friends and family.
Favorite subject in school?
The psychology class I took this year. It was very unique to see how the brain functions and how different cultures interact and how everyone is different and how they adapt in different ways and how it all mixes together.
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If you could outlaw one thing in school, what would it be?
The early start time. If we could move it back 20 minutes, that would be great.
What are your favorite hobbies?
I like to golf in the summer with my friends. I’m big into the outdoors. I like to hunt and fish, pretty much anything that gets me outside.
What, in your opinion, is the worst food in the world?
Tomatoes. I can do sauces and stuff like that, but if it’s a raw tomato, I want nothing to do with it.
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics?
Javelin. I used to do it in middle school, and it was pretty fun.
Would you rather travel back in time or travel to the future?
Travel back in time. To experience what it’s like to be a kid again without responsibilities beginning to pile up on you.
What are your future plans?
I will attend Seton Hill University in the fall where I’ll play baseball and study in exercise science.
What is a piece of advice you would want to leave your teammates before you graduate?
Give everything 110%. Give it all you got. You can’t play forever, so make the most of the time you’re able to play.