Jun. 7—The West Scranton junior center fielder homered for the game’s only run and threw a runner out at second as West won its first District 2 championship, 1-0, over Abington Heights in Class 5A. Here’s more from her Athlete of the Week interview:
Age: 17
Family: Mother, Kate; father, Marc; brother, Marc Jr.
Superstitions or rituals. On game day, my dad has to give me a red Gatorade with Russo on the lid.
Did communicating with the infielders and other outfielders come back to you quickly? Our whole team communicates very well. We always make sure the bases are covered on bunts and outfield is talking about what base we’re going to throw the ball to.
Do you have a favorite athlete you admire? Jennie Finch. I’ve been looking up to her my whole life. I know I’m not a pitcher but she made a difference to a lot of people.
Sports teams you follow? Alabama and Florida softball.
Three people you would like to have dinner with. Harry Styles, Adam Sandler and Ariana Grande.
Did you see this kind of season coming for your team? We knew we were coming into the season strong, and the fact we didn’t get (a season) last year, we worked really hard in the preseason.
What’s the key to a roll like you guys are on? Just playing loose and scoring early in the game makes us play a lot more confidently, and always being confident in our defense.
Who’s been the biggest influence on your sports career? My parents. They always encouraged me to do the best I can.
What’s one meal that you can’t live without in your house? My mom’s spaghetti and meatballs. I have no idea what she does because I don’t cook, but my mom has it down pat. I know how to make the basics. I can do breakfast.
One thing you would like to learn to do? Probably to juggle. Everybody that juggles, they can do cool tricks with the balls, and just randomly pick up objects and just throw them.
One teammate who always lightens the mood? Olivia Dougher. She’s always the most positive one on the team and always making sure we’re all cheering.
What plans do you have after high school? I plan to play softball in college and major in physical therapy.
Joe Baress
Joe Baress teams up with Rebecca Kivak to write the Take 2 blog, reviewing movies and giving two perspectives on the same film. Together, they go beyond reviews with trailer reactions, actor and character analysis, and much more. In The Times-Tribune sports department, Joe is the high school wrestling beat writer in addition to covering high school football and designing pages. Contact: jbaress@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x9125; @dukemich