Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Greensburg Central Catholic’s Isabella Marquez

By: Anthony DiFilippo
Monday, May 29, 2023 | 9:15 AM

Typically, teams that only have two seniors aren’t predicted to get very far because they’re seen as too young.

With Greensburg Central Catholic’s softball team, that’s not the case.

This year, the Centurions (11-2, 8-2) powered their way into the playoffs with just two seniors and reached the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals.

One of those seniors, catcher Isabella Marquez, never wavered on her confidence in this GCC squad.

“We went into the season thinking this was going to be our year,” Marquez said. “Emma (Henry) and I have helped to rebuild the program to where it is now, and we’ve shown that if we come together as a team, we can get the job done.”

The other senior is Henry, who pitches, most of the time doing it with Marquez behind the plate.

That battery has been together for a long time, and the bond they have is crucial.

“It’s important to have a relationship with your pitcher,” Marquez said. “I trust that her pitches will be in the zone, and she trusts that I’ll do my part behind the plate.”

Pitch framing is something a lot of catchers value. That is no different when Marquez is receiving the ball.

“Pitch framing is a big part of the position.” Marquez said. “A questionable pitch can turn into a strike just by framing the ball.”

Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Marquez and Henry have been part of a turnaround for the Centurions since their freshman year.

In 2018, GCC went 1-9. In 2021, their first year on the team, (2020 was wiped out by covid), the Centurions went 11-5. Last year they went 13-7, and this year was even better.

“It definitely feels like a huge accomplishment to be a part of such a big turnaround for the program,” Marquez said. “We have a good group of girls put together that come to every practice and work hard to get where we want to be.”

In the WPIAL quarterfinals against Leechburg last year, Marquez delivered one of the biggest moments of her career: a game-winning double.

She described what that moment was like.

“I was nervous, but I knew if I stayed calm and confident, I would get a hold of a pitch and drive it, and that’s exactly what I did,” Marquez said. “The team wasn’t ready to be done. We had unfinished business.”

Marquez is planning to play softball for Mount Aloysius with an intended major in pre-physical therapy.

Coming to the end of the season, Isabella Marquez took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with softball?

It started as just having fun in my backyard. My parents put me in T-ball, and I’ve stuck with it ever since.

How did you become a catcher?

It was a position that nobody wanted to play, so I was willing to give it a shot. I found that I enjoyed it, and it made the game more exciting for me. Throughout the years, I’ve worked hard to get to where I am now, and I’m glad I stuck with it.

Why do you think the program was able to turn it around the last few years?

It started my freshman year when Emma and I came to the program. Being able to fill two big positions was a big help. Throughout the years, we’ve been able to rebuild the program with a group of girls that know the game and fill positions that we weren’t able to before. We come to every practice with our goals in mind and know what we have to do to get there.

What was the college recruiting process like?

I feel like I’ve always known Mount Aloysius was the right fit for me. I knew I wanted something small, and everything about the campus had what I wanted. I would say the recruiting process was fairly easy for me. I’ve known the coach since my sophomore year, and ever since then, Mount Aloysius has been at the top of my list.

What is one thing that people may not know about you?

I used to be a competitive gymnast.

Tags: Greensburg C.C.