Mark Trotta ranged far to his left, fully extended and slide along the turf infield at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park to snag a ground ball headed for centerfield.

Trotta sprung to his feet and fired a strike to first baseman Gabe Lawson to end the inning and save a run for the Seneca Valley baseball team.

Later in the Raiders' win over Butler Monday night, the senior shortstop scooped up another roller deep in the hole to his right, pivoted and threw out the Butler batter by a step.

He made two more stellar plays in the field in the seventh to preserve the 7-4 victory and help Seneca Valley end a three-year playoff drought.

Trotta's glove has been special this season for the Raiders.

Not bad for a player who moved back to short after spending the last two season at third base.

“I played (shortstop) until I was in the ninth grade,” Trotta said. “But I moved to third base that last two years — we had a pretty good shortstop. I worked the whole offseason relearning how to play that position.”

He learned well.

The Seneca Valley pitching staff, which has a 1.80 ERA through 16 games this season, produces a high number of ground balls.

That places an even bigger onus on the Raiders' infield defense.

And their linchpin at short.

“If I'm not mistaken, which I don't think I am, he hasn't made an error at short all year long,” said Seneca Valley coach Eric Semega. “There's one thing about making routine plays, which is an expectation, at the same time when you are making unbelievable plays, which are 50-50, we're getting all the benefits.”

Trotta is smooth and fundamentally sound at the position.

With a strong arm, he can make all the throw necessary.

He's also dangerous at the plate as the Raiders' leadoff hitter. Against Butler Monday night, he walked twice, including once intentionally, and scored two runs.

“I think I take more pride in my fielding than I do in my hitting sometimes,” Trotta said. “You can have trouble at the plate, but you can always bring your glove to the game.”

Trotta and Seneca Valley clinched a WPIAL Class AAA playoff spot largely because of its pitching and defense.

That may also be the key for the team going forward.

“Hats off to (Trotta),” Semega said. “He has definitely solidified that spot for us this year.”