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Depew's Sisti is Times' Softball Player of Year
By Steven Dlugosz Times
 | | JESSICA SISTI |
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Depew High School senior Jessica Sisti knew what it took to be a leader on the softball diamond, inspiring her Lady Wildcat teammates with her dominant on-field play and motivational talks on the bench. For her efforts, Sisti is selected as the Times' 2007 Softball Player of the Year.
Once this spring season started, there wasn't much that was going to stop Sisti from having a big year, both on the mound and at the plate. Seventeen wins, a tiny earned run average and a .400-plus season batting average also earned Sisti a spot among 12 members on the All-Western New York Team.
After going 5-0 in limited action behind last year's No. 1 pitcher- Carine Janise- Sisti started strong this year and never looked back, helping Depew complete a perfect 12-0 and firstplace mark in Erie County Interscholastic Conference-III. She went 17-4 with an ERA of 1.17, striking out 150 batters in 143 innings while allowing 92 hits and just 24 earned runs. Opponents hit just .174 against her.
Two shutout wins against local and longtime nemesis Maryvale- which went 10-2 in league play- were memories that Sisti won't soon forget.
"It felt so good (beating Maryvale)," Sisti told the Times. "Everyone was nervous before the game. The second game (an 11-0 Depew win) was the greatest."
A blistering fastball and variety of effective dropping and off-speed pitches helped Sisti keep hitters from getting comfortable in the batter's box.
At the plate, Sisti was just as effective,
finishing tied for third on Depew with a .429 batting average and also boasted a blistering and team-high .779 slugging percentage. Sisti contributed a Depewbest 29 runs batted in, also producing a team-best three home runs, five triples and eight doubles, as well as 15 runs scored, 60 total bases and a .481 on-base average.
In addition to her All-WNY honors, she was selected to the All- ECIC-III/IV and ECIC-III first teams. She also played in the Western New York Senior Softball game yesterday at New Era Park in Lockport.
Sisti relished her role as a team co-captain along with fellow senior and good friend Carrie Stahura, stating she worked hard to get prepared for the 2007 campaign.
"I liked taking on the role as a leader," said Sisti, who added that she spent at least three days per week in the gymnasium during the offseason. "A lot of the younger girls learned a lot. In the past, you didn't see as much with the leadership of seniors, but this year we made it a point to talk to teammates."
Much of Sisti's tenacity on the softball field comes from her father, who the senior added is a "baseball fanatic." She has played softball since she was about four years old, spending time in the South Cheektowaga and North Cheektowaga Athletic Association leagues, as well as several travel leagues at some points in her career. The senior also had a taste of the varsity level as an eighth grader, spending approximately three and one-half seasons (missing sophomore year) on the squad.
"I knew the potential (for success) was there," Depew varsity head softball coach Dan Seelig said of Sisti. "She was very motivated to play well and break records. She was always positive. Her greatest attribute was how much time she put into softball.
"The bond the team had this year will be tough to beat," Seelig added. "Sisti was the anchor as a captain and teammate. I'm extremely proud of what she accomplished and I'm looking forward to seeing her on the college level."
Sisti will attend Medaille College in the fall and will play Division-III softball. She will major in Secondary English Education, with hopes of teaching as well as coaching softball in the future.
Seelig said Sisti has a good chance of succeeding at the college level.
"She still hasn't hit her peak," Seelig said. "She's got a little finetuning to do, and she knows that. She should do well."
Sisti said she will miss the upbeat environment of Depew athletics.
"I'm definitely going to come back and help next year," she said with a bright smile. "I love the surroundings (of Depew) and everything about it."
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