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April 3, 2009

Boston, MA - Softball has always been a part of Christina and Lisa Polsonetti's lives. Having played together for almost 14 years, it's no surprise that even at the collegiate level, the sisters are still teammates. After stellar high school careers playing at Revere High School, the two are now the newest members of the UMass Boston softball team. This is great news for the Beacons because not only is the duo extremely talented, they also bring a family element to the program. And remember, family first.

The two grew up together on the diamond, always playing in the same lineup, competing and cheering each other on as teammates. As the Revere Junior Softball trophies piled up, the two continued to develop their skills under the watchful eye of a familiar face, their head coach and Father, Mike Polsonetti.

"Growing up playing for our Dad was awesome," said Christina. "He never played favorites and really helped us both become the players we are today. Whenever we made mistakes he was there to calm us down and help us fix whatever was wrong. He hardly ever yelled and never got mad. There was a lesson to be learned in everything and to this day, he's still coaching us from the sidelines."

Right out of high school, Christina knew she wanted to continue playing softball at the next level. She arranged for a tryout with the Southern New Hampshire University softball coach and made the team as a second baseman. Shortly after the start of her first semester at SNHU, she found herself commuting home often and decided that rather than playing softball for the Division II school, she wanted to focus on her elementary education major.

Meanwhile, Lisa was busy wrapping up her senior year at Revere High School. With plans to already attend UMass Boston because it was close to home and very affordable, a funny thing happened after one of her final home basketball games. Following the contest, Lisa found herself chatting with the UMB Softball coaching staff. Head Coach Natalia Ardagna and Assistant Coach Josh Bartley were in the gym that night because Bartley was doing some recruiting as the Assistant Coach of the Women's Basketball team at UMass Boston. Ardagna, a Revere native, met up with Bartley to also watch and when she learned of Lisa's plans to attend UMass Boston, she informed her that she was the head softball coach.

"I knew Coach Ardagna from my youth softball days in Revere," said Lisa. "Growing up we played ball with her sister, and when I found out that she was the Coach at UMass Boston, it pretty much made my decision to attend the school final. Originally, I wasn't even thinking about playing but after she asked me if I'd be interested in playing for her, I got really excited."

Lisa wasn't the only one excited.

"When I found out that Lisa was going to play for the Beacons, I immediately applied for the school so that I could play too," said Christina. "I was set on transferring to Salem State but after a campus visit with Lisa, I was sold."

With the Polsonetti sisters on board, Coach Ardagna has a lot of to look forward to in the years to come.

"Both were extremely talented softball players in high school and landing the two of them is huge for the future of our program," said Ardagna. "Here are two kids who have been an extreme pleasure to work with. They have a great work ethic, are extremely coachable and are very talented athletes. They're the perfect examples of how any coach would want their team to present themselves on and off the field. There's no question that Christina and Lisa will have a big influence on this program."

After less than a month of collegiate softball, the Polsonetti's have already made their presence felt on the field. Christina currently leads the Little East Conference in batting average (.467), on base percentage (.515), hits (28), and runs scored (20). She ranks fourth in the conference in runs batted (12) and triples (2), and is fifth overall in slugging percentage (.600). Lisa ranks second in the LEC in walks (9) and has started all 17 games she's played in behind the dish. It will not show up anywhere on the stat sheets, but the freshman has done an incredible job handling her pitching staff behind the plate. What makes this an even more impressive feat; Lisa was always an infielder and had never caught before this season.

"It was pretty hard at first, and I made a lot of mistakes but the more I work at the position, the easier it becomes," said Lisa. "It's also great to have a coach like Natalia who caught in college, so she's helping me learn so much about the position and the more I learn, the more fun I'm having back there."

Lisa is not the only one who finds herself in a new position. Growing up, Christina was always playing second base or pitching. Now with the Beacons, she is the everyday left fielder.

"I'm happy to be playing in the outfield," said Christina. "It took a little time to get used to reading the balls right off the bat, but everyone has helped me make the transition. Having Jenn Widener in center field makes my job a lot easier because she covers so much ground and has taught me a lot about how to play the position."

The sisters admit that it is pretty cool to still be playing together, even if they're covering uncharted territory on the diamond.

"We have each other and are here for one another all the time," said Christina. "It could be a game, a practice, a bus ride, or the car ride back home, but no matter what we're doing, we're always going to be there."

"After playing together for so many years, we know each others' game so well that we can tell when the other is upset or frustrated," said Lisa. "And after all this time, we know how to pick each other up when we need it."

Even with their hot starts to this season and humble attitudes towards the sport, the sisters say their games are nowhere close to where they want them to be. Christina wants to continue to work on her range in the outfield while Lisa wants to put in more time practicing her hitting.

"I'm always hard on myself," said Christina, "but that's what makes me keep working. If I make an error or don't make it to a ball I thought I could catch, it just means I have to work that much harder. It's that kind of attitude that has helped me get to where I am today as a softball player, and it's the same attitude that will allow me to continue to improve every day."

One thing is certain, no matter the outcome of any game they play in; one sister will always have the others' back.

"We're best friends," said Lisa, "and that's never going to change. We will always support each other because that's what we've always done."

Just like they've always been there for one another, their parents, Mike and Michelle Polsonetti, have also continued to support the sisters every step of the way. The two made the trip to Clermont, FL to watch their daughters play in their first collegiate softball game together, and have not missed a home game this season.

"Their support means everything to us," echoed the sisters. "Dad's always there for us and it makes us feel that much more comfortable when we play and Mom is always our biggest cheerleader. Together, they have never gotten down on us and it makes us want to keep playing. We've never been forced to play softball; we play because we want to play and because it's fun. The more fun we have out there, the more games we will win."

The Polsonetti's must be having some fun right now because the Beacons are on a three-game winning streak. If the fun continues over the next few years, Beaconville will certainly be the place to be, especially with Christina and Lisa in the lineup.

But for the two sisters, they're just keeping it in the family. And remember, family first.