Siblings share a bond, and when that bond is used in sports, it makes the connection on the field even stronger than the bond between teammates.
Softball players Josie and Emma Borysevicz, a junior pitcher and a freshman infielder, respectively, said they have that bond.
Natives of Ashford, Connecticut, the pair will wear the Brown and White the next two seasons together.
“I’m not sure how many people would pass up the opportunity to play the sport they love with their best friend,” Emma said.
The duo has played softball together for 10 years, although not always for the same team. They sometimes had to play for different teams, and when Josie came to Bonaventure, Emma was still playing for E.O. Smith High School.
Josie looked at Atlantic 10 schools while trying to decide where to play softball in college, before discovering one of her former pitching coaches knew the Bonaventure assistant coach.
“I had heard wonderful things about him, so I took a harder look at the program,” said Josie. “It’s mostly Atlantic 10 schools around here. We’re from Connecticut, so we were looking at [University of Massachusetts] and [University of Rhode Island] because obviously those are kind of close, and I said, ‘New York isn’t a bad drive,’ and we checked here too.”
Emma said Josie playing at Bonaventure is one of the main reasons she decided to become a Bonnie. Emma enjoyed the small campus atmosphere when she visited, and said she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play with her sister for two more years, allowing for them to end their careers how they started.
Josie said playing with Emma in college reminds her of when they played together when they were younger, and it keeps the game fun.
Emma said it is always fun to play with her sister, especially because they know each other well after growing up and watching each other play.
“She has seen me grow as a person on and off the field,” Emma said. “She’s the one that pushes me and holds me the most accountable for my performances, and she is always pushing me to do my best.”
Josie said the sister bond translates onto the field because they know each other and how they play so well.
“It’s nice to turn around and see someone I know is going to give their all and help me to stay in the game,” Josie said. “It’s also nice because she motivates me too. There’s that kind of bond. Sometimes I’ll turn around and she’ll say, ‘You could have thrown a better pitch,’ and I think, ‘Yeah, I could’ve.’”
Josie said even if she is having an off game, Emma and her teammates will be by her side, supporting her and helping her get through it.
“It’s nice to turn around and know that even if I’m not having my best day, Emma is going to pick me up. She’ll do anything to pick me up,” said Josie. “It’s a lot to ask of somebody, to say, ‘Hey, I’m not doing my job. Can you help me do my job?’ But I know that Emma is always willing to go the extra mile, especially now that she’s our short stop.”
Emma said playing with her sister makes her play even better.
She knows how much work and effort Josie puts in, and Emma wants to make her look as good as possible.
“I’ve played with her most of my life, so I know her pitching, and I know how batters hit certain pitches off of her, so it definitely gives me an advantage when I’m playing behind her because I have an idea of when I think balls are actually going to come to me,” Emma said.
As a teammate, Josie said Emma has made her relationships with the rest of the team even stronger because she thinks, “What I do for Emma, I’m going to do for my teammates.”
“I think it makes me a better teammate because everything I give to Emma, I want to do that with everybody. The last two years, not that I haven’t been able to do that, but I’ve always just had my friends out there with me,” said Josie. “While we help each other, now, I try to emulate my relationship with Emma with others.”
Josie is 5-5 on the season with an ERA of 4.13 in 12 games pitched, and Emma has six hits and two RBIs and has played in 19 games, starting 15.
The Bonnies home opener is Saturday at noon and 2 p.m. against La Salle University.
They then take on Robert Morris University on Sunday, April 5 at noon.
signorra15@bonaventure.edu
