Fontbonne and Xaverian host collegiate softball signings  

As much as it is an accomplishment for a high school student to earn an athletic scholarship to college, it is just as much an accomplishment for students’ parents to be rewarded as well after years of travel time and financial sacrifice to get their daughters to the level of being recruited by a college.

Such has been the case for both Fontbonne senior Kate Kmiotek from Bath Beach and Xaverian senior Sienna Bocchino from Marine Park, who have parlayed their academic and athletic success into a college scholarship.

Playing softball since 2016 as 7-year-olds for the Dyker Heights Knights, the girls stuck with the sport with the support of their parents. Although the girls moved on to play for different travel teams and enter different high schools, they have maintained their relationship and remain friendly, competitive rivals.

In the case of Kate Kmiotek, her influence to play softball came from her mother Christine, who was a star catcher for Bishop Kearney and Wagner College. As a Fontbonne softball player, Kmiotek is a front-line pitcher and, when not on the mound, is usually behind the plate or anchoring third base. Known to be a contact hitter who possesses home run power, Kmiotek also threw her first no-hitter as a sophomore.

At school, Kmiotek maintains a 4.0 GPA and is the first Fontbonne student in over 25 years to be recruited by a D1 college. Recently, she was appointed as Fontbonne’s representative to the CHSAA as a liaison between the school and the sports committee. Looking ahead, Kmiotek stated that she was elated to be recruited by Stony Brook University. At her “dream school,” she intends to use her scholarship to study civil engineering as her interests lie in urban construction. 

In another case of the apple not falling far from the tree, Sienna Bocchino has followed in the footsteps of her father Anthony, who was a star outfielder for Xaverian.  He went on to play for Marist College and played minor league baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Just like her dad as a left-handed-hitting outfielder, Bocchino is the prototypical leadoff hitter who can bunt or slap a hit past third and then quickly get into scoring position with a quick steal of second. In addition to being a contact hitter, Bocchino also has home run power and can place the ball into the gaps for extra bases. Currently, for the graduating class of 2026, she is nationally ranked #60 by Softball America.

Bocchino, like Kmiotek, has a 4.0 GPA, and she is headed to the SEC’s University of Mississippi where she looks forward to the rural lifestyle of Oxford, Miss.  Oddly enough, Ole Miss was not really on Bocchino’s radar until she got a recruitment call. Once she visited the campus and met the softball coach, she was immediately sold on the school, where she will pursue a course of exercise science to become a physical therapist.

“It’s what I always wanted to do,” she said. “Play on the biggest stage in the SEC.  Now that’s possible at Ole Miss.”