Pair of seniors built foundation for Sewickley Academy softball’s super season

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, June 1, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Two of the district’s more dynamic softball players competed at Sewickley Academy this spring.

Marie Bigi, a four-year senior starter at catcher, hit .595 in the 2025 regular season with a lofty .929 slugging percentage and .630 on-base percentage.

Quincy Sirko, also a four-year starter at pitcher/third base, finished with a.535 batting average, .814 slugging percentage and .583 OBP.

Sirko primarily pitched for the Panthers from her freshman to junior seasons while also seeing playing time at first base, third base and in the outfield.

“With the addition of Charlotte Andrews as a pitcher this year, I was able to return to third base,” Sirko said. “I expected us to have a significantly better season than last year, but nobody expected us to make Sewickley Academy softball history.

“I’m amazed at how well we supported each other through the highs and lows and how each one of us steadily improved as the season progressed.”

Sewickley advanced to the WPIAL playoffs as the No. 4 seed in Class A. The Panthers tied for second with South Side in Section 1-A, thanks to a 7-3 record, and finished 11-6 overall.

Sewickley entered the postseason as the second-best offensive team in Class A, averaging 10.2 runs per game, which was topped only by Union (10 rpg).

Bigi batted .600 in the club’s two playoff games while Sirko was right behind with a .500 average.

“Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better coaching staff this year,” Sirko said. “Each coach brought the perfect amount of comedy and instruction to the game, and I have so many fond memories from practices. I also loved our first game against South Side where we were down 11-3 and came back to win it 12-11. That game shaped the rest of the season for us; it showed how much we were capable of if we could stick together.

“I also can’t forget the time against Bishop Canevin when I hit an out-of-the-park home run, and on the next pitch following me, Sanaa Grant hit an out-of-the park home run as well. We had a remarkable season full of remarkable moments.”

Sirko also was a four-year starter on the Sewickley girls soccer team and competed in rugby for two years outside of her school’s athletic program.

If the name Sirko sounds familiar, Sewickley’s head coach the last two seasons has been Bob Sirko, Quincy’s father who also helped out on a volunteer basis the two previous years.

Bob Sirko previously served as head coach at Carlow for 12 seasons and five at Center.

“Playing for my dad has been very special,” Quincy said. “Since I was little, softball has been a constant bonding experience for us. He was even my travel softball coach for around five years as well.

“We don’t have the tension some father-daughter relationships have. I’ve always loved him being my coach. He doesn’t favor me, either. If anything, he may be harder on me than the other coaches. I do think he’s made me a better softball player, though.”

Quincy Sirko and Marie Bigi are considered the rocks on which the Sewickley softball program blossomed. They were two of the top senior award winners at Sewickley’s recent spring sports banquet.

Sirko was named the Most Outstanding Female Contributor; Bigi won the Kate Dresher Sportsmanship Award.

“Both are good athletes,” Bob Sirko said, “so it was blessing to have them on same team. Their leadership styles differ; Marie leads by doing while Quincy is more vocal.”

Here’s little about their softball history:

“In 2022, Sewickley had only eight players on the softball team,” Bob Sirko said. “Marie didn’t have much softball experience and Quincy was competing in track. So Quincy ended up playing both sports and Marie learned how to play the catcher position.

“In 2023, they helped recruit new players to get us to 14 players. Marie and Quincy carried the primary catching and pitching duties the next two years. In ‘24, with no seniors on the team, they took on leadership roles as captains and led us in hitting. They also took on more natural roles in center field and at third base and had another great year.”

All of which set the stage for a successful 2025 season.

Tags: Sewickley Academy