Shipley’s Isabella Purdy is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week
The senior pitcher hurled two no-hitters in her first three outings (all victories) for the Gators’ softball team this spring. She is also batting .714 (as of April 18). Last spring, Purdy struck out 62 batters in 25 2/3 innings pitched for Shipley, posting an ERA of 1.09. She also plays volleyball for Shipley. Next spring, she will play softball for Salisbury State University.
Q: What pitches were particularly working for you in the two no-hitters you pitched recently?
A: In these recent games, my curve and rise have been the two pitches that were consistently working and getting batters swinging.
Q: What do you consider your best pitch? What aspect of pitching are you working on the most?
A: I think my best pitch is my change-up. It gives me the power to keep batters off balance, while being able to throw an effective off speed pitch. Right now, I am currently working more mechanically on my pitching to improve consistency and speed.
Q: As a pitcher, after facing a hitter a couple of times in a game, you probably have a better idea of what to throw her late in a game. Can you give us an example of how this has worked in your favor?
A: In our game against Baldwin, their second batter struck out her first at bat, hit a single up the middle her second at bat, and then struck out again her third at bat. As she came back through the lineup I was able to work in a bunch of my different movement pitches during her at bat and finally to catch her off balance I threw a change-up as the strike out pitch.
Q: What do you think has been the most important thing you’ve learned recently regarding hitting?
A: I have learned to relax and not think as much because the more I try to fix my swing while I’m up to bat, the worse I’ll do. When I relax at the plate is when I find myself making the most contact.
Q: Tell us a little about your start in softball. What softball mentors have been particularly helpful to you, and what was the most important thing you learned from each of them?
A: I have been playing softball since I was about 5. I have always held interest in it and when I was about 10 I began pitching. My first pitching coach, Julie Sebastian, has been an extreme factor in my success as a pitcher. I would not be where I am without her. She has taught me almost everything I know about pitching. My travel coach, Dennis Moran, has also been a huge factor in my success as an overall player. He has been coaching me for about five years now and consistently pushes me to be the best I can be. My school coaches, Maria DiBernardi, Linda Goss, and Greg Johnson, have been huge assets to my success at Shipley. They have been so welcoming since I joined the team sophomore year and have made each year playing for them a memorable one. They have led us to an FSL championship and I have appreciated all the helpful feedback they have given me throughout the years that has helped me improve.
Q: What is your favorite ballpark and why?
A: I prefer playing at the complex down in Myrtle Beach because I have had some of my best games there of the past couple summers with my travel team.
Q: What has been your favorite memory of your club softball career?
A: A couple years ago down in Myrtle Beach at Nationals I threw my first-ever perfect game and ever since, Nationals has always been one of my favorite travel tournaments, especially with my teammates, the past few years.
Q: You wear uniform jersey No. 14 for Shipley softball – was there a reason you chose this number?
A: The reason I picked this number is because it has been my number since I started playing travel softball when I was 12.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a game.
A: My team and I always play music before games to bring us together and pump us up as we warm up for the games.
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Shipley? What do you think you might like to major in at Salisbury State? Is there a career field that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite academic course at Shipley this year is Astronomy. At Salisbury State I am majoring in Business management with a minor in entrepreneurship. Currently, I am interested in real estate as a possible career path, but I am definitely interested in working in the business field.
Fun facts – Isabella Purdy
Favorite TV show: Gossip Girl.
Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Time of Our Lives by Pitbull.
Favorite team: Phillies.
Favorite place to visit: Outer Banks, N.C.
Family members: parents Kent and Maria, brothers Daymond and Mason.
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
