Courtney Coy holds nothing back in final year

Courtney Coy was not unlike most seniors when she entered into her final year of high school athletics, wanting to make it a memorable one. 

Expectations were high, but Coy hit every one of them out of the park -- literally. 

She led the Shippensburg Lady Hounds to an undefeated home slate and a trip to the District 3 Class 5A playoffs thanks to a well-rounded effort, and a vast improvement on an already impressive junior season. 

She posted a .514 batting average and knocked in 41 runs off 38 hits -- including 10 home runs on the season. And she had a knack for getting that timely hit to give Shippensburg a boost. 

She was also the team's ace in the circle, earning the area's best ERA of any softball pitcher who threw more than 50 innings, with a 1.11 earned-run average. She struck out 63 batters through 76 innings.

Coy is the Public Opinion Softball Player of the Year.

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"I just knew it was going to be my last high school season, so I wanted to make it the best one yet," Coy said. "But I couldn't have done it without my team. They pushed me this whole season, believing in me and giving my that extra motivation that I could do more."

Coy said she finally realized her senior season was something truly special on Senior Night. The team moved its game to The Robb Sports Complex at Shippensburg University -- Coy's new home for the next four years. At her first at bat, Coy launched a grand-slam home run for the 100th hit of her career.

"That night it kind of sunk in that it was going to be one of the last few times I get to play with my team," Coy said. "That kind of hit me hard and I knew I had to make that moment count." 

"You could see her confidence at the plate and how she just attacked pitchers," Shippensburg coach Mike Peters said. "She was very disciplined too, she didn't chase pitches and made pitchers bring the ball into the zone and her offensive stats speak for themselves. She had more RBI's than hits and that's pretty impressive."

Senior Night wasn't the only time Coy put the bat on the ball in the perfect moment -- she was the team's spark throughout the season, and the Lady Hounds thrived off of her success.

"Court welcomes that pressure," Peters said. "She is that spark every coach wants who can get the timely hit or home run when it's most needed."

That clutch style of play caught the eye of Ship U. softball coach and Greyhound alum Alison (Pittman) Van Scyoc, who witnessed an opposite-field home run off Cumberland Valley's Jen Hanshaw. According to Coy, that hit and her body language throughout the game got the ball rolling on her recruitment process, enabling her to don 'Shippensburg' on her jersey for four more years.

While her talents concentrated on throwing and being a constant threat in the batters box, Coy also became the team's ultimate utility player. She bopped around to a number of different field positions throughout the year when she wasn't pitching. Coy said that experience will only prepare her more for her collegiate softball career. 

She completed the season with a .937 fielding percentage and just four errors.

"I went from just being the ace pitcher to more of a utility player, so I had to adjust to moving around, and I had to be more flexible with my positions," Coy said. "But it gives me a feel for every position so it will be easier to transition in college."

"It's tough to lose Court and all our seniors," Peters said. "But she's got a bright future ahead of her at Shippensburg University ... Court really did a tremendous job with her leadership and positive attitude. She set the tone and generated a lot of the great moments we had this season ... And she has four more years in a Ship jersey."

The Courtney Coy File

School: Shippensburg

Grade: Senior

Position: Pitcher, utility

Height: 5-foot-7

Parents names: Ronda and Toby Coy

Future plans: Coy will continue her softball career at Shippensburg University

Other Interests: Coy also played field hockey for the Greyhounds

Surprising fact: She wrote the initials 'RF' on her glove to honor her late cousin Robbie Furry

Pro athlete most admired: Amanda Scarborough, All-American softball pitcher

Favorite dugout cheer: "We don't really have a set cheer, but toward the end of the season we had these plungers that we used to just bang on the fence and yell each others names to get pumped up."

Statistics: Coy posted a .514 batting average and knocked in 41 runs - including 10 dingers on the season. She was also the Lady Hounds lights-out pitcher, with a 1.11 ERA, 63 strikeouts through 76 innings pitched and earned an 8-5 record.