Softball Player of Year in Bucks County area continues her team's rich pitching tradition

For the past decade, North Penn softball has produced the top pitchers in the state. The Knights had back-to-back Pennsylvania Gatorade Players of the Year in Mady Volpe and Julia Shearer, the winning pitcher in last season's PIAA championship game.

This year? There were whispers that the Knights had another great arm waiting in the wings, but to Bella Nunn's ears, the doubts were much louder. Nunn was in the outfield last year as a junior when North Penn won the PIAA Class 6A championship. This year, it would finally be her turn in the circle.

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Prior to this season, Nunn had pitched a total of three innings in a high school game. That happens when you're behind a star like Shearer. But Nunn, who had been pitching since she was 9 years old, was no stranger to the position. In fact, she had committed to pitch for Division One school University of Maryland Baltimore County in November, months before her first start for North Penn.

“Before the season, no one knew who I was as a pitcher,” said Nunn. “We heard people say that we weren’t going to be as good this year; that just motivated us even more.”

There’s one thing Nunn was wrong about, though. Last season, a Suburban One League coach mentioned that she’d heard North Penn had another pitcher waiting in the wings – one who was just as good as Shearer.

That pitcher, of course, was Nunn. And she quickly proved that coach correct, pitching a complete-game no-hitter with 16 strikeouts against Pennridge in her first start.

“I did feel a little pressure, but it was just something I had to live up to,” said Nunn. “I just had to be me.”

Nunn’s season concluded in similar fashion, as she pitched a two-hit shutout, striking out 13, in her final game. That game, of course, was the PIAA Class 6A state championship.

“Last year was exciting when we won and I was in the outfield,” Nunn said. “But nothing can compare to this year when I got the final strikeout to end the game.”

Nunn faced some of the top pitchers in the state during the playoffs, including the PA Gatorade Player of the Year, Seneca Valley’s Lexi Hames, and CR South’s Lexi Waring, who hadn’t given up a single run in three state playoff games.

“Once we beat Seneca Valley in the quarterfinals we knew we could beat anyone,” said Nunn, who pitched a one-hit shutout in the 4-0 win. In the state championship game against Council Rock South, Nunn retired the side in order in the final two innings to secure the 1-0 win.

For her achievements in her first year of high school pitching, Nunn was named the 2024 Courier Times/Intell Softball Player of the Year.

Nunn finished the season with a 1.45 ERA, giving up 84 hits, 57 walks and 34 earned runs in 164 innings, while striking out 301 batters. She went 23-3, which included four no-hitters and one perfect game. At the plate, she had 13 RBIs, 2 home runs and scored 13 runs.

“When I started at North Penn I knew I couldn’t pitch until my senior year,” Nunn said. “Even so, I didn’t consider going anywhere else. I knew how good our team was and I wanted to be a part of it.”

As good as her teammates are at playing softball, they're even better as friends.

“We were such a close team this year, and every playoff game we grew even closer,” Nunn said. “I’m really proud of the whole team. This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing softball.”

Nunn also cited Knights’ head coach Rick Torresani as a key to her success.

“Coach was my biggest supporter. We trusted each other and our communication was really strong.”

Before Nunn heads off to college, where she will study communications and broadcasting, she will spend her summer doing what she loves most: playing softball. Nunn will be playing with her travel team in Colorado, before heading to Seattle to visit her grandparents.

Once she returns home, Nunn is looking forward to movie nights with her family and friends.

“My family is very close, they flew in from Seattle and Idaho to watch me in the state championship,” Nunn said.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Softball Player of the Year a key to team repeating as PIAA champs