Twin power

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Twin sisters Ali and Gia Shepherd came to the High School for Creative and Performing Arts to develop their musical talents. Ali plays the cello, while Gia enjoys the violin.

Little did the Northeast Philadelphia duo realize they would also play somewhat starring roles in establishing the school’s softball program.

Before the 16-year-olds arrived, CAPA didn’t even offer softball. Three years later, the Pegasus, in just their second season of Public League varsity competition, qualified for the state tournament and advanced to the May 18 Public League semifinals at La Salle University, where they lost, 3-0, to Northeast. It was the team’s first loss of the season.

‘When we first started practicing in the gym, we had girls who couldn’t throw and couldn’t catch," Gia, a junior catcher, said. ‘We’ve come so far. I am really proud of these girls."

Coach John Hecker said senior pitcher Kim Paynter, along with Gia and Ali, a junior shortstop, have been extremely crucial to the squad’s success.

‘I wish I could take credit for this, but Kim, Ali and Gia are the core of the team," he said.

Paynter is the one who dominates opponents when on the mound, which includes tossing a no-hitter in the May 15 Public League quarterfinal game against Girard Academic Music Program. Ali, who bats third, and her clean-up hitting sister provide the offensive spark the Pegasus need.

In the semifinal game, the combination of four errors and a hit brought the very successful Public League season to an end. Trailing by three runs, both sisters came to bat late in the game, but the Pegasus came away empty-handed.

‘It’s hard to wait until the seventh inning to try do something," Ali said.

It marked quite a change from previous games, where CAPA won the majority due to the 10-run mercy rule. But that’s the difference between playing a championship contender like Northeast and the city’s AAA schools and their soft-toss pitchers.

‘Through our whole season, we don’t really see any windmill pitching," Ali said of the faster style.

She sees it during the off-season, though, with the Oxford Valley-based Blazing Angels 18-and-under Gold fastpitch softball team, which travels the country playing in national tournaments. Gia previously played travel ball, as well, but decided to skip it this summer.

‘I am more interested in the violin," she said. ‘I wasn’t having that much fun with the other team. [CAPA] is the team I like playing for."

Ali and Gia said they would like to continue with softball in college.

The twins still have at least one more match this season – a June 5 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association opening-round tournament game, with a yet-to-be-determined opponent and site. Either way, the two know they still get one more shot at the Public League crown.

For now, everyone, including Hecker, is pleased with what the team has accomplished in such a short period.

‘We’ve only been in the league for two years. Considering that, we’ve come a long way," Hecker said. ‘The first year, we were just trying to get girls to come out."