For Julia Morrow, former Riverhead and University of Tampa pitcher, softball looked to be over. After throwing her final collegiate pitch, a long road that started way back in little league brought about a bittersweet ending.
“To be honest I was exhausted,” Morrow said. “I was worn out.”
For good reason, too. Morrow made her way to the top of the collegiate ranks, earning award after award along the way. Among her best accolades was being named D-II All American her junior and senior seasons. Her junior year she led the nation in ERA (earned run average) with an unheard-of 0.72 and her senior season she threw three no-hitters and struck out 349 batters over just 238 innings of work.
So when it was time to hang up her cleats for good, it was reason to start a new beginning elsewhere. She continued going to the University of Tampa to earn a Master’s degree. Softball began to seem like a distant memory.
“It did not hit me until this fall that it was my last game ever,” Morrow said. “It took realizing that I wasn’t going to see my best friends every day that it was my last game.”
That was until she got an unprecedented email three weeks ago. Morrow was contacted by a professional Italian softball team and was asked if she was still interested in pitching.
The decision was a no-brainer for Morrow, who didn’t take long to decide.
“How could I pass it up?” Morrow said. “When will I be able to just live in Italy for four months? It’s the perfect time for me to go.”
Morrow will now have to get work visa and come Aprll, she’ll be suited up for Old Parma Taurus of the Italian Softball League. She officially signed the contract two weeks ago. The Italian club is paying for for her airfare and housing. She’ll also get paid weekly. But she’s not doing it for the money.
“It’s an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up,” Morrow said. “I mean I get to live in Italy and play the sport I love. How can you beat that?”
Morrow has just started working out again seriously after not throwing a pitch since last season.
“I never really stopped working out but I wasn’t doing the workouts that are designed for softball,” Morrow said. “I had to dust off my glove and start throwing again.”
Morrow will be the lone American on the team. The rest are Italians. Asked whether she knew any Italian, Morrow said: “Not even a word. But apparently they all speak English.”
“I’m not sure I believe that though,” she said, laughing.
The good thing is that not much will need to be said during the games. Her pitching will do all the talking. Morrow will go about her business in the circle and hope that everything else falls into place. At the very least it will be a long vacation and who knows she might pick up some Italian along the way.
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