Isn’t it amazing how trying to do one simple thing so often cascades into a series of tasks? I’ve lost count of the number of times I started to do something trivial that led to successively more complicated jobs (and repeated trips to the hardware store).
Lowes should sell that. Get a ball valve if you can. If not there used to be a plumbing supply on Franklin Street in Hackettstown NJ that had them. It’s been a while. I am assuming that you are in that general area.
More towards Flemington, where another plumbing shop is. Sure, I’ll check Lowe’s and HD, but their web pages show that neither has this kind in stock in my area’s stores.
And, oh hella yeah, ball valves are the way to go. I’ll never use any other kind again if I can.