New Aces: Five Wayne/Holmes softball pitchers step into much bigger spotlight in 2024

There is no question that Mother Nature has been the story through the first couple weeks of the season, but so has been the influx of new arms across the area.

Yes, there is still Carter Wachtel donning the purple of Triway, but for most area teams, they have seen a turnover in the arm anchoring the spot in the center of the diamond.

Here's a look at how some of the area's burgeoning aces are faring early in the year:

Keira Filius, Hillsdale

For the past several seasons, this job was held by Taylor Morgan, who established herself as one of the area's elite hurlers. Heading into 2024, there were questions surrounding who would claim the job, it's safe to say, those questions have simmered due to the performance of Filius. The junior has grabbed the job by the horns and has been lights out, posting a 0.44 earned run average, a 6-0 record and 55 strikeouts in 32 innings. Her biggest win to date is against Mansfield Madison, where she fanned seven and allowed one earned run in five innings of work.

"Keira has grown so much since last season," said senior shortstop Mollie Goon. "Even with the pressure of stepping in after Taylor (Morgan), Keira continues our winning tradition. She stays cool and collected on the mound no matter the situation, which gives the whole team confidence behind her. She has become such a powerful pitcher and I’m excited to see her growth from here."

Filius will have plenty more opportunities to shine against top shelf competition like Keystone to continue to establish herself as one of the best in the area.

Katy Gartrell, Chippewa

Gartrell is primed for a big final year of high school softball. She has notched some impressive outings so far this year against good competition. She fanned 18 in 8⅔ innings against Norwayne in a tough 4-3 loss in 9 innings and then came back and fanned a pair in three innings of work against the 'Cats. Most recently, Gartrell fanned 12 in five innings of work in a 12-1 win over Northwestern. So, in her team's three biggest games so far, Gartrell has racked up 32 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings work and posted a 1-1 record in that stretch.

Lillie Halliwell, Rittman

It's been a while since Rittman had a legitimate ace. In fact, it hasn't been since 2020, when Chloe Vance was in the circle, that the Indians have had a true workhorse type arm that could keep them in big games.

Still just a freshman, Halliwell has shown flashes of having that primetime ability and will give her team a chance in most outings. In the early stretch the learning curve has been steep with games against Hillsdale and Norwayne, but the youngster has hung in tough. She will look to continue to build on and pull from those experiences as the season goes on and again the lights are on in Rittman as the softball program is on the upward trajectory.

"(Lillie) Halliwell hit her spots," said Bobcat sophomore Riley Gwinn. "She was very consistent with where she was throwing and gave us a challenge tonight."

Abby Workman, Norwayne

There couldn't have been a better role model than Alexa Cottrell a year ago for a young freshman like Workman. The hard-nosed Cottrell epitomized what it means to be tough. Now a sophomore, Workman is at the center of it, but is fortunate to have a senior backstop like Zoe Gadosik to guide her.

"Abby has come a long way," said Gadosik."Once she began to figure it out, it's helped her come a long way. We just need to keep her going and keep her healthy."

It's all added up well for Workman as she has posted a 0.70 ERA, a record of 4-0 and struck out 30 in 30 innings of work. There is no question, she will be a key part of the Bobcats success as they look for her to continue her development as the season progresses.

The other part of the season has been the adjustment and dealing with what Mother Nature has thrown at area hitters. From the bitter cold, which can be tough on hitters, to inconsistent game played to the game not played due to the weather can cause havoc for hitters' rhythm. It's a sure-fire reason why you can't always see who the best hitters are until that weather turns the dial up and games start to be played more consistently.

"We haven't played in a week," lamented Norwayne's Anna Metsker. "It's hard to go from maybe being on the field one day to being in the turf room and taking front toss the next, it's just very different. So, it's good to get out here on the field and play."

Gwinn couldn't have agreed more.

"In the warmer weather we play better and play more like we know we can play," she said. "It can be difficult and frustrating, but you get used to the cold weather, you may not hit very well or play really well during that colder weather, but you get used to it. The warmer I think everyone plays better, though."

Taylor Wurst, Northwestern

When standout Olivia Amstutz went down with a season-ending injury, most outside Northwestern thought the season was going to be a tough one. Without the heartbeat of the team and the rock inside the circle, the Huskies scrambled to find another arm. Step in Wurst, a junior, who has plenty of pop in her throws and has one of the lineups, best bats.

Not 100% healthy, Wurst is still working through the normal learning curve of any pitcher put in this situation. With an eye on the end of season and working through the grind, it's the final product that Wurst and the Huskies are striving for.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Softball: Five pitchers making their mark on 2024 already