Softball players add more honors after strong 2021 seasons

WFSCA POST-SEASON AWARDS

Taylor County’s two softball 2021 conference players of the year added to their awards collection last week with firstteam All-District 1 honors and All-State mention from the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association.

Gilman senior Addy Warner was named to the association’s All-State Small School second-team after earning Player of the Year honors in the Eastern Cloverbelt Conference following the 2021 season. Medford sophomore Martha Miller got All-State honorable mention in the Large School vote, which includes teams in Divisions 1 and 2.

Medford senior catcher Allie Wesle got honorable mention for the Large School District 1 vote.

Warner had to be patient after the cancellation of the 2020 season to take over the role of being Gilman’s top pitcher, but take it over she did in 2021.

She threw her first no-hitter just three starts in during an 8-0 win over Flambeau and rolled the rest of the way, adding a five-inning perfect game at Colby-Abbotsford on June 8 and a four-inning no-hitter the next night in Gilman’s WIAA Division 5 regional semifinal against Clear Lake. She no-hit Spencer in a three-inning game as well on May 11 and allowed just an early infield hit in an 11-1 win over Columbus Catholic on May 26.

In conference play, Warner started all 12 games and finished 9-3 with a 1.89 earned run average. She struck out 138 batters and walked just 19 while also hitting six. She allowed 0.8 walks and hits per inning. Overall, Warner collected 242 strikeouts this season, which is a school record.

Offensively in league play, Warner hit .571 with .702 on-base percentage and slugging percentage of .638. She hit a grand slam home run in a 15-0 win over Owen-Withee on June 1. Warner also homered in the early win over Flambeau and in the tournament win over Clear Lake. Warner plans to extend her competitive softball career by playing with the Madison College WolfPack next school year. She played in the Division 4/5 Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Games July 13 in Wisconsin Dells.

Warner was the only Eastern Cloverbelt player to earn an All-State award. Warner and Neillsville’s Bella Opelt both made the All-District 1 Small Schools first team, which consisted of 24 players from the Western Cloverbelt, East and West Lakeland, Coulee, Marawood North and South, Dunn-St. Croix, Middle Border, Heart O’ North and Western Cloverbelt conferences. The WFSCA All-State Small Schools team consisted of 24 players primarily from southern Wisconsin. Exceptions included Haley Peskie, a sophomore from Amherst, Delanie Fayerweather, a se- nior from Glenwood City who was named the Division 4 Player of the Year, Allison Louma, a senior from Northwestern and Arina Temmers, a junior from Prescott.

Miller was another pitcher who took out the frustrations of a missed 2020 season on opposing hitters in her first year as Medford’s starting pitcher.

Miller was named the Great Northern Conference’s Player of the Year. She pitched in all 12 GNC games, starting 11. While going 11-0, she allowed just two earned runs in 63.1 innings and five runs total for a 0.22 earned run average. She struck out 122 batters, walked just 13 and gave up only 20 hits. She got the save in her relief appearance in a 22-9 win at Northland Pines on May 4.

Miller led the league in strikeouts by 27 over Tomahawk’s Maddie Marino and was far above the runner-up in ERA, Antigo’s Sam Swartz (2.03), both of whom also landed on the 12-member All-GNC first team.

Miller tied Antigo’s Alonna Weix for the GNC lead in stolen bases with 10 and was second in runs scored with 18 behind Lucy Lurvey of Northland Pines, again two players who earned first-team honors. Miller hit .333 in league play (10 for 30) out of the leadoff spot in the batting order, drawing 18 walks and driving in nine runs. She homered in an 8-0 win at Tomahawk on April 29 and had a .583 on-base percentage.

Overall, Miller posted a pitching record of 18-2 with a 0.65 ERA, 15 complete games and eight shutouts and set school records for single-season wins and ERA. In 119.1 innings, she struck out 235 batters, walked only 21, hit two and gave up just 48 hits. Of the 20 runs scored against her, 11 were earned. At the plate, Miller hit .317 (20 for 63) with 13 RBIs, five doubles, a triple and a homer. She scored 30 runs to tie for the team lead and drew a team-high 21 walks.

Miller was the only GNC representative on any of the All-State Large School teams. She joined conference rivals Zoe Gburek of Mosinee and Sam Swartz of Antigo on the 24-member All-District 1 Large School first team, which included players from the Big Rivers, Wisconsin Valley, Mississippi Valley and Middle Border conferences, along with Altoona from the Western Cloverbelt Conference and Superior.

Wesle and Antigo’s Alonna Weix got honorable mention for the Large Schools team. Wesle was Medford’s Defensive Player of the Year. As a first-year starter behind the plate, Wesle posted an outstanding .984 fielding percentage behind the plate with just four errors in 243 chances and she had 13 assists.

Out of the ninth spot in the batting order, Wesle hit .318 in league play (seven for 22) with two triples and six runs batted in. Overall, her average bumped to .325 (13 for 40) with three triples and eight RBIs. She added seven walks, three sacrifi ces and stole five bases. Her on-base percentage was .426.

The 24-member All-State Large Schools team included junior Megan Clary of Wisconsin Rapids, sophomore Emma Raye of Superior and sophomore Madyson Baker of Chippewa Falls.

The second team included juniors Brooke Klatt and Morgan Smetana of Baldwin-Woodville, the team that won the area’s Division 2 sectional championship and eventual state runner-up.

The GNC’s Lucy Lurvey of Northland Pines and Maddie Marino of Tomahawk earned All-District 1 Small School honorable mention. From the Marawood North, Addison Lavicka of Athens made the All-District 1 first team, while Blue Jays Shauna Belter and Siarra Hart got honorable mention.

The state’s Division 1 Player of the Year is Paytn Monticelli of Cedarburg. Claire Beck of Jefferson won the Division 2 award, Taylor Roughen of Lake Mills won in Division 3 and Jaylen Gremminger of Oakfield is the Division 5 winner.

Martha Miller

Allie Wesle