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A young Ely softball team learned on the fly during an abbreviated 2023 season.
That experience could pay off during the 2024 campaign, which started Friday at Mesabi East and continues this week with a flurry of games.
Ely went 7-8 a year ago, often with an eighth-grader behind the plate and a freshman in the pitching circle.
Both starters, freshman backstop Peyton Huntington and sophomore pitcher Zoe MacKenzie, are back for the Wolves and head coach Cory Lassi has a team with more experience than before.
Six Ely starters overall are back.
“I thought we were very young in key spots last year, with a pitcher and catcher being in ninth and eighth grade,” said Lassi. “I’m excited to see that growth, especially in Zoe. She has started in games now since eighth grade and I’m excited to see how much better she’s gotten with experience.”
Pitching is key to any softball team and MacKenzie will look to keep the Wolves in games. Ninth-grader Amelia Penke serves as the backup.
Huntington burst into the Ely lineup a year ago and is part of a group that gives the Wolves strength up the middle.
Ely’s top overall returning hitter is senior shortstop Hannah Penke, a three-sport standout who hit nearly .400 as a junior.
Amelia Penke starts at second base while anchoring the outfield is another top hitter - junior and multisport standout Clare Thomas.
Sophomore Mackenzie Huntington is another returning starter in the outfield while the team’s other senior - Brielle Lindland -is part of the mix in the outfield.
Lassi will look to other varsity newcomers to fill out the lineup and he has plenty of talent to choose from.
The Wolves have a whopping 30 players in grades 7-12, up from 19 a year ago, and the jump allows the program to field varsity, junior varsity and junior high teams.
Lassi said he is thrilled to see the boost in numbers.
“Especially in seventh and eighth grade, there’s 15 out there and some really good softball players in that younger group,” said Lassi. “We’ll pull a couple of the seventh and eighth-graders up to JV and we’re excited to see what they can do.”
Thursday’s home opener with Greenway was postponed because of wet grounds, but Friday’s game with Mesabi East took place on artificial turf.
Ely is also very likely to play Tuesday at Mt. Iron-Buhl (see schedule), which also plays on an artificial turf field.
The Wolves open with four straight road games, then follow up with an April 23 home debut against Deer River.
Section 7A playoff action begins the week of May 20.
Lassi is assisted this spring by Megan Wognum and Kelsey Ivancich.
Ely Timberwolves Softball - 2024 Schedule
April 12: at Mes. East April 15: at Silver Bay April 16: at Mt. Iron-Buhl April 18: at Cherry April 23: Deer River April 25: at Chisholm April 26: Two Harbors April 29: at South Ridge May 2: at North Woods May 4: at Cook County, 11 a.m. May 6: International Falls May 9: Chisholm May 10: North Woods May 13: Mt. Iron-Buhl May 15: at Littlefork-Big Falls May 17: at Two Harbors May 18: Floodwood, 11 a.m. Home games in bold Games at 4:30 p.m. unless noted
