Timberland sophomore Libby Gauspohl (1) delivers a pitch during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Timberland junior Kyla Humphrey (7) rounds third base during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Timberland sophomore Libby Gauspohl (1) delivers a pitch during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Timberland sophomore Libby Gauspohl (1) makes contact with the ball during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Francis Howell Central junior Kiana Kluesner (12) makes a catch during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Timberland sophomore Kenley Kitson (9) turns a double play at second base during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Timberland sophomore Kenley Kitson (9) points to the fans after a single during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Francis Howell Central freshman Rylee Breznay (50) fields the ball during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Timberland junior Paityn Slezak (2) rounds third base during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Francis Howell Central celebrates after Amelia Raziq hits a home run during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Paul Halfacre
Timberland senior Riley Walkenhorst (8) slides safely at home during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
COTTLEVILLE — Every once in a while, Timberland High sophomore pitcher Libby Gauspohl likes to mess with junior catcher Kyla Humphrey.
Gauspohl will toss a warmup pitch over Humphrey's head just to see it clang off the backstop.
"She likes to watch me run back after the ball," Humphrey said.
Or Gauspohl will burn a 62-mile per hour fastball right into Humphrey's glove during practice tosses between innings.
"It comes in as hard as she can throw it and she likes to hit the palm of my hand," Humphrey said. "It hurts. But it doesn't bother me, that's just Libby being Libby."
The two battery mates like to have fun with one another.
Thanks in part to that dynamic duo, the Wolves been having plenty of fun during the first three weeks of the softball season.
Timberland used Gauspohl's mastery in the circle, and a balanced hitting attack, to blow past Francis Howell Central 9-3 on Monday afternoon in northern Cottleville.
The Wolves, who are one of the biggest early-season success stories, improved to 8-1 with their fourth successive triumph.
Gauspohl has quickly developed into one of the area's most dominating hurlers. She sports an 0.66 ERA and has recorded seven shutouts in nine starts.
Howell Central (10-7) managed to touch her for two earned runs, doubling her total on the season.
Gauspohl has fanned 78 batters in 42 innings.
"She's been awesome all year," Timberland coach Andy Zerr said. "Once she gets in that circle, she raises her game to the next level. She's the kind that can take over a game."
Gauspohl tossed a no-hitter in a 7-0 win over Fort Zumwalt East on Sept. 10. Just four days earlier, she twirled a nifty three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in a 4-0 win over Troy, which eliminated Timberland in the district final last season.
Howell Central junior Amelia Raziq slammed a long home run to dead center in the seventh inning on Monday, the first home run Gauspohl has given up in her high school career.
"I used to play with her during club ball and she's really good, Raziq said. "She has really good spin on the ball and the speed to back it up as well."
Gauspohl is quick to deflect part of her success to Humphrey, who has done an excellent job guiding her hurler through the few rough patches.
"The most important thing is to keep her in the right head space," Humphrey said. "Hyping her up and being a No. 1 supporter is what she needs from her catcher."
Gauspohl, who went 11-5 last year with 117 strikeouts in 99 innings, has had very few rough patches this season although she said Monday's performance was not one of her best.
"Today was not my strongest day, I've just been throwing a lot and I'm sore," Gauspohl said.
Gauspohl is a late bloomer having taken up the sport for the first time at age 10. She used to follow older brothers Nic and Alex to their baseball games and that piqued her interest. Initially, she was hesitant about trying softball but her parents Scott and Becky talked her into giving it a try.
"I still thank them for that," Gauspohl said.
Her mother, the former Becky Taylor, was a standout utility player at Wentzville High where she graduated in 1991.
Becky said her older brothers helped make Libby stronger and it shows in the circle.
Gauspohl may not have been her normally dominant self, but her teammates more than made up for it with a stellar day at the plate Monday.
The Wolves banged out 16 hits and all nine hitters in the order had either reached base safely or scored a run by the fifth inning.
Riley Walkenhorst, the only senior in the starting lineup, had three hits. Jolie Wallace added two hits and drove in three runs. Kenley Kitson chipped in with two hits and two RBI. Humphrey, Paityn Slezak and Madi Thomas had two hits each.
The Wolves are off to their best start in school history. They have outscored their opponents 85-6 to date.
With Gauspohl clicking, this group will be tough to beat down the stretch.
"From summer open fields, I knew we had a strong team," Humphrey said. "We are going to make some noise this season. People better watch out because we're coming."
Read about some of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ area's top high school fall softball players as the season gets under way.
Timberland sophomore Libby Gauspohl (1) delivers a pitch during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Timberland junior Kyla Humphrey (7) rounds third base during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Timberland sophomore Libby Gauspohl (1) delivers a pitch during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Timberland sophomore Libby Gauspohl (1) makes contact with the ball during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Francis Howell Central junior Kiana Kluesner (12) makes a catch during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Timberland sophomore Kenley Kitson (9) turns a double play at second base during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Timberland sophomore Kenley Kitson (9) points to the fans after a single during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Francis Howell Central freshman Rylee Breznay (50) fields the ball during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Timberland junior Paityn Slezak (2) rounds third base during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Francis Howell Central celebrates after Amelia Raziq hits a home run during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch
Timberland senior Riley Walkenhorst (8) slides safely at home during a softball game on September 16, 2024 at Francis Howell Central High School in Cottleville, Mo. Paul Halfacre, Post-Dispatch