How’s your month of April been so far?

For Elizabeth “Lizzie” Gaisior, the senior pitcher at Juniata (Mifflintown, Pa.), it’s been a darn good one, thank you very much.

The Fordham commit struck out a jaw-dropping 19 batters last Friday against Line Mountain High but that’s not even the impressive part.

In just her eighth game of the season, Lizzie reached the four-digit strikeout benchmark, meaning she recorded her 1,000^th career strikeout to become just the fourth pitcher in Pennsylvania history to do so.

SOOO excited and proud to announce that just 8 games into her senior year at Juniata HS, Lizzie has become the 4th pitcher in PA (PIAA) history to reach 1000 strikeouts. #WeLove our ⭕️ warrior @e_gaisior!! @VAGloryFP @ExtraInningSB @LineDsoftball @FordhamSoftball @PIAASports pic.twitter.com/MeTrB7ZVA0

— Mike Mertz | VA Glory National 18u (@GloryGuy99) April 20, 2024

And, oh by the way, on Saturday night—the very next night—the super achiever pitched a no-hitter against Susquenita to give that opposing team its first loss of the 2024 campaign.

For her career now, Gaisior has 1,027 strikeouts through 464 innings pitched after 10 games in 2024 and through the early part of this season has 152 strikeouts to just four walks.

And she’s not just a force in the circle: the left-hander also has close to a 1.100 OPS over the last two seasons for her Lady Indians team.

But it’s her pitching prowess that has wowed those who have watched her closely over the last few years.

As a freshman, Lizzie struck out 217 hitters and followed that up with 235 as a sophomore and an astounding 423 as a junior.

With about two-thirds of her senior season yet to be played—including a home doubleheader today against St. Joes and, eventually, the post-season—Lizzie is on pace to reach the 1,200-strikeout mark.

For comparison, that accomplishment is made even more noteworthy when you realize that fellow Keystone State hurler Sophia Bordi, a standout commit to Oklahoma and one of the very elite pitchers in the country, recently reached the 600 strikeout plateau as a junior.

It’s not as if Gaisior hasn’t been getting done before this year; in 2023 the Pennsylvania coaches Association tabbed her as the PIAA Overall Pitcher of the Year, and she also earned 1^st Team Class 3-A honors for her work in the circle.

Juniata Head Coach Craig Bubb, in an article this week on The Sentinel, credited assistant coach Jack McCurdy for much of Lizzie’s success.

“He has done a masterful job at handling her batter to batter,” Bubb explained. “To watch him set up hitters for failure is an absolute joy to watch every game.”

On the travel ball side, the senior will once again compete for the Virginia Glory led by Coach Mike Mertz this summer.

Not surprisingly, the successful club coach is excited to get Lizzie once again for a few months before she heads off to Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, about a four hour car ride due East.

“Lizzie has grown into a dominant pitcher who spins it and locates with the best of them,” Mertz begins. “Up, down, in, out… she fills up the zone.”

The long-time coach raves about the athlete’s mental skills as much as her physical ones.

“Lizzie has also become a team leader by example with an incredible work ethic,” Mertz continues.

“One of her greatest gifts is her mindset and ability to remain even keel and block out distractions. You wouldn’t know if she’s down by a run or throwing a perfect game; she is as stoic as they come.”

Another reason to Gaisior’s success could be explained by her dedication to not just pitching but staying in great shape.

“Physically, not many pitchers in high school history can match up to her conditioning and innings pitched,” Coach Mertz concludes. “Some of that may come from her competitive cross country running when she was younger.”

Line Drive Softball contacted Lizzie this week to get her reactions to her noteworthy accomplishment and other fun items regarding her career… here’s what she had to say:

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LINE DRIVE SOFTBALL: How long have you been aware of and/or paying attention to the fact that you were closing in on strikeout #1,000?
Lizzie Gaisior: I was most aware of closing in on 1,000 strikeouts during my junior year, especially when we made it to post season last year and I was able to strike out 18 in the state semifinal.

LD SOFTBALL: In the big game last Friday, were you aware of where you were each inning? Was someone telling you each batter or each inning where you were or was it not addressed at all?
Lizzie: Before the game even started, I knew I was only 18 K’s away from reaching my goal. As far as during the game, though, no one was keeping me updated from strikeout to strikeout – probably in hopes of not jinxing anything!

LD SOFTBALL: When you hit the 1K mark, was anything done in the game to honor the achievement?
Lizzie: Yes. As soon as I hit that final strikeout the game was briefly stopped and the whole team (including JV) came out of the field to congratulate me. They also were generous enough to make a sign for me. I am so thankful for my teammates and coaches’ support!

LD SOFTBALL: In your opinion, which of your pitches have been the most effective throughout that streak? And what do you think are your strengths (i.e. pitch variety, emotional strength, etc.) to have done this?
Lizzie: My most effective pitch throughout this run for 1000 K’s has been my riseball. I’m pretty good at placing it all over the plate so it can be difficult for hitters to lay off. As far as my strengths, I would say my greatest asset is my emotional strength. Throughout my pitching career I have been really good about not letting anything affect me and having a good “poker face.”

LD SOFTBALL: Looking over your high school softball career, what are 2-3 highlights or accomplishments you’re most proud of individually and team-wise?
Lizzie: I would say:

• Making it to State Finals, we all worked really hard to get there as a team,
• Being District Champs, and
• For me personally, setting the new Tri-Valley League strikeout record.

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball