Katie Rhodes enjoyed a standout sophomore season pitching for the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake softball team in 2022, including a pair of epic encounters playing against Troy.
In the first matchup, Rhodes earned a 2-1 win in 12 innings over the Flying Horses on an afternoon when Troy pitcher Olivia DeCitise struck out 27. The second showdown came in the Section II Class A championship game. Once again, Rhodes only allowed one run. This time, however, the solo home run smacked by Emma Thompson helped secure the title for Troy in a 1-0 decision.
Rhodes waited nearly 10 months to get another crack at beating Troy. The junior right-hander hooked up with the Flying Horses in her team’s second game April 5 and proceeded to toss a three-hitter with 15 strikeouts in a 3-0 triumph.
“Honestly, it could not have gone any better,” Rhodes said. “That is all I really wanted was to beat them.”
Rhodes pitched exceptionally in collecting a trio of victories last week when she worked 15 innings, allowed six hits and one earned run while striking out 31.
For her efforts, Rhodes has been selected as the Times Union’s Girls’ Athlete of the Week for April 3-9.
The Spartans stand 4-0 overall and 3-0 in Suburban Council play entering Saturday’s nonleague contest against Ichabod Crane, winner of the 2022 Class B state championship.
“I feel the way we have started is kind of a setup for the rest of the season,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes is 4-0 with a 0.32 earned-run average and 43 strikeouts over 22 innings. The junior said during the summer she tried to enhance the quality and location of her pitches in key situations, like when she has two strikes on a batter.
“She is such a workhorse,” BH-BL coach Caitlyn Rana said. “Last year was her first year up on the varsity. I think Troy is a team she…
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