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12 Wednesday,June30,2021 Columbia Gorge News www.columbiagorgenews.com SPORTS Life-long learning pays off for softball catcher College-bound Maddie Troutt taking her game to a new level Mark Gibson ■ By Columbia Gorge News T HE DALLES GRADUATE senior Maddie Troutt isn’t sure when she first got inter- ested in playing ball. “Probably like when I was 4,” she says, at a guess. Her stepdad, Leroy Tharp, was a baseball coach working with teams in Gresham, Hood River Valley and The Dalles. “She was a field rat, so to speak,” he explained. “She definitely grew up on a baseball field.” “It was an exciting thing to go to,” Maddie remembers. She entered the game on her own account at age 8 with Cherry City Crush, a traveling softball organiza- tion based in The Dalles. “I’ve played ever since,” she said. Asked to take on the catcher roll early on, Maddie declined. “I didn’t like all the gear, and it was just over- whelming,” she recalls. Yet some- how her coach, Roger Hoylman, managed to capture a video of her promising to be a catcher someday. And she did — a good one. Playing her senior year this spring for The Dalles Riverhawks, Maddie was named Intermountain Conference (IMC) first team catcher and was a player of the year candidate, and was Oregon’s Class 5A all-state catcher as well. As a freshman and sophomore, she was named IMC all league, sec- ond team catcher and led Oregon’s 5A school teams in home runs as a sophomore. Her junior season in 2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic. Maddie has also been a winner at every age group in travel softball: The 10U Cherry City Crush team was state ASA runner-up; the 12U Cherry City Crush was the state ASA champion; the 14U Cherry City Crush was second in state ASA and NAFA national champion (she was a first team, all-tournament selection); and at the 16U level, she has traveled the county playing the nation’s best competition for the Oregon Blaze 18U Gold Team. ••• Maddie has been running softball games from behind the plate for Graduated The Dalles High School senior Maddie Troutt stands for a photo at 16th Street Ballpark in The Dalles. their mind off their bad pitches, and onto good pitches.” The relationship between the pitcher and the catcher is probably the most important relationship on the field. “You have Maddie Troutt to trust each other,” she said. With her knowledge of the Intermountain Conference first team catcher pitcher and the batters, Maddie also directs the fielders during games. “As a catcher, you can literally see the box, the angles they hit at. You years now. the whole field,” she explained. see if they are pulling or casting, “I like being involved in every For Maddie, running a game is pitch. I would get really bored when and where they hit. You’re studying nothing unusual. “Coaches have batter tendencies,” she said. I was younger. Outfielder? I could always trusted me to handle the And pitchers, as well. “You not do that,” she said. game, call the pitches. I’ve been As a catcher, her coaches learned have to know the strengths and taught really well, and coaches weaknesses of the pitcher,” she to trust her in calling the pitches can’t see what I can see, being right said. “Pitchers are ... sensitive,” and running the game. Maddie is there.” she said. “During the game, if they fascinated by the complexity of it In the thick of it on defense as a are struggling, I’ll go out there and all. encourage them, maybe tell a joke, catcher, Maddie is also the best of- “You look at the batter, the way get them to laugh and relax. Get they swing, where they stand in fensive player on The Dalles softball “Coacheshavealwaystrustedmetohandlethegame,callthe pitches.I’vebeentaughtreallywell,andcoachescan’tseewhatI cansee,beingrightthere.” Mark B. Gibson photo team. She led all 5A school teams in home runs as a sophomore, and although softball was cancelled due to the pandemic her junior year, she made her mark in her senior year, leading the team in home runs and hitting the longest home run known to have ever been made at the 16th Street ballpark: It went over the fence — over the trees — over the power lines and onto the junior varsity field below. Having graduated from The Dalles High School on Saturday, Maddie was travelling again by Thursday: this time to Stansfield University, where she will, of course, take up spring residence at the ball field. Missed free throws the difference as Riverhawks fall to Ravens in IMC playoffs Risley ■ Brandon For Columbia Gorge News rhythm scoring the ball. By the end of the first quarter the scoring had picked up a little bit leading to a one-point Riverhawks In game that looked much dif- lead at the break. The Riverhawks ferent than the final score, missed struggled immensely to put the ball opportunities were the story for in the hoop in the second period, The Dalles Riverhawks as they fell, going nearly five minutes without 48-38, to the Ridgeview Ravens in the first round of the Intermountain a field goal. The defensive intensity was there but every time they creat- Conference Playoffs. The two teams split their season ed a turnover and runout, they were series with each winning on their unable to capitalize on the offensive home court. The latest matchup end. The Ravens (5-9, 3-7) went on had come four days prior when the 11-0 run that saw the Riverhawks Riverhawks (3-9 overall, 3-7 league) miss five free throws in a row before defeated the Ravens 49-40 in the making one that ended the Ravens final game of the regular season. run. With the Ravens taking a 22-17 On one of the hottest days of the lead into the half, the difference was year so far, the temperature inside the Riverhawks’ inability to convert Kurtz Gym matched that of the their free throws, going 2 for 9 in the nearly 100-degree weather outside quarter. which led to some sloppy play early In the third quarter the on. The ruckus crowd helped the Riverhawks changed their strat- teams bring out their intensity, egy offensively and started using especially on the defensive end. But their size to their advantage. After neither side was able to find any having a quiet first half, Riverhawk senior Spencer Taylor came to life scoring six straight points during an 8-0 run that tied the game early in the period. The Riverhawks didn’t score the remainder of the quarter and continued to struggle from the foul line. Neither team was able to create a substantial run in the final period and both teams continued to struggle from the free throw line. With just under two minutes left the Ravens had a six-point and were at the line to potentially ice the game but missed both attempts. The Riverhawks couldn’t capitalize and a subsequent turnover lead to an easy Raven basketball to clinch the win. Raven sophomore Peyton Zampko led the way for his team with 12 points, while Taylor also finished with a team-high 12 for the Riverhawks. The Ravens ultimately The Dalles senior Spencer Taylor makes a pass in Kurtz gym action earlier this sea- fell to No. 1 seed and undefeated Crook County (15-0, 10-0 League) son. Taylor scored six points in a 8-0 second half run by the Riverhawks, but was unable to turn the tide in their Intermountain Conference first round playoff game 59-47 in the second round. against the Ravens. Hiring Hiring Explosive July Specials ! Ltd to quantities on hand GOT GREASE? KLONDIKE ULTRA TAC EP 2 (RED) GREASE • CASE (10) 14 OZ TUBES $32.50 • PAILS 35 lb. $125.00 • KEGS 120 lb. $425.00 KLONDIKE MOLY TAC EP 2 (BLACK) GREASE • CASE (10) 14 OZ TUBES $42.50 • PAILS 35 lb. $135.00 $450.00 • KEGS 120 lb. KLONDIKE NANO FULL SYNTHETIC EP 1.5 (BLUE) GREASE • CASE (10) 14 OZ TUBES • PAILS 35 lb. $90.00 $325.00 Find product data sheets/technical info at klondikelubricants.com. Lubricants • Grease • DEF • Antifreeze Hattenhauer Energy Co. LLC PO Box 1397 / 201 West 1st Street · The Dalles, OR 97058 Ph. 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