SENIOR (2024): Played in 11 games in her final season for the blue and gold … had nine at bats and recorded one hit … entered the circle on nine occasions, making three starts along the way … earned the first save of her career … capped off her career with the ninth-most innings pitched (89.2) of any Salem pitcher, while striking out the 10th-most batters (34) in program history … logged 19 innings in the circle where she allowed 54 hits, 47 runs (24 earned runs) and fanned five opposing hitters … lone hit of the season came in her final game at Blixt Field, versus Mary Baldwin (April 24-Game 2), where she was 1-of-1 from the plate … made her first of three consecutive mound appearances as she logged two innings at Guilford (Feb. 28-Game 2) … Also saw the mound in the both games of doubleheader with Averett (March 3) … toed the rubber in both games of the doubleheader with Meredith (March 29), logging three innings where she came through with one strikeout … had a pair of K’s in the second game of the series with N.C. Wesleyan (March 30) … faced No. 12 Pfeiffer in the second game of the series on April 6 … earned her first career save at Brevard (April 16-Game 2) after scattering four hits and two walks over three innings … tossed five innings in the circle on Senior Day against William Peace (April 20-Game 1), finishing with two strikeouts along the way … made her final appearance on the mound at Blixt Field against Mary Baldwin (April 24-Game 2), where she logged 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and four runs.
JUNIOR (2023): Solid two-way contributor for the Spirits, appearing in 14 games as a pitcher, including 10 starts … earned the most single-season wins (two) of any Salem pitcher … tossed 48.2 innings, allowed 88 runs, 60 earned runs and fanned 19 opposing hitters, second-most on the team … held opposing hitters to 16 doubles and three triples … as a hitter, Gerhardt closed with four hits, four runs scored and connected on a double … drew four walks and posted a .275 on-base percentage … swiped one base … notched her first hit of the season, a double, versus Greensboro (April 15) … three days later, finished 2-for-3 from the plate with three runs scored and a stolen base in a victory over Shaw (April 18) … ended the nightcap with Shaw (April 18) with a single and a walk … scored one run in the final game of the season against Methodist (April 29) … fanned at least one batter in seven games for Salem … made her debut in the circle against Eastern Mennonite (March 5) at the Grand Slam Triangle Classic in Raleigh, N.C., tossing 2.2 innings along the way … struck out five Brevard (March 26) batters, a single-game-season high, over five innings of work as she grabbed her first win of the season and a 6-3 win for the Spirits … followed that with three K’s at Meredith (March 31) … tallied a strikeout against N.C. Wesleyan (April 2) … responsible for two K’s over four innings at Southern Virginia (April 11) … fanned a batter in a clash with No. 23 Pfeiffer (April 6) … notched three strikeouts over seven innings, while picking up her second win of the slate as Salem defeated Shaw (April 18) … had her fourth multi-strikeout game of the season, finishing with four K’s against Sweet Briar (April 23) in 5.1 innings in the circle.
FIRST YEAR (2022): Concluded her first season in the blue and gold with three hits … responsible for the best fielding percentage (1.000) on the team … made her collegiate debut at Guilford (Feb. 26), where she tossed 1.1 innings, allowed four hits, three runs, one earned run and recorded one strikeout … had her first collegiate hit versus Carolina University (March 5), finishing 1-for-1 at the plate … delivered a single, which resulted in her second hit, against Meredith (March 26) … recorded her final hit of the season in Rocky Mount, N.C., against N.C. Wesleyan (April 23) … earned the starting nod for the first time in the circle at Ferrum (Feb. 27), tossing two innings and allowing nine hits and five earned runs along the way … in her third career start, logged five innings, surrendered four earned runs and five walks, while recording a single-game season-high seven strikeouts … earned her first collegiate win, which came against Southern Virginia (April 6), after allowing one run on one hit against the Knights in a 9-1 victory … made a total of seven starts over the course of the slate, including four against USA South Conference opposition.
PREP: Graduated from Richlands High School in 2020 … a four-sport athlete who took part in golf (2016), softball (2017-20), cross country (2018) and winter track (2019) during her career … played golf for head coach Tommy Bost … competed in cross country and track for Terrence Brown … was coached in softball by the combination of Hank Huffman and Matt Lovely … recipient of the 2016-17 Motivation Award as a member of the golf team … earned the distinction of Offensive Player of the Year in softball following the 2017-18 season … named All-Tournament in 2016 … distinguished as Most Valuable Player of 2016 tournament … captured the conference championship in softball in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons … finished off the 2019 NC USSSA season as runner-up … finalist in 2020 NC USSSA on three occasions, winning the title once … began her club softball career in 2016 for the Riptides under coach Janie Caldwell … played the 2017 club season for the Coastal Waves and head coach Rob Keeney … joined the Phantoms in 2018, playing for Chelsea Palm … member of the Carolina Cyclones (2018-20), playing for coach Joe White.
PERSONAL: Katherine Elizabeth Gerhardt … daughter of Shannon and Douglas Gerhardt … born December 21, 2001 … has one sibling, Kyle … a Collegiate Scholar, AP Capstone Scholar and SAT Scholar while at Richlands High School … active in Beta Club, National Honors Society and National Society of High School Scholars.
