By the start of the spring sports season, the Liberty Girls Softball team had undergone some major changes relating to their team size and management. At the same time, Bellevue Christian High School was trying to pull together enough girls to play for their softball team, but their efforts failed, leaving their remaining members having to find other ways to stay involved in the sport.
“Bellevue Christian didn’t have enough people at their school to make a softball team even after trying to bring up eighth graders to play with them, there still weren’t enough,” Team Captain Avery Huh (11) said. “They lived in the Issaquah School District and Liberty was the closest school to them, so they joined our team.”
This season, Liberty has brought fewer numbers on the team from Liberty’s student population, making the team grateful for the skill and extra help from Bellevue Christian High School. This lower number of players did help the tryout process, though.
“We were able to evaluate everyone very quickly and efficiently,” Connel said. “We had a solid idea of what we were doing this year, especially because there was no cut.”
Thanks to the no-cut system this year, the team has lost the level of hostile competition between players, making them a closer knit community– perfect for the new players from Bellevue Christian High School.
“All the girls were very welcoming and are fantastic people,” Rocky said. “Everyone genuinely wants the best for the girl next to her”
Both Josephine (Jelly) Davies (12) and Isabella (Izzy) Rockey (11) have become integral parts of the school’s softball team over the course of the past few weeks.
Team captains Emi Connel (12), Kaila Siu (12), Berlyn Crockett, and Avery Huh (11) have shared how grateful they are to have the new players on their team, and all share the sentiment that they’re going to bring some great energy to the field this season.
These players have been welcomed onto the team by all the members as they get used to their positions and get to know their new teammates and dynamics better.
“Both of them are a gift, Jelly and Izzy are not only great players on the field, but they’re great people off the field,” said Connel.
Davies plays as a pitcher, adding to the team’s previous roster of just one pitcher: Huh. Having a second pitcher on the team yet again reduces the amount of pressure that Huh was put under last season after their other major pitcher, Elyse McMullin graduated as a D2 pitcher and MVP on the team two years ago.
Now with Davies, as a D2 committed pitcher, they can split the position in half for pitching and give each other breaks.
“We have Jelly start the games now, and Avery takes care of the second half,” Crockett said.
On top of having a new pitcher, the Liberty girls softball team also has Rockey playing as shortstop.
“She is nearly unstoppable in her position,” Crockett said. “She has been great on our team.”
With the help of these talented players along with the strength of the current team, the outlook is exceptional for these next few weeks of games.
