Catching up with Liberty, Liberty North and Kearney HS softball
KEARNEY, Mo. — It was an outstanding season for the high school softball teams of Liberty, Liberty North, and Kearney. They began their journeys in the muggy heat of August and conclude in the windy and chilly Fall air of October, playing an average of three games a week along the way. It is a tough grind of a season that brings out the best in coaches and athletes, fighting through injuries and adversity to come together stronger as a unified team. Collectively, the Liberty, Liberty North, and Kearney squads combined to have over a 70% winning percentage between them in the regular season. All with winning records—and some with new championship banners.
For Liberty and Liberty North, the season came to a head at the Class 5 District 8 tournament, hosted by Park Hill South at Creekside. Both teams proved to have explosive and dominating offenses, as well as shut down defenses. Defending District 8 champion Liberty North rolled through Oak Park, 16-0, and Staley 6-1. Liberty trounced NKC 21-6, and host team Park Hill South, 9-2. The stage was set for an all LPS final, between the 21-10 Eagles and the 24-8 Blue Jays.
On a blustery late Thursday afternoon, October 13th, the fireworks started right away, with a small ball run for the Blue Jays, off a single and a stolen base in the first inning, which was then answered by a two-run homer by the Eagles. Four lead changes would follow in this back-and-forth nail biter of a game. Tied in the bottom of the sixth, the Blue Jays would take the lead for good as Olivia Branstetter hit a two RBI double. The Blue Jays won the district title game 11-8, which allowed them to move ahead in tournament play.
“I think it was a gritty game from both sides,” says Liberty North head coach Amanda Self. “While the game didn’t end up in our favor, I do take a little bit of pride that two LPS teams were competing in the district championship because I really think it represented our district well.”
“The wind was frustrating,” says Self. “But both teams had to compete in that. And that’s what happens when you’re playing October softball.”
“Overall, all of our girls up and down the line really just stepped up this season,” says Self. “Our motto this year was to ‘create chaos.’ And I think we did that a lot both with our bats and with the long ball. We also did it with bunts, fake bunts, and steals. We wanted to keep the opponent on their toes.”
Liberty North Senior shortstop, Ella Hayes, has played four years of softball with the Eagles, and put in thirteen years of softball overall. Once again, she will be hitting the summer club circuit. She is not committed to a particular college yet but is looking to end up in the Northeast part of the U.S. at a college that has a good physical therapy program. She is a multi-sport athlete that competes in soccer, basketball, and track.
Hayes says some of the best coaching advice she’s had in her time with Eagles’ softball has been regarding the mental aspect of the game. “When you have something go wrong, the coaches tell you to ‘forget about it—move on and make the next play.’ Your team will back you up and carry you, if necessary,” says Hayes. “I think that has stuck with me.”
“My favorite thing about softball is getting to play with my friends. They are all an important part of the game for me.” says Hayes.
Liberty’s head coach, Scott Howard, now in his 22nd year, has been involved in a lot of championship games. The Blue Jays have been district champions four of the past six years.
“I am proud of the way we’ve rallied together this postseason,” says Howard. “We’ve had some good moments throughout the year. Right after the district championship game, I told the team this is probably one of the proudest moments that I’ve had. The way they rallied together and had their backs against the wall and still found a way to get it done. That’s been just awesome to see as a coach.”
Junior Liberty Blue Jays catcher, Sierra Persinger, started playing ball at the young age of four. She has participated in track, soccer, and softball in high school. She is already committed to attend and play softball at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, where she will focus on the study of criminology/criminal psychology.
As the team begins state tournament play, Persinger says, “I know this team has a ton of talent and a ton of heart that definitely showed in that district final. My goal is to keep our energy up, keep our hearts up and just keep us rolling.”
For Persinger, the mental aspect of the game has been the biggest challenge. “I am a person who is very hard on myself,” says Persigner. “I expect very close to perfection, every single game. But with softball you must have the shortest-term memory you can possibly have. So that has been my struggle. But I am happy to say that I’ve improved on this aspect a lot.”
“This team has taught me,” says Persinger, “that no matter the amount of adversity you face, your team always has your back. We’re not a one-person team. We are a team made up of very special individuals that come together and play together to win. This team has taught me that I can be confident in my play, and that I can be a leader.”
Senior Olivia Branstetter, shortstop for the Blue Jays, has played ball for 14 years. She did a lot of sports growing up, loved soccer, but focused on softball in high school. She is committed to South Alabama next year. She plays summer ball on highly competitive travel teams.
“We sacrifice a lot just to play,” says Branstetter. “We have no weekends in the summer. I think we’re home for maybe two weekends or two weeks even out of the whole summer. It is a true testament the work me and other girls put in to get our college scholarships. You have to have discipline and sacrifice things in your social life, and always think about, and always remember, the bigger picture.”
The best advice she has been given about the game has come from her dad. “He said, ‘I want you to play the game you love, and I don’t want you to be worrying about the statistics of it. I want you to actually have fun and live in the moment,’” says Branstetter.
Branstetter, who has had three career grand slams for the Blue Jays says her fondest memory in a Blue Jay uniform was her freshman year in the district championship game. The Blue Jays were down 2-3, and she hit a line drive to left field to score a runner and make it a tie game. Then a walk-off triple by her teammate allowed her to step on home for the winning run.
On the Blue Jays coaching staff, Branstetter says, “They are the best guys ever. They always support me. They are a big support even outside of softball.”
For Kearney Softball, the Class 4 District 8 tournament final was a breakthrough game. The Bulldogs had experienced five straight losses to Platte County-and many of them lopsided, with a combined score for all those games of 58-18. They had not beaten the Pirates since October 2019. Trailing 5-3 in the sixth inning of the district championship game, it was payback time. The Bulldogs unleashed a smashing barrage of hits that allowed some of the lineup to bat twice in the inning—scoring 11 runs. When the dust settled, and the final Platte County batter was out, Kearney had demolished the Pirates, 14-5. They end up with a district championship to go along with their Suburban Blue Conference championship, and a 23-8 record heading into state tournament play.
“Before the season started, I knew we definitely had a lot of potential just from the athletes that came out,” says sixth year head coach Katelyn Birchfield. “We had some very good freshmen, and we had some really great returning upperclassmen and seniors that are leaders.”
For the Bulldogs, it is a season of championships and the best winning percentage since 2010.
“It feels great. We couldn’t have done it without everybody’s willingness to work hard and everybody’s group effort and team effort,” says Birchfield. “And you know that they’re having a lot of fun and we have excellent team chemistry. And that’s really helped propel us to a great season this year.”
Sophomore Jocelyn Lincoln, who plays first base for the Bulldogs, says the club, “sticks together as a team and works for one another. And it’s not an individual sport. It’s important that we rely on one another. Our team is so close, and everybody’s really connected with each other, and so I think that plays a big part in being a winning team.”
Lincoln also plays basketball but has played softball since she was T-Ball age. Her favorite subject in school is social studies. And she likes to spend time with friends and family.
Elise Arellano, Senior, who plays third base, also does track and wrestling for the Bulldogs, says on finally winning the district championship game, “It was amazing. It was long time coming. It was our turn. We got it done.”
“The coaches are great,” says Arellano. “They continue to teach us every day and help us. Even though we’re so close to the end of the season, they’re still teaching us new things every day–like how to improve our fielding and hitting and things like that.”
Senior catcher, Mackenzie Herndon, has been playing ball since she was eight years old. She would like to play college ball but is undecided on a school at this point.
On the district championship win over Platte County, Herndon says, “It’s just exciting to be able to give our coaches that opportunity to have a win under their belt. For so long we haven’t had that. I knew we had potential. I just didn’t realize how much potential we truly had at the beginning of the season.”
Blue Jays, Eagles, and Bulldogs softball parents must be proud of the season these student/athletes have just experienced. These are fierce competitors—and the results show that. The overall commitment to excellence from the coaches, the players, and the parents, is exceptional. For the underclassmen, we can’t wait to see your team next year. For the seniors, we look forward to what you accomplish in the future. The lessons learned from the game of softball will always be with you.
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