It was a very interesting week for the Mount Si Wildcats softball team, one that may have saved this season.

It started Tuesday, April 17, as inconsistent defense and lack of offense stymied them in their loss to Liberty.

Behind an excellent pitching performance by Michelle Ruby, the Patriots posted a 10-0 five-inning win in a game called early due to the mercy rule.

Wildcat starter Rachel Nyberg pitched well, but the defense behind her at times could not get the job done; as a result, five of the seven runs Nyberg allowed were unearned.

Liberty scored three runs in the first inning; errors by Mount Si’s Traci Barclay and Lynnae McKiernan contributed to the Patriots’ opening offensive outburst. Liberty added another run in the second on a throwing error by Wildcat Katie Shaw, then with the lead 5-0 after a third-inning run, busted out for five more runs in the fourth. A triple by Genevieve Lynch, doubles by Ruby and Jesi Siemons and two more Mount Si errors were keys in the big inning for Liberty.

The victory did not come without a big price, though. In the fifth, with the game pretty much in hand, Patriot Hannah Sherwood grounded out to first, but collided with Wildcat first baseman C.C. Christen and injured her knee. “Hannah’s a tough player and she’s been working through some of her hitting stuff, playing great. Tough to see her go down like that,” Liberty coach Brian Hartman said.

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