The Liberty Charter High School softball team finished last season 10‑0 to claim the Frontier‑Summit League championship but encountered a more disappointing ending to its season with a 10‑0 setback to the Chula Vista Lady Spartans for the No. 12 play‑in berth in the San Diego Section Division III playoffs.
The Lady Lions finished the 2025 campaign with a somewhat lofty 12‑8 record and 0.600 winning percentage and finished three games clear of the runner‑up Chula Vista Learning Community Lady Cobras for sole possession of the league title.
Liberty Charter is off to a 2‑0 start in league play in 2026, 7‑4 overall, while in bidding for another winning season.
“Our team’s goal for the season is to be undefeated Summit League champions for the second year in a row,” Lady Lions coach Misty McHenry said. “We are an offensive team that has run‑ ruled six of the seven teams we’ve beat so far this season and we’re only halfway through.
“So far this season, we’ve averaged 10.3 runs scored per game. Although we have high hopes for performance, the most important part of our team is to have a great time, make amazing memories, and learn life lessons through the sport. We focus on character‑building; each player gives a speech on different traits every week and we discuss how they relate to the sport and our everyday lives. We hold a charity game every year to raise money for a local charity (Team Parker for Life) and players learn a great deal of empathy through their efforts.”
Top returners include senior Layla Montgomery, the 2025 Summit League Player of the Year, who saw action in the pitching circle, at shortstop and catcher, senior Kaiya McKay (first base, center field), a 2025 All‑Summit League first team selection, and junior Briza Pelayo (left field, shortstop), a 2025 All‑Summit League second Liberty Charter off to strong start in defense of league title team pick.
Montgomery is batting 0.429 in 2026 with 12 runs scored after hitting 0.406 with 17 RBI and 24 runs scored in 2025. In the pitching circle she’s struck out 45 batters in 61 innings this season after fanning 35 batters in 26.1 innings last year.
Pelayo is hitting 0.342 with 11 RBI, two doubles, one triple, one home run and 13 runs scored.
McKay is hitting 0.300 through 11 games with two triples and a team‑leading 18 runs scored.
Impact newcomers include freshman third baseman Leah Donahue, freshman shortstop Adalyn Nothwang and freshman center fielder/first baseman Summer Svendsen
Donahue currently leads the league with a 0.613 hitting average to go with 17 RBI, six doubles and 16 runs scored while Nothwang (0.333 with 14 runs scored) tops the team with 19 RBI.
Svendsen is batting 0.382 with 10 RBI and 11 runs scored through 11 games.
Nothwang has yet to commit an error on the season.
Liberty Charter entered the week at No. 6 in the Division IV power rankings behind No. 1 Madison (12‑6‑1), No. 2 Fallbrook (7‑7), No. 3 Grossmont (9‑6‑1), No. 4 Valley Center (7‑ 9) and No. 5 Escondido (7‑7‑1) — all schools with much larger student populations.
Twelve teams qualified for last year’s Division IV playoffs. League champions remain automatic qualifiers.
Play‑in games are reserved for May 18, followed by elimination round for seeds five through 12 on May 19 and first‑round play on May 20. Third‑round play is scheduled for May 23, followed by fourth round play on May 26. Fifth‑round games, if necessary, are set for May 27‑28.
Championship games are scheduled May 28‑30 at sites to be determined.
The Lady Lions defeated Chula Vista Learning Community Charter (16‑1 on April 14) and Bonsall (14‑3 on April 16) to start league play.
The division includes 20 schools. Teams in the mix for postseason berths also include No. 7 Montgomery (10‑6‑1), No. 8 Centra Union (5‑7‑1), No. 9 Francis Parker (11‑2), No. 10 Bonsall (9‑4), No. 11 Hilltop (4‑ 12‑1) and No. 12 Lincoln (8‑7).
Rounding out the division power rankings are No. 13 Maranatha Christian (7‑4), No. 14 San Diego (10‑9), No. 15 Classical Academy (6‑10), No. 16 Vista (3‑6), No. 17 San Ysidro (4‑13), No. 18 La Jolla Country Day (0‑ 4), No. 19 CVLCC (2‑7) and No. 20 Calipatria (2‑9).
The focus will be on to stay in the top 12 through the end of regular season play.