Park junior pitcher Gracie Bond threw a two-hit shutout through six innings Friday to lead Park to an 8-1 win over visiting Irondale in girls’ softball.

Bond set the Irondale side down in order the first three innings and faced only three batters over the minimum in her six innings of work on the mound. Bond gave up a single in the fifth and a double in the sixth but neither led to Irondale scores. She struck out six while walking only one.

“I think that my screwball was really working for me, so I hit my spots really well and I think I didn’t let my pitches slow down,” said Bond.

Bond agreed that Park’s play Friday was much improved over Wednesday’s effort against Woodbury.

“We went over a lot of stuff in practice that we just haven’t had time to clean up yet because the season starting late,” Bond said. “And so we just did a lot of little things better today. I think our communication was overall was a lot better.”

Sophomore pitcher Skyler Croker came in to relieve Bond in the seventh inning and had a bit of a rougher outing, giving up three hits and a run. But Park still cruised to a comfortable win.

“I thought we battled Wednesday, I just think that today everything aligned right,” said Park head coach Bob Loshek. “We hit the ball well, we bunted, stole, we played really good defense. But it started with Gracie Bond throwing extremely well, hit spots, changed speeds, moving pitches around. It always starts with pitching in this game. This game is always going to be about pitching.

“But the hitters came through with clutch hits,” Loshek added. “Great bunts, great base running, just a lot of enerincluding gy today. We always talk about bouncing back. If we can bounce back after a loss that really shows a lot more character. It’s always how we’re building things for the future. If we can win two out of three each week that’s a really good week.”

The Wolfpack improved to 2-1 on the season and in the Suburban East Conference after the first week of play. Park had lopsided wins over Cretin-Derham Hall and Irondale sandwiched around a tough loss to Woodbury on Wednesday.

None of the Park batters had a huge day at the plate, but eight players in the lineup combined for 10 hits, including doubles by Bryleigh Dana, Edie Walton and Noelle Krumie. Everybody on the varsity roster got into the game.

Park led 1-0 after two innings, 3-0 after three innings and 6-0after the fourth. The fourth was where the Wolfpack busted the game open, scoring three runs on a two singles, two stolen bases, a bunt, single and a two-run double by Walton.

Woodbury 9, Park 5 Flying high after an easy 13-1 season-opening win Monday at Cretin-Derham Hall, the young Park Wolfpack were brought back down to earth Wednesday afternoon.

Visiting Woodbury took advantage of Park’s inexperience in a 9-5 softball victory at Charlie Whitbred Field Wednesday afternoon.

Park took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning, but Woodbury stormed back with six runs in the fourth. The Wolfpack scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to get within 6-5 only to see the Royals close out the game with three more runs in the sixth inning.

Woodbury knocked Park pitching and defense for five hits in the fourth inning and four more in the clinching sixth, a double, three singles and three walks. In all the Royals had nine RBIS on 11 hits, including a home run and a double by Riley Rosenthal. Rosenthal had six RBIs in the game.

Woodbury pitcher Nicole Stickels went the distance and got the win. She allowed 11 hits and five runs while striking out one.

Sophomore Emma Ambroz had a big day at the plate for the Wolfpack, knocking a triple, double and single.

“We just need to play ball,” said Park coach Bob Loshek. “We’ve got to practice. We’ve had two weeks of practice, never an excuse but we need to practice. We just need work. We had good at-bats, we didn’t really have that many bad at-bats. Just inexperience.

“We had some pitches that didn’t go our way and Woodbury capitalized,” Loshek continued. “You can’t blame a team when they start hitting home runs and balls in the gap. They capitalized when they needed to, when they had lots of people on and we capitalized a few times with people on but we didn’t capitalize as much as they did.”

Park fell to 1-1 in the Suburban East Conference while Woodbury won its season opener.

“We just need to play ball,” said Park coach Bob Loshek. “We’ve got to practice. We’ve had two weeks of practice, never an excuse but we need to practice. We just need work. We had good at-bats, we didn’t really have that many bad at-bats. Just inexperience.

“We had some pitches that didn’t go our way and Woodbury capitalized,” Loshek continued. “You can’t blame a team when they start hitting home runs and balls in the gap. They capitalized when they needed to, when they had lots of people on and we capitalized a few times with people on but we didn’t capitalize as much as they did.”

Park’s Lauren Osland beats the throw to home to score for the Wolfpack in an 8-1 win against Irondale Friday. Photo by John Molene