We have a lot of confidence right now and just moving that over into other games will help us.”

Lauren Osland

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The Wolfpack (8-5, 8-5) play at Stillwater (9-5, 10-5) Wednesday, host Roseville (6-8, 7-8) Friday, then are at Irondale (0-14, 0-15) Monday, May 13.

Dolly Parton’s 9-to-5 hit blazed away in the ballpark after the game. Just another day in the office for the Park Wolfpack.

A day to remember, nevertheless.
Park’s Lauren Osland had the game-winning hit and Addie Corkish the game-winning smile as she barreled into home plate with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning Monday against fifth-ranked White Bear Lake.
The dramatic ending capped a huge week for the Wolfpack. Park won twice in heart-thumping fashion over a pair of top-ranked rivals in the rugged Suburban East Conference softball wars. The Wolfpack put a bow on the big week Monday afternoon, rallying to escape fifth-ranked White Bear Lake 6-5 three days after edging top-ranked 3A leader Cretin-Derham Hall 7-6.
“I think it really (the win), gives us a lot of momentum going forward,” said Osland. "We have a lot of confidence right now and just moving that over into other games will help us.”
Down 5-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Park scored three times in the final at-bats to earn a hard-fought 6-5 win. Bri Lee and Alayna Adamez singled in the ninth to set the stage for the game-winning run.
“I was just trying to not trip over the bat,” said Corkish with a laugh. “It felt good. Those are two really big games and they’re both really tight, but I think it gives us more confidence in letting us know that we can do it even in tight games.”
Park trailed 3-0 in the fifth inning before rallying. White Bear Lake looked like it had the game won when they scored a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to take a 5-3 lead.
But Park wasn’t finished.
“It does feel very good,” said Park winning pitcher Stella Fritsche. “I knew that my team was going to compete, and I trusted everyone, my hitters, so I was just excited to get back and hit and win the game.”
The win definitely should pay dividends for Park won the road.
“I think it lifts our confidence and shows us that if we keep fighting and keep going at it that we can win anything,” said Fritsche.
“For some reason they save it to the end and find a way to come out on the winning end,” said Park assistant coach Tony Young. “We struggled to get going early but they kept battling.
After the two-run White Bear Lake homer in the ninth, Young had a simple message for the Wolfpack.
“Find a way. Let’s see what we’re made out of,” Young said he told the team. “Get runners on, station-to-station, let’s see what we can do. There’s no give up in these girls. They work hard. They just seem to wait to the end for some reason.”
Woodbury 7, Park 5
Host Woodbury scored a narrow 7-5 win over visiting Park at Ojibway Park Wednesday, May 1.
“(We) didn’t play well enough to win at Woodbury,” said Park head coach Bob Loshek. “Like we have been saying for the last 12 or so years, the SEC is just so dang tough.”
Park 7, Cretin-Derham Hall 6
The Wolfpack edged conference co-leader Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul Friday, winning with a run in the top of the eighth inning.
Grace Conaway led off the eighth with a single, then came around to score the game-winning run.
Cretin took a 3-0 lead after three innings, but the Wolfpack tied it up with a three-run fourth. Park then went up 6-3 before Cretin rallied with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Neither team could score in the seventh.
“We had them beat last time as well, but this time we found a way to put them away,” said Loshek.
Park won despite giving up 14 hits to the Raiders.
The Wolfpack (8-5, 8-5) play at Stillwater (9-5, 10-5) Wednesday, host Roseville (6-8, 7-8) Friday, then are at Irondale (0-14, 0-15) Monday, May 13.