Park followed a difficult stretch of losses at Cretin-Derham Hall and at Stillwater with a pair of wins to get back on the plus side of the ledger.

Park blanked the Woodbury Royals at Woodbury 8-0 on Friday then returned home to score an 8-3 win over visiting Irondale Monday.

The four-game split left the Wolfpack 5-3 on the season and in the Suburban East Conference.

Park got off to a fast start against Irondale Monday, scoring three runs inn the first inning on a double by Grace Conaway, walks to Skylar Crocker and Bryleigh Dana followed by a bases-loaded double, this one by starting pitcher Gracie Bond.

“I think our offense was really good today,” said Park pitcher and shortstop Skyler Croker. “I think we strung our hits together when we needed to and kept consistent through the game.

“I think that we stayed strong and positive and just kept pushing through the game,” Crocker added.

Park added three more runs in the second inning and two more in the third to take complete command of the game.

Bond pitched well for the Wolfpack, hitting spots and kept the ball moving.

“Anytime you can first of all get a win on a Monday is always good,” said Park head coach Bob Loshek. “They come off a weekend where its been cold and rainy – in fact all of April has been cold and rainy – and they came out and we got after it right away, won the first inning, kept tacking on each inning so it was a good start to the week.

“We got a lot of people in today,” Loshek added. “All the pitchers got in to pitch so it was good day. It was a good day to come out and show what we’ve got. We’ve shown signs of playing very well during the year. And then there are other times where we show like we’re beating ourselves.”

Cretin-Derham Hall 4, Park 3 Park lost to Cretin-Derham Hall at University of Northwestern – St. Paul on Wednesday, April 27.

Stillwater 6, Park 0

Host and third-ranked Stillwater blanked the Park Wolfpack 6-0 in girls softball Thursday.

The Ponies took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and that’s where the game stood until Stillwater poured through for five runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Park 8, Woodbury 0

Park pitcher Gracie Bond was too much for the Woodbury Royals to manage Friday. Bond struck out seven, walked two and allowed just four hits in the win. Bond sent the Royals down in order in the second, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Catcher Bryleigh Dana went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and scored a run in the game. Emma Ambroz, Grace Conaway and Skyler Crocker each drove in one run.

Park (5-3, 5-3) now plays at Forrest Lake (8-2, 8-2) Wednesday and at Mounds View (1-6, 1-6) Friday before returning home to face White Bear Lake (8-1, 8-1) on Tuesday, May 10.

In the latest rankings by the Minnesota High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association, Rosemount is No. 1, Chanhassen No. 2, Stillwater is No. 3, Forest Lake No. 4 and White Bear Lake No. 5.

Third baseman Grace Conaway makes a catch in the infield in the sixth inning in Park’s 8-3 win over Irondale Monday. Photo by John Molene