The Cottage Grove 10U Grey fastpitch squad capped off an unforgettable end of season run at Monsta Nationals this weekend, finishing fourth and earning bronze medals.

The team, coached by Erin Oihus and Scott Key, opened play Friday with an 8-2 win over Farmington. An early setback dropped Cottage Grove into the elimination bracket. The team responded with a Saturday night comeback, winning three straight 7–6 nailbiters -- including a marathon international tiebreaker five innings in a game against St. Francis.

In the Sunday semifinals against Chaska, Cottage Grove players fought to the final out, falling by an 8-7 score and securing the fourth place metal for bronze bracket.

When the Cottage Grove Athletic Association (CGAA) needed a team to round out the bracket for its annual Pride in the Pack travel fastpitch tournament earlier this summer, two local 10U rec teams answered the call.

Coaches Key and Oihus realized that while neither of their individual rec rosters had enough players available for the tournament weekend, combining their forces would give their athletes a unique opportunity to compete. Joining the two squads together created a brand new roster, but it also meant a crash course in adapting to a whole new brand of softball.

Moving from recreational rules to competitive travel play presented an immediate learning curve. The girls had to adjust quickly to key rule changes — such as the elimination of coach-pitch after five balls and allowing runners to steal home — with only a couple of joint practices to gel as a cohesive unit before game day.

The new teammates proved to be quick learners. At the Pride in the Pack tournament, the combined CGAA squad rallied through the competition to capture first place in the Silver Bracket. Their performance earned them an unexpected berth in the prestigious Monsta Nationals tournament in Elk River.

With their travel tournament weekend wrapped up, the players briefly parted ways, returning to their respective rec teams to finish out the regular season. In a storybook twist, both coaches found themselves on opposite sides of the field during their end-of-season rec tournament, where Oihus finished second and Key’s team was third.

While established travel programs spend entire seasons fundraising for major postseason events like Monsta Nationals, this makeshift squad had only a few short weeks to prepare. Showing the same hustle off the field as they do on it, players, coaches and families rallied the community. The team reached out to local business sponsors and spent hours bagging groceries at the local Hy-Vee to accept community donations for their entry fees and gear.

This weekend, the girls reunited as teammates, taking the field at Monsta Nationals to represent Cottage Grove on the big stage.