To borrow an old cliche, it was the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. All in the same afternoon.
Park’s 2024 softball season came to an end Thursday in a heartbreaking 9-3 loss to second-ranked Rosemount in the Class 3AAAA championship game. That loss followed a thrilling 6-1 Park win in game one.
It was the last game for Park infield stars Briana Lee and Grace Conaway, both of whom will be playing college softball next season, Lee at Augustana, Conaway at Stonehill College – along with teammate Alexis Novak.
Park ends the season as the section runner-up with a 17-8 season record.
Rosemount (21-4) advances to this week’s Class AAAA state softball tournament as the top seed. Also advancing to state were Suburban East Conference rivals Stillwater (19-5), second-seeded Forest Lake (18-4) and top-seeded Cretin-Derham Hall (18-6) in the 3AAA tournament.
Asked what they will remember about their years as Park softball players, here is what the seniors said:
Grace Conaway: “Probably these guys, how we stuck together through everything. And there’s not much more you can ask from a bunch of girls who go to your school. It’s nothing less than family.”
Briana Lee: “Probably just growing up together. We all started on the same team. Me and her (Lee) started on the same team and now we’re graduating together. So, I’d say just growing up together and having these people become your best friends. That’s what makes this so fun.”
Alexis Novak: “The community that we built as a team and how we came together as a family over the years. When I was new to the team I kind of felt like they immediately brought me in and made me like a member. I didn’t feel awkward coming into the team at all. They made me like a family member right away.
Assistant coach Tony Young, who took over head coaching duties most of the season after head coach Bob Loshek was suspended, said the growth of the players is the thing he’ll remember.
“It was quite a journey,” said Park coach Tony Young. “We came a long way. Not going to lie, we followed coach Loshek’s blueprint the whole way. We did what he has taught me, and this is where we came up a little bit short, but we were right there at the end.
“I’ve known a lot of these girls since they were 10 years old,” Young added. “Watching them grow into tough young women is incredible. It’s why I’ve done it and it’s my reward. Seeing them later in life being successful, being good people and you don’t make a living on coaching so that’s my pay.”
Thursday’s contests both had plenty of action and drama, but the game that may haunt Park’s players and coaches was a tough 1-0 loss to the same Rosemount team in the section semifinals on Tuesday.
Rosemount 1, Park 0
Top-seeded and defending state champion Rosemount edged Park 1-0 in a contest that went eight innings in the Class 4A, Section 3 semifinals Tuesday at M-Health Fairview Sports Complex.
The Irish scored their only run in the eighth.
The Wolfpack couldn’t generate much offense, either, gathering just four hits, and dropped into the elimination bracket with the loss.
“That one I didn’t feel was earned by the other team,” said Young. “But we left that up to chance by not scoring in the first eight innings. We had opportunities and we didn’t capitalize on it. And then sometimes the game comes down to that and we got bit by it. So, it’s on us. It’s a tough one but we’ve got to score a run.”
“That one hurt,” agreed Conaway. “It hurt so bad because we knew we could kick their butt and we did.”
Park 5, Eagan 4
Park knocked out Eagan 5-4 in the elimination bracket finals Wednesday at M-Health Fairview Sports Complex.
Park 6, Rosemount 1
The Wolfpack handed the Irish only their fourth loss of the season in the first game of the championship Thursday, and made it look easy.
Park took a 2-1 lead after the first inning, then added three runs in the fifth to salt the game away.
Rosemount scored in the first inning on a one-out home run by Ari Princl. After that Park pitchers Mackenzie Darsow and Stella Fritsche shut the Irish down the rest of the game. They combined to strike out three batters and force 11 fly outs or line outs.
Park has just six hits and 15 strikeouts but made the most of their opportunities.
Darsow socked a two-run homer with two out in the first inning and Addie Corkish capped the game with a solo home run in the seventh. Park scored three times in the fifth inning as Alayna Adamez was hit by a pitch, Corkish singled and senior Bri Lee homered to drive in three runs.
Rosemount 9, Park 3
The Irish took a 2-0 lead after one inning and never looked back, knocking out the Park Wolfpack in the Section 3 championship game in a 9-3 win.
Rosemount led 3-0 after two, 4-0 after three and 7-1 after four innings. Park tried to get back in the game with two runs in the top of the fifth. Back-to-back walks to Darsow and Grace Conaway set the stage for Ava Youngquist who delivered a two-run double.
But the Irish came right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Park’s offense was held in check the rest of the way. Park had a two-out double by Corkish in the sixth, but that was followed by a strikeout. Lee singled to open the seventh, but the next three batters made outs.
Rosemount collected 12 hits off Park pitchers Fritsche and Darsow, including a two-run home run by Morgan Honeycutt and a three-run home run by Kayla Bartol.