The regular season has come and gone for the varsity softball team, which means the beginning of the postseason is here. From now on, every out matters. Every hit matters. Every run matters. The magnitude of win-or-go-home games creates a different kind of intensity that the team must face, as well as forcing the team to play at an even higher level than they have before.

This type of pressure requires the softball team to adopt a new mindset for the remainder of the season.

“They know that it’s their last game of the season if they lose, and you never want to lose the last game,” coach Mike Freedline said. “Their mindset is a lot more focused now than it is in the regular season.”

After a first round bye as the number one seed in the District 5 tournament, the Knights will be taking on the Parkway North Vikings on Thursday, Oct. 5 at Francis Howell North. The Vikings are coming off a dominant 10-0 first round win over the Ritenour Huskies, their first shutout win since the first time they played Ritenour this season on Aug. 23, where they blanked the Huskies 11-0. The Vikings are 8-5 in their last 13 games, but finished the season with a record of 8-16 and gave up the most runs in their division at 180.

At a record of 10-12, the Knights come into the second round match-up as favorites to advance into the later stages of the tournament. With this expectation, the Knights face added pressure to execute the key elements of their game.

“It requires our team to do good against Parkway North since we have a better record,” senior shortstop Sahaura Pauley said. “Our team needs to do better at our hitting and hit the ball harder than we have before, as well as needing to do better at fielding.”

While the Knights are the favorites coming into the game, they still have to avoid overlooking the Vikings and play at the same level they’ve played at all season.

“If the girls just play like they can play, they’ll be fine,” Freedline said, “they just have to play at a higher level and not play down to a lower level.”

The Knights are currently riding a two game winning streak, with wins coming over Fort Zumwalt West on FHN’s senior night and Pattonville on Monday. Howell North scored 14 runs in those two games, adding to a season total of 167. Overall, the season has had its’ ups and downs for the varsity softball team, but with their recent success, the team is hoping to carry their late season momentum into Thursday night’s game and the rest of the postseason.

“If we keep hitting strong and keep playing good defense and everyone keeps trying their hardest, I hope to make it past sectionals,” senior Aleah Schott said.

Win-or-go-home games can often produce some of the more incredible of fixtures, as well as some of the most memorable moments in the careers of the players. These players know that each game could either be their last, or the start of something special.

“We can go all out playing so we can make these games and beyond more fun and more memorable,” Pauley said.