Crown Point’s Anna Holloway kept her emotions in check.
But senior night was special for the all-state shortstop and Notre Dame recruit.
Holloway had a pair of run-scoring singles May 18 as the Bulldogs topped Valparaiso 8-4, clinching a share of the Duneland Athletic Conference title.
“It’s a little bittersweet,” Holloway said. “I’m really looking forward to the future and what that can hold. But these past four years have meant a lot to me. It helped me grow as a player and as a person.
“I walked in, and everyone accepted me immediately. I’ve been blessed with a great group of girls every single year I’ve been here. I’ve had a great coaching staff every single year I’ve been here. It’s been an unforgettable experience. I’m definitely going to miss it and look back on it a lot.”
All-state senior pitcher Madi Elish, an Arizona recruit, notched the win for Crown Point (25-3, 13-1), which is ranked No. 5 in the Class 4A state coaches poll and No. 21 in the USA Today national poll. She allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings with nine strikeouts and one walk against Valparaiso (14-7, 10-4), which suffered its only conference losses to the Bulldogs and Lake Central.
Elish also had two hits, including a two-run double to open the scoring as part of a four-run third inning.
Senior Madi Young, a Bowling Green recruit, pitched the final inning for Crown Point.
In all, the Bulldogs honored nine seniors. Eight of them plan to play in college.
Second-year coach Angie Richwalski praised the talent and character of the group.
“I’ve been with these guys since they were sophomores and been hearing about them since they were freshmen. … Senior night is always hard,” she said. “It never gets any easier. They’re always your babies. And there are so many of them this year.”
Senior Grace Lucka had two hits, including a two-run homer in the fourth as Crown Point batted around for four runs on seven hits. Senior Gianna Fantin went 2 for 2 with a double and a walk.
Sophomore Brooke Corneil and senior Maggie Etzler each had two hits for Valparaiso, including a double. Corneil’s double capped the Vikings’ three-run sixth.
Crown Point and Lake Central (24-1, 12-1) split the regular-season series, with a potential third game looming in a regional.
“It’s huge,” Holloway said of sharing the conference title. “There are so many good teams in the DAC. It’s just really, really hard to win because you have to beat everyone twice, and beating everyone once is hard enough.”