Harrison Softball Semistate: No. 1 Penn Falls In Semis
WEST LAFAYETTE – The Penn softball team saw another stellar season end Saturday with a tough semistate loss.
In a clash of titans, top-ranked Penn dropped a 2-1 final to No. 2 Crown Point in 13 innings in a semifinal game of the Class 4-A Harrison Semistate.
Penn, which was state runner-up a year ago, entered the game ranked No. 14 nationally by USA Today. The Bulldogs were No. 21 in the national poll.
The Bulldogs got an RBI double by Gracie Frazier in the bottom of the 13th inning with two outs to sideline the Kingsmen.
Penn finishes its season at 27-2, while Crown Point advanced to the semistate final Saturday night sporting a 28-2 mark.
Crown Point ace Alexis Holloway, who is bound for Notre Dame, out dueled Penn star hurler Danielle Watson. Holloway allowed six hits, while striking out 20 and walking seven. The Louisville-bound Watson gave up 10 hits with six strikeouts and eight walks.
The Bulldogs, who had a regular-season game versus Penn rained out, scored a run in the first frame. The Kingsmen tied the game in their final at-bat in the seventh inning. Watson tripled and then courtesy runner Mallory Newman scored on a suicide squeeze by Sydney Middleton.
Penn got great defense from left fielder Lexi Clay to force extra innings. Clay made a diving catch in the bottom of the seventh and then threw out a runner at the plate in the eighth inning.
Watson finished 20-2 this season with 260 strikeouts and 40 walks in 133.1 innings. She finished her brilliant prep career with 16 no-hitters.
The senior trio of Watson, Maddy Newman and Katie Quinlan will all play Division I next year. Watson and Newman are headed for Louisville and Quinlan to Michigan State.
Newman led Penn with three hits, including a double.
Coach Beth Zachary’s Penn team only other loss was a 1-0 decision to defending Illinois state champion Oak Park River Forest back on May 6. The Kingsmen, who lost 4-3 to Avon in the state title game in 2016, then beat Oak Park 18-4 in the second game of a doubleheader to snap their 46-game winning streak.