By John Raffel
Correspondent
PAW PAW — While the state semifinal win for Paw Paw’s softball team was dramatic on June 12 with Elizabeth Vanderburg’s walkoff home run, the quarterfinal victory two days prior didn’t lack for drama either.
Vanderburg hit two home runs and drove in three for the Red Wolves in a 5-4 Division 2 win over the Coldwater Cardinals at Battle Creek’s Bailey Park.
Vanderburg’s homer in the fifth and seventh innings were huge.
She had a home run to center in the fifth to give Paw Paw a 3-1 lead.
But Coldwater took the lead in the top of the sixth when Lannie VanAken singled in two runs and Vandria Bucklin grounded out to send home a run.
Vanderburg’s homer in the bottom of the seventh tied the game 4-4. The next batter, Cami Vandermeeden followed that with a triple and would score on a steal of home to win the game.
“I told the girls it didn’t matter when we score, only that we do and I had complete faith in them,” coach Mike Mottl said. “The key to the rally was the home run Elizabeth Vanderburg hit. The thing that pleased me most was how the girls picked each other up whenever they made a mistake? The quarterfinals win on June 10 would send Paw Paw to the semifinals on June 12.
“To say the girls are excited for making it to MSU is a massive understatement,” Mottl said.
