Arrowhead Advances To State With Win Over Kimberly

June 15, 2016

By Spencer Flaten

GRAND CHUTE, WI — Arrowhead managed a narrow 2-1 victory over Kimberly in the Division 1 state semifinals to book their place in this year’s state championship game.

The Papermakers gave Arrowhead everything they had, but they ultimately came up just short at the state tournament for the third straight season.

Nate Brown was commanding on the mound for the Warhawks. The Papermakers struggled to string any offense together against the hard throwing senior. Kimberly pitcher Danny VandenBoom didn’t make things easy for Arrowhead, either.

The Warhawks broke through with a run in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single by Jeff Holtz to take a 1-0 lead.

Kimberly got the tying run in scoring position in the fourth inning, but Brown struck out Bailey Marasch to end the inning before the Papermakers could score.

Arrowhead widened their lead in the fifth inning thanks to another RBI single by Holtz. It was a much-needed insurance run, because in the sixth inning Kimberly’s Drew Johnson shot an RBI single to right field to make the score 2-1.

Down to their final three outs in the top of the seventh, Kimberly got two men on base with the help of two Arrowhead errors. That brought star hitter Ben Carew to the plate with a chance to tie the game. It wasn’t meant to be, however. He grounded out with an accidental check swing, and Arrowhead took home the victory and clinched their spot in the state championship game.

Brown pitched a complete game for Arrowhead with 10 strikeouts and no earned runs. He scattered six hits and walked two. VandenBoom took the loss despite giving up only two runs in six innings of work. He struck out three.

Holtz and Tanner Williams both had two hits for Arrowhead. Johnson finished 2-for-3 for Kimberly.

The Warhawks will play Burlington for the Division 1 state championship in the final game of the state tournament on Thursday.