Vashon Island Pirates baseball won a big game last Thursday against Bellevue Christian High School.

Junior Aidan McCann started on the mound for Vashon and went four innings, allowing three runs off of five hits and seven strikeouts. Bellevue went up by two in the top of the second only to see Vashon tie it again in the bottom of the inning.

At the bottom of the fourth, after Bellevue walked three runners, senior Ary Dulfer hit a grand-slam home run to put Vashon up 6-3. After scoring three more in the bottom of the sixth it looked like Vashon would run away with this one as junior Alex Hitchcock looked strong, taking the hill after McCann. But in the top of the seventh and final inning, Bellevue loaded the bases and then hit their own grand-slam home run to put the game within two.

With the bases loaded, Vashon walked in a run, making it one out, bases loaded 9-8. Dulfer took the mound, striking out Bellevue for the second out. A fly ball to right field — caught with a dive by junior Ryan Rice as the fans held their breath — gave Vashon the final out and the win.

Dulfer had two hits, a walk and four RBI’s including the home run. Hitchcock had three hits with a double and two RBI’s; McCann had a double, walk and two RBI’s and junior Isaac Patchen had a hit and walked. Senior Mitchel Boles, freshman Will Godwin, and senior Ryan Rice all walked once. Freshman Sam Walker walked twice. Currently, the Pirates are 4-2 and tied for first place in their division.

The Pirates will again face Bellevue Christian at a later date due to a Monday rainout. They took on Bellevue on Wednesday after press time to wrap up the division series.

— Marc McCann is the Pirates’ baseball coach.