The Vashon Pirates Baseball team played four Nisqually league games this week, ultimately ending on a roll.
In its game against Charles Wright last Wednesday, Vashon jumped out to a one-run lead in the first inning, but surrendered five runs in the second inning. Unable to recover, they lost 9-6.
On Thursday, Charles Wright visited Vashon and lost to the Pirates, 15-14, in a 10-inning game. After five innings of back and forth scoring, Vashon scored three in the bottom of the sixth to tie things up. Although Vashon had the bases loaded in the seventh, they couldn’t push across the winning run, and regulation ended with a tie of 9-9. Charles Wright scored three in the top of the first extra inning only to see the Pirates score three of their own in the bottom half. Again, the Pirates left the bases juiced. A quick ninth followed as the pitchers prevailed, forcing a 10th inning, where the game was tied 12-12. Charles Wright looked firmly in control, scoring two runs in the top half. The Pirates, however, had something to say about that. A walk drawn by sophomore Ryan Rice, followed by a single from Andreas Stark and a walk to senior Wyatt Yates, set the stage. Ary Dulfer walked, scoring Rice, and senior Levi Meyer singled to right, scoring Stark; the win was sealed after sophomore Aidan McCann singled the second pitch he saw to right field, scoring Yates.
Myer started and went nearly five innings, giving up seven runs, five earned, on six hits with six strike outs, walking six batters. McCann relieved, going more than five innings, giving up seven runs, four earned with six hits, striking out four and walking five.
The offense pounded out 11 hits led by Rice going 3-5 with 2 RBIs. Yates was 2-4 with an RBI. Getting 1 hit each for the Pirates were Stark, Dulfer, Myer, McCann, Isaac Patchen and Senior Andrew McCammon. Dulfer had a homerun and Rice doubled for the Pirates. Dulfer and Meyer each had 3 RBIs, McCann had two, and Stark had one.
This game started the Pirates on a winning streak for the rest of the week.
On Friday, league-leading Bellevue Christian visited the Pirates and lost by a score of 9-8. Bellevue has two league loses this year with both coming at the hands of the Pirates. The Pirate bats stayed alive as they collected 14 hits. Again, Vashon battled back late in the game to take the victory. Junior Tyler Lowell and McCammon each singled setting up a two-run double by Yates to tie the game in the fifth. In the bottom of the sixth, still tied, McCann singled and scored after a walk to Patchen, a single by Lowell and a sac fly by McCammon to give Vashon the lead 9-8. Sophomore Alex Hitchcock closed out the game 1-2-3.
This was a big win as it kept the Pirates in the running for a playoff spot.
For the fourth and final game of the week on Saturday, Cascade Christian visited the Pirates and Vashon came away with an 8-5 victory. The Pirates jumped out early in this one, scoring eight runs in the first two innings and held off a late Cascade Christian rally.
Senior Armando Oatman started off pitching, going four innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits with no strikeouts and five walks. Hitchcock relieved going three innings, giving up one earned run on two hits, walking one and striking out one. Oatman got the win for the Pirates.
The Pirates had eight hits led by Myer who went 2-4 with three RBIs and a homerun. Patchen and Lowell had two hits each. Yates and McCann each had a hit. Patchen and Yates each doubled. Patchen had two RBIs with Yates and McCann each getting an RBI. The Pirates committed no errors as they are starting to put it all together.
The win set up a big game Monday at Seattle Christian, the start of another four-game week for the Pirates. They play at Cascade on Wednesday and are at home for Senior Day against Cascade on Friday with a game against Overlake on Saturday.
—Dave Myer is a parent of a player; Coach Marc McCann assisted.
