Pirates’ baseball season ends with three losses

The team is out of the league playoff picture

May 8, 2019 1:30 am
VHS senior and Pirates baseball player Ary Dulfer hugs his mother on Senior Night, while (from left) teammates Tyler Lowell and his mother, and Mitchell Boles and his mother, and coach Greg McElroy (far right) look on (Courtesy Photo).
VHS senior and Pirates baseball player Ary Dulfer hugs his mother on Senior Night, while (from left) teammates Tyler Lowell and his mother, and Mitchell Boles and his mother, and coach Greg McElroy (far right) look on (Courtesy Photo).

The Vashon Pirates Baseball season ended Wednesday with three straight losses, eliminating the team from the Nisqually league playoffs. In need of just one victory in their last four games, the Pirates came up short each time, ending a hopeful and exciting season.

On Monday, VHS played Bellevue Christian in the rubber match of the three-game series, losing by a score of 6-2. A win would have given Vashon a chance not to just make the playoffs, but also win the division in a close race. Junior Aidan McCann and senior Ary Dulfer each had multiple hits including a home run by Dulfer. Juniors Ryan Rice and Alex Hitchcock, and sophomore Mead Gill, each had a hit in the losing cause. The game remained close through six innings as Vashon only trailed 2-3. Bellevue Pitcher Jeff Jewett kept the Pirates’ batters off balance and unable to get more runs in his complete game effort. Junior Isaac Patchen went two innings and Hitchcock went five, combining to allow only 5 hits, but walks cost the team in this one.

Tuesday the Pirates celebrated their seniors Ary Dulfer, Mitchell Boles and Tyler Lowell. Vashon entered the day in a must-win game against Charles Wright, again tied in the series 1-1. The rubber match would decide who moved onto the league playoffs and a chance at State. Charles Wright jumped on Vashon early in the first inning with four quick runs. Then added one more in the second and another in the sixth. Vashon could only muster a run in the second and the fifth to again go down 6-2. McCann and senior Mitchell Boles each had two hits. Hitchcock and junior Jack Cunningham added a hit each while Dulfer and Rice each had a walk. Dulfer started pitching the first two innings and McCann pitched five. While the team again only allowed 5 hits, they came at the same time, and some untimely walks cost them.

The year was exciting, and it was great that the Pirates put themselves in a position to not just make the playoffs, but also win the division. The future looks bright for Vashon Baseball.

End of the year awards will be announced next week.

— Written by Marc McCann, Pirates’ baseball coach.