Vashon’s Nisqually Baseball League season began, not surprisingly, with a rain-out on March 13 of a game scheduled against Seattle Christian.

But game two, on March 15 against Cascade Christian, was a joyous event on a cool but sunny day at Vashon’s Jim Martin Field.

Long before the sizable crowd arrived for the opening day, there was a pre-game moment of reverence and reflection as a quiet, full team of Pirates walked from the dugout to a memorial plaque and flower pot behind home plate that commemorates Vashon baseball alum, Finn Scriver, who the team tragically lost in 2021 at the end of Scriver’s senior year.

Each player touched the memorial plaque and silently relayed a message.

“Remember who helped you, who represented this school before you, and remember the legacy you are a part of,” Coach Simon Perrin told his team. “I just told them to go let Finn know we are working hard.”

Many of the upperclassmen were teammates with Scriver and they indeed seemed to pull energy from how he loved to play in this first game of the year.

Cascade Christian jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first. However, once the Pirates settled in, they showed the significant promise this team is bringing to the field.

Finn Hawkins started on the mound for the Pirates and spun a solid five innings with nine strikeouts and two earned runs.

Sophomore Charlie Walker started off the hitting with a double, and then Vashon’s lineup showed balance and power from top to bottom with 12 hits and 10 runs.

The defense was clean, the base running was on point and this team showed they are ready to compete with the best this season.

Jack Harvey pitched in relief and the Pirates celebrated a 3-10 victory with the hometown crowd.

“Hawk (Finn Hawkins) pitched lights out. Jack came in and did his Job. Charlie kicked off the hitting with the double, we were down 2-0 but were never really phased,” said Perrin.

Two days later, the Pirates played Cascade Christian again on their field, but another rough first inning would prove too much to overcome.

Will Frith started on the mound for the Pirates and gave up two walks and three hits in the first, which was followed by two throwing errors on the defense behind him, resulting in a 0-4 lead for Cascade Christian. The team buckled down and kept fighting, with Charlie Walker, Finn Magonegil and Chase Bradrick each providing two hits and an RBI.

Walker pitched scoreless in relief for the Pirates and Vashon out-hit the Cougars, but only pushed three runs across the plate for a 3-4 loss.

“Same story as the first game,” said Perrin, “We spotted them some runs, but this time lots of our guys were left on base. Charlie pitched lights out for us, and if not for the two overthrows and two walks in the first — we win that game no doubt. We’re not concerned about this loss. We played gritty and the want to win is there, we just didn’t get the success we wanted.”

Vashon Varsity Baseball Schedule

• March 23 Home vs. Bellevue Christian at 4 p.m.
• March 29 at East Jefferson at 4 p.m.
• March 31 Home vs. East Jefferson at 4 p.m.
• April 6 Home vs. King’s Way Christian at 2 p.m.
• April 7 Home vs. Sultan at 11 a.m.