After a raft of essential wins to finish their regular season, Vashon varsity baseball rocketed to a win in their first Nisqually League tournament game Monday.

A double header at Seattle Christian on May 1 kicked off the week. Will Frith started on the mound for the first game and went three innings with one unearned run. The Pirates’ bats were on point and racked up eight hits to score nine runs. Finn Magonegil lead the way with two hits and two RBIs.

Chase Bradrick and Jack Harvey each pitched scoreless innings to close the top half of the double header with a 9-1 victory.

Seattle Christian made a bevy of errors in the field in the second game, and the Pirates jumped on them early, scoring three in the first inning and keeping a dominant lead the rest of the game.

Josh Healy led the scoring with two RBIs for Vashon. Frith and Bradrick each knocked in a run and Harvey had two hits. Charlie Walker and Bradrick held down the pitching and capped the day with a 6-1 win for Vashon.

With the Pirates making only one error in 10 innings, Head Coach Simon Perrin expressed happiness with the team’s performance.

The next game on May 2 proved to be a pivotal contest for the team’s placement in the upcoming Nisqually League tournament. Vashon traveled to Cascade Christian to face the Cougars and battle for home field advantage in the first round of playoffs.

The entire team stepped up, starting with Walker on the mound. Walker went five innings, striking out 11 and getting out of two bases-loaded jams. He also had three RBIs on the day to lead the scoring for Vashon.

Vashon’s freshmen stepped up as well, with Healy racking up two hits, scoring three times and playing a solid left field. Brent Calhoun had a single, Jude Dardeau had a hit, an RBI and a heads up play at second to secure a double play.

Jacob Lawrence held down right field to round out the needed freshman surge. Senior Hawkins had three hits and two runs to add to the 6-3 win for the Pirates, who secured fourth place in the league.

“We played them well at the beginning of the year and then hit a rough patch in the season, so I was curious and pleased to see how we matched up at the end of the regular season,” Coach Perrin said.

Seattle Christian traveled to Vashon on May 3, and with the Pirates’ tournament placement secured, it was a relaxing, sunny evening of baseball. Students, parents, friends, and family members filled the stands and cheered as the Pirates racked up another win, and the seniors and their parents were honored in the middle of the fifth inning.

Hawkins, Walker and Dardeau lead the scoring with two RBIs each. Healey had three hits and three runs. Hawkins started on the mound with seven strike outs, and Frith relieved with four strike outs. The evening ending with a 10-4 win for the Pirates, wrapping up a 9-8 regular season record.

“Our pitchers did well all week,” said Coach Perrin. “The freshmen really stepped up. The season could have gone two ways after some mid-season losses, and I’m really proud of how the team fought back to a winning record. That’s where you want to be going into the tournament. I want to congratulate our seniors, who are all legit ball players and have had outstanding careers here.”

On May 6, Cascade Christian came to Vashon for the first game of the Nisqually League Tournament.

It was a must-win for the Pirates to continue, and win or lose, it would be the last game at the Vashon field for the seniors, as the rest of the tournament is in Tacoma.

Tensions were high in the stands, but the play on the field was crisp. Hawkins had another amazing night on the mound, earning 14 strikeouts with Harvey behind the plate. The Cougars also pitched well and the game stayed tight.

In the fourth, with Hawkins and Walker on base, Frith hit it deep for a sacrifice fly RBI. Bradrick also knocked in a run on a fielder’s choice with some crafty base running from Walker on third.

The game was tied 2-2 at the bottom of the seventh. Frith led off the inning with a single to left for his second hit of the night. Jacob Lawrence was sent in to pinch run for Frith, and Bradrick moved him to second with a perfect bunt. Freshman Brent Calhoun stepped up to the plate next, and after two failed bunt attempts, had to swing away and laced a single to left field. Lawrence rounded third, beat the throw in and crossed the plate for a 3-2 walk off win.

Jim Martin field exploded with excitement, and the Pirates moved on to the double elimination portion of the tournament.

Next up: Vashon plays Bellevue Christian at Foss Field in Tacoma on May 8, news of which will appear in a future edition of The Beachcomber.

To view the schedule for the Nisqually League Tournament, visit online.

Eric Frith is a parent of a Pirates baseball team member.