The Pirates of Vashon traveled to the northern outskirts of Bellingham yesterday (5/8) to face off against the Trojans of Meridian HS in the opening round of District playoffs. It was an intense and exciting game with the Pirates prevailing in the end 6-4. It was the "small ball" of Vashon vs the "long ball" of Meridian and on this day "small ball" came out on top. Justin Calhoun started on the mound for the Pirates and pitched five innings of three hit ball. Unfortunately, two of those hits left the yard and accounted for three Trojan runs. Calhoun struck out ten and had five walks, four of which came in the 5th when he started showing signs of fatigue. After falling behind 2-0 in the first on a home run by opposing pitcher Bryan Black, Vashon responded by scoring two runs of their own in the second. Meridian regained the lead in the third with a solo HR and added another in the fifth via the four walks. Trailing 4-2 entering the sixth and with the bottom of the order coming up, the boys from Vashon got busy. Chris Pieterick was hit by a pitch, Byron Starkey had a single, Ben Hanusa got on via an error, Matt Amick delivered an RBI single, Max Bean was nailed by a pitch, and Calhoun hit a ground ball which scored a run. And just like that the Pirates manufactured 3 runs and took the lead 5-4. They added an insurance run in the seventh on a double by Pieterick and a single by Hanusa. Eric Anderson closed the deal in fine fashion by pitching the final two innings allowing only one hit and striking out two. He was credited with the victory. DH Matt Amick led the Pirates in hitting with a 2 for 4 afternoon. Strong execution by the offense certainly helped the Vashon cause. Bean had a perfect "slash" single and Starkey laid down a nice sacrifice bunt. The highly touted Black went the distance for Meridian and only allowed six hits, but his wildness would cost him as he hit four batters and gave up three walks. At games end, as the players and their fans strolled to the parking lot, one could almost feel a sense of magic in the air. As though perhaps we were witnessing the beginnings of something special. Come join us and share in the magic. The Pirates next play on Saturday (5/12) against Friday Harbor at 2pm. Location: Cascade Christian HS in Puyallup. The winner of that game will play again at 5pm for a berth to the State playoffs. Come out and support your team on their march to State. Playoff info here.
