The Vashon Pirates traveled to Fife yesterday (5/3) to battle Seattle Christian in a tiebreaker game. The winner would place second in league and the loser would finish third. It would take eight exciting and grueling innings, but the Pirates came out on top in the end 5-4. Chris Pieterick was due to start on the mound for Vashon, but due to SAT testing, wasn't able to arrive at the game until the fifth inning. So Chris Allman got the start instead and pitched the first four innings allowing only two hits, one of them being a solo HR. However, due to Pirate errors and four walks, Vashon found itself on the short end of a 4-2 score after four frames. Pieterick pitched the final four innings allowing no runs and scattering three hits. The Pirate's first two runs came in the second by way of a Tom Schumaker single, an RBI triple by Justin Calhoun, and an RBI single by Wes Paulsen. After scoring the two runs, they loaded the bases, but stranded all three runners. Vashon would score again in the fifth on a solo HR by Pieterick to make the score 4-3 after five. No scoring took place in the sixth inning or the top of the seventh, which brings us to the dramatic bottom of the seventh. Pieterick led off with a single, followed by a single from Allman. Schumaker walked, as did Calhoun, forcing in the tying run. The Pirates now had the bases loaded with no outs and needing just one run for the victory. Paulsen hit a shallow fly ball to center field and Allman, the runner at third, elected to not tag up and try and score. The next batter, Matt Amick, was asked to lay down a safety squeeze. Unfortunately, the bunt was a little too hard to the first baseman, who forced Allman at the plate for the second out. Jake Theno then popped up to end the inning, sending the game into extra frames. Pieterick retired the side in order in the top of the eight, setting the stage for the storybook finish. Joe Gilmour (pinch hitting for Adam Powelson, who left the game due to a uniform malfunction) lashed a single to start off the inning. And then, two batters later, the hot hitting Pieterick calmly stepped to the plate and hit a towering triple, scoring the winning run and securing a second place finish for the Pirates in the Nisqually League standings. The Vashon eleven hit attack was led by Pieterick who was a perfect 3 for 3 with a single, HR, and the winning triple. Schumaker was 2 for 3 with two singles and Calhoun was 1 for 3 with a big triple. Allman, Paulsen, Amick, Powelson, and, of course, Gilmour all added singles. The line score: Vashon 5 runs 11 hits 3 errors, Seattle Christian 4 runs 5 hits 1 error. On the defensive end, Vashon turned a nice double play (pitcher to catcher to first) with the bases loaded in the fifth inning snuffing out a potential rally. The Pirates start District play on 5/7 against Coupeville (Whidbey Island) at their home. The winner of that game would go to Regionals in Anacortes on 5/17 as the number two seed, whereas the loser would play on 5/10 at Stanwood HS against an opponent to be determined. Go Pirates!
Pirates Win Tiebreaker
The Vashon Pirates traveled to Fife yesterday (5/3) to battle Seattle Christian in a tiebreaker game. The winner would place second in league and the loser would finish third. It would take eight exciting and grueling innings, but the Pirates came out on top in the end 5-4. Chris Pieterick was due to start on the mound for Vashon, but due to SAT testing, wasn't able to arrive at the game until the fifth inning. So Chris Allman got the start instead and pitched the first four innings allowing only two hits, one of them being a solo HR. However, due to Pirate errors and four walks, Vashon found itself on the short end of a 4-2 score after four frames. Pieterick pitched the final four innings allowing no runs and scattering three hits. The Pirate's first two runs came in the second by way of a Tom Schumaker single, an RBI triple by Justin Calhoun, and an RBI single by Wes Paulsen. After scoring the two runs, they loaded the bases, but stranded all three runners. Vashon would score again in the fifth on a solo HR by Pieterick to make the score 4-3 after five. No scoring took place in the sixth inning or the top of the seventh, which brings us to the dramatic bottom of the seventh. Pieterick led off with a single, followed by a single from Allman. Schumaker walked, as did Calhoun, forcing in the tying run. The Pirates now had the bases loaded with no outs and needing just one run for the victory. Paulsen hit a shallow fly ball to center field and Allman, the runner at third, elected to not tag up and try and score. The next batter, Matt Amick, was asked to lay down a safety squeeze. Unfortunately, the bunt was a little too hard to the first baseman, who forced Allman at the plate for the second out. Jake Theno then popped up to end the inning, sending the game into extra frames. Pieterick retired the side in order in the top of the eight, setting the stage for the storybook finish. Joe Gilmour (pinch hitting for Adam Powelson, who left the game due to a uniform malfunction) lashed a single to start off the inning. And then, two batters later, the hot hitting Pieterick calmly stepped to the plate and hit a towering triple, scoring the winning run and securing a second place finish for the Pirates in the Nisqually League standings. The Vashon eleven hit attack was led by Pieterick who was a perfect 3 for 3 with a single, HR, and the winning triple. Schumaker was 2 for 3 with two singles and Calhoun was 1 for 3 with a big triple. Allman, Paulsen, Amick, Powelson, and, of course, Gilmour all added singles. The line score: Vashon 5 runs 11 hits 3 errors, Seattle Christian 4 runs 5 hits 1 error. On the defensive end, Vashon turned a nice double play (pitcher to catcher to first) with the bases loaded in the fifth inning snuffing out a potential rally. The Pirates start District play on 5/7 against Coupeville (Whidbey Island) at their home. The winner of that game would go to Regionals in Anacortes on 5/17 as the number two seed, whereas the loser would play on 5/10 at Stanwood HS against an opponent to be determined. Go Pirates!
