The VHS Pirate baseball team continued to hit the ball well as they won two and lost one last week to bring their Nisqually League record to 2-2 and their season record to 4-2.
On Monday, they beat the Seattle Christian Warriors behind the pitching of Tyler Bernheisel who went the distance in an excellent 10 strike-out, 2 hit effort. Visibly tired, and struggling in the bottom of the 7th, Bernheisel allowed a lead-off double. He then sucked it up and struck out two before Joe Gilmour snagged a line drive at second to record the final out.
Offensively, the Pirates tallied one run in the 3rd and three in the 4th on a small-ball combination of bunts and base hits. Catcher, Peter Johnson drove in the first and last runs of the game. In the second, he laced a line drive down the left field line to score one. In the 4th he launched a towering solo home-run into a brisk wintry headwind to tally the Pirate’s fifth run. As a team, the Pirates put together 9 hits in the 5-0 win.
On Friday, the Pirates hosted the Cascade Christian Cougars in a rescheduled game. Chris Pieterick took the mound for the Pirates in his first start of the season, allowing 6 hits and throwing 7 strike-outs over five innings, before being relieved by a newly eligible Matt Amick.
Amick demonstrated his potential contribution to the Pirates offensively and defensively. Besides his solid effort in relief, he went 1 for 2 at the plate, including a double to the center field fence. Other notable Pirate hitters were Paulsen, Johnson, and Gilmour who were each 2 for 4.
Defensively, the Pirates appeared somewhat slow to react to the ball. Several found gaps to bring Cougar runners around. An exception was a spectacular diving catch by center fielder Jake Theno in the top of the 4th which ended the inning.
The Pirates faced one of the Nisqually League’s premiere pitchers in the Cougar’s David Lidyard. Lidyard gave the Pirates problems last season and showed that he’d only gotten stronger over the winter. Throwing a glove-popping fast ball and a combination of well-placed breaking balls, Lidyard threw 10 strike-outs over 6 innings and scattered 8 Pirate hits in the 8-4 Cougar win.
Saturday, the Pirates traveled to Washington High School in Tacoma for a non-league game against the Patriots. Wes Paulsen pitched 1-hit shut-out ball for the Pirates before being relieved in the 6th by Amick. The Pirate defense was particularly sharp against the Patriots, highlighted by the throw-out of a Patriot runner at first base by a hard charging Garrett Ashbaugh from shallow right field.
The Pirates put together 13 hits to score 12 runs, in the 12-0 victory. Pieterick was 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs. Kyle Martin was 2 for 4, including a double, with 3 RBIs. Theno was 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBIs. Gilmour was 2 for 2, including a roped single to the CF fence for a “Wowie!” RBI.
The Pirates are off for spring break this week before playing at Foster High School in Tukwila on Friday at 4:00 PM.
Credit - Charlie Pieterick
