Spring weather has not been kind to the Pirates baseball team, as six of the first nine games have been postponed by rain. The Pirates had better luck last weekend though, as they headed east of the mountains to find 60-degree weather and bright sunshine. The Pirates fell to the Cashmere Bulldogs on Friday, April 8, but followed with a win over the Chelan Goats on Saturday, April 9.

On Friday, the Pirates gave Cashmere, one of the state’s top teams and the defending 2010 state champions, a run for their money. The Bulldogs were undefeated coming into the game, and had beaten most of their opponents by 10 or more runs. They were in for a fight as the Pirates came to play. 

Vashon struck first when Ben Reoux, Ezra Lacina and Michael Bernheisel combined to score two runs in the top of the second. Cashmere struck back, quickly adding one run in the bottom half of the inning. In the fourth, Vashon scored one, as did Cashmere, to set the score at 3 to 2, where it stayed until the bottom of the seventh, when Cashmere tied the game to send it into extra innings. 

Cashmere made a strong push and ultimately scored a single run in the bottom of the eighth to take a 4-3 win. 

Tyler Bernheisel was the star of the game for Vashon, as he pitched an outstanding complete game. Leading the way in hitting for the Pirates were Julian Smith, who was 3 for 4; Michael Bernheisel, who went 2 for 2, and Lacina with a 1 for 3 day. This game tested the Pirates and showed that with Bernheisel on the mound, they can compete with any 1A team in the state.

Line score:  Cashmere 4 runs, 5 hits, 3 errors, Vashon 3 runs, 6 hits, 1 error.

On Saturday, the Pirates headed to Chelan to face the Goats. Vashon struck quickly with one in the first, as Peter Johnson lined a double to left center field to lead off the game and then scored on an error by the Chelan infield. Erik Powelson took the mound for the Pirates and held the Goats scoreless in the first two innings.  

In the top of the third, the Pirates scored twice on singles by Jeff Kraabel, Tyler Bernheisel, Michael Bernheisel and Smith to take a 3-0 lead. 

The Goats scored one in the bottom of the inning, but the Pirates struck again in the top of the fourth as  Johnson, Tyler Bernheisel and Smith combined for two runs. The Goats scored one in the bottom of the inning, but in the top of the fifth, the Pirates batted around for eight runs.

Powelson went the distance on the mound, collecting five strike outs and walking just one. Leading the hitting attack once again for Vashon was Smith, who was 3 for 4 with 8 RBIs. Johnson, Tyler Bernheisel and Kraabel were all 2 for 3, while Michael Bernheisel was 1 for 3 on the day.  

Chelan scored two in the bottom of the inning, but it was not enough as the Pirates sealed the victory via the 10-run rule, with a final score of 14-4.

Line score: Vashon 14 runs, 10 hits, 5 errors, Chelan 4 runs, 5 hits, 3 errors.  

The Pirates, with a 2-3 record, will play Cascade Christian today at 4 p.m. on the home field. Friday at 4 p.m. they will take on Seattle Christian, also at home.

— Jeff Johnson is the father of a Pirates baseball player.