The Pirates ended their losing streak in style last week, defeating Orting 11-5 on April 19 and taking down the Cascade Christian Cougars 11-4 on April 22.

At the Cardinal field April 19, Orting got off to a quick start, scoring three in the bottom of the first inning off starter Tyler Bernheisel. Bernheisel was a bit rusty, after missing almost two weeks with an injury. As the game progressed, the rust wore off, and Bern-heisel kept the Orting hitters off balance. Down 3-0, the Pirates crossed the plate once in the second inning on a home run by Bernheisel.

In the fourth, the Pirates scored again as Matt Amick led off the inning with a double to left and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Orting scored one each in the third and fourth.

In the fifth, Vashon strung together hits by Matt Dick, Zach Drape, Phillip Moyer, Peter Johnson and Amick to score four runs for a 6-5 lead. In the top of the sixth, Wes Paulsen led off with a single, Dick walked, and Drape doubled to drive in Paulsen.

With two on, Phillip Moyer drew a walk to load the bases for lead-off hitter Johnson. On a two ball, no strikes count, Johnson crushed a belt-high fastball well over the center field fence for a base-clearing grand slam home run, giving the Pirates an 11-5 lead. Bernheisel closed the game in the seventh for his first complete game of the year.

Three days later, the Pirates defeated the Cougars 11-4 on the Vashon field.

Julian Smith started on the mound for Vashon and was credited with the win. He pitched a fine game, keeping a good Cascade team off balance for most of the afternoon.

The Pirates scored early with three runs in the first and another two in the third and held a 5-2 lead through four innings.

Vashon went up 7-2 in the fifth, but the Cougars narrowed the lead to 7-4 in the sixth. The Pirates responded with four runs in the bot-

tom of the inning and put the game away. Cascade was scoreless in the final frame.

The big bats for Vashon were Smith, who went three for four with two doubles and two RBIs, Paulsen with a two-run home run, and Amick, who was four for four with a double and a grand slam home run along with five RBIs.

JVs pull one out, lose two

The JV team traveled to Chimacum April 12 and suffered an 11-3 loss.

Pirate hitting was led by Erik Powelson. Joe Wald, Geoffrey Kraabel, Rowan Stewart and Anthony Saw-yer had two walks apiece. Powelson and Kelly Sullivan pitched to catcher Kraabel.

The Pirates next played the Charles Wright Tarriers on April 14 at Vashon. The JVs were down 6-0 in the fifth, but gave up nine runs in the sixth for a 15-0 loss.

The JVs broke out of their slump on April 19 to defeat the Orting Cardinals 7-4.

Vashon was down 1-0 until the third, when Fletcher Garrison had a nice fake bunt/slash hit with the bases loaded to score two. Orting scored two unearned runs in the top of the fourth to go ahead 3-2. 

Kraabel started the bottom of the fourth with a walk. After Orting booted

a couple of grounders, Gar-rison came through with another two-run RBI single. By the end of the fourth the Pirates had built a 7-3 lead.

Dustin Corthell relieved Wald after three and two-thirds innings and finished the game, holding Orting to just one unearned run.

— Rita Allman does Web and team support for the Pirates.