The Vashon Island Pirates will face off against the University Prep Pumas at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Two weeks ago, Vashon Island beat Chimacum 6-1. The victory continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Cowboys: they've now won five in a row.
Charlie Walker
| 03/28/25 @ Chimacum | 13 |
| 05/02/24 @ Cascade Christian | 11 |
| 03/29/24 @ East Jefferson [Port Townsend/Chimacum] | 10 |
| 03/14/24 @ Cascade Christian | 7 |
| 03/22/25 @ South Whidbey | 6 |
Charlie Walker made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 13 over seven innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Walker wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Dominic Medeiros, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask University Prep). Everything went their way against Granite Falls on Wednesday as they made off with a 15-6 win. Considering the Pumas have won three games by more than seven runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Vashon Island, University Prep also got a great game from a two-way player: Owen Bradley. He struck out ten batters over four innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. Bradley has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. University Prep is 2-1 when Bradley posts two or more stolen bases, but 1-3 otherwise.
In other batting news, University Prep let Grady Stone and Wade Suess run wild. Stone scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances, while Suess scored a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Cole Simon was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
The victory made it two in a row for University Prep and bumps their season record up to 3-4. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 6 runs in those games. As for Vashon Island, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Vashon Island has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like University Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Vashon Island might still be hurting after the 12-3 defeat they got from University Prep in their previous matchup back in March of 2022. Can the Pirates avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
