By Martin Barrett
Winning Pitcher Gus Schafer delivers his curveball
On a perfectly warm spring night for baseball, the Highline Pirates beat the Lindbergh Eagles under the lights in the first round of the KingCo playoffs 12-2. The game was called after 5 innings when Cameron Keller’s two-out single brought home Gus Schafer from third base to secure a 10-run lead and trigger the 10-run rule.
The Pirates started off a little rough in the top of the first, giving the Eagles a one-run lead. The Pirates split the season games against the Eagles 1-1, so a close match was anticipated. However, the Pirates answered the bell and put up 3 runs in the bottom of the first. Highline scored in 4 of the 5 innings.
Winning Pitcher Gus Schafer found his groove in the top of the 2nd, taking out the Eagles in order. Schafer had his curveball dialed in. Facing 21 batters, Schafer threw 82 pitches, 56 for strikes, with no walks and only 6 hits. Once through the 1st inning, he looked confident on the mound in delivering the complete game win.
On offense, the Pirates connected on 10 hits collected by 8 players, Hawke Hansen and Roman Easter leading the way with 2 each. Hansen was able to get 4 total bases in the game. The Eagle pitching felt the Pirate pressure, giving up 6 walks and multiple wild pitches and pass balls leading to Highline scoring.
“It was a great night for the team and program. Every player on the whole team contributed to the win. Gus threw strikes, and the team played strong defense behind him, led by Cam, who always catches a great game. Our outfield defense continues to progress. Roman was on base all night, and Hawke had some beautiful hits. Ronan continues to make strides both offensively and is a playmaker on defense. Marquawn had a solid defense in center, a base hit, and a stolen base. Emilio, Zennen, and Jacob Brown all scored runs. They continue to swing the bat better and are seeing the ball better at the plate,” a delighted Coach Locher said.
“The team has earned a chance to play for the league title. The players work hard, and they continue to get better. It’s a lot of fun to be a part of this team. The team knows that our best baseball is still to come”, added Locher.
The Pirates advance to meet the Sammamish Redhawks Friday at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue. Sammamish is 2-0 against the Pirates this season.
Check out this post game interview with the Pirates!
Below is an interview with Coach Locher:
