(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

Leaping, diving, running, and throwing, the Seattle Cascades professional ultimate team was victorious in its first-ever West Seattle Stadium match tonight, 15-14 over the Melbourne (Australia) Ellipsis:

The Cascades are in blue. The mixed-roster match drew a lively crowd to the stadium:

Casey the Sasquatch, at lower left above, is the team’s mascot, whose appearances in the stands inspired one young fan (not pictured) to holler, “BIGFOOT LIVES!”

Back to the field. It was intense play. (Here are the rules, in short, as followed by the AUDL, the Cascades’ league.) We caught a bit of video:

Toward the end of the first quarter, Cascades player Peter Geertz-Larson was hurt.

He left the stadium in an ambulance after what was described as a compound shin-bone fracture. The game then resumed and the Cascades were up 9-8 at the half.

Featured at halftime, youth players from the DiscNW Tier 206 youth tour (beneficiary of tonight’s proceeds):

The second half was cut a bit short because the stadium lights weren’t coming on, and even on a clear summer night, by 9 pm, visibility wanes. Right before the game was called, we discovered a familiar face serving as the Cascades’ voice:

That’s David Bestock, known best around here as executive director of the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. Not only is he the Cascades’ announcer, he also is an accomplished ultimate athlete – his team won the Masters Nationals two weeks ago!

P.S. The Cascades’ regular home venue is Memorial Stadium downtown; their next match is at 6 pm August 17th.