HUNTINGTON BEACH Aliso Niguel’s Evan Fitterer, only a sophomore but already a UCLA commit, took the mound Tuesday against Edison in a Loara Tournament quarterfinal baseball game.
Turns out, Fitterer wasn’t the only talented sophomore pitcher capable of shutting down hitters on a beautiful sunny day at Edison Field.
Right-hander Kevin Hultgren pitched 6 2/3 innings of efficient shutout baseball, giving up just four hits without a walk while mixing three pitches effectively in a 5-0 victory that put the Chargers in a Loara Tournament semifinal game on Thursday.
“As hard as he works, he earned the right to get the start today,” Coach Cameron Chinn said. “He mixed his pitches really well. He had good location on his fastball. He did a fine job.”
Hultgren gave up just two early hits and no walks until he seemed to tire in the seventh inning. Aliso Niguel hit the ball hard off him several times, getting two well-hit flyouts to center field and sharp singles by William Nguyen and Ethan Reed that, combined with an infield error, loaded the bases with two outs.
That prompted Chinn to play it safe and bring in a reliever who promptly got the game-ending strikeout.
“I really wanted to finish,” Hultgren said with a smile, “but I was getting a little tired. I understood the move. It was great to see us finish the game and get the win.”
Regardless, it was an encouraging performance.
“He’s got very good mechanics,” Chinn said. “The way he works and the way his mechanics stay consistent, he could become a very good high school pitcher.”
The relatively young Chargers won their fifth consecutive game after an 0-2 start to come within a win of playing for the Loara Tournament title on Saturday. They must beat Bishop Amat of La Punete on Thursday to play for the championship.
“It’s encouraging the way we’re playing,” Chinn said. “We’ve only got three senior starters. We’re pitching well, fielding well and guys are coming through at the plate.”
Fitterer’s quality stuff was obvious, but he was a little wild and unlucky.
He walked leadoff hitters John Thomas and Kyler Arenado to start the second inning. After a sacrifice bunt by third baseman Carson Letterman, Connor Aoki and Nolan Funke hit run-scoring singles to make it 2-0.
The Chargers scored two more unearned runs in the third on a walk to Ted Burton, a two-out infield error and a two-out double by Letterman. That brought in reliever Luke Sigler, who gave up one run and three hits in 2 1/3 innings. Aoki, who went 2 for 3, got his second RBI in the fifth on a single after Thomas’ leadoff double.
Ranked seventh in Orange County, Aliso Niguel fell to 3-3 despite a triple by Connor Kokx and a double by Demitri Colacchio.
Contact the writer: preps@ocregister.com
