Mater Dei finds right combo to beat Orange Lutheran

SANTA ANA -- If someone had told Cory Hahn two months ago that he would be Mater Dei's No. 1 starting pitcher ...

"I would have laughed," Hahn said.

He said that after pitching six shutout innings Friday in the Monarchs' 7-0 victory over Orange Lutheran, at Mater Dei.

Hahn was elevated to the No. 1 role primarily because of the loss of projected No. 1 starter Matt Blanchard, a senior out for the season with an arm injury. So here is Hahn, a senior left-hander who is 3-0 after Friday's game in which he allowed only two hits and three walks and struck out four in the Trinity League opener for both teams.

Click here to see photos from Friday's games.

Orange Lutheran, which won the championship of the season-opening Newport Elks Tournament's Lerner bracket, the tournament's elite bracket, is 6-2 overall. The Lancers are ranked No. 2 in Orange County. No. 5 Mater Dei is 3-3.

Mater Dei was hitting .203 going into Friday's game. The Monarchs got 12 hits against Lutheran, including solo home runs by Cal-signee Derek Campbell and Konnor Armijo. Armijo also hit a run-scoring double in Mater Dei's six-run third inning, in which Jacob Medina had a two-run single.

Hahn, who signed with Arizona State as an outfielder, said a more relaxed approach helped Mater Dei get its bats going.

"This is the first time we've hit like we're capable of hitting," he said. "I think we were pressing a little bit."

Mater Dei coach Burt Call agreed.

"The kids kind of settled down in this game," Call said. "This can get our confidence going."

Lutheran starter Bobby Wheatley, a senior left-hander who signed with USC and was Trinity League pitcher of the year in 2009, lasted only into the third inning. He allowed six earned runs.