BELLINGHAM — By the time power-hitting sophomore shortstop Evan Fenton finishes his baseball career at Squalicum, Northwest Conference pitchers and coaches figure to have been frustrated by Fentons for seven straight seasons.
But if Squalicum coach Camron Ingersoll’s youth movement works out, Fenton will be far from the only Storm player to punish opponents who have long dominated Squalicum.
With no seniors among the eight position starters, the Storm (1-4) is enduring losses such as Squalicum’s 9-4 nonconference loss to Shorewood (5-1) Saturday at Joe Martin Field.
But the young Storm does not intend to be a pushover, as Squalicum showed after falling behind 5-0 in the second inning.
Led by Fenton, a quick 240- pound athlete who made second- team all-league as a freshman, there seems to be more interest in baseball at Squalicum than there was during brother Rhett Fenton’s three seasons as a slugging college prospect.
Rhett, who will play for the Bellingham Bells this summer, is starting at third base for Linfield College as a sophomore. He and Evan are the sons of former Bellingham standout Don Fenton, who pitched four seasons in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization.
Ingersoll, in his fourth season as head coach after three with the junior varsity, is well aware how tough times have been. But he’s enthusiastic about having 44 players on the three teams combined, only three of whom are seniors. At this point, though, nobody hits with Fenton’s power.
“Evan is really quick for a big kid,” Ingersoll said. “He definitely has the tools to play shortstop.”
After Fenton committed a couple of errors on tough plays, he and sophomore second baseman Christian Foster earned big cheers with a fancy double play in the third inning. Fenton fielded the ball deep in the hole.
Foster and fellow sophomores Andrew Forhan and Quin Moore each had two hits as Squalicum responded with nine hits after falling behind 5- 0 in the top of the second. Fenton went 1 for 3 with an RBI and Dan Herda beat out a bunt single.
Junior Matt Cottingham singled home a run and made a diving catch in right field to help sophomore Michael Dallas, who allowed one run and one hit in three innings of relief in an effective varsity debut.
“For his first varsity game, Michael pitched real well,” said Ingersoll. “And Christian Espinoza pitched well as our starter, considering the mistakes we made behind him.
“What I liked was how the guys came back well and responded to some of the mistakes they made earlier,” he said.