Aurora Christian's Noah Zappia Shuts Down St. Edward With Dominant Outing

Sophomore lefty strikes out 9 without a walk in 4-inning gem

Apr. 17, 2026 at 4:54pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a high school baseball pitcher's delivery, with sharp planes of color representing the player's motion and the vibrant hues of the field and uniforms.A cubist interpretation of a young pitcher's dominant outing, capturing the raw energy and movement of the game.Aurora Today

Noah Zappia, a sophomore left-handed pitcher for Aurora Christian, delivered a dominant performance on the mound, striking out 9 batters without issuing a single walk in a 10-0 victory over St. Edward. Zappia, who had struggled with control earlier in the season, worked with a former Eagles star in the offseason to improve his mechanics and velocity, which paid off in this breakout outing.

Why it matters

Zappia's strong showing on the mound is a significant boost for the Aurora Christian baseball team, which is looking to contend in the Chicagoland Christian Conference. The Eagles have high hopes for their young pitcher, and this performance demonstrates his potential to become a dominant force on the mound as the season progresses.

The details

Zappia, who had allowed 12 walks in 12 1/3 innings prior to Thursday's game, made adjustments to his mechanics with the help of former Aurora Christian standout Jake Kuntzendorf. The changes allowed Zappia to improve his fastball command and velocity, which reached the low-to-mid 80s. In the dominant outing, Zappia allowed only 2 hits and did not issue a single walk, striking out 9 batters in 4 innings of work.

  • On Thursday, April 17, 2026, Noah Zappia delivered his standout performance against St. Edward.

The players

Noah Zappia

A sophomore left-handed pitcher for the Aurora Christian baseball team who has emerged as a key part of the Eagles' rotation after working on his mechanics and velocity in the offseason.

Jake Kuntzendorf

A former Aurora Christian baseball standout who worked extensively with Zappia in the offseason to help the young pitcher improve his pitching mechanics and velocity.

Andy Zorger

The head coach of the Aurora Christian baseball team, who has been impressed with the strides Zappia has made and believes the sophomore lefty has the potential to become a dominant force on the mound.

Cristian Huerta

An Aurora Christian player who hit a three-run home run in the first inning to give the Eagles an early 4-0 lead.

Mike Aydt

The head coach of the St. Edward baseball team, who acknowledged that Zappia's velocity and command made it tough for his team to generate offense against the Aurora Christian pitcher.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“He really found an extra gear over the fall and winter. He worked with Jake a lot on his pitching and it's really showing. The velocity really kicked up.”

— Andy Zorger, Aurora Christian Head Coach

“He found his fastball command, which he's been struggling with. He's been effective enough. He's still done enough to keep us in the games he's started. He just hasn't dominated yet. That was really good to see.”

— Andy Zorger, Aurora Christian Head Coach

“That makes it tough. He had pretty good velocity, was able to locate it and had movement on his breaking pitches. You could see some of our guys were a little bit fooled.”

— Mike Aydt, St. Edward Head Coach

“This means the world. It just really helped my confidence. I'm going to start dominating now. It's only up from here.”

— Noah Zappia, Aurora Christian Pitcher

What’s next

Zappia and the Aurora Christian team will look to build on this dominant performance as they continue their conference schedule. The Eagles will face another key Chicagoland Christian Conference matchup next week.

The takeaway

Noah Zappia's breakout outing against St. Edward demonstrates the impact that offseason work and mechanical adjustments can have on a young pitcher's development. Aurora Christian's coaching staff is excited about Zappia's potential, and this game could be a springboard for the sophomore lefty to emerge as a dominant force in the conference.