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IRVINE — Morgan Fitzpatrick finally got her chance to represent Orange Lutheran and delivered.
The Notre Dame-bound infielder went 2 for 2 with a double and RBI to help lead the Trinity/Pacific Coast league team to a 6-2 win against the Empire/Freeway/Sea View/Olympic/Orange Coast/Grove in the Orange County Softball Coaches Senior All-Star Classic on Wednesday.
Fitzpatrick didn’t play her senior season after her transfer from Los Alamitos was denied by the CIF Southern Section because of pre-enrollment contact.
Fitzpatrick earned a spot in the all-star game at Deanna Manning Stadium on the strength of her career accomplishments.
The former All-Sunset League performer led off the second inning with a double and added a RBI single in the third to give the Trinity/Pacific Coast a 5-2 lead.
“I was just happy to be fun and free, and finally get to play,” Fitzpatrick said. “It was nice to be able to step on the field with my friends.”
Fitzpatrick, who played first base and batted fifth, practiced with Orange Lutheran throughout the season and attended games.
“She’s just a fabulous kid. Not a lot of girls could have done that,” said Orange Lutheran coach Steve Miklos, who coached the Trinity/Pacific Coast team. “It’s hard to come to practice knowing you can’t play.”
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Santa Margarita’s Camryn Legeny snapped a 2-2 tie in the third with a one-out RBI single. Orange Lutheran’s Carlyn Snyder followed with a run-scoring double and Fitzpatrick added a two-out RBI single.
Fitzpatrick, Snyder and University’s Carson Cruz each had two hits for the Trinity/Pacific Coast.
Cruz went 2 for 2 with two-run single in the second and a double in the fourth. The Babson College commit also pitched three scoreless innings in relief of starter Liliana Escobar of JSerra.
Pitching on the field where she led the Lions to the recent CIF-SS Division 1 title, Escobar allowed three hits and had five strikeouts.
Fullerton shortstop Soleil Luna led off the third with a solo home run to left. After Brea Olinda catcher Holly Yerkish followed with a double, Valencia’s Elizabeth Nunez tied the score 2-2 with a single.
“Gianna (Tuso of Brea Olinda) was dealing so I was like the least I can do is have her back and I think I did,” Luna said of her former teammate at Brea Olinda, who started in the circle. “The fields here are pretty big. Big girl fields.”
Luna, who is committed to UNLV, had two hits.
In an earlier game, the Crestview/North Hills and Sunset/South Coast played to a 4-4 tie.
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