Fitzpatrick, Flintridge Sacred Heart softball rack up another victory

LA CAÑADA — There’s plenty of experience around the diamond for the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy softball team.

The Tologs are looking to tap into that familiarity following a second-place finish in the Sunshine League and a trip to the CIF Southern Section Division V quarterfinals last season. So far, the Tologs have gotten positive results.

Olivia Fitzpatrick hit a three-run home run with two outs in the third inning to help host Flintridge Sacred Heart post a 9-5 nonleague victory against Alverno on Thursday.

“We have a lot of potential and a lot of good players,” said Fitzpatrick, who homered down the left-field line to give the Tologs a 4-1 advantage. “We had a good season last year and the returners want to provide leadership.”

“When I got up to bat [in the third], I just went up to look for a base hit. I wasn’t thinking home run. Then I hit the ball and wasn’t sure if it had the height or if it would curve foul. I was surprised when it went out.”

Flintridge Sacred Heart (6-1-1), which is ranked fifth in CIF Southern Section Division V, scored four runs in the third and five in the fifth to pull away from Alverno (2-2), the fourth-ranked squad in Division VI. The Tologs also excelled on defense and didn’t commit an error.

Tidy defense and clutch hitting have paved the way through the first part of the season.

“That’s what we have to do,” Flintridge Sacred Heart Coach Kirk Nishiyama said. “We have a very good infield and our pitchers can trust them. When we are up, we want to put the ball in play and put pressure on the other team’s defense.”

Alverno took a 1-0 lead in the first on a run-scoring double down the right-field line by Brianna Sanchez.

The lead held up until the third. A fielder’s choice by Amanda Ramirez scored Courtney Rasic to tie it at 1. Fitzpatrick’s home run scored Lacie Fradet and Ramirez.

“When I got up to bat [in the third], I just went up to look for a base hit. I wasn’t thinking home run,” Fitzpatrick said. “Then I hit the ball and wasn’t sure if it had the height or if it would curve foul. I was surprised when it went out.”

Flintridge Sacred Heart broke the game open in the fourth. Fradet had a two-run single to make it 6-1. Ramirez had an RBI double to extend the lead to 7-1. A groundout by Kelly Fradet extended the lead to 8-1. A fielder’s choice by Alli Lombardo drove in the Tologs’ ninth run. Payton Tomkins, Rasic, Bridget Garrity, Lacie Fradet and Ramirez each scored a run in the fourth.

“Everybody picked it up in those two innings,” Nishiyama said.

The Jaguars scored a pair of runs in the fifth and seventh to close out the scoring.

Flintridge Sacred Heart has won four straight games and scored at least nine runs in each contest.

The Tologs won’t compete again until April 6, when they host Heritage Christian in a nonleague game.