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IRVINE — Kylee Magee appreciated the respect, along with the atmosphere. Brooklyn Carreon and Shannon Cunningham embraced the competition. And Makayla Medellin relished the victory.

The North’s 9-7 victory over the South in the Orange County Softball Coaches Senior All-Star Classic on Tuesday night offered plenty to both teams at Deanna Manning Stadium at Bill Barber Park.

Carreon, the ace pitcher from Whittier Christian, recorded the final six outs to earn the save. The senior struck out the final three batters she faced after Tesoro’s Kennedy Hobson opened the ninth inning with a double.

“I was a little nervous just because I know that everyone is good here but it just made it 10 times more fun,” said the Utah-bound Carreon. “It’s fun to compete against (these girls) before we go to college.”

Carreon also had a two-run single to help highlight the North’s decisive, seven-run fifth inning.

Cunningham, a senior outfielder from Foothill bound for Eastern Kentucky, delivered the hardest hit of the fifth with a two-run triple to extend the North lead to 8-2.

“It was the best thing ever to play with these Villa Park girls, Esperanza, Canyon,” said Cunningham, who suffered a dislocated finger during the season and missed the playoffs in the tough Crestview League. “They’re all great competitors and it just means a lot that I was able to play with them.”

The North sent 11 batters to the plate in the fifth in opening a 9-2 lead. Kennedy’s Claire Timm, a senior bound for Oklahoma State, capped the scoring with a run-scoring double and finished 2 for 2.

The South scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a three-run, bases-loaded double by shortstop Sammi Woods of Mission Viejo. The South trimmed its deficit to 9-7 but the North held firm the final three innings.

The North received a spark in the second inning on a leadoff home run by Medellin. The Long Beach State-bound senior from Yorba Linda sent the first pitch she saw over the fence in right center.

“I typically always go for the first pitch,” she said. “It’s where I feel most comfortable. I had that mentality that I was going to jump on that first pitch and it happened to go exactly where I wanted it to.”

“All I wanted to do was win,” she added.

Magee, Canyon’s ace bound for Arizona State, started the game in the circle for the North. Coach Terry Williams of Villa Park made the selection out of respect for Magee, a standout whose team missed the Division 3 playoffs this season despite tying for the title in the Crestview League.

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“I was surprised a little bit (to start) but honestly, it’s an all-star game, so I just wanted to have fun,” Magee said. “It was a rough go (for our team). I felt for my girls because I know some of them won’t be able to play again … but we’re moving on. We’re here now. You just got to let it go.”

More coverage to come.