Irvine Valley's baseball team tried to rally late and had its chances even later in the bottom of the 10th inning, but came up a run short in a 10-9 non-conference loss to Mt. San Antonio at the Great Park Stadium on Thursday night.
It was the final home game for the Lasers this season (all at the Great Park because of a field re-model on campus at IVC).
With the win, Mt. SAC moved its record to 14-12 overall and have taken the first two games of the four-game set. IVC's record fell to 11-13-2 overall.
The two teams finish the year with a doubleheader at Mt. SAC on Friday with the first game at 2 p.m.
The Lasers led, 7-2, after five innings and looked like they were on their way to a win Thursday night.
IVC scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and three more in the bottom of the fifth.
In the fourth, the Lasers put the pressure on and played some small ball to take the lead.
And in bottom of the fifth inning the Lasers did different damage with a big extra base hit. Freshman third baseman Ethan Johannes had a two-run triple.
Freshman catcher Conner Hatz added an RBI single to put IVC ahead, 7-2.
But the Mounties responded with five runs in the top of the top of the sixth inning and two more in the top of the seventh to take a 9-7 lead.
The big blows in the sixth inning were provided via two-run singles by Jason Flores and Fabian Moran.
And in the seventh inning, Jacob Moreno and Nick Lugo had RBI hits.
The Lasers had an answer in the bottom of the ninth inning with an RBI double by sophomore left fielder Kyle Dobson and then a single by Johannes and an error by Mt. SAC that allowed the tying run to score.
Irvine Valley tied the game at 9-9. And with a doubleheader between the two teams scheduled for Friday at Mt. SAC, the squads went to the international tiebreaker rule with a runner starting on second base for each team in the 10th inning.
Mt. SAC took advantage first, scoring a run on a hit up the middle that ricocheted off the pitcher and ended up as an RBI double for Cole Jordan.
Irvine Valley tried to answer and had runners at first and third with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, but couldn't find a way to score.
Johannes led IVC's offense, going 3 for 5 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBI.
Dobson and Kary each scored three runs and freshman right fielder Bradley Wilkison added two hits for the Lasers.
Freshman pitcher Cruz Barrios took the tough, loss in relief. He pitched well, going four innings and allowing one run (unearned) on three hits with three strikeouts.
Mt. SAC, which finished with 16 hits, was paced by Christian Enriquez with three hits, Nick Lugo, Cole Jordan and Manny Casillas with two hits each and Fabian Moran with a hit and two RBI.
