The Irvine Valley baseball team got a stellar performance on the mound from sophomore Jeremy Ibarra and defeated Pasadena City, 5-3, on Tuesday in a nonconference game at Jackie Robinson Memorial Field in Pasadena.
Ibarra, who was making his first start of the season, threw a complete game to earn the victory. He improved his record to 3-0 on the year.
Ibarra went nine innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on 10 hits and had six strikeouts.
The Lasers, who had 12 hits in the contest, took the lead for good with two runs in the fifth inning.
With the game tied, 1-1, IVC freshman first baseman Nathan Cervantes singled up the middle with the bases loaded to drive in the two runs. He knocked in freshman third baseman Adam Vargas and sophomore second baseman Dallas Porter.
Porter, who was hit by a pitch, also stole two bases in the inning.
The two runs gave Irvine Valley a 3-1 lead and the Lasers never looked back.
Irvine Valley added a run in the top of the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by sophomore left fielder Matt Harris to make it 4-1.
After Pasadena got a run back in the bottom of the seventh, IVC scored its final run of the game in the top of the ninth on a RBI single by Cervantes.
Ibarra gave up a run (unearned) on two hits and an error in the bottom of the ninth, but was able to get Arnaldo Limo to ground out to end the game.
Freshman center fielder Brett Hamilton went 3 for 5, freshman right fielder Joe Gomez was 3 for 4, Cervantes was 2 for 5 with three RBI, Porter went 1 for 3 with a walk and three runs and Harris was 1 for 2 with a walk and two RBI to lead the Lasers' offensive attack.
Irvine Valley improved its record to 9-23 on the season, while Pasadena City fell to 4-26.
The Lasers play home games the next two days. They host LA Mission in a nonconference game on Wednesday at 2 p.m. and then host Pasadena City on Thursday at 2 p.m.
