Irvine Valley's baseball team evened its season series with Orange Coast at a game apiece with a 12-5 Orange Empire Conference victory over the Pirates on Thursday afternoon at home.
IVC was able to get the game in despite rain earlier in the day and drizzle during the first three innings.
Irvine Valley and Orange Coast have each won a game in the three-game set. The finale will be played on Friday at OCC at 2 p.m.
Orange Coast defeated Irvine Valley, 9-4, on Tuesday afternoon at home.
The Lasers answered on Thursday by tying for their third-most runs in a game this season.
Orange Coast scored a run in the top of the first on an RBI single by Daniel Hawkins to take an early lead.
But Irvine Valley responded with five runs in the bottom of the third to chase Orange Coast starting pitcher Austin Moore.
The Lasers then added three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up, 8-1.
In the third inning, sophomore shortstop Jordan Gillerman had an RBI bunt single, sophomore left fielder Clint Jack scored on a wild pitch, freshman right fielder Weston Ellis had an RBI groundout, sophomore catcher Branden Williams tripled to bring in a run and freshman designated hitter Cole Joy had an RBI single.
Then in the fourth, Gillerman brought in a run with a sacrifice fly, freshman first baseman Tyler Wagner scored on a throwing error on a pick-off attempt and Ellis had an RBI single.
Orange Coast got back in the game with a four-run top of the fifth inning. Andrew Garcia drove in a run with a single, Jake Scott had a two-run triple and Jaiden France brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to bring Orange Coast to within 8-5.
The Lasers put the game out of reach in their half of the inning however, scoring four runs.
The big blow was a two-out, bases-clearing double to left center by Gillerman. Jack, freshman second baseman Adam Rossit and Joy all scored on the play.
Gillerman later scored on an OCC error.
IVC finished with 13 hits on the afternoon. Gillerman was 3 for 4 with two runs scored and five RBI. Sophomore center fielder Dillon Millar finished 2 for 5, Williams was 2 for 5 with one RBI, Joy went 2 for 4 and Rossit was 2 for 3 with a walk and three runs scored.
It was all enough for sophomore starting pitcher Kyle Goodbrand and sophomore reliever Andrew Jimenez.
Goodbrand improved his record to 4-5 by going five innings and allowing five runs (two earned) on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
Jimenez was solid over the final four innings to record a save. He didn't allow a run and gave up just four hits.
Irvine Valley improved its record to 12-14 overall and 3-8 in conference. IVC has won two of its last three games.
Orange Coast saw its record slip to 14-12 overall and 5-6 in conference.
Garcia and Hawkins each went 3 for 4 with one RBI and James McLellan was 2 for 4.
Moore went three innings and allowed five runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
Nick Cottone pitched a final 3.1 scoreless innings for the Pirates.