Baseball team rallies, wins on Wagner's double in the ninth

Baseball team rallies, wins on Wagner's double in the ninth

It sure wasn't the Irvine Valley baseball team's best games of the season early, but it turned into one of the most fun wins of the season late.

Irvine Valley fought back from making seven errors and giving up unearned runs with some clutch hitting in the final two innings to beat College of the Desert, 5-4, in a nonconference game at home on Wednesday afternoon.

The win, which was IVC's fourth straight, was also the 10th on the season and improved the team's record to 10-4 overall. Desert's record slipped to 2-12.

Irvine Valley made five of their errors in the first 1.1 innings.

Desert led, 3-1, after two innings and 4-1 after five complete innings.

It stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth.

Freshman Cain Allen started the inning with a pinch-hit walk. Then sophomore Tyler Wagner pinch hit and also walked.

Freshman Colin Conroy was IVC's third straight pinch hitter and did his job, moving the runners up with a sacrifice bunt.

Freshman center fielder Grant Rockefeller was then hit by a pitch to load the bases.

After a strikeout for the second out of the inning and a pitching change, IVC sophomore shortstop Tyler Odekirk smashed a triple to right field that scored all three runs and tied the game at 4-4.

Sophomore Matt Markus, who pitched a scoreless top of the eighth inning, did the same in the top of the ninth.

And IVC won the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. With two outs, Allen singled to right field and then Wagner stepped up and hit a double down the left field line. Allen got a great jump on the hit and beat the throw home from left.

Markus earned the win and improved to 2-1 on the year. He pitched two innings and only allowed two hits with three strikeouts.

Freshman left-handed pitcher Eric Brunst pitched well for the Lasers, starting and going seven innings. He gave up four runs (none earned) on just five hits with two strikeouts.

Trenton Covel took the loss for Desert. He pitched one inning and gave up one run on three hits with one strikeout.

IVC finished with just six hits on the day. Odekirk continued his hot start to the season, going 2 for 3 with a walk, one run and three RBI.

Rockefeller went 1 for 2 with a walk and one run scored.

For Desert, Allan Dong went 3 for 5 with a run scored. Travis Tanaka and Covel each drove in a run.

Irvine Valley plays again on Thursday, traveling to Grossmont for a 2 p.m. game.