The Irvine Valley baseball team started strong in Orange Empire Conference play on Tuesday with an 8-6 victory over Orange Coast at the OC Great Park.
Irvine Valley, ranked No. 14 in the state, got a big day from sophomore center fielder Joey Lapolla in the win. He went 2 for 3 at the plate with two doubles and five RBI.
Freshman third baseman Shane Karry added three hits, including a doube and a triple and had one RBI and freshman catcher Connor Tallakson chipped in two hits and one RBI for the Lasers.
Irvine Valley scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 4-1 advantage, including getting a three-run triple by Lapolla.
The Lasers added two runs in the bottom of the third on a two-run double by Lapolla to go up, 6-1.
And IVC was up, 7-1, after the fourth inning after a RBI single by Tallakson.
The Lasers led, 7-3, after the seventh inning, and made it a 8-3 game after an RBI triple by Kary in the bottom of the eighth
But things got interesting in the top of the ninth as No. 9 Orange Coast scored three runs, getting a two-run double by Isaiah Morales and sacrifice fly by Jake Lappin to bring the Pirates within 8-6.
And after Konnor Kincaide was hit by a pitch, OCC had the tying run at the plate with two outs.
IVC freshman right-hander Sammy Murphy got Alec Gomez to fly out to right to end things.
Freshman righty Jeremy Wiegman (3-1) picked up the win. He started on the mound and went five innings, allowing two runs on six hits and five walks with six strikeouts.
Freshman Austin Chapman 2.2 innings and gave up one run on three hits and one walk with one strikeout.
And Murphy closed the game out, giving up three runs on one hit and three walks with one strikeout in 1.1 innings.
Orange Coast's Jake Covey (0-2) took the loss. He allowed six runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout in 2.2 innings.
Morales was 3 for 4 at the plate with a double, a walk and three RBI and Cary Arbolida was 2 for 4 with three runs, a walk and one RBI.
Arbolida hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.
The two teams continue the series on Thursday at the OC Great Park Field 10 at 2 p.m.
