For the second day in a row, Irvine Valley's baseball team dropped a close game to Riverside.
After losing, 4-1, on Thursday at home, the Lasers were defeated, 3-2, on Friday at Riverside in an Orange Empire Conference game.
Riverside scored the go-ahead run, which was unearned, in the bottom of the eighth inning and held on for the win to improve its record to 17-15 overall and 11-8 in conference.
Irvine Valley's record dropped to 8-23 overall and 4-15 in conference.
Riverside took a 2-0 lead after scoring single runs in the bottom of the first and second innings off IVC sophomore starting pitcher Jesus Meza. The first RCC run was unearned.
Meza settled down after that and ended up going eight innings.
Irvine Valley evened the game at 2-2 with two runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Freshman center fielder Brett Hamilton drove in both runs with a single. He brought in freshman pinch-runner J'Anthony Sanchez and sophomore left fielder Matt Harris.
But Riverside scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Meza ended up going eight innings and giving up three runs (one earned) on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts.
Austin Sodders, who earned a save for Riverside on Thursday, got the win on Friday. He pitched two innings of relief and allowed just one hit with one strikeout.
Irvine Valley finished with six hits in the contest. Freshman shortstop Zach Vittetow was 2 for 4, Hamilton went 1 for 5 with two RBI and Harris was 1 for 3 with a double, run scored and a walk.
Irvine Valley will take a break from conference play next week. But the Lasers still have three games. They are at Pasadena City on Tuesday before hosting LA Mission on Wednesday and then Pasadena City on Thursday.
