Austin Sodders hurled eight shut-out innings and Riverside City College's baseball team had some timely hitting on its way to a 5-0 Orange Empire Conference victory over Irvine Valley at home on Saturday.
Riverside improved its record to 16-7 overall and 4-6 in conference.
The Tigers scored single runs in the first, sixth and seventh innings, and two in the fifth in support of Sodders, who scattered three hits, walked one and struck out six. He did not allow a Laser to reach third base.
Octavio Lara pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to finish the game.
With the eight-inning effort, Sodders improved his record to 6-0 and lowered his earned run average to 1.01 in 53.1 innings pitched.
In the first inning, Logan Griffin doubled to right-center field with two outs and scored on a RBI single by Israel Fuentes.
In the fifth, the Tigers scored a pair of insurance runs when Tommy Pincin singled and scored on a balk.
One pitch later, David Robles walked and scored on a wild pitch. And that proved to be more enough for Sodders.
Griffin, Fuentes and Pincin each had two hits to pace RCC.
For Irvine Valley (13-10, 5-5), freshman catcher Branden Williams had two of the Lasers' three hits with singles in the second and seventh innings.
Freshman starting pitcher Joseph Chacon went the first 4-1/3 innings and allowed five hits, three runs and walked one as his record fell to 2-3.
Both teams continue conference action on Tuesday when RCC visits Irvine Valley for the finale of the three-game season series.
Irvine Valley enters this week in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings with Golden West and Saddleback with a record of 5-5. Riverside is a game back at 4-6.
Irvine Valley and Riverside have split the first two games of their season series.
