A tough fourth inning doomed the Irvine Valley baseball team in a 11-2 loss to Long Beach City on Tuesday at home.
The game was the first of a three-game set between the two sides.
Irvine Valley plays at Long Beach City on Thursday at 2 p.m. and then hosts the Vikings on Saturday at 12 p.m.
The Lasers trailed just 2-1 heading into the fourth, but LBCC scored six runs in the top of the frame and added three runs in the top of the sixth to put the game out of reach.
Long Beach City improves its record to 5-1 on the season. The Vikings were ranked No. 11 in Southern California in the preseason coaches poll.
Irvine Valley dropped its third straight game and fell to 1-3 on the year. The Lasers lost to Chaffey, 12-4, on Saturday.
After Long Beach City scored single runs in the top of the first and third innings, Irvine Valley got on the board in the bottom of the third with a RBI double by sophomore left fielder Kyle Dobson.
Long Beach City took advantage of an IVC error in the top of the fourth inning to score three unearned runs and take a 8-1 advantage. Jake Creamer had a two-run single to right field for the Vikings in the inning.
Irvine Valley scored its other run in the bottom of the eighth inning on an error by Long Beach City.
Freshman right-hander Joseph Cossette took the loss for IVC. He went three innings and gave up five runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
Freshman Jakob Bixler followed and went three innings. He allowed six runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks.
Freshman Sterling Locicero pitched two scoreless innings and sophomore Dane Little through a scoreless top of the ninth for IVC.
Matthew Pinal earned the win for the Vikings, going seven innings and giving up one run on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
Creamer went 1 for 2 with two walks, two runs scored and two RBI for Long Beach City. Bryan Sanders was 2 for 4 with a double, two walks and three runs scored and David Rivera went 1 for 5 with a double and two RBI for LBCC.
For Irvine Valley, sophomore shortstop Robert Haw was 2 for 3 with a run scored and Dobson went 1 for 4 with one RBI.
