Irvine Valley's baseball team gave up up two unearned runs in the top of the ninth inning and lost the opener of an Orange Empire Conference series, 7-5, to Riverside on Tuesday at the OC Great Park Stadium.
The Lasers led, 5-3, after the fifth inning, but allowed two runs in the top of the sixth to make it a 5-5 game.
Riverside then scored the two unearned runs in the top of the ninth. Ramsses Fierro scored from third base on an IVC error.
Sebastian Flores followed two batters later with an RBI infield hit to put the Tigers up by two.
Freshman left fielder Jack Haggerty led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, but the Lasers hit into a double play and then another ground out ended the game.
Riverside improved its record to 15-8 overall and 4-3 in conference, while Irvine Valley saw its record slip to 13-10 overall and 2-5 in the OEC.
A bright spot for the Lasers was freshman designated hitter Casey Kudell, who went 5 for 5 with two RBI for the Lasers. His RBI single in the third tied the game at 3.
Kudell now iss econd on the team with a .397 batting average. He has 12 hits in his last five games.
The Lasers took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by freshman catcher Connor Tallakson and a bases loaded walk by freshman shortstop Nick Madole.
Tallakson finished 3 for 5 with one RBI and leads the team at the plate with a .407 average and Haggerty was 2 for 5 with a double two runs scored and one RBI.
Freshman right-handed reliever Austin Chapman took the loss (4-1), giving up two unearned runs on three hits and one strikeout.
Freshman righty Jeremy Wiegman started and went 6.1 innings. He allowed five runs on seven hits and one walk with one strikeout.
Riverside relief pitcher Hayden Coon earned the victory, throwing two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and one walk.
RCC got a double and three RBI by Bret Bowers and two hits apiece from Flores, Fierro and Daniel Garcia.
The two teams meet again on Thursday at Riverside at 2 p.m.
According to Riverside campus policy, all fans must be fully vaccinated or present a negative test 48 hours prior to date in order to attend.
