Irvine Valley's baseball team fell to Orange Coast, 7-4, on Tuesday at home in the first Orange Empire Conference game of the seasson for both schools.
The Lasers held a one-run lead heading into the eighth inning after getting a strong six innings on the mound from sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Caden Byers.
But Orange Coast scored two runs in the top of the eighth to take the lead for good and added four more runs in the top of the ninth to put the game away.
Irvine Valley's record went to 8-9 overall and OCC improved to 6-12 overall.
The two teams play at Orange Coast on Thursday at 2 p.m. and the series will finish up on Saturday at noon back at Irvine Valley.
Byers, who has committed to NCAA Division I UNLV, went a solid six innings for IVC. He gave up two runs on five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
The Lasers took the lead early. They got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the second and then a single run in the fourth.
Freshman right fielder Kade Murray had an RBI single and then freshman catcher Aaron Serrato added an RBI groundout to give IVC a 2-0 lead in the second.
Freshman left fielder Drew Seidel scored freshman second baseman Chase Quezada with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 2-0 game.
Orange Coast pulled within a run in the top of the sixth on RBI singles by J.T. Crabbe and Koby Williams.
OCC took the lead for good in the top of the eighth with two runs. Connor Debenon hit a two-run single down the left field line off of IVC freshman reliever Zack Marker to put the Pirates ahead, 4-3.
And a four-run ninth inning gave Orange Coast the cushion that was too much for Irvine Valley.
Marker took the loss for Irvine Valley. He gave up four runs (three earned) on three hits and one walk. His record went to 2-2 overall.
IVC got two hits each from freshman first baseman Jackson Snitko, freshman third baseman Nomar Vasquez and freshman designated hitter Shaun McCaghren.
Siedel, sophomore center fielder Shane Stafford, McCaghren and Serrato each drove in a run apiece.
Crabbe had three hits and Zach Leite and Debenon each drove in two runs for the Pirates.
The two teams play again on Thursday at Orange Coast at 2 p.m.
