Photo by @JPWest Media
Irvine Valley's baseball team is back.
The Lasers went on the road and shut out Fullerton, 6-0, Tuesday afternoon in an Orange Empire Conference game.
It was the first game of a three-game set with the Hornets.
Pitching and the hot bat of sophomore catcher Aaron Serrato is what shined.
Sophomore right-hander Tyler Eastham went 5.1 strong innings to earn the win.
He improved his record to 3-5 overall after giving up just three hits with five walks and five strikeouts.
Sophomore Zack Marker came in for the save and pitched the final 3.2 innings.
He allowed just two hits and two walks with five strikeouts in his scoreless 3.2 innings.
Serrato knocked in the first three runs of the game for the Lasers to put them in front.
He doubled in the second inning to score sophomore third baseman Shaun McCaghren and give IVC a 1-0 lead.
Serrato then hit a two-run home run over the left field fence in the top of the fourth inning to put the Lasers ahead, 3-0.
Irvine Valley added an RBI hit by McCaghren (top of the fifth), sacrifice bunt RBI by freshman second baseman Josh Gutierrez (top of the sixth) and a RBI single to center by freshman shortstop Andres Hernandez (top of the eighth) to put the game away.
Serrato went 2 for 4 with the double and a home run, one run scored and two RBI on the day.
McCaghren also had two hits, one run and one RBI and freshman left fielder Cole Lefebvre and sophomore first baseman Jackson Snitko each contributed two hits (double).
Irvine Valley hosts Fullerton on Thursday at 2 p.m.
