Irvine Valley's baseball team used a six-run seventh inning to break open a tight game and beat Los Angeles Valley, 9-2, on Friday afternoon at home.
It was Irvine Valley's second-straight win to start the 2015 season.
The game was tied, 2-2, heading into the seventh, but Irvine Valley batted around, battering three Monarch pitchers to take control.
Freshman first baseman Lucas Tancas started the inning with a hustling infield single.
Freshman pinch-hitter Trey Ryan then hit a single past the LA Valley third baseman on a two-strike count to put runners on first and second.
Tancas and Ryan each moved up a base on a wild pitch by LA Valley reliever Morgan West.
Branden Williams walked and ball four was another wild pitch, allowing Tancas to score. It gave Irvine Valley a 3-2 lead.
Jordan Gillerman then hit an RBI sacrifice bunt to bring in Ryan and make it 4-2.
Williams and Gillerman advanced a base on a balk by reliever Justin Goossen-Brown.
Freshman second baseman Cory Mendoza hit a sacrifice fly to center to give IVC a 5-2 lead.
Freshman left fielder Clint Jack followed with a double down the left field line to score Gillerman and put IVC ahead, 6-2.
Freshman center fielder Dillon Millar singled to right field and Jack sped home to make it 7-2.
Sophomore right fielder Brett Hamilton hit an RBI triple soon after to cap IVC's scoring.
Freshman reliever Joseph Chacon did the rest. He threw four perfect innings with two strikeouts to earn the victory.
Chacon followed starting pitcher Andrew Jimenez, who was also effective. He went five innings and gave up two runs on seven hits and one walk with two strikeouts.
West was charged with the loss for LA Valley after not retiring a batter in the bottom of the seventh and giving up four runs.
Irvine Valley was down, 1-0, after the first inning, but scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead before LA Valley tied the game at 2-2 with a run in the top of the fifth.
The Lasers finished with 12 hits on the day.
Tancas had his second three-hit day of the early season. He went 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBI.
Williams was 2 for 3 with a walk, Mendoza was 1 for 3 with two RBI and Jack and Millar each had one hit and one RBI.
Irvine Valley plays host to LA Valley again on Saturday. First pitch is at 12 p.m.
