Irvine Valley hung right with one of the top teams in the state and the Orange Empire Conference on Tuesday afternoon in the opener of a three-game series at home.
It was back and forth from the start before Saddleback scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to put the game away.
Saddleback defeated the Lasers, 7-5.
The two teams play again at Saddleback on Thursday at 2 p.m. and then Irvine Valley finishes the series with a home game on Saturday at noon.
The Bobcats improved their record to 25-9 overall and 10-5 in conference with a hard-fought, 7-5 win over Irvine Valley.
The Lasers saw their record slip to 10-25 overall and 0-16 in conference after the loss.
JC Allen had a big day for Saddleback. He gave the Bobcats the lead for good at 4-3 with an RBI double to left field in the top of the second inning. Jason Heft followed with a solo home run for Saddleback in the top of the fourth inning to make it a 5-3 game.
Irvine Valley answered to get within a run on an RBI double by Adrian Reveles in the bottom of the fourth inning.
But Saddleback sealed the game in the top of the sixth with RBI singles by Isaiah Morales and J.C. Allen to go ahead, 7-4.
Irvine Valley rallied with a run in the bottom of the sixth on single by Reveles that scored sophomore left fielder Drew Porter.
And the Lasers put runners on first and third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but a fly out ended the game.
Porter went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and one RBI and sophomor shortstop Nick Madole, freshman center fielder Shane Stafford and Reveles each had two hits for the Lasers.
Sophomore right-hander Ryan Barlow took the loss (1-5) on the mound. He went five innings and gave up seven runs on 12 hits and two walks with one strikeout.
Sophomore Mekhi Wright did a solid job in relief. He threw four scoreless innings.
Irvine Valley continues the series on Thursday at Saddleback at 2 p.m.
