Baseball team takes care of El Camino
Mar 14, 2008
The Irvine Valley baseball team headed into the school's spring break week with a 9-5 win over El Camino last Friday at Irvine Valley.
The win improved the team's record to 16-8 overall. It is the best start to a season in school history.
"It was a good win," Irvine Valley Coach Kent Madole said. "El Camino is a very good team. They were in second place in their conference."
The Lasers were led on the mound and at the plate by freshman Matt Reyes.
Reyes started and earned the win and also went 4 for 5 with four RBI in the victory.
He improved his record to 4-2 on the season and upped his batting average to .405.
"It was his day," Madole said.
Irvine Valley scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and added four more in the second to take a 7-1 lead.
Reyes had the big blow, a three-run double, in the second inning to break the game open.
Reyes, from Foothill High, went five innings on the mound, giving up one run on three hits. He walked three and struck out four.
Freshmen Daniel Cabuling and Paul Sandoval and sophomore Doug Tew each pitched scorless innings of relief and sophomore closer Dean Persinger closed out the game. Persinger, who has eights saves on the year, gave up a run in the ninth.
Besides Reyes, sophomore center fielder Matt Ivanoff was 3 for 5 with two runs, sophomore right fielder Brian Ferrante went 1 for 1 with two runs, freshman first baseman Connor Rhoads was 1 for 3 with three RBI and sophomore shortstop Abel Medina was 2 for 5 with one RBI for Irvine Valley.
The Lasers play at Victor Valley today and then host Grossmont on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in non-conference games.
"Hopefully we can keep it going and head back into conference play next week on a roll," Madole said.
Irvine Valley has a 4-1 record in the Orange Empire Conference and is in a tie for first place.