Baseball team holds on to beat Grossmont
Mar 19, 2008
The Irvine Valley baseball team wasn't especially sharp on Wednesday, but the Lasers did enough to beat Grossmont, 3-2, in a non-conference game at home.
The win improved Irvine Valley's record to 18-8 on the season.
Irvine Valley pitchers Robert Purpura and Dean Persinger limited Grossmont (12-11) to just four hits in the contest. But Purpura walked five batters and Persinger hit two batters and gave up a deep home run in the eighth inning to make it a game.
The Lasers also had trouble scoring runs despite having 10 hits.
"Hopefully we learned a little bit of a lesson today," IVC Coach Kent Madole said. "We are 18-8 and winning, but no one is going to give us anything. We have to step up and challenge ourselves each and every day."
Irvine Valley jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore center fielder Matt Ivanoff, who led off with a single, scored on a balk by Grossmont pitcher Darren Gay. Freshman left fielder Kory Burkhart later scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman designated hitter Matt Reyes.
Burkhart doubled earlier in the inning.
Irvine Valley put another run on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sophomore shortstop Abel Medina's double scored Burkhart, who had reached on a single. IVC led, 3-0.
The Lasers had a chance to break the game open in the sixth, but stranded runners at second and third base with one out and then the bases loaded with two outs.
IVC also had a runner thrown out at third base in the seventh inning.
The Lasers still had what looked to be a comfortable lead heading into the eighth.
But Grossmont's Sequoyah Stonecipher made Irvine Valley nervous after hitting a pitch from Persinger, IVC's sophomore closer, deep over the left field fence.
Persinger made up for his mistake, though. He closed the game out by striking out the final five batters he faced.
Persinger earned his school record ninth save of the season.
"He bounced back at the end and really shut the door after giving up that home run," Madole said.
Persinger followed a solid starting effort by Purpura. The sophomore right-hander earned the win to improve to 2-3 on the year after pitching 6.0 innings and giving up no runs. He allowed just three hits, walked five and struck out eight.
Two of Purpura's walks came in the opening inning.
"Robert made some adjustments and ended up pitching really well," Madole said. "That was great to see."
IVC's offense was led by Medina, who was 2 for 4 with one RBI, and Burkhart, who was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
Freshman first baseman Connor Rhoads and sophomore catcher Alex Agortsas each also went 2 for 4 for Irvine Valley.
IVC plays a doubleheader at Victor Valley on Thursday with the first game slated for 11 a.m.
Irvine Valley defeated Victor Valley, 8-5, in a game on Tuesday.