 |
 |
 |
|
|
Baseball team wins wild game
Apr 15, 2008
You had to see the scoreboard to believe it.
Irvine Valley defeated Riverside, 6-5, Tuesday afternoon in an Orange Empire Conference game at IVC despite getting just one hit.
Riverside finished with 14 hits.
But Irvine Valley capitalized on Riverside pitchers walking eight Laser batters and hitting four others. The Tigers also made two errors.
IVC pitchers didn't allow a walk and hit two batters.
Irvine Valley's lone hit came in the first inning. Sophomore right fielder Brian Ferrante hit a double to put runners on second and third. Freshman first baseman Connor Rhoads later grounded out to bring in IVC's first run of the game.
"We only had one hit, but I thought we took some really good at bats," IVC Coach Kent Madole said. "Our guys had a good approach at the plate and didn't chase pitches. They found ways to get on."
Riverside took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Nicholas Akins hit a two-run home run off IVC starting pitcher Jared Haller. It was Akins' 12th home run of the season.
Eric Krzysiak hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth to put the Tigers ahead, 3-1, before IVC scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good.
With one out, sophomore left fielder Matt Ivanoff reached on an error and then stole second base. Ferrante walked and then sophomore shortstop Abel Medina walked to load the bases. Riverside starting pitcher Nicholas Hoover was replaced by Travis Bender.
Bender proceeded to hit Rhoads and sophomore catcher Alex Agortsas to bring in two runs and tie the game, 3-3.
Hoover was lifted for Travis Leavitt. Leavitt got IVC freshman designated hitter Paul Sandoval to fly out, but Sandoval's fly ball was still deep enough to bring in Medina from third base and give IVC a 4-3 lead.
Irvine Valley added two runs in the seventh inning on four walks and a hit batter.
Irvine Valley led, 6-3, going into the eighth inning and Riverside scored single runs in the eighth and ninth and moved runners to second and third with two outs in the ninth, but IVC closer Dean Persinger got Luis Tovar to ground out to short to end the game. Hoover took the loss (1-2) for Riverside. He went 4 1/3 innings, giving up one hit and was charged with four runs (three earned). Hoover walked four, struck out five and hit one batter.
Robert Purpura (3-6) got the win for IVC in relief and Persinger recorded his 13th save of the season.
Purpura threw 2 1/3 innings and gave up one unearned run on three hits with two strikeouts.
"A lot of it is about pitching at this point in the season and I thought we weathered the storm today," Madole said. "Jared Haller, Robert Purpura and Dean Persinger gave us good enough outings. The way Robert came in pitched was definitely a highlight for us."
Rhoads was 0 for 2 with a run scored and two RBI for IVC. Ferrante was 1 for 3 with two runs scored and Ivanoff was 0 for 4 with two runs scored.
Tovar went 3 for 5 and Cody Madison and Bryce Holland each went 2 for 5 for the Tigers, who saw their record slip to 23-14 overall and 5-9 in conference.
IVC improved to 25-12 overall and 9-5 in conference and moved to within one game of second place in the conference standings after Saddleback knocked off Orange Coast on Tuesday.
Irvine Valley plays at Riverside on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |