Baseball team takes first regional game
May 09, 2008
The Irvine Valley baseball team did just enough on Friday to take a one-game lead in the best of three Southern California regional playoff series with East Los Angeles.
Despite being out-hit, the Lasers, who are the fourth seed, defeated the No. 13 Huskies, 8-3, at Irvine Valley.
Irvine Valley's record improved to 30-15, while East Los Angeles fell to 30-15.
The two teams meet again on Saturday at 11 a.m. If a third game in the series is necessary it will be played later Saturday afternoon.
"East LA is a great team and we know they are going to come out even tougher tomorrow," IVC Coach Kent Madole said. "This was just one game. And we know that. We haven't wrapped up anything yet."
Sophomore pitcher Danny Heben got Irvine Valley off to a good start on Friday with a solid performance. After struggling a bit in his last two outings, Heben was back on track, throwing 6 2/3 innings and giving up just one run on eight hits. He struck out three.
The win was Heben's ninth (9-2), which broke the program record for most victories in a season. The first team all-Orange Empire Conference hurler also dropped his ERA to 2.41 on the year.
"It was great to see him step up and give us that type of performance in a big game like this one," Madole said.
The Lasers scored a run in the bottom of the first to take an early lead. A fielder's choice by first baseman Connor Rhoads brought in center fielder Matt Ivanoff. Ivanoff led off the inning with a double.
East Los Angeles answered with a run in the top of the third on a walk, sacrifice and then an RBI double by Peter Lavin.
But Irvine Valley broke things open in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring seven runs to take a 8-1 lead. The Lasers did it on six hits, a hit batter and an East Los Angeles error. Six of the seven runs were unearned.
Third baseman Vince Hungerford singled in the first run of the inning and then Ivanoff brought in another run with an infield hit. Shortstop Abel Medina highlighted the inning with a seeing eye three-run double past East Los Angeles second baseman Aaron Oliver.
Rhoads then hit a double to center to bring in another run and give IVC a 7-1 lead. Agortsas capped the inning with an RBI single through the left side of the infield.
East Los Angeles scored two runs in the top of the ninth off IVC reliever Doug Tew, but Tew was able to get out of the inning, ending the game by getting Paul Franco to ground out to short.
"I thought our pitching and defense set the tone early," Madole said. "And I thought we really capitalized on some of the opportunities we had at the plate. All those runs in the fourth were the difference."
IVC was led by Ivanoff, who went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Medina was 1 for 4 with three RBI, Rhoads went 1 for 4 with two RBI and Agortsas was 1 for 4 with one RBI.
Lavin was 4 for 5 with an RBI for East Los Angeles in the loss. Fernando Garcia took the loss in the hill, giving up eight runs (just one earned) on seven hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings.
East Los Angeles out-hit IVC, 11-8, in the contest.