Baseball team wins opener, 9-2
Jan 27, 2009
The Irvine Valley baseball team scored eight runs in the eighth inning to come back for a 9-2 win over Long Beach City in its season-opening game Tuesday afternoon at IVC.
“A great way to start,” Irvine Valley Coach Kent Madole said. “I thought we played pretty solid overall. It was good to see the guys keep battling.”
The Lasers trailed, 2-1, heading into the bottom of the eighth. Sophomore shortstop Vince Hungerford tied the score with a RBI single through the left side.
Three batters later with the bases loaded and two outs, freshman center fielder Thomas Mobley earned a walk off Long Beach City reliever Ivan Niebla to bring in the game-winning run.
The Lasers tacked on six more runs in the inning. Two came on a double by freshman third baseman Anthony Gutierrez and three more scored on a double by sophomore right fielder Robbie Robinson.
Robinson went 2 for 4 with three RBI in the contest. Gutierrez was 2 for 5 with two RBI, sophomore catcher Corey Thibault and sophomore designated hitter Paul Sandoval each finished 2 for 3 with one RBI each and Mobley was 1 for 2 with one RBI and two walks.
Sophomore left-hander Jared Haller started on the mound for the Lasers. He pitched five innings, giving up two runs on three hits with three walks. He had 4 strikeouts.
IVC relief pitchers Daniel Cabuling, Ryan Aguera, Andrew Jimenez and Gary Gerhardt combine to pitch four shutout innings, giving up just two hits combined.
Jimenez, a freshman right-hander, earned the win. He pitched to just one batter and got one out.
“It was a big one,” Madole said.
Jimenez got Matt Homstad to line out to end the top of the eighth inning with runners on second and third.
Irvine Valley next plays in the Bakersfield Tournament starting on Thursday.