Baseball team beats Saddleback
Mar 17, 2009
Irvine Valley's baseball team started off the second round of Orange Empire Conference play on a solid note Tuesday.
The Lasers handed Saddleback, which was in first place in the conference standings heading into this week, a 7-4 defeat at Irvine Valley.
IVC improved its record to 10-12 overall and 3-5 in conference. Saddleback slipped to 15-9 overall and 5-2 in conference.
The Lasers also handed Saddleback pitcher Robby Ross his first loss of the season. The Lasers tagged the sophomore lefty for five runs (all earned) on 10 hits and three walks in 6.0 innings. Ross had one strikeout and hit one batter.
Irvine Valley got a solid effort on the mound from freshman righty Gary Gerhardt. Also IVC's closer, Gerhardt started and went 7.0 innings. He gave up three runs (all earned) on seven hits and one walk. Gerhardt hit two batters and struck out three.
Gerhardt also picked up his first win of the season, improving his record to 1-3.
Irvine Valley took an early lead in the game. Sophomore right fielder Robbie Robinson's single to right field knocked in sophomore designated hitter Alonzo Vasquez.
Saddleback answered with one run in the top of the fourth on four hits to tie the game up at 1-1.
But Irvine Valley came right back in its half of the fourth, scoring two runs. Sophomore second baseman Sean Williams doubled. Freshman shortstop Anthony Gutierrez then singled to drive in Williams. After a sacrifice bunt by sophomore center fielder Kory Burkhart moved Gutierrez to third base, sophomore catcher Corey Thibault doubled in Gutierrez.
And Irvine Valley tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 5-1 game.
Sophomore first baseman Connor Rhoads walked to start the inning. Two batters later, sophomore third baseman Vince Hungerford singled up the middle to drive in Rhoads. Williams singled to right field to put runners on first and third and Gutierrez hit up the middle brought in Hungerford.
Saddleback scored a run in the top of the sixth to make it a 5-2 game. And the Gauchos pulled to within 5-4 in the top of the eighth with two more runs on a two-run double by Trevor Whyte.
But Irvine Valley put the game away in the bottom of the eighth with two runs. With one out, Thibault and freshman pinch hitter Steven Bayko singled and Rhoads was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Robinson had an infield single to bring in one run and Sandoval walked to force in the second run of the inning.
For Irvine Valley, Robinson was 3 for 4 with two RBI, Rhoads went 2 for 3 with a run scored and Gutierrez, who made several nice defensive plays at short, went 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored.
Thibault was 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run scored and Hungerford was 1 for 5 with one RBI and one run scored.
Saddleback was led by Brett Vertigan, who went 2 for 3 with three runs scored, Whyte, who was 2 for 4 with two RBI, and Darren Coombs, who was 2 for 3.
Irvine Valley plays at Saddleback on Thursday at 2 p.m.