Irvine Valley's baseball team lost the second game of its three-game Orange Empire Conference series with Santa Ana, 12-5, on Thursday at home.
The Lasers finish the series with the Dons Saturday on the road at noon.
Irvine Valley's record went to 8-13 overall and 0-5 in conference play. Santa Ana, ranked No. 1 in Southern California, improved to 18-3-1 overall and 4-1 in the OEC.
IVC was behind from the start. Santa Ana scored six runs in the top of the first inning. Robert Linares and Carson Case each hit three-run home runs for Santa Ana in the opening frame.
Irvine Valley got on the board in the top of the bottom of the third when freshman left fielder Drew Seidel knocked in a run in the sacrifice fly.
Santa Ana scored two more runs in the top of the fifth to make it a 8-1 game, but Irvine Valley answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Seidel came through again for the Lasers, launching a three-run home run to center field to get IVC within 8-4. It was his third homer of the season.
But IVC couldn't get any closer. Santa Ana put the game completely out of reach with a single run in the top of the sixth and then two runs in the seventh.
Seidel ended up going 1 for 3 with the home run and four RBI for the Lasers. Freshman first baseman Jackson Snitko went 2 for 4 with a double and one RBI for IVC.
Sophomore right-hander Caden Byers took the loss for IVC. He went four innings and gave up six runs on five hits and five walks with three strikeouts.
For Santa Ana, lefty Jack Meek moved to 3-0 after starting on the bump and pitching five innings. He gave up four runs on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts. Joey Iglasias earned his second save after pitching the final four innings and allowing one run on one hit and striking out two.
Santa Ana finished with 15 hits as a team, led by Michael Rocha, who went 3 for 5 with a walk, a run and one RBI.
Christian Altamirano, Linares, Matthew Dobson, Thomas Williams and Case each finished with two hits for the Dons. Linares and Case each had three RBI.
