Irvine Valley's baseball team started its final series of the regular season with a strong squad effort on Tuesday at Saddleback.
The Lasers scored the first five runs of the game and went on to a 8-4 Orange Empire Conference win.
The win improved iVC's record to 14-24 overall and 5-14 in conference. Saddleback went to 22-15 overall and 10-9 in the OEC.
IVC started the game quickly with three runs in the top of the first inning, one run in the second and two more in the third to take a 5-0 lead.
All three runs in the first were unearned thanks to two Saddleback errors.
Freshman right fielder Kade Murray had one RBI in the opening frame for the Lasers.
In the top of the second inning, freshman second baseman Chase Quezada knocked in a run with a sacrifice flie and in the third inning, sophomore left fielder Darren Shorter and freshman catcher Aaron Serrato each drove in a run.
Saddleback came back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull within 6-4, but the Lasers put the game out of reach with two runs in the top of the fifth to go ahead, 8-4.
In the fifth inning, freshman designated hitter Shaun McCaghren hit a two-run double and Serrato hit an RBI single to left for the Lasers.
IVC finished with 13 hits on the day. Murray had three hits and one RBI and sophomore third baseman Gavin Grutzmacher, Shorter and Serrato each added two hits. Serrato also had two RBI.
Sophomore right-hander Caden Byers and freshman righty Tyler Eastham each stood out on the mound.
Byers went six innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits and five walks with three strikeouts. He moved his record to 6-3.
Eastham came on for the final three innings and didn't allow a run. He gave up just three hits and picked up his first save of the year.
The two teams play again on Thursday at IVC at 2 p.m.
