Irvine Valley's baseball team battled the top-ranked team in Southern California on Tuesday afternoon.
The Lasers led Santa Ana, 4-0, heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
But the Dons scored two runs in the frame to get back in the contest and then added five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come away with a 7-6 victory in an Orange Empire Conference game.
Irvine Valley made things interesting in the top of the ninth inning by scoring two runs off of solo home runs by freshman catcher Aaron Serrato and sophomore center fielder Shane Stafford.
IVC still fell by one run.
The Lasers will host Santa Ana on Thursday at 2 p.m. in the second game of the three-game series.
Irvine Valley led, 4-0, heading into the bottom of the seventh after the Lasers scored on an error in the top of the first, freshman left fielder Drew Seidel hit a solo home run in the top of the third and Serrato hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning.
Freshman right-hander AJ Roettger pitched a solid 5.1 innings. He didn't allow a run and gave up just one hit and one walk.
Freshman righty Tyler Eastham ended up giving up four runs on four hits with one strikeout in 0.2 innings in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the loss. His record went to 1-3 on the year.
Irvine Valley finished with nine hits in the game. Serrato went 2 for 4 with two home runs, two runs scored and three RBI and Stafford finished 2 for 5 with a home run, one run and one RBI.
