Golden West Defeats Irvine Valley

Irvine, Calif. - Irvine Valley's baseball team lost to Golden West, 7-2, at home on Saturday in an Orange Empire Conference game.

It was Irvine Valley's fourth straight defeat and dropped the team's record to 9-14 overall and 3-7 in conference.

Irvine Valley again had trouble putting things together at the plate. The Lasers finished with just three hits against Golden West starting pitcher Nicholas Hanson. Hanson pitched a complete game. He gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks. He had six strikeouts.

Golden West scored two runs in the top of the third inning with two outs. Bobby Webb hit a two-run double.

Irvine Valley cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth when freshman right fielder Colby Neal-Tan's sacrifice fly scored freshman catcher Ryan Wagner from third.

Golden West went ahead, 3-1, after scoring a run in the top of the sixth. IVC came back with a run in the bottom of the sixth and had a chance to get more.

Freshman designated hitter Sam Kim started the inning with a single and sophomore third baseman Sean Guite reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Wagner laid down a bunt that Hanson fielded but threw away trying to get Kim at third base. Kim scored to make it a 3-2 game. Guite moved up to third and Wagner ended up at second base.

But with runners on second and third with no one out, Hanson struck out IVC sophomore left fielder Brian Glynn and then got the next two hitters to fly out to end the inning.

Two innings later, Golden West put the game away with three runs to take a 6-2 lead. The Rustlers scored their final run in the top of the ninth.

Blake Cooper went 4 for 4 with four runs scored, William Shaw was 2 for 5 with one RBI, Kyle Jones was 2 for 4 with one RBI and Bobby Webb went 1 for 5 with two RBI to lead Golden West, which improved its record to 13-9-1 overall and 5-5 in the Orange Empire Conference.

Golden West hosts Irvine Valley on Tuesday at 2 p.m.​