Irvine Valley's baseball team took a big lead midway through Tuesday's opening Orange Empire Conference contest of a three-game set against Riverside at home.
The Lasers were up, 9-4, through five innings, but the Tigers scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning and two more in the seventh and rallied for a 16-9 victory.
Irvine Valley's record went to 13-8 overall and 0-4 in conference, while Riverside improved to 17-5 overall and 4-0 in the OEC.
The two teams play again on Thursday at Riverside at 2 p.m. with the finale of the series being held at IVC on Friday at 1 p.m.
Riverside took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Tuesday. Grant Gray hit a three-run home run.
The Lasers answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame on a two-run shot by freshman left fielder Kaden Aimer.
And then IVC took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run double by freshman first baseman Jacob Ceja.
Irvine Valley increased its advantage in the bottom of the third to 8-3 on a RBI double by sophomore shortstop Jake Amundson and a bases-clearing triple to left by freshman second baseman Adrian Covarrubias.
But it was Riverside that did most of the rest of the scoring in the game with four runs in the sixth, two in the seventh, three runs in the top of the eighth inning and three more in the ninth.
The Tigers finished with 14 hits in the game and IVC committed five errors.
For Riverside, Gray went 3 for 6 with two runs scored and four RBI. Johnny Alley was 3 for 4 with a walk, four runs and three RBI.
IVC was received two hits apiece from Aimer, freshman catcher Shane Flynn and sophomore center fielder Brandon Abernathy. Aimer and Ceja each knocked in two runs.
Freshman right-hander Cooper Hahn started on the mound and went 3.1 innings, giving up four runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts.
Sophomore righty Andres Hernandez took the loss in relief. He pitched 2.1 innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits and one walk.
