The Vikings kicked off their baseball season with a 6-4 defeat against the Irvine Valley College Lasers in a Friday afternoon matchup. The Lasers set the tone early by launching a home run in the top of the first inning. However, the Vikings quickly responded when sophomore second baseman Reef Danner crushed a triple to center field, bringing in sophomore center fielder Xander McLaurin. Danner was then brought home by sophomore first baseman Ryan Geck, giving the Vikings a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first.

McLaurin showcased his offensive expertise, going 3-4 at the plate and contributing 1 RBI. In the bottom of the second, sophomore designated hitter Davis Grawey added to the lead with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring AJ Quezada and extending the lead to 3-1.

The Lasers staged a comeback in the third inning, leveling the game. However, in the bottom of the fourth, Vikings' catcher Luke Davis smashed a homer to reclaim the lead at 4-3. Despite their efforts, the Vikings couldn't hold on as Irvine added two more runs in the final innings, securing a 6-4 victory.

"It is a long season, so one loss is not the end of the world, said Head Coach Casey Crook. "Still, this one was disappointing, not just because it was the opener, and it would been nice to get off to a fast start. But also because we gave it away with poor defense, the worst way to lose games. That being said, many positive things did happen today, and we can build on those moving forward."

Looking ahead, the Long Beach City College Baseball team will be back in action for their next home game on Feb. 1 against LA Mission at 2 p.m.