Vikings Fall to Irvine Valley in Home Opener

The Long Beach City College baseball team battled but fell short in their home opener, dropping a 10-2 decision to Irvine Valley College on Saturday afternoon. 

Despite the final score, the Vikings remained determined and focused on improving moving forward. 

"I think this was a rough one, but we're definitely going to move past it," said second baseman Danny Rodriguez. "We have a good squad and a solid pitching staff—we're going to keep pushing from here." 

Starting pitcher Max Ghiglieri (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs on six hits while striking out two. The Lasers took an early lead with an RBI single in the first, followed by an unearned run on a passed ball. Irvine Valley extended its lead over the next few innings, capitalizing on timely hitting. A five-run fifth inning proved to be the turning point. 

Long Beach broke through in the ninth, plating two runs off an Irvine Valley error, but the deficit was too large to overcome. 

"We've shown signs that we can be a really good team, but we've had a pattern the past couple of weeks of inconsistency—playing well one game, struggling the next," said head coach Casey Crook. "The focus now is to bring our best every time we step on the field and not take anything for granted." 

The Vikings will look to bounce back at home on January 30 against LA Valley. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.