The Irvine Valley baseball team never gave up on Thursday at Cypress.
The Lasers scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning and another two in the top of the ninth, but still came up short in a 11-10 loss to the Chargers in an Orange Empire Conference game.
Cypress, ranked second in So. Cal., improved its record to 14-3 overall and 2-0 in conference. No. 20 Irvine Valley fell to 9-10 overall and 0-2 in conference.
The Lasers and the Chargers will finish the OEC series on Saturday. The game was originally to start at noon, but has been pushed back to 2 p.m. because of weather.
Irvine Valley trailed, 10-3, after five innings, but the Lasers got right back in it with the five-run seventh.
In that inning, freshman right fielder Darren Shorter was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and then sophomore shortstop Nick Madole was hit by a pitch to bring in another run.
Sophomore second baseman Nolan Cusey walked with the bases loaded to make it a 10-6 game.
And freshman third baseman Kevin James grounded out to bring in another run and then Cusey scored on a wild pitch.
Cypress answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to go up, 11-8.
Irvine Valley made it interesting in the top of the ninth with a two-run home run by sophomore pinch-hitter Casey Kudell. But the Lasers couldn't put another runner on base and dropped the game by a run.
For the Lasers, Cusey went 1 for 2 with a walk and three RBI, Shorter was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, a double and one RBI and Madole went 2 for 2 with two runs and one RBI.
Sophomore right-hander Austin Chapman suffered the loss. He pitched three innings and gave up eight runs on seven hits with two strikeouts. Cypress hit two home runs.
