LANCASTER, Calif. – After cruising behind strong pitching in the opener, the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team suffered its first loss of the young season in a nonleague doubleheader against the University of Antelope Valley on Saturday.
 
The Warriors, ranked No. 1 in the NAIA preseason poll, used a combined five-hitter by Tyler Burch and Matt Becker to win the opener 5-1. However, the Warriors committed four errors in the second game, which helped Antelope Valley score five runs in one inning and hang on for a 5-3 victory.
 
LCSC is now 8-1 on the season, while Antelope Valley, which received votes in the NAIA preseason poll, is 8-6.
 
The two teams will play the final of a four-game series on Sunday with the first pitch schedule for noon.
 
Burch, a junior right-hander, improved to 2-0 on the season with a strong outing. He went 7.1 inning and allowed four hits and one run. He also struck out four and walked four. Becker, also a junior right-hander, pitched the final 1.2 innings and allowed just one hit with two strikeouts.
 
Antelope Valley scored the first run of the opener on a sacrifice fly by Cory McKendrick, but the Warriors finally got to Pioneers' starter Gilberto Arroyo in the sixth. Arroyo allowed only two hits in the first five innings, but gave up consecutive singles to Riley Way and Raymond Pedrina to start the sixth. Joey Parente then bunted for a single to load the bases. Kasey Bailey made it four consecutive hits with a single to shallow left field to score two to put the Warriors ahead 2-1.
 
LC added the other three runs in the eighth, all with two outs. Bailey started the rally when he was hit by a pitch and he scored on a double by Cory Voss. Tyler McDowell followed with a single up the middle to score Voss. An error and a wild pitch allowed McDowell to score.
 
Bailey had two hits and two RBI to pace the Warriors. He was the lone player with more than one hit for L-C in the game.
 
In the second game, Warrior senior right-hander Rian Bassett rolled through the first four inning and allowed only two hits, but LC ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth.  A walk and an error put runners on second and third with no outs. After LC  got a tag out at home on a ground ball, the Warriors' third error of the inning allowed the first run to score.  Reliever Efrain Del Rio came in and gave up an intentional walk to load the bases. Adam Maciel then singled in two and Nathaniel Broaddus followed with an RBI single. A sacrifice fly by Tyler Pittmon completed the scoring.
 
LCSC took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Voss doubled to deep left with one out and was replace by courtesy runner Parente. McDowell then singled to left to score Parente.
 
The Warriors made it 2-0 in the fifth when A.J. Davis reached on a one-out error and later scored on an infield single by Luis Hildago.
 
LCSC's final run came in the eight when Pedrina singled and Parente followed with a walk. After a ground ball forced Parente out at second, Voss singled to center to score Pedrina. But McDowell lined out to short with runners on first and third to end the threat. The Warriors then went down in order in the ninth.
 
Voss finished with three hits and an RBI to lead the Warriors' attack, while Pedrina added two hits. LCSC out-hit Antelope Valley 9-7 in the game.
 
Bassett went 4.1 innings and allowed two hits, and four runs, three of which were earned. He also struck out one. Del Rio allowed five hits in 3.1 innings, while Kade Woods struck out the only batter he faced.
 
The Warriors will be back home next Friday-Sunday for a three-game series against Western Oregon.