FULLERTON, Calif. – A stellar start from Alec Holmes gave the No. 24 LC State Warriors the momentum they needed to cruise past the San Diego Christian Hawks in the final game in Southern California. Warrior pitching combined for a one-hitter for the first time since 2014. LC State tallied 15 hits and the pitching staff struck out 13.
 
Dillon Plew got the game started with a bang when he crushed a home run down the right field line. Riley Way took the first pitch of the game up the middle for a leadoff single to give Plew a two-run shot.
 
Alec Holmes got the Warriors off to a good start on the mound with a punchout. A flyout and groundout ended the inning.
 
Zach Needham singled to start the second and stole a base. Jack Johnson ripped a double into the left field corner to bring Needham around and make it 3-0.
 
Holmes added another strikeout to his day with a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second.
 
A single by Dalton Harum sparked the LC State offense in the top of the third and put the leadoff hitter on for the Warriors for the third straight inning. Matt James dropped a single into shallow left center after a walk to Sam Linscott to load the bases. Plew walked to earn an RBI and give the Warriors a 4-0 lead.
 
Holmes struck out the side in order, retiring eight SDCC batters in a row, to keep the Hawks off the board through three.  He added another strikeout in the scoreless fourth.
 
Linscott notched his first hit as a Warrior with a base hit to left in the top of the fifth, then took third on a double to left off the bat of James. A passed ball allowed Linscott to score and a groundout by Way brought in courtesy runner A.J. Davis to make it 6-0.
 
Another three-up, three-down inning for Holmes included his seventh strikeout of the game in the SDCC half of the fifth to end his day. He did not allow a hit.
 
Bryson Spagnuolo came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth and struck out a pair before giving up a two-run shot. He turned the ball over in the seventh to Jantzen Lucas who did not allow a hit in his collegiate debut.
 
Brock Ephan doubled to left center and Harum walked to put two on for Linscott. The junior singled to drive in a run and make it 7-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
 
Cole Susee went to the mound in the eighth and sat the Hawks down in order. He struck out the first two he faced.
 
The Warriors added on another 5 in the top of the ninth to grow the lead to 12-2. Needham lined a single to center and Way walked to begin the inning, and Plew doubled into the gap in left center to drive in a pair. Ephan reached on an error to plate Plew and put Johnson on third. Trent Sellers pinch hit and brought in a run on a sacrifice fly, and a knock by Harum and walk to Linscott loaded the bases with one out. LC State batted around and Needham returned to the plate in the ninth and walked to bring in a run.
 
Conor Breding took over on the mound to close out the game in the ninth. A walk and hit-by-pitch put two on before he struck the next two. A flyout to center ended the game with LC ahead 12-2.
 
Holmes start was the highlight of the day. The redshirt-freshman tied a career-high with seven strikeouts. He earned his first win as a Warrior after going five and not allowing a hit.
 
Plew led the offense with five RBI on the day. He, along with Johnson, Ephan, Harum, Linscott, James and Needham had two hits in the games. Way, Plew, Ephan and Needham all scored twice.
 
"We threw it pretty well today and it was nice to get our bullpen into the game," Head Coach Jake Taylor said. "We are looking forward to Phoenix and getting back on the field again."
 
The Warriors improve to 3-1 on the season and face Arizona Christian in Glendale, Ariz. on Monday at 5 p.m. PT.