LA GRANDE, Ore. – The final series of the regular season did not start in the Warriors' favor with a 12-10 loss to Eastern Oregon on Friday. LC State struggled on the mound, and multiple errors gave the Mountaineers a slight advantage over the No. 5 team in the nation.
 
"We got outplayed by a motivated opponent," Head Coach Jake Taylor said. "We need to improve and be ready tomorrow."
 
The Warriors put up a five spot to open the game after back-to-back singles by Jack Johnson and Dillon Plew started the rally. Brock Ephan doubled to clear the bases and Luke White walked before a base hit by Matt James plated one more. Sam Linscott added another RBI to the first inning total before an error scored courtesy runner Alex Light.
 
EOU responded with three runs in the home half of the inning to start the back-and-forth battle. Both teams scored once in the third, with the Warriors capitalizing on a double by James. Linscott drove in the runner, Light, on an RBI groundout to keep LC in front.
 
The Mountaineers took the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a three-run inning, bringing the score to 7-6.
 
Riley Way doubled in the sixth to start a short Warrior rally. Plew was hit by a pitch and both scored on another two-run double by Ephan to give LC an 8-7 lead. The advantage was short-lived, however, as EOU put up three in the next half inning.
 
Linscott scored on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the seventh to bring LC within one. Linscott and Dalton Harum started the inning with a pair of singles before both A.J. Davis and Way were hit by pitches. A leadoff home run in the eighth by White evened the game 10-10, but a two-run shot by EOU's Elliott Marks gave the Mounties a 12-10 lead they'd cling to for the rest of the game.
 
Johnson, Plew, Ephan, White, James and Linscott each tallied two hits in the contest. Ephan drove in four runs and had two doubles.
 
The Warriors struggled on the mound from the start. Trent Sellers gave up seven runs, four earned, in his 3.1 innings. The sophomore struck out five but walked three. Greg Blackman threw 3.2 innings in relief and surrendered four, all earned, while Jesse Parker gave up one in his lone inning.
 
Each team made two errors.
 
After just their fourth loss of the season, second in CCC play, the Warriors continue the series with EOU on Saturday.
 
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