LA GRANDE, Ore. – The No. 5 Lewis-Clark State Baseball team bounced back to take both halves of a twin bill on Sunday in La Grande, Ore. The Warriors ended the first game early due the conference's run-rule with a 19-5 victory. They took the second contest 11-4.
 
LC had strong starting pitching from Eric Chavarria in game 1 and Alec Holmes in game 2. Brock Ephan continued his tear with six hits on the day to go with seven RBI.
 
"We had two quality starts today out of Chav and Holmes," Head Coach Jake Taylor said. "Offensively we had a much better approach at the plate and had production throughout the lineup. We will look to finish strong tomorrow."
 
The Warriors head into the final game of the regular season with a record of 37-4, 29-2 in CCC play.
 
GAME 1: LC State def. Eastern Oregon 19-5 (8 innings)
An RBI double by Ephan to plate Dillon Plew got the Warriors on the board in the top of the first. LC added on in the second after a base hit by Sam Linscott was followed by a passed ball and an error to make it 2-0. A.J. Davis singled to move the runner to third before an errant throw allowed him to score.
 
The Warriors busted the game open in the top of the third with a five-run inning. Plew walked to begin the frame and took third on another double by Ephan. Luke White brought in three runs with his homer to center, and Linscott kept the momentum going with a single. Dalton Harum doubled to put two in scoring position before Davis knock one in on a sacrifice fly. Zach Threlfall joined in on the fun with an RBI double to right center to grow the advantage to 7-0.
 
Chavarria worked around a leadoff double in the home half of the third by striking out the side.
 
Davis walked and Threlfall doubled to open the fifth inning. An RBI groundout by Riley Way made it an 8-0 game. LC continued to add on in the sixth with another three runs. Ephan sent a base hit into center and took second on a wild pitch before Linscott walked. A single by Davis plated one before a two-RBI knock by Threfall made the advantage 11-0.
 
EOU got on the board with two runs on three hits on the bottom of the sixth off Chavarria, then one more on a walk by Eli Shubert.
 
The seventh inning opened with a single by Jack Johnson before the senior took second on a wild pitch. A walk to Plew and hit-by-pitch to White loaded the bases. Linscott brought in one on a sacrifice fly.
 
The Mountaineers evaded the 10-run rule in the seventh by scoring two runs to cut the LC lead to 13-5.
 
Free passes to Threlfall and Way got the Warriors going in the LC half of the eighth. Courtesy runner Alex Light raced home on a wild pitch and a home run by Ephan, his 16^th of the season, was good for three RBI.  White walked to put a runner on before Linscott homered to push the score to 19-5 and cap the six-run inning.
 
Cameron Smith took over on the mound in the home half of the eighth and retired the Mounties in order to end game 1.
 
Ephan led LC with four hits and four RBI in the contest, while Linscott and Threfall each had three hits and three RBI. Chavarria recorded five strikeouts in his 5.1 innings to earn the victory. Shubert recorded two in 1.2 innings.
 
GAME 2: LC State def. Eastern Oregon 11-4
LC State jumped on the board in the third inning of the second game in the twin bill with a solo shot by Davis. Starter Holmes induced three straight groundouts to keep EOU scoreless. The freshman added a pair of punchouts the next inning.
 
The Warriors rallied for three runs in the fifth on errors by EOU. Davis reached on an error by the shortstop and Johnson walked. Plew singled up the middle and a run came in on a throwing error by the center fielder. Ephan kept momentum up with a 2-RBI single to plate Johnson and Plew and make it 4-0 LC State.
 
The Mountaineers tallied their first run of the game in the home half of the inning, but LC responded in the seventh. Way doubled to kickstart the inning and took third on a flyout. Plew punched a base hit through the left side to push the lead to 5-1. The Mounties answered the run with three of their own to cut the Warriors' lead to 5-4 before Brooks Juhasz ended the inning in relief.
 
LC State capitalized on four EOU errors in the top of the eighth to bring four runs across. Linscott singled up the middle and took second on a throwing error. A wild pitch moved him to third before Harum walked with two outs. Both advanced, with Linscott scoring, on another wild pitch. Davis walked and Way reached on an error that plated Harum before the third wild pitch of the inning scored Davis. Johnson brought Way around with a double to right center to make it 9-4.
 
Juhasz sat EOU down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
 
The Warrior stacked on two more in the ninth, starting with a solo shot by Ephan that cleared the lights in left center. Linscott walked with one out and moved to second on a single by Matt James. Alex Light, running for James, advanced with Linscott on a wild pitch. Harum knocked in a run on a groundout to cap the scoring at 11-4.
 
Juhasz closed out the game with a 1-2-3 inning and a pair of strikeouts.
 
Way, Johnson, Plew, Ephan and Linscott each had two hits in the game while Ephan had three RBI. Holmes went 6.1 innings to earn the win. He struck out five and gave up only four hits. Juhasz was solid in relief. He allowed one run on two hits in his 2.2 innings.
 
The Warriors wrap up the regular season at Eastern Oregon on Sunday at 11 a.m. in La Grande, Ore.
 
Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors.