TURLOCK — After long delays to the start of the series, the Stanislaus State baseball team held on to defeat visiting Simpson, 4-2, Saturday night at Warrior Baseball Field.

The three-game set was suppose to begin with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday. However, weather, field conditions and Simpson's struggles getting down Interstate-5 delayed the game three times. Ultimately, the series got on the way with a single game at 5 p.m.

On the mound, Micah Hall got through five innings to improve to 3-0 before Tyler Murphy came out of the bullpen. After a sketchy start to his outing, Murphy settled in and got out of jams to record his second save. Murphy finished with four innings of work and gave up just one hit. He struck out five and walked two.

Stanislaus State improved to 8-1 for its best start to the season since the 2011 team began 9-1. The Warriors will take their seven-game winning streak into Sunday as this series continues. It will be two nine-inning games starting at 10 a.m., hoping the early start would allow the teams to get the games in before the next rain storm hits the area Sunday afternoon.

Kyle Nixon and John Holleran each had two hits to lead the Warriors offensively. Nick Ippolito, who opened the home half of the first with a triple and scored on a Charlie Gaff fly-out, scored twice.

Gino Franceschetti singled in a run in the third that followed a Nixon RBI groundout. Nixon would drive in another score in the fifth with his double to right that scored Gaff to make it 4-2.

Simpson (1-8) had many chances on the basepaths with eight hits and drew six walks. However, the Redhawks stranded 11 baserunners, including eight in scoring position. Simpson did push across two runs in the fourth with RBI singles by Heath Boyles and Michael Carlos.