The Eastern baseball team opened its season with one of the biggest upsets in recent memory when the Panthers shocked 2003 College World Series participant Southwest Missouri State 6-4 in 12 innings. But the three weeks following the victory have been just as shocking with Eastern going winless in its last 13 ball games.

Arkansas State put an exclamation point on the Panthers recent troubles with a three-game sweep this weekend in Jonesboro, Ark. With the losses to Arkansas State and defeats against South Alabama and Southern Mississippi earlier in the week, Eastern failed to pick up a victory during the eight-game spring break trip.

Eastern was baffled by Indians starter Doug Walter, who went six solid innings giving up two runs on five hits. Walter struck out six Panthers while walking just one batter to pick up his third win on the season.

The Panthers struck Walter early with a run in the top of the first when Kevin Carkeek pushed an RBI single past the right side of the infield. After Eastern scored its first run, the Arkansas State hurler settled down and retired the next 12 batters.

With Walter keeping the Panthers at bay, the Indians took a 3-1 lead after four innings and never looked back in a 7-2 victory.

Panthers starter Kyle Widegren kept Eastern in the ball game allowing five runs in 7 1/3 innings, but the Indians broke the game open for good with four runs in the eighth off Widegren and freshman Mike Manns.

Eastern ran into stormy conditions from Mother Nature and Arkansas State during game two. The start of the tilt was pushed back over two hours and was delayed 35 minutes in the middle of the fifth inning because of rain.

The game was knotted at two when the rain came in the fifth inning. Panther starter Kirk Miller remained in the game after the delay but quickly found trouble when he went back to the mound. Miller gave up a double to outfielder Josh Allison and then walked the next two batters to load the bases. The Indians were unable to break open the game as they managed just one run in the frame on a RBI ground out to short putting Arkansas State up 3-2.

The Indians took advantage of some erratic pitching by reliever Andy Kuntz to scrap across three runs on just three hits in the sixth inning. Leading 7-3 after seven, Arkansas State ended any hopes of a comeback with three runs in eighth off sophomore Alex Chapple.

The Indians completed the sweep of the Panthers Sunday afternoon with an 8-0 shutout at Tomlinson Stadium.

The Indians got off to a fast start on a solo home run by senior third baseman Brad Hayes in the bottom of the first. Arkansas State added one run in both the third and fourth inning off Eastern starter Erik Huber who gave up six runs in four innings on the hill.

Hayes followed his home run in the first with a two run shot to left center in the fifth and the Indians tacked on another run to open up a 6-0 lead. A wild pitch and an error aided two more runs for the Indians as they finished off the Panthers 8-0.

Arkansas State junior starter Derek Cunningham improved to 2-1 on the season with seven innings of scoreless baseball. The Indians (13-9) have now swept their last two of their last three series.

With the loss Eastern fell to 1-13. The Panthers will next be in action Tuesday afternoon against Indiana State.