The Eastern baseball team has had its fair share of struggles throughout this season. One of those being that the team either has a lead and loses it or is down and comes back, but in the end cannot finish to get the win.

With the Panthers taking one win against Southeast Missouri, the Panthers came back late in the game in the eighth inning to get that win. This is one case where that rings true where they do come back and finish strong and get the win. It is not always like that.

The Panthers scored three runs in the first inning and held that 3-0 lead until the Redhawks scored four times in the fourth and fifth innings. But the Panthers’ bats came back in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead with junior Logan Beaman knocking in two runs with a single.

Freshman pitcher Alex Stevenson came in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and held Southeast Missouri to no runs in that dangerous situation. Stevenson earned his team-high third win on the year going four innings and only giving up four hits.

Coach Jason Anderson said that game two was a huge comeback and that the team needed it.

“It was the same thing (as game three) but the tables were switched. We battled back and we got the big hit and scored runs,” Anderson said. “Where (in game three) they did the same thing to us. Stevenson was the story of the game yesterday. Bases loaded, nobody out, (they) didn’t score. That’s why we won yesterday and that’s why we didn’t win today.”

With the loss now brings the Panthers record to 6-25 on the year with an Ohio Valley Conference record of 3-9 which is last in the OVC. Anderson said one thing that they team can take away from the series against the Redhawks is that they need to learn how to win.

“Learn how to win. That’s what we got to take away. We got to learn how to win,” Anderson said. “We got to go take it from somebody and we have that ability and we haven’t been taking it from people. We’ve been letting people take it from us, especially at home. That’s what we need to learn, to win when it’s presented to us.”

Redshirt senior Brendon Allen said that the team, despite their record, is still really good.

“We compete with everyone we play and there’s always that one play that lets the game get away from us,” Allen said. “We’re right there. We just need to get hot at the right time going into the tournament and we should be fine.”

Tyler McCluskey can be reached at 581-2812 or at trmccluskey@eiu.edu