The Eastern baseball team closed out its three-game road conference series against Morehead State with a 5-4 win Friday.

Eastern (19-21, 10-11) scored three runs late in the game to take the victory in the third and final game of the series, after losing a doubleheader Thursday to Morehead State (26-15, 11-7).

The Panthers have grown accustomed to closing a series with a win, despite losing the first games. In a three-game series against Eastern Kentucky last weekend, Eastern won the final game 10-9 after dropping the first two.

Even earlier in the season, in a series against Western Kentucky from Feb. 24 to Feb. 25, Eastern won the final game after dropping the first two.

Eastern is no stranger to this position, and it came back in the way it has needed to.

As the team so often does, Eastern scored the first run of the game, coming in the third inning.

Ryan Knernschield doubled down the right field line in the top half of the third inning, scoring Grant Emme.

As Eastern also does often, it gave up its lead it worked for early on.

Foster Anshutz went through the first three innings without giving up a run, but in the fourth, he was rocked by all four of Morehead State’s runs.

Dom Peroni singled up the middle and brought in the Eagles’ first two runs, and two batters later, Chase Sortor hit a two-run home run to put Morehead State up 4-1.

But the Panthers drove in their final four runs in the sixth through eighth innings.

Eastern head coach Jason Anderson has been critical of his team’s ability to drive in runners in scoring position this season, and his team delivered Friday.

Eastern’s lone run in the sixth inning came from Jimmy Huber’s pinch-hit at-bat.

Huber singled through the left side of the infield, which brought Knernschield in to make the score 4-2, still in Morehead State’s favor.

In the next inning, Hunter Morris pulled a home run over the right field fence, scoring Emme and tying the game at 4-4.

Finally, in the eighth inning, Jimmy Govern registered his only hit of the day (1-for-5) with a single up the middle, which scored Dane Toppel.

On the mound, the starter Anshutz finished with four innings pitched, with two walks and seven hits given up while striking out two batters.

Will Klein was the first reliever for Eastern, pitching the next three innings while only giving up two hits, one walk and striking out three batters. Klein got the win Friday.

Alex Stevenson closed the game by pitching the final two innings, allowing just one walk and striking out two Eagles batters.

Stevenson earned his fourth save on the season, which leads the team and is his second-straight save in as many opportunities.

Eastern returns home Tuesday when the Panthers host Robert Morris, for the second time this season, in a rematch game. Robert Morris defeated Eastern 14-10 March 26 at Coaches Stadium.

Dillan Schorfheide can be reached at 581-2812 or dtschorfheide@eiu.edu