Eastern’s baseball team scored seven ninth inning runs in its 12-4 win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff Tuesday.

The Panthers went into the ninth inning leading the Golden Lions 5-3 but blew the game wide open, piling on seven runs off just one hit in the final inning. The lone hit was a big one off the bat of Trey Sweeney, who drove in three runs with a double in the inning.

All four of Eastern’s other runs in the ninth inning came via the walk as Arkansas Pine-Bluff’s pitchers struggled to find the strike zone, leading to Eastern’s blowout win.

Eastern pitcher Foster Anshutz picked up the win, tossing six innings allowing no runs, surrendering just two hits and two walks. Race Tittle was the losing pitcher for the Golden Lions.

The Panthers scored the first run of the game in the first inning, Grant Emme scored on a passed ball.

Sweeney tabbed his first RBIs of the game in the second inning when he pushed the score to 3-0 on a two-run home run. Sweeney finished the game 4-for-4 with a home run, a double and six RBIs.

Sweeney drove in another run in the fifth inning on a fielder’s choice. Christian Pena followed suit, driving in another fifth inning run on an RBI single.

Eastern held a 5-0 lead until the eighth inning where Pine-Bluff scored three runs off Panther pitcher Blayke Cutts.

The Golden Lions scored their first run on an RBI groundout, then added another on a balk by Cutts. Their final run of the inning was via a triple.

Pine-Bluff cut Eastern’s lead to 5-3 before the final inning, giving the game, at least briefly, the appearance of being within reach. But then came the ninth inning where Eastern took control of the game and never gave it back.

Eastern picked up its seventh win of the season, the Panthers play Arkansas Pine-Bluff again Wednesday at 1 p.m.

JJ Bullock can be reached at 581-2812 or jpbullock@eiu.edu.