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CHARLESTON, Ill. – A five-run seventh inning propelled the Eastern Illinois Panthers past Southeast Missouri in game two of the series Saturday. The Panthers would hold on to down the Redhawks, 9-5.

The first-place Redhawks fall to 20-14 overall and 12-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play while Eastern Illinois records only their third win of the season and are now 3-25, 2-12 OVC.

As in game one, Southeast scored in the first inning. Jason Blum knocked a one-out triple to left and then scored on a groundout to short by Garrett Gandolfo to put Southeast on the board 1-0 in the first.

Dalton Hewitt doubled to lead off the second inning, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a base hit to right by Scott Mitchell; going up 2-0 on EIU.

The Panthers topped their run total of game one in the second inning to tie the game. With two runners on, a base hit by Bobby Wenthe and an error by Hewitt on the play allowed EIU to score. A groundout to first scored the tying run. Southeast and Eastern Illinois were all knotted up at 2-2 after two innings.

Southeast recaptured the lead when Mitchell knocked his second RBI base hit to plate Andy Lennington in the fourth inning.

With runners on the corners and one out for EIU in the fourth, an RBI fielder's choice by Marshawn Taylor retied the game at three runs apiece.

The Redhawks put up a pair of runs in the sixth inning to once again take a lead. Mitchell recorded his third RBI of the day with a sacrifice fly to score Hewitt. Branden Boggetto plated Ryan Rippee with a base hit to left, giving Southeast a 5-3 lead.

EIU had two-straight hits to lead off the bottom of the sixth. The third-straight hit plated a run to narrow the Redhawk lead to 5-4. With runners on the corners and one out, Rippee induced a 3-6-3 double play to end the inning and preserve the 5-4 lead going to the seventh.

Eastern Illinois posted five runs in the seventh inning and sent 11 men to the plate to take a 9-5 lead on Southeast; their first lead of the weekend. Southeast made three calls to the bullpen and gave up four unearned runs in the inning.

The Redhawks would be shut down in their final two innings as EIU would go on to win, 9-5.

Despite the loss, Southeast outhit EIU 12-11 in the game. Each team left eight runners on base.

Four Redhawks had two hits apiece in the game. Mitchell was the only Redhawk with multiple RBI with three.

Travis Hayes (5-4) recorded the loss after his runs came around to score in the seventh off Alex Siddle. Ryan Lenaburg pitched one and a third innings in relief, closing out the game for Southeast.

Chase Thurston (1-0) picked up the win in relief for EIU.

The rubber game of the series will be played Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Listen on SEMO ESPN 1220 AM.