CHARLESTON, Ill. – Indiana State baseball lost its fifth consecutive game Tuesday afternoon in Charleston, falling to Eastern Illinois to split the season series, 8-7 at Coaches Stadium. It marks the first time in two years that ISU has dropped five games in-a-row.
 
In a back-and-forth affair, the streaking Panthers were able to score the game-tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth inning to secure their seventh-straight win. Alex Stevenson would come in to record the final three outs to hold off the Sycamores and pick up his first save of the season.
 
Indiana State (18-20) scored the first run of the game in the first on a wild pitch, but Eastern Illinois (14-27) would answer right back as they did most of the day in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Dane Giesler hit his 10^th home run of the season in the third inning on a solo shot to right before Kyle Moore picked up a two-out triple and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 3-1 Sycamore lead. Eastern answered with four runs of their own in the bottom half on a Jimmy Govern RBI double, and a sacrifice fly from Logan Beaman. Dougie Parks put the exclamation on the inning with a two-run home run to give EIU a 5-3 lead.
 
Senior Tony Rosselli hit his sixth homer of the season in the fourth to pull ISU within one but the Panthers would again answer the Sycamore run with one of their own.
 
It looked as if the seventh inning would be what the Sycamores needed as ISU plated two runs to go ahead after Jeff Zahn and Cody Gardner hit what would be the third and fourth consecutive singles to score Chris Ayers and Moore. EIU quickly turned the momentum after getting a strikeout and double play to end the threat.
 
Eastern would then answer with what would be the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth after a leadoff hit-by-pitch would come around to tie the ballgame on an RBI double from Joseph Duncan before he would come home on a single through the infield.
 
EIU outhit the Sycamores 12-10 in the game while the Sycamores stranded 11 runners on base.
 
Ryan Keaffaber made the start on the staff day going three innings and allowing five runs. Damon Olds was charged with the loss after giving up the go-ahead runs in the eighth. Olds (0-2) struck out five batters and walked just one in relief.
 
Giesler, Zahn and Moore each finished with a pair of hits while Rosselli drove in two runs.
 
Duncan paced EIU at the plate with a 4-for-5 day and one RBI.
 
Devin Rose (2-0) earned the win after going four complete innings and allowing four hits.
 
The Sycamores will play host to Bradley this weekend at Bob Warn Field. First pitch with the Braves is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Baseball team, be sure to visit GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.