HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Eastern Illinois baseball team (4-7, 0-0 OVC) suffered a dramatic one-run loss at Northern Kentucky (7-6, 0-0 Horizon) on Saturday afternoon, as the Norse evened up the series heading into Sunday's weekend finale.

The Panthers scored five runs, including four earned, on eight hits and two errors. Four different EIU batters recorded RBIs in the game, while Pierce Bauerle posted a pair of doubles.

Elijah Green was designated the loss after allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts through the game's final 2.1 innings.

Anthony Solis had a solid outing in his second start of the season, allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts through six innings.

NKU opened up the scoring in the first inning with a Logen Devenport double that allowed Tyler Shaneyfelt to score from first.

EIU responded in the second with a Luke Melton RBI single that scored Ethan Rossi, who had reached base and advanced to second on a fielding error.

The Norse countered in the third inning with a Devenport solo home run to recapture the lead. They tacked on one more in the fifth with a Jake Paulick sacrifice fly.

In the top of the sixth, the Panthers had the bases loaded with one out before Brett Stanley scored on a Sam Wiese infield fly. However, Eastern was unable to tie or take the lead as they left two stranded.

NKU extended their lead to three after loading the bases with nobody out in the seventh, but Eli Green entered the game and managed to limit the damage to just a pair of runs.

EIU got one back in the eighth after a Chris Worcester two-out double followed by a Sam Wiese RBI single brought the score to 5-3.

Still trailing by two and down to their final out with one on in the ninth, Peyton Wilson delivered with a double that allowed Quade Peters to score from first to bring Eastern within a run.

With the tying run now in scoring position, Brett Stanley came through with a clutch base hit that plated Wilson to make the score 5-5.

After advancing to second and then taking third on a wild pitch, Stanley was just 90 feet from scoring the go-ahead run. However, NKU escaped the inning with a strikeout to keep the game tied.

Then, with nobody on and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Jake Paulick homered the left center to walk it off for the Norse and even the series at one game apiece.

The rubber match is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.