HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Eastern Illinois baseball team (4-8, 0-0 OVC) dropped another heartbreaker at Northern Kentucky (8-6, 0-0 Horizon) on Sunday afternoon, this time in extra innings by a score of 8-7.

The Eastern offense scored four earned runs on seven hits and three errors. Pierce Bauerle led the way with three hits and two RBI, while Chris Worcester recorded his first home run of the season.

Tyler Kapraun had a solid showing on the mound, going 6.2 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.

EIU took advantage of some NKU miscues in the first inning to secure an early 2-0 lead. After a fielding error allowed EIU to load the bases with two outs, Ethan Rossi was hit by a pitch to bring in Chris Worcester.

In the next at-bat, Luke Melton singled to score Pierce Bauerle, who had reached on a base hit earlier in the frame.

The Norse responded in the second inning with RBI singles from Nolan Sparks and Brennan Rowe to tie the game.

Following a scoreless third, the Panthers surged back ahead with a four-run fourth inning. With one out and the bases loaded, a Worcester 3-1 groundout allowed all runners to advance and break the tie.

Pierce Bauerle extended the lead with a single that plated Brett Stanley and Quade Peters before Sam Wiese tacked on one more with an RBI base hit that scored Bauerle, who had moved into scoring position on an error by the center fielder.

NKU got one back in the fifth before both sides swapped one run each in the sixth inning, with a Chris Worcester solo homer representing Eastern's seventh run.

Both teams moved runners into scoring position in the seventh, but were unable to push anything across, leaving the score 7-4 heading into the eighth inning.

After EIU left two more runners on base with no runs in the top of the eighth, RBI singles from Sparks and Jake Altman brought the Norse to within a run.

Following a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, Miranda tied the game with a lead off homer in the bottom half of the frame.

After the next three NKU batters grounded out, the game headed to extra innings.

Following a scoreless tenth inning, the Panthers loaded the bases with two out in the eleventh, but were unable to score the go-ahead run.

The missed opportunity proved costly, as a Gabe Miranda single in NKU's next at bat drove in the winning run and handed EIU their second walk off loss in as many days.

The Panthers head to Lousiville for midweek action against Bellarmine on Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET before making a trip to Western Carolina next weekend for a three-game set beginning on Friday, March 14th at 4 p.m. ET.