CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Eastern Illinois baseball team (15-17, 6-5 OVC) dropped their series finale at Southeast Missouri (21-15, 8-4 OVC) in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday afternoon, as the Redhawks prevailed 7-6 with a walk-off homer in extra innings.

The EIU bats combined for eight hits with all six of their runs being earned. Five different Panthers recorded RBIs in the game, led by Mike O'Conor who went 2-5 with a pair of solo home runs.

O'Conor's first home run of the game came in the first inning as he took one deep to center field with two outs, but following a Brooks Kettering leadoff base hit in the bottom half of the frame, Michael Mugan responded with a homer of his own to put SEMO in front 2-1.

Both teams were held scoreless through the second and third innings before Caleb Corbin extended the Redhawk lead in the fourth with an RBI base hit that scored Ty Stauss, who had reached scoring position on a double earlier in the frame.

James Love got one back in fifth with a leadoff home run, which was the freshman's first longball of his collegiate career. The Panthers loaded the bases with two outs later in the inning, but were unable to cash in as a groundout ended the scoring threat.

In the bottom of the fifth, SEMO reestablished their two-run advantage with a Bryce Cannon RBI single after Andrew Ramirez had reached on a leadoff walk and later advanced to second on a throwing error.

However, EIU surged ahead with a four-spot in the sixth that got started with a Mike O'Conor leadoff home run to left center.

Following a Jake Ferguson walk and Pierce Bauerle single, Ethan Rossi tied the game with an RBI base hit before Zak Goodwin put Eastern in front with a single that drove in Bauerle and moved Rossi to third. The Panthers tacked on one more with a Quade Peters sacrifice bunt that allowed Rossi to score.

The Redhawks cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth, as Ty Stauss tripled to leadoff the inning before scoring on a Shea McGahan base hit.

After a scoreless seventh, SEMO threatened in the eighth with two runners in scoring position with two outs, but Bryce Riggs worked out of the jam with a foul out to preserve the one-run lead.

EIU had a man in scoring position in the top of the ninth, but were unable to bring in any insurance runs. The missed opportunity proved costly, as Michael Mugan tied the game with a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the frame, sending the game to extras.

After Eastern failed to reach base in the top of the 10th, SEMO had runners on the corners but failed to score the winning run.

In the 11th, Quade Peters reached on error before moving to third on a Brett Stanley two-out single, but like their opponents, could not capitalize with a runner in scoring position.

Then, in the bottom of the 11th, Bryce Cannon walked it off for SEMO with a two-out solo home run. It was EIU's seventh one-run loss of the season.

The Panthers return to Charleston this week for a four-game homestand, beginning with a midweek matchup against St. Xavier on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern will host Tennessee Tech for Easter weekend, with game one set for Thursday, April 17th at 3 p.m.