Despite the incredible effort by senior pitcher Kristen Becker, Eastern dropped another heartbreaker to Southeast Missouri 6-5.

Eastern’s ace pitched 10 2/3 innings, faced 48 batters and gave up only five earned runs on 10 hits. That, in itself, would be a solid days work, but Becker also provided a lift at the plate, going three of five with one RBI and scoring one.

“She did a great job in everything tonight,” Eastern head coach Lloydene Searle said. “I wanted to win so badly for her.”

However, Becker ended the game by throwing a wild pitch that scored Otahkians third baseman Jamie Burk, and was also thrown out at third in the Panthers half of the 11th inning.

“Kristen was the one putting the tag on the kid at home,” Searle said. “Then, she looks and me and shrugs her shoulders and said ‘What else can I do.'”

However, this seemed to be a game the Panthers had control of until the end, but left Cape Girardeau, Mo., scratching its head.

“It was a crazy game that everything in the stat sheet says we should win,” Searle said. “My hair is growing grayer by the minute.”

Eastern was able to jump out on top, make less mistakes in the field than SEMO (3 Panthers errors to SEMO’s six) and leave less runners on base (Eastern 8 to SEMO’s 12).

“There were a couple of calls that were made out of position is out of our contol,” Searle said. “Baseball is a game of inches, but this was a game of millimeters.”

With the Panthers down 2-1 in the top of the sixth inning, junior shortstop Mandy Lindwall singled to score centerfielder Carrie Ninness and Becker. When Lindwall scored on an error by SEMO shortstop Kate Groden, Eastern found itself ahead 4-2.

Eastern was ahead 5-2 going into the bottom of the seventh, but the Otahkians bats caught fire. SEMO scored three runs on four hits in the inning before the Panthers registered an out.

With the game tied at five, Becker regrouped to get three straight outs and was able to keep hope of her eighth win alive.

“The seventh inning was the only time I thought about taking her out, but I decided to go with what brought us here,” Searle said.

Becker pitched perfectly until the final inning.

Otahkians third baseman Marie Coode doubled and advanced to third on a error. However, she was thrown out at home, but that out just delayed the enviable. The next batter didn’t even have to get the bat off her shoulder. Designated player Kelly Burk scored on the walk-off wild pitch.

“The pitch was the right pitch at the right time, but it just slipped away,” Searle said. “This was a heartbreaking way to lose becuase our kids played thier hearts out.”

SEMO reliever Mel Velkenburgh (2-7) got the win after pitching 4 and 2/3 innings of perfect ball, including three strikeouts. Becker (7-15) received her 55th career loss in a Panther uniform.

Eastern will next be in action in a doubleheader at Williams Field against Austin Peay April 26.