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CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team’s final comeback attempt fell short on Saturday afternoon as the Colonels lost to Eastern Illinois, 11-5, in their season finale at Coaches Stadium. The loss eliminates EKU from postseason contention.

Trailing 6-1 heading into the seventh, the resilient Colonels rallied for four runs to pull within one of the Panthers.

In the bottom of the eighth, however, EIU pounded out four hits and scored five runs to go ahead 11-5 and and put the game out of reach.

In just the fifth, and easily the most significant, start of his career, freshman left-hander Greg Terry (2-2) pitched admirably through four innings before allowing six runs in the fifth to receive the loss.

Tyler Kehrer (5-3) picked up the win for EIU, going 6.1 innings and allowing four runs on six hits.

Sophomore Jayson Langfels led the Colonels offensively, going 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI. The third baseman’s three-run blast to left center in the seventh highlighted the Colonels’ rally in that inning.

Freshman Michael Garcia, meanwhile, compiled three hits on the day.

Jordan Tokarz paced EIU offensively, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and five RBI.

Terry started the game very efficiently. The southpaw from Bel Air, Md. allowed just a single in the first inning and then retired the Panthers in order in the second, getting the first two batters of the inning to strike out looking.

EKU drew first blood in the top of the third. With one out in that inning, senior Matt Davis drew a walk and then was pinch ran for by sophomore Ryan Faidley because of an apparent hamstring tweak suffered in the top of the first.

After senior Aaron Barrows went down on strikes, senior Tyler Rehmel ripped a double into the gap in left center, and Faidley sprinted home from first to give the Colonels an early 1-0 lead.

EKU squandered an opportunity in the top of the fourth to expand on its lead. With one out and the bases loaded, freshman Richie Rodriguez struck out and Faidley grounded out sharply to first base as the Colonels left three men stranded.

The Panthers finally got to Terry in the bottom of the fifth as Zach Borenstein laced a bases-loaded single through the left side of the infield that plated two runs. That was followed by a three-run blast to center by Tokarz. Two batters later, Jordan Kreke made it 6-1 with a solo shot off the scoreboard in left field.

In the top of the seventh, however, Langfels connected on a three-run homer to left center that plated Faidley and Rehmel and pulled the Colonels to within two, 6-4.

Freshman Jacob Daniel followed that up with a double down the left field line and then went to third on a base hit by Garcia, his third of the game. One batter later, Daniel scored on a passed ball to cut the deficit to one.

In the eighth, though, Ryan Lindquist connected on a solo shot and Tokarz and Kreke both delivered two-run hits as the Panthers effectively put the game out of reach with a five run inning.

The Colonels finish the season 27-24 and one win away from making the OVC Tournament.