The ECU Tiger Baseball Team came up just short in a non-conference battle with Southeastern Oklahoma State University at Mike Metheny Field in Durant, Oklahoma, Tuesday afternoon.

Christian Whitaker's single drove in Duncan Key to open the scoring in the first inning. Key had singled and stole second to lead off the game.
 
Southeastern answered in the bottom of the first off ECU starting pitcher Drake Sisemore, managing to score four runs with two outs to take a commanding 5-1 lead going into the second inning.
 
Southeastern would strike for two more runs against reliever Bryce Crawford to push the lead to 7-2. 
 
But the Tigers would claw back in the third when Key singled, Cooper Hunt was hit by a pitch, and Whitaker came through again with a two-RBI double to close the gap to 7-3. 
 
Crawford would settle in, only allowing two more runs in the fourth as he worked six innings in relief, giving the Tigers a chance to rally. 
 
In the fifth, they did just that as Whitaker blasted a two-run homer to give him five RBIs on the day and pull the Tigers to within 9-5. 
 
The score would stay the same for the next few innings, and Jarod Leroux came in relief to pitch a scoreless eighth inning as well to give ECU one final chance in the ninth. 
 
In the final frame, Hunt's two-out single plated Key, who had reached earlier on a fielder's choice and brought the Tigers to within three runs. 
 
A Tanner Collins walk brought the tying run to the plate, but Southeastern was able to escape the jam and hold off ECU 9-6.  
 
Christian Whitaker led the Tigers hitting attack with three hits, including a homer and double to go with five RBI's.
 
Duncan Key scored three times and got three hits of his own in the contest. 
 
Cooper Hunt had two hits, with Tanner Collins and Nolan Herchock adding one each.
 
On the mound, Drake Sisemore took the loss for the Tigers. Bryce Crawford threw six innings in relief, giving up three earned runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Jarod Leroux allowed one hit and had a strikeout in his one inning.
 
The East Central University baseball team will hit the road to Arkansas for a GAC series matchup Friday, March 24 starting at 6 p.m.