ELMHURST, Ill. - Trailing by five heading into the seventh inning, the Elmhurst baseball team was staring down its first loss since the beginning of its spring trip. The Bluejays rallied for six runs in the seventh, flipping the script and taking down Eastern Connecticut State 9-7.

The Warriors (8-4 and among teams receiving votes in the D3baseball.com poll) grabbed control of the game early with five runs in the first two innings, but saw it unravel in the seventh. Elmhurst (11-3) finishes its spring break trip with six consecutive victories and is off to its best start under Head Baseball Coach Joel Southern.

Heading into the big seventh inning, Eastern Connecticut State led 6-1. The Bluejays' only run came in the third inning when Brandon Kressner scored Christian Ott on a ground out. Elmhurst bested its hit total from the first six innings (five) in the seventh alone with six. It all began with a one-out single from Trey Compton. The Bluejays then got some help when Reagan McReynolds reached on a fielder's choice and an error allowed Compton to slide safely into second. Kressner followed that up with a single that scored Trey Compton to make the score 6-2. The second out came off the bat of Havel, but it was still enough to score McReynolds and cut the deficit to three.

With two outs, five straight Bluejays reached. Austin MacMillan and A.J. Compton both ripped RBI singles to bring Elmhurst within one. Later in the inning, a base hit by Ott brought home two runs and game Elmhurst its first lead at 7-6.

The Bluejays manufactured insurance runs in the eighth and ninth innings. McReynolds walked, stole second, and moved to third on an error. Havel then knocked in the speedy Elmhurst third-baseman. After the Warriors pulled within one again with a run in the bottom of the eighth, Matt Wilson came around to score on a McReynolds single to give Elmhurst its two-run cushion back.

Havel helped his own cause with his eighth-inning RBI as he came in to pitch the eighth and ninth, earning the save. In his two innings, he only allowed one run on one hit. In total, the Elmhurst bullpen tossed five innings, giving up just four hits and two runs. Mike Rostine earned the win, allowing one run in a pair of innings. Chris Eberhart pitched a scoreless seventh for the Bluejays.

Four Bluejays (MacMillan, Wilson, Ott, Trey Compton, and McReynolds) recorded two hits, while Havel, Kressner, and Ott all drove in two. All nine of Elmhurst's starters recorded at least one hit.

Eastern Connecticut State used three pitchers in the sixth and five total. John Parker took the loss. Alexander White and Chad Adams both finished with two RBIs and seven of the Warriors' starters finished with a hit.

Elmhurst looks to ride its momentum into its first home game. Next Tuesday, March 29 the Bluejays host Rockford University at Butterfield Park at 3:00 p.m.