WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – An eighth inning comeback fell just short on Monday afternoon as the Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team dropped a 5-4 decision to Gannon University.  With the loss the Panthers move to 2-7 on the season.

The Golden Knights took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.  To lead off the top of the fourth Jacob Snodgrass was hit by a pitch and stole second.  A groundout from Joseph Burke moved Snodgrass to third, and Andrew Kirkland drove him in with a single through the left side.

Gannon tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth to regain a one run lead.  The Panthers tied it in the top of the fifth after Nathan Stemle led off with a single to left field.  Stemle stole second and eventually scored on a single from Adam Brown.

In the bottom of the sixth the Golden Knights scored three runs to take a 5-2 lead, their largest of the game.  A scoreless seventh kept the score at 5-2 entering the eighth inning.

A walk and two batters hit by pitches loaded the bases with no outs for Kentucky Wesleyan.  Cody Bridges drove in Burke with a fielder's coach, and Stemle knocked a single to center field to score Kirkland.  The Panthers were within one but were a ground out would end the rally.  The winning run was 90 feet away in the top of the ninth with one out, but Kentucky Wesleyan was unable to bring him home.

Stemle finished three-for-four at the plate with one run scored and one run driven in.  Brown, Snodgrass, Burke, Kirkland and Seth Campbell each tabbed one hit.

Mitchell Jones went 5.2 innings in his third loss of the season.  Jones struck out nine and allowed five runs off of 10 hits.  In 1.1 innings of relief, Spencer Jackson tabbed one strikeout.  Alex Franzen closed the final inning, striking out one and allowing one hit.

The Panthers will face Wheeling Jesuit in a double header on Tuesday.

Stay up to date on all your Panther news by following @KWCpanthers on Twitter and by liking the "Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics" Facebook page.