The Southeast Missouri State University baseball team failed to snap its four-game losing streak after a loss to Missouri State Tuesday afternoon.

"It's just tough right now," coach Mark Hogan said. "It's tough for the kids, tough for the staff but I believe in us and we'll get it going."

Both teams started the game off with good pitching. Neither team was able to get a hit in the first three innings. In the fourth inning the Redhawks replaced starting pitcher Dylan Lynn with Michael Patman. Dylan had allowed no hits thus far.

"Our pitcher Zach Smith was unable to play today so we kind of had to scramble," Hogan said. "We had to pull Lynn out because we need him for this weekend."

Patman gave up Missouri State's first hit of the game in the fourth inning. After walking two more Missouri State players, the bases were loaded and Keenen Maddox was up to bat and hit the ball deep into left field to put the Bears up 2-0. Patman would give up one more hit and one more run before being replaced by Trevor Kill in the fourth inning.

"We were close to getting out of the inning and then just like that we fell behind," Hogan said.

The Redhawks tried to answer back when it was their turn at bat with a home run from third basemen Trenton Moses that changed the score to 3-1. The homerun was the only run the Redhawks would score all afternoon.

"I think I saw the ball well but it doesn't really matter because we lost," Trenton Moses said.

Missouri State didn't show any sign of letting up when it scored a home run of its own in the sixth inning and added four more runs in the seventh inning to make the final score 8-1. This loss for the Redhawks comes days before they play their first Ohio Valley Conference game against Austin Peay.

"We have to let the past be the past," Moses said. "We just have to look at it like we are 0-0 now."

Tuesday's game marked the 16th game that catcher Jesse Tierney missed with a hand injury. According to Hogan, it is unknown when Tierney will return, but he did practice hitting with the team on Tuesday.

The Redhawks are now 7-15 on the season and will play Austin Peay State University at 3 p.m. March 25 at Capaha Park.