UK baseball continued its late season struggles Tuesday night blowing a 4-0 lead to Eastern Kentucky and eventually losing 5-4.

The loss marks the Cats’ tenth loss in its last 15 games bringing the team’s record to 27-18.

UK jumped out to an early 4-0 lead adding a pair of runs in the second and third innings but the Colonels would respond in the fifth with three runs. After adding two more in the sixth, the Colonels found themselves leading 5-4.

The Cats had numerous opportunities to either tie the game or retake the lead but they could not capitalize. Throughout the game, UK struggled offensively picking up only six hits, two of which came off the bat of JaVon Shelby.

Shelby continued to swing the bat well going 2-4 with a homer, two RBI and two runs scored. The homer, Shelby’s tenth of the year, moves him into a tie for the SEC lead with 10 homeruns.

With the loss, UK enters a downward spiral as a team that was once ranked inside the top ten, is now fighting for its life just to get into the NCAA Tournament. The loss to the Colonels is the Cats’ second loss this year to a team outside the 200 in the RPI.

With only three weekend series left before the SEC Tournament, the Cats will be playing for their tournament hopes over the next three weeks and it will be no easy task facing off against two top-25 opponents in South Carolina and Ole Miss.

UK kicks off its series with No. 7 South Carolina Friday night at 6:30 p.m. at Cliff Hagan Stadium.