Late inning rallies in both games of a doubleheader came up short for the Washington baseball team in a road trip to Mount Pleasant to conclude the Southeast Conference portion of the season.

As heard on KCII, the Panthers scored in four of the first five innings of game one to build a 9-0 lead. The Demons did not go away putting up a five spot in the sixth headlined by a two RBI single from Kole Hinrichsen, but the bats were stymied in the seventh in a 9-5 defeat. Brady Knutson was solid at the dish going 3-for-4 with one RBI and he fanned all three batters he faced on the bump. Chase McDole picked up the loss in 3 1/3 innings giving up seven runs on five hits.

In the nightcap Mount Pleasant plated three runs in the second including two coming on a throwing error. Washington got one run back in the third on a hit from Knutson, but the Panthers answered again in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. The Demons put together a two-out rally in the seventh including a RBI single from Ethan Patterson, but Panther hurler Bryce Anderson stranded the potential tying run at second to come away with a 4-3 win. Despite being the losing pitcher, Hinrichsen was his normal-self going six innings giving up just one earned run on three hits and striking out 11.

The losses take the Demons out of SEC title contention, as they drop to 13-7 overall and 10-6 in the league. They look to rebound Tuesday when they host West Burlington.