HAVERHILL - Coach Greg Bryant said his team is improving. He just wished their luck would improve, too.

The St. Joseph Flyers missed out on a major scoring opportunity in the seventh inning and lost 5-4 to the Portsmouth East Tartans Tuesday.

"We're getting better. Danny (Stack) kept us in the game, but we just have a lapse here or there that hurts. It's just another sign of our youth and inexperience," Bryant said.

"We had a chance to tie it or even win but we couldn't get a break. We need to cut down on the errors and hope for a little luck."

East got two runs in the top of the first inning, but the Flyers tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Stack walked and Kyle Johnson hit a one-out, two-run homer to tie the game.

The Tartans went up 3-2 in the third, but Shawn Hacker belted a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to even the score at 3-3.

After East took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth, the Flyers got the run back when Stack doubled, stole third and came home on Kurt Jordan's squeeze bunt.

The winning run scored in the sixth when Stiltner walked, stole second and third, and scored on White's bloop single against the drawn-in infield.

St. Joseph had the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh with one out but failed to score. Chris Laber flied out to the fence in right-center to end the game.

The Flyers (0-9) hosts Fairview Wednesday.

Prts. East2010110-560

St. Joseph2001100-452

Enz and Stiltner. Danny Stack and Jeremy Addis. W-Enz (13-K, 5-W). L-Stack (8-K, 3-W). 2B-East: Stiltner; St. Joseph: Danny Stack. SF-East: Carter. HR-St. Joseph: Kyle Johnson, Shawn Hacker. Hitting-East: Arms 3-4, Enz 1-4, Stiltner 1-2, White 1-3; St. Joseph: Danny Stack 2-2, Kyle Johnson 1-2, Chris Laber 1-4, Shawn Hacker 1-3.