LUCASVILLE — When opportunity knocks, you should at least open the door.

The St. Joseph Flyers went to the door and must have felt like someone turned the dead bolt and hid the keys.

The Flyers left the bases loaded in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings without scoring a run as they lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to the Beaver Eastern Eagles Monday in the Division IV district semifinals.

“We had our opportunities; we just couldn’t get a clutch hit,” Flyers coach Greg Bryant said. “We got a lead early and didn’t put them way. We sort of stepped back to our old ways.”

St. Joseph jumped in front 3-0 in the top of the first inning.

Ryan Schwab walked, went to second base on a sacrifice by Chad Harvey and stole third base. Ryan Waginger walked and Jerrod Laber singled home Schwab. After a wild pitch moved the runners up, Jeremy Addis was safe on an error as both runners scored.

Eastern came back to tie the game with two outs in the second inning.

Ian Bapst singled and Justin Helton walked. John Slone was safe on an error as a run scored to make it 3-1. Josh Hagler walked and Zac Alexander got an infield hit as Helton scored. Eric Gullett followed with another infield hit to score the tying run.

Schwab relieved Waginger in the second inning after the Flyers starter left with a sore arm.

“Ryan Schwab did an excellent job,” Bryant said. “He came on and got out of a jam and held them until the sixth inning. They only had six hits, but they put them all together.”

The Eagles got the winning run in the sixth when Bryan Osborne tripled to open the inning and Bapst put down a squeeze bunt on the next play.

Alexander got the win in relief while Schwab took the hard-luck loss.

Laber was 2-for-4 as the Flyers outhit the Eagles 7-6.

St. Joseph finished 12-6. Eastern goes to 18-6.

“We had a great crowd and our kids really appreciated the support. I wish we could have won for them, but the kids played their hearts out,” Bryant said.

St. Joseph3000000=371

Eastern030001x=462

Ryan Waginger, Ryan Schwab (2) and Jeremy Addis. Bryan Osborne, Zac Alexander (5) and Zac Alexander, Justin Helton (5). W-Alexander (5-K, 3-BB). L-Schwab (1-K, 1-BB). 2B-St. Joseph: Ryan Waginger; Eastern: Ian Bapst. 3B-Eastern: Bryan Osborne. Hitting-St. Joseph: Ryan Schwab 1-3, Chad Harvey 1-3, Ryan Waginger 2-2, Jerrod Laber 2-4, Michael Basedow 1-2; Eastern: Zac Alexander 1-3, Eric Gullett 1-2, Bryan Osborne 1-3, Ian Bapst 2-3, Justin Helton 1-2.