Southeast Missouri State baseball team drops second straight to Austin Peay

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team sustained back-to-back losses for the first time in a month after dropping Game 2 of its series at Austin Peay 8-6 in Clarksville, Tennessee.

Saturday's loss cemented the Redhawks' first Ohio Valley Conference series loss and marked the first time they've been defeated in consecutive games since being swept in two games by Ole Miss on March 8 and 9. Southeast fell to 21-10 and 12-2 in conference.

Austin Peay (18-11, 10-4 OVC) held a 6-0 lead after six innings.

The Govs got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Right-handed pitcher Clay Chandler issued a leadoff walk before an RBI double by Dre Gleason.

Kyle Blackburn hit a two-out single to right to plate Gleason and make it 2-0 APSU.

Southeast stranded the bases loaded in the top of the fifth and APSU scored three more in the home half.

A pair of walks, a wild pitch and a stolen base put APSU runners on second and third with one out and a sacrifice fly made it 3-0.

The Govs took a 5-0 lead to the sixth after an RBI double by Gleason and an RBI single by Chase Hamilton.

Alex Sala led off the sixth with a single to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He advanced to third on a fly out to center and scored on a throwing error, the Redhawks' third of the game, by center fielder Dan Holst.

Southeast cut it to 6-2 in the seventh. Holst and Ezell drew one-out walks and executed a double steal to move into scoring position.

Holst scored on a ground and Ezell was plated with a single by Garrett Gandolfo.

The Redhawks pulled within a run in the eighth when the Govs brought in reliever Jared Carkuff.

Catcher Brian Lees drew a two-out walk and scored on a single to right by pinch-hitter Chris Osborne.

Ezell tripled down the right-field line to drive in Osborne and Holst, who'd walked.

A popup by Hunter Leeper stranded Ezell at third and the Redhawks' 6-5 deficit was as close as they got.

APSU scored its final two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Clayton Smithson hit a leadoff double and advanced to third on a failed pickoff by reliever Adam Pennington. RBI singles by Garrett Copeland and Ridge Smith made it 8-5.

Gandolfo homered to right to start the ninth, but the next three Redhawks were retired to end it.

Southeast was only outhit 11-10, but committed four errors to none by the Govs.

Gandolfo and Ryan Rippee each had a pair of hits.

Starter Michael Costanzo improved to 5-2 with the win. He allowed four hits, issued a pair of walks and struck out six in five scoreless innings.

Chandler suffered his first loss on the mound, dropping to 4-1. He allowed five runs (four earned) on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

The Redhawks will try to avoid the sweep with a 1 p.m. series finale today.