Austin Peay scored 11 runs on 17 hits to defeat the Eastern baseball team in the Ohio Valley Conference opener Sunday.

The 3-game series was originally scheduled to be played at Coaches Stadium in Charleston, but it had to be moved to Clarksville, Tenn. because of inclement weather.

After an Austin Peay run in the first inning, red-shirt junior Demetre Taylor tripled down the right field line, which scored senior Caleb Howell, to tie the game at one in the bottom of the first inning.

Junior Issac Sampen gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 1st after a single to center field.

Sampen and Taylor went a combined 3-for-8 on the day with two runs batted in.

Austin Peay sophomore Chase Hamilton gave the Governors the lead in the top of the second with a 2-run homerun to right field.

Junior Patrick Massoni scored on a throwing error by Panther junior Mitch Gasbarro to give the Governors a 4-2 lead after 1 1/2 innings.

Panther senior Brant Valach hit his first of two home runs in the bottom of the third to cut the Eastern deficit two 6-4.

Austin Peay would tack on three more runs via the long ball in the top of the eighth inning.

Clayton Smithson hit a 2-run home run to score sophomore Alex Robles. Massoni followed up with a homer of his own to left-center field.

Massoni went 5-for-5 on the day with an RBI and two runs scored.

Valach’s other home run was a solo shot to cut the Panther deficit to 9-5.

Valach finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

The Governors put the game out of reach in the ninth inning by adding two more runs.

Red-shirt junior pitcher Matt Wivinis started the game and took the loss for the Panthers. He threw five innings, allowed five runs and struck out six batters.

Red-shirt senior pitcher Christian Slazinik followed Wivinis and allowed three runs on four hits and struck out five batters in three innings of work.

Austin Peay sophomore Levi Primasing got the win for the Governors. He pitched one inning, allowed one hit and no runs. Robles started the game for Austin Peay and allowed four hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings.

In the second game of a doubleheader, the Panthers lost 6-3.

Massoni scored on an error by Panther senior second baseman Dane Sauer to open the scoring. Robles followed up with an RBI single to give Austin Peay a 2-0 lead.

The Panthers scored a run in the bottom of the first to make it 2-1.

After Austin Peay scored a run in the top of the second, senior catcher John Devito homered to left center and Howell doubled down the left field line to tie the game at three.

The Governors would tack on three more runs, including a RBI single by Massoni to push the lead up to 6-3.

Sophomore pitcher Caleb Powell got the win for Austin Peay going six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He also struck out six Panther batters.

Eastern senior pitcher Garrison Stenger took the loss and allowed six runs on six hits, but he did strike out nine Austin Peay batters.

Bob Reynolds can be reached at 581-2812 or rjreynolds@eiu.edu.