CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri baseball (21-10, 12-2 OVC) dropped its first Ohio Valley Conference series Saturday with an 8-6 loss to Austin Peay (18-11, 10-4 OVC).
 
It's the second straight loss for the Redhawks after falling in game one of the series. It's the first time since a two-game sweep by Ole Miss Mar. 8-9 the Redhawks have lost back-to-back games.
 
Southeast made things interesting late in the game, cutting a 6-0 deficit to one run, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Govs.
 
Clay Chandler (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season Saturday. Chandler gave up five runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out five in his four and two-thirds innings on the mound.
 
Michael Costanzo (5-2) earned the victory. Costanzo pitched five scoreless innings, allowing four hits, striking out six, and walking two.
 
The Governors plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a lead on Southeast. Dre Gleason doubled to center to plate Ridge Smith, who reached on a leadoff walk. With two out in the inning, Kyle Blackburn drove in Gleason to go up 2-0 on the Redhawks.
 
Austin Peay plated a trio of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. A sacrifice fly by Smith and a double by Gleason made it 4-0 in Austin Peay's favor. After Alex Robles reached on a two-out error by Ryan Rippee, Chandler was taken out of the game. Chase Hamilton singled through the ride side to plate the third run of the inning, widening the lead to 5-0.
 
The Redhawks' third error of the game allowed the sixth Governor run to score in the sixth inning.
 
Southeast scored for the first time since the first inning of game one in the top of the seventh. One-out walks to Dan Holst and Trevor Ezell put runners aboard. The runners executed a double steal to move into scoring position. A groundout to short by Hunter Leeper plated Holst, snapping the scoreless inning streak. Garrett Gandolfo followed with a single to right, scoring Ezell, and cutting the Governor lead to 6-2.
 
Brian Lees drew a two-out walk in the top of the eighth inning. He moved up to second on a fielder's indifference then scored on a single to right by pinch hitter Chris Osborne. After a walk to Holst, Ezell stepped in and drove a two-run triple down the right field line to plate Holst and Osborne, making it a one-run game with the tying run 90 feet away. Leeper popped up to second to end the inning but Southeast trailed only by a run going to the bottom of the eighth, 6-5.
 
As quickly as Southeast put up three runs in the top of the eighth, they gave up two in the bottom to trail 8-5 heading to the ninth inning.
 
Gandolfo homered to right to leadoff the ninth but it wasn't enough to overcome the Govs, 8-6.
 
The Redhawks were narrowly outhit in the contest, 11-10.
 
Gandolfo and Rippee each had two hits for the Redhawks. Gandolfo plated two runs while Ezell also drove in two in the game.
 
Three Governor hitters each had two hits in Saturday's game while Smith and Gleason each had two RBI.
 
The Redhawks will look to salvage the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m. Robert Beltran will get the start for Southeast on the mound.