CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri baseball (13-10, 5-5) defeated Austin Peay (11-14, 4-6) Friday evening in the series opener, 5-3.
 
Justin Murphy picked up the win and improved to 3-2 on the season. He worked a season-long eight innings on the mound, allowing three runs, only one of which was earned. He struck out two and walked none. He faced the minimum in five of his eight innings and threw a very efficient 78 pitches, 59 of which were for strikes.
 
Carlos Vega slammed the shut in the ninth inning en route to his second save. He struck out the side after allowing a leadoff base hit.
 
APSU starter Alex Robles (3-4) recorded the loss. It was the first time in his career Southeast has defeated him in a start on the mound. Robles worked six innings, allowed all five SEMO runs on eight hits, struck out five, and walked two.
 
The Redhawk offense outhit the Govs, 9-6. Four Redhawks each had a pair of hits in the game. Tristen Gagan was one of the Redhawks with two hits and drove in three of SEMO's runs. Brian Lees also had two hits, one a double, drove in one, and stole a base.
 
Southeast opened the bottom of the first inning by using back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with no out. Gagan flew out to deep center, allowing Clayton Evans to tag up and score on the sacrifice fly, putting SEMO on the board first for the sixth-straight game. Chris Osborne, who tagged up and went to third on the sac fly, scored on a groundout to second by Danny Wright. With two out, Lees grounded a base hit up the middle. Aggressive base running by Dan Holst on the slow base hit up the middle allowed him to score from second, widening the Redhawks' early lead to 3-0 in the first.
 
Austin Peay responded with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. With runners on the corners and two out, Max Remy doubled sharply down the left field line to plate both runners and cut the SEMO lead to one, 3-2.
 
For the second time in the game, Gagan made a plate appearance with bases loaded, this time in the fifth inning. He singled to left field, plating a couple to put SEMO on top by three, 5-2.
 
Chase Hamilton knocked a one-out double and moved to third on a groundout in the seventh inning. He scored on a base hit through the right side by Remy, his third RBI of the game, narrowing the Redhawk lead to 5-3.
 
Murphy and Vega teamed up to retire six of the last seven Gov batters of the game.
 
Dre Gleason and Remy were the only Govs with multiple hits, finishing with two each as Remy drove in all three runs for Austin Peay.
 
The Redhawks and Govs will square off in game two of the series Saturday at 2 p.m. at Capaha Field. Clay Chandler will get the start on the mound for Southeast.