BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ? A 3-for-20 effort with runners in scoring position highlighted the offensive woes Austin Peay State University's baseball team experienced while losing an Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader to Samford, 5-3 and 6-1, Saturday afternoon at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Austin Peay falls to 15-17 overall with a 5-6 mark in league play to slip into seventh place in the league standings. Samford improves to 20-11 overall and remains atop the OVC with an 8-2 mark. The two teams will complete their conference series with a 1 p.m., Sunday, contest.

GAME 1: Samford home run sinks Austin Peay

A four-run seventh-inning, punctuated by Samford designated hitter Michael Rutledge's three-run home run pushed Samford to a 5-3 victory in game one.

Bulldogs starter Joseph Stephens (5-0) stymied the Govs most of the game, retiring 12 consecutive batters before hitting a rough patch that saw him surrender two runs in the fifth. He settled back in and retired 10 of the next 11 batters he faced before surrendering a third run in the ninth. Stephens went the distance surrendering those three runs on six hits while striking out six.

Samford gave Stephens a one-run lead in the fourth as Joseph Morgan's two-out walk and stolen base was cashed in by first baseman Michael Rodriguez's single.

Austin Peay saw leadoff hitter Rafael Hill reach on an error to start the game then did not have another base runner until right fielder Will Hogue ledoff the fifth with a double. The Govs would take the lead with two runs in the frame off shortstop Greg Bachman's sacrifice fly and designated hitter Chad Cunningham's RBI single.

But Govs starter Stephen Huff ? who battled with his control all day ? could not get out of the seventh despite getting two outs after allowing a leadoff walk. With two out, he surrendered an RBI single to Will Miller that tied the game and then intentionally walked shortstop Michael Marseco before departing. Reliever David Vicini's third pitch to Rutledge was a line drive over the left field fence, giving Samford the 5-2 advantage.

Huff was tagged for the loss after allowing four runs on five hits and six walks over 6.2 innings. Hogue had the Govs only multi-hit effort, with two doubles in four at-bats. Bachman added a sacrifice fly in the ninth to finish with two RBI.

Rutledge was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI to lead the Bulldogs offense.

GAME 2: Govs let opportunities pass by in loss

Samford scored in every inning but the fifth to complete the doubleheader sweep with a 6-1 game-two victory.

The Bulldogs scored twice in the first on center fielder Bear Burnett's single. Samford runs in the second and third were aided by Governors errors in each frame. A leadoff hit-by-pitch led to a run in the fourth and ? after going down in order in the fifth ? used an RBI double by Bill Whitehead to post a sixth run.

Meanwhile, the Govs wasted leadoff doubles in both the second and third innings. In the third, right fielder Ryan Gilboy ledoff with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch before being wiped out on a close play at home when the Govs attempted a squeeze bunt.

Austin Peay got its third consecutive leadoff double in the fourth from Matt Kole who also led off the second with a double. After Hogue singled to put men on the corners, the Govs executed a delayed double steal to score a run while Bachman struck out.

However, Austin Peay got its leadoff man aboard again in the fifth and had runners on first and second with no outs only to watch Samford turn a double play and strikeout a man looking to end the threat.

Samford starter Tyler Hill (4-2) fell one out shy of his first collegiate complete game, going 6.2 innings while allowing one run on six hits while striking out six. Burnett and second baseman Michael Johnson each had two RBI.

Govs starter David Vicini (0-3) took the loss while tossing complete-game effort that saw him surrender six runs (four earned) on nine hits while striking out five. Kole's two double outing was the Govs only multi-hit effort.