CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Designated hitter Reid Brown homered early but Austin Peay State University's baseball team surrendered a pair of late runs in a 9-7 loss to Eastern Illinois, in Ohio Valley Conference play Thursday night on Joe Maynard Field at Raymond C. Hand Park.

Reid Brown's home run opened the third inning and tied the game, 1-1. The Governors took their first lead, 2-1, later in the inning after Beamon singled and then scored on left fielder Gino Avros' sacrifice fly.

Austin Peay (13-21, 6-4 OVC) would hold on to its lead until the fifth inning when both teams broke out their bats. The Govs and Panthers combined to score 11 of the game's 16 runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

Eastern Illinois (23-8, 6-1 OVC) regained the lead with a two-run fifth inning that included a bases-loaded walk. Austin Peay responded with a three-run fifth with right fielder Harrison Brown supplying a RBI double and the Govs finished the inning with a 5-3 lead.  

The Panthers broke through again in the sixth, scoring four times. Two runs scored on a messy play to begin the inning when shortstop Ja'lil Akbar reached on a bunt single with two on base and a couple of bad throws later, two runs scored to tie the game, 5-5. Eastern Illinois would take the lead with center fielder Lincoln Riley's single and added a run on an attempted delayed double steal for a 7-5 lead.

Austin Peay would tie the game again in the bottom of the sixth. Reid Brown was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Beamon followed with a home run to right field, tying the game 7-7.

Eastern Illinois would take the lead for good in the eighth with a trio of singles, right fielder Logan Eickhoff's single breaking the tie. One inning later, the Panthers manufactured a run with third baseman Dalton Doyle leading off with a single and getting to second on a sacrifice bunt. Pinch hitter Bren Lashure supplied the base hit to drive in Doyle for the 9-7 lead.

Meanwhile, Austin Peay's offense could not solve the Eastern Illinois bullpen in the final three innings. Chaney Trout (1-0) picked up the win with a scoreless seventh inning of work. Hayden Birdsong struck out three of the five batters he faced in a scoreless eighth and closer Zane Robbins notched his 10th save with three strikeouts while facing four batters in the ninth.

Austin Peay reliever Luke Brown (3-4) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits over three innings behind starter Tyler Delong. Delong allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in the first 4.2 innings.

Third baseman Michael Robinson, Reid Brown, Beamon, and shortstop John Bolton each had two hits – combining to go 8-for-16 in the 6-7-8-9 part of the order.

Akbar went 3-for-4 and scored twice to lead Eastern Illinois' 14-hit outing. Eickhoff was 3-for-4 with two RBI.

Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois continue their three-game series with a 6 p.m., Friday contest at The Hand.