CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Eastern Kentucky left-hander Jacob Price pitched seven hitless innings and the Colonels used a four-run first inning to defeat Austin Peay 4-2 on Saturday at Raymond C. Hand Park in an ASUN Conference game.

Price allowed one earned run — a solo home run by Ty Wisdom in the second inning — and struck out six. He walked none. The start was Price’s second straight seven-inning gem; he beat Lipscomb 2-0 on May 2 with the same line: seven innings, four hits, no earned runs and eight strikeouts.

Eastern Kentucky improved to 14-36 overall, 6-19 in the ASUN. Austin Peay dropped to 23-27, 10-15.

The Colonels struck quickly against Austin Peay starter Ryker Walton. Pedro Moreno doubled to left field and Dylan Littlefield singled to right, moving Moreno to third. Khaleel Pratt followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Moreno. David Alvarez then crushed a two-run homer to right field, scoring Littlefield and giving Eastern Kentucky a 3-0 lead. Jackson Cauthron singled to right, but Walton escaped further damage. The Colonels led 4-0 after the top of the first.

Alvarez finished 3-for-5 with the home run and two RBIs. Cauthron also went 3-for-5. The Colonels totaled 11 hits.

Austin Peay got on the board in the bottom of the second when Wisdom led off with a solo home run to right field. Price then retired the next three batters, two on strikeouts. The Governors managed only one more hit off Price — a single by Kyler Proctor in the third — and Price erased that threat with a strikeout.

Eastern Kentucky added an unearned run in the sixth. With one out, Pratt reached on a throwing error by Walton. Alvarez singled, and Cauthron singled to load the bases. Ricco Longo then singled to center field, driving in Pratt for a 5-1 lead. Left-hander Colin Carney relieved for Austin Peay and induced a double play to end the inning.

Austin Peay pulled closer in the eighth. Brock Blanton relieved Price and surrendered a leadoff home run to Paris Pridgen, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Pridgen had two hits, including the homer, for the Governors. Blanton allowed a single to Ray Velazquez but got a groundout to end the inning.

Gavin Faulkner pitched a scoreless ninth for Eastern Kentucky, striking out two and earning the save. He entered with two on and no outs and retired three straight batters, including a pair of strikeouts.

For Austin Peay, Walton took the loss, allowing three earned runs on six hits in five innings with four strikeouts. Carney threw 3⅓ scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out one. Reliever Chance Cox faced one batter and gave up two hits in one-third of an inning.

The Governors managed seven hits. Kyler Proctor, Cole Johnson and Velazquez each singled. Pridgen’s two hits included the home run. Wisdom also singled in addition to his home run.

Eastern Kentucky stranded nine runners and left the bases loaded in the eighth. The Colonels also had a runner thrown out stealing in the fifth.

The game was the second of a three-game series. Eastern Kentucky won the opener 5-2 on Friday, and the teams conclude the series Sunday.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Austin Peay 5, Eastern Kentucky 3, and Interstat’s ELO system gave Austin Peay a 76.10 percent probability to win.