The weather might have saved Eastern from taking its third loss of the season Sunday.

After losing back-to-back games to Arkansas, the Panthers’ third game of the season was canceled after Fayetteville, Ark. was hit with a snowstorm.

The Razorbacks (3-0) crushed the Panthers Saturday in a 17-3 decision.

After Eastern scored three runs to open the game, Arkansas unloaded on Eastern starting pitcher junior right-hander Andy Kuntz. The Razorbacks turned Kuntz 35 pitches into nine runs (eight earned) off five hits and a pair of walks.

Freshman right-hander Mike Budde got the Panthers first out of the first inning, but after he allowed an inherited runner to score and let two more Razorbacks round the bases.

Budde fared relatively well in the next three innings, giving up three more runs (two earned). He finished the game with five runs allowed off four hits.

Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz gave the ball to another freshman, Mike Bouchez, to start the fifth inning. The Razorbacks knocked in two more runs during Bouchez’s first inning of work, but Bouchez recovered to pitch back-to-back scoreless innings.

Trailing by 13 going into the bottom of the eighth, Schmitz opted to put his starting third baseman, senior Aaron Shelbourne, on the mound.

Shelbourne threw 32 pitches in one inning of work allowing one earned run off two hits and pair of walks. But he did manage to record all of the outs by himself, recording three strikeouts in the frame.

At the plate, Eastern collected eight hits and four walks, but could not score after the first inning.

Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz said he wanted to give several people chances to play.

“Early on, you want to give everyone a chance,” Schmitz said.

In the opening frame, junior shortstop Kyle Haines singled with one out and senior designated hitter Bret Pignatiello followed with his first homerun of the year. Last year, Pignatiello led the team in homeruns with 14.

Two batters later, Shelbourne hit a solo shot to give the Panthers their third and final run of the game.

The day before, Eastern dropped its season opener 5-1.

Eastern lead for two and a half innings after senior right fielder Kirk Walters hit a solo homerun to lead off the second inning.

“On Friday, I was happy with the way the bats came out; they were very aggresive,” Schmitz.

Starting pitcher senior right-hander Damon White yielded two hits in three innings of shutout work.

Sophomore Jason Pinnell struggled after replacing White in the fourth by allowing a pair of Razorback runs.

Pinnel kept Arkansas scoreless for his last two innings of work before freshman southpaw Kirk Miller relieved him to start the seventh inning. Miller allowed three earned runs off a pair of hits and three walks.

Haines, a junior college transfer, provided Eastern with half of the team’s hits in his first game as a Panther with a pair of singles.

“There are some good things there,” Schmitz said. “It’s just that one inning was a disaster.”

Eastern travels to Birmingham, Ala. next week to play a three games. The Panthers face Alabama-Birmingham Feb. 28, Kentucky March 1 and Marshall March 2.