With the wind blowing out at Roy Lee Field, the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville baseball Cougars got the best of the home run derby.
         SIUE, 22-15 overall and 8-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, defeated Lewis University 5-2 and 21-4 in a Saturday doubleheader. SIUE smacked five homers to Lewis' four.
         Dave Crouthers (Edwardsville) blasted SIUE's first home run of the day in the opener. He also hurled five innings to improve to 6-4 overall. Bret Giaudrone (Gillespie) picked up his ninth save, breaking the Cougars' single-season mark set by Jason Guest (1997).
         Todd Haug (Rosewood Hts.) recorded three RBIs in the opener, including a two-run double in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
         In the nightcap, SIUE pounced on Lewis starter-loser Jeremy Leitzen and took a 9-0 lead after two innings. The Cougars roughed up five Lewis pitchers for 21 runs on 19 hits.
         Nick Seibert (Edwardsville), Steve Berra (St. Charles, Mo.), Jason Kessler (Mattoon), and Luke Humphrey (Rantoul) all homered for SIUE.
         The biggest inning turned out to the the fifth when SIUE rallied for nine runs.
         SIUE returns to Lee Field on Sunday for a noon doubleheader against GLVC foe Wisconsin-Parkside. Josh Clark and Seibert are the expected starters for the Cougars.
                  -siue-