Feb. 28, 2010

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Two different games - two similar results.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville lost a pair of 11-8 decisions Sunday at Arkansas-Little Rock.

The losses dropped SIUE to 1-5. UALR improved to 6-1.

Mitch Matecki led the Cougars with a combined four RBIs. Zach Hawkins led SIUE with four hits in the doubleheader.

In game one, SIUE got on the scoreboard quickly when Adam Eggemeyer walked and scored on a double by James Vazquez.

After giving up two in the second and one in the fourth, SIUE regained the lead in the fifth on a two-run double by Matecki and an RBI double by Hawkins.

UALR rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth and would lead the rest of the way. SIUE scored four more in the ninth to pull within three runs before the final out.

In the nightcap, the two teams exchanged leads again. After a leadoff double by Eggemeyer, Matecki singled him home to give SIUE a 1-0 lead.

UALR grabbed its first lead of the game with three runs in the first inning. Jason Houston hit a two-run homer for the Trojans.

SIUE rebounded for four runs in the third inning. The Cougars would take advantage of two UALR errors. Vazquez, Matecki and Dustin Brooks would drive in runs as SIUE grabbed a 5-3 lead.

That lead would be short-lived when the Trojans picked up three more runs in the bottom of the third. SIUE would tie the game in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Vazquez.

Houston then put UALR up with a home run, his second of the game. This one was a solo home run.

Brooks led SIUE back to an 8-8 tie in the fifth with a two-run double. UALR's final three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth, led by a two-run homer by Brock Feldmann would cap the scoring.

SIUE is now idle until Friday. The Cougars travel to the Austin Peay Tournament, where they will face Dayton, Milwaukee and host Austin Peay over three days of play.

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