April 10, 2011

MARTIN, Tenn. - The SIUE Cougars scored 14 runs on 15 hits Sunday, but it wasn't enough, as UT Martin scored nine times in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the Cougars 20-14 in the finale of a three-game baseball series at Skyhawk Field.

Both teams took advantage of a strong wind. The two teams combined for 31 hits and five home runs. The Cougars led 9-3 before the Skyhawks scored 17 times over their final three at-bats.

"The wind was blowing out, we had a nice lead," SIUE Head Coach Gary Collins said. "Then we had to go to the bullpen."

The Cougar bullpen was exploited for 13 runs in 2 2/3 innings Sunday.

UT Martin won the final two games in the series to take the series 2-1.

"Today was bad, but not as bad as yesterday," Collins said. "We should have taken the series yesterday. Today they just pounded us right out of it."

Trailing 1-0 in the second inning, Devin Caldwell singled to start the inning, before Zach Hawkins hit his second home run of the season to make it 2-1 SIUE. Joel Greatting hammered the first pitch he saw for a three-run home run in the fourth inning to put the Cougars on top 5-1.

It was 5-3 SIUE when the Cougars scored three times in the fifth inning. Caldwell and Greatting each had RBIs in the inning that put the Cougars up 8-3.

Mike Swinnen hit his first home run of his career in the sixth inning to put SIUE up 9-3.

UT Martin, 9-22, cut the Cougar lead to one (9-8) with a five-run sixth inning of its own. The Skyhawks used five hits in the inning. Cougar starter Ryan Daniels started the inning but gave way to the bullpen with one out.

Daniels tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out three. He did not figure into the decision.

Brett Keeler pushed the Cougar lead to 10-8 in the seventh with an RBI single.

UT Martin took the lead for good with a three-run seventh inning to make it 11-10. Tony Schaeffer, 0-2, allowed three runs and suffered the loss.

The Skyhawks exploded for nine runs on six hits in the eighth to make it 20-10.

SIUE, 11-19, rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth. Keeler and James Vazquez each picked up RBI singles in the inning and Travis Becherer added a two-run double.

Greatting paced the offense going 4 for 5 with the homer and four RBIs. Hawkins was 2 for 5 with the home run and two RBIs. Becherer and Keeler each had two hits and two RBIs for the Cougars. Caldwell had two hits and an RBI. Swinnen was 1 for 5 with the solo homer.

"You would have thought 14 runs would be enough," Collins said. "Today it wasn't."

The Cougars travel to Columbia, Mo. for a 6 p.m. game Wednesday against the Missouri.