SPARTANBURG, S.C. – SIUE softball's bats produced five home runs Friday in the opening day of the Spartan Invitational.

SIUE, 4-7, started the day with a 15-1 triumph over Valparaiso in five innings. In the second game of the day, SIUE rallied in the late innings but fell 10-8 to tournament host USC Upstate.

"We hit the ball really well today," said SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery. "We started to come around offensively."

Allison Smiley hit the first of her two home runs on the day with a solo shot in the second inning. Alyssa Heren hit a three-run homer, the eventual game winner, in the third inning.

The Cougars then put up a season-best 10-run fourth inning. SIUE sent 15 batters to the plate in the inning. Haley Adrian, who scored twice in the fourth, led the team with three runs scored. Heren finished the game with a team-best five RBIs.

"We were hitting the ball hard," said Montgomery.

Ashley Koziol earned her second win of the season, scattering four hits over five innings. She struck out three and did not walk a Valparaiso batter.

In game two, Heren put the Cougars ahead early with a solo home run in the first inning.

USC Upstate, 15-2, scored nine unearned runs to take a 9-1 lead after three innings.

SIUE fought back with three runs in the fourth inning and four more runs in the fifth. Smiley blasted a three-run homer in the fourth. Tess Eby ripped her first home run of the season in the fifth.

Baylee Douglass took the loss for the Cougars and is now 2-2.

Smiley said two weeks practice seems to have improved SIUE's approach at the plate.

"I'm seeing the ball a lot better right now," said Smiley. "The coaches have helped us physically and mentally to get better at the plate."

The Cougars have two more games left in the Spartan Invitational. SIUE faces Elon in a 4 p.m. game Saturday with a 10 a.m. finale Sunday against Presbyterian.