Box Score EMERSON, Ga. – Ohio earned a series split, with a narrow 2-1 win over SIUE baseball in 13 innings Sunday in the finale of a four-game set.
Ohio improved to 5-3 with the win. The Cougars are 4-4 for the season.
Ohio opened the scoring in the first inning pushing across a run on two hits against SIUE starter Brendan Miller. The Cougars answered in the fourth when Jared McCunn picked up a two-out RBI single to score Brock Weimer.
Miller settled in to throw six innings, allowing just the single run on five hits. He walked one and struck out four.
"The pitching staff was great," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "Brendan Miller rebounded from last week with six strong innings."
Ohio's Evan Bourn lifted a sacrifice fly to left field in the top of the 13th inning scored Mateus Vakuda with the eventual winning run.
Dustin Woodcock singled to start the bottom of the inning, but was left on the bases. The Cougars left nine men on base for the game.
"Our execution on offense is an area we need to improve," Lyons added. "We're leaving too many opportunities out on the bases."
Devin Colley, Mason McReaken, Tyler Hutchinson and Anthony Sitko combined to allow a single run and did not walk a batter in seven innings of work out of the bullpen. McReaken struck out three hitters in three innings. Hutchinson (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing the run in 2 1/3 innings of work.
"They were great out of the pen today," Lyons said of his relievers. "Kudos to all of those guys. They gave our offense a chance to win but we just couldn't come through."
McCunn and Woodcock each had two hits to lead the Cougars, who finished with eight hits for the game.
Jake Roehn (2-0) pitched three scoreless innings to pick up the win for the Bobcats. Four different Ohio players had two hits apiece to lead the Bobcats.
SIUE returns to Simmons Complex for a nine-game home stand beginning with a four-game weekend series against Northern Illinois (2-4).
"We should have a good week of practice to prepare for Northern Illinois and our home opener," Lyons said.
The Cougars and Huskies open the series with a 3 p.m. game Friday in Edwardsville.
