EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Tennessee Tech completed a three-game series sweep of SIUE baseball with an 8-4 win Sunday at Simmons Complex.

The Cougars have now lost six straight and fell to 5-12 overall and 1-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Golden Eagles improved to 14-5 overall and 5-1 in OVC play.

TTU got on the board with three runs on three hits in third inning against SIUE starter Kenny Serwa. The Golden Eagles extended the lead to 4-0 before SIUE answered in the fifth.

Freshman catcher Steven Pattan got the Cougars started with a single against Golden Eagles' starter Devin Lancaster to drive home Jared McCunn for his first RBI as a Cougar. Mario Tursi singled and Jordan Ross walked to load the bases with one out.

Ethan Roberts relieved Lancaster and walked the first two hitters he faced, Eric Giltz and Brock Hammit,  forcing home two runs. Brock Weimer was then hit by a pitch to force home the tying run. SIUE couldn't manage to take the lead and left the bases loaded.

"They had to bring their best arm out of the pen and we had him on the ropes," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "His command wasn't great. Unfortunately we couldn't put a couple of balls in play. We had two strikeouts to end the inning and that was tough, but we were in the ballgame."

Tennessee Tech took the lead back for good in the top of the sixth. With David Garza on first, Nick Osborne singled to centerfield, sending Garza to third. Osborne got caught in a rundown between first and second, allowing Garza to score from third base, giving Tech a 5-4 lead.

Serwa fell to 1-1 with the loss. He worked six innings and allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits. He struck out two. Roberts earned the win for TTU to improve to 2-1.

SIUE managed just a single hit over the final four innings and finished with just five hits for the game.

"We just couldn't find a way to push another run across," Lyons said. "We struggled all weekend. It's just a matter of time before we get it going on the offensive end."

Tennessee Tech used a pair of hits, two walks and a Cougar error to add three runs in the ninth inning against Cougar closer Mason McReaken. Alex Junior drove home a run for Tech with a triple in the inning.

"Mason had a couple of walks that hurt him and we didn't make a play on a ball with the infield in that I thought we should have made," Lyons added.

SIUE stays home to play host to SIU Carbondale Tuesday night at Simmons Complex. The Cougars will travel to Evansville for a Wednesday contest.

"It's a busy week with Tuesday Carbondale coming to town," Lyons said. "That will be a good test and then another Missouri Valley opponent with Evansville at their place on Wednesday."

First pitch Tuesday is scheduled for 4 p.m.