EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE baseball scored five runs in the first and added another five in the eighth inning to slug past Eastern Kentucky 11-9 in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference baseball series at Simmons Baseball Complex.

SIUE has won three straight games and improved to 9-9 overall and 3-4 in OVC play. EKU fell to 8-13 overall and also is 3-4 in OVC play.

Trailing 9-6, SIUE scored five times on seven hits in the eighth. Avery Owusu-Asiedu and John Stallcup pulled SIUE to within a run with back-to-back RBI-singles with one out. Brett Johnson ripped a double down the left field line to score both Owusu-Asiedu and Stallcup to put the Cougars up 10-9. Richie Well drove home Johnson with a hit for the final margin.

"I am proud of the way the guys responded after giving up the lead," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "You have to be resilient in this game. (EKU reliever Jacob Abbot kept us in check before we were finally able to break through in the eighth."

The Cougars chased EKU starter Louis Davenport with the five-spot, on four hits, in the first inning. Connor Kiffer and Brady Bunten each had RBI-hits in the inning before Brennan Orf connected on his first career home run, a three-run shot, to right field.

EKU grabbed a run in the fourth and then added three in the fifth on a home run from Caleb Upshaw off SIUE starter David Llorens. Llorens worked five innings allowing four runs and striking out five.

Brent Lovell gave EKU the lead with a two-run homer in the sixth against reliever Tyler Bastunas. The Colonels would go up 9-6 with a run in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth before the Cougars comeback.

The 11 runs ties the Cougars' season-high while the 15 hits in the game is a new season high for the team.

Johnson finished 3-4 with two RBIs. Brady Bunten was 3-3 with the RBI and two runs. Kiffer, Well and Stallcup each had two hits. Well added the home run and two RBIs.

"Offensively, we had some really good at-bats early and then again late," Lyons said. "Tt was good to see and we are going to need those types of at-bats moving forward. Brett Johnson had a great at-bat, left on left, to get the big RBIs for us in the eighth inning."  

Upshaw was 2-5 with three RBIs to lead EKU.

Braydon Bone (2-0) earned the win with two innings of relief work. Rob Parks earned his first save, recording the final two outs of the game.

"We used several guys out of the bullpen this afternoon because we needed to in this type of game," Lyons said. "We have several guys still available tomorrow if needed."

The Cougars and Colonels will finish the series Saturday with a double header.

"Winning game one of the series is a nice way to start but we have to be able to finish tomorrow," Lyons added.

First pitch of game one will come at 11 a.m. It was originally scheduled for 1 p.m., but was moved up due to the threat of inclement weather later in the day.