KALAMAZOO, Mich. – SIUE baseball scored 12 runs over the middle three innings to rout Western Michigan 13-4 in the opener of a four-game nonconference series Friday.

The Cougars have won four of their last five games and improved to 16-13 overall. Western Michigan dropped to 10-13.

Trailing 2-0 after two innings, SIUE got to Western Michigan starter Brandon Petersen for seven runs on 10 over just four innings of work.

"There were a lot of great at-bats up and down the lineup," Lyons added. "We needed to have a good approach especially against Petersen and the guys did."

The Cougars took the lead in the third inning on four hits. Ethan Copeland led off the inning with a double and then scored on a two-out double by Connor Kiffer. Raul Elguezabal followed with a two-run home run to left to put SIUE up 3-2.

SIUE loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth on hits by Ole Arntson and John Stallcup and a walk to Brett Johnson. Richie Well hit a bases-clearing double to make it 6-2 before the Cougars added a run on a Western Michigan error.

Copeland added an RBI-hit and Kiffer and Well each drove home two with single in a five-run Cougar fifth inning to push the lead to 12-2.

Western Michigan scored single runs in the sixth and the seventh inning, before Brett Johnson capped the scoring for SIUE with his seventh home run of the year in the ninth inning.

Well led SIUE with five RBIs. He finished 2-5.

"Richie Well made his two hits count," Lyons said. "His hits in the third and fourth innings were difference makers."

Kiffer was 4-5 with a double and four RBIs.

"Connor Kiffer had a great day at the plate," Lyons said. "He barreled up some balls today and it was great to see out of him."

Elguezabal was 3-5 with the home run and a pair of RBIs. Arntson was 3-6 with a double and a run scored. Stallcup and Copeland each had two hits.

SIUE starter Noah Matheny (4-2) worked six innings allowing three runs. He struck out four and walked four. The Broncos loaded the bases with nobody out in the the sixth inning, before Matheny worked out of the inning, with a strikeout and two pop ups, while only allowing a single run. Tyler Bastunas worked the final three innings to pick up his second save of the year. He allowed a solo home run, but did not walk a batter and struck out three.

"Noah did a great job and gave us a quality start," Lyons said. "Getting out of the jam in the sixth was big for him and big for us. It allowed us to go to Tyler to start an inning. Tyler did great in finishing the job."

The Cougars and Broncos will continue the series with two seven-inning games Saturday.

"It is a good start to the weekend," Lyons said of Friday's game. "Tomorrow we'll look to bring the same type of energy and quality at-bats."