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Box Score 2 EDWRADSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE won its 20th game Saturday, taking the finale of a three-game series with Eastern Illinois. The two teams split a doubleheader Saturday with EIU winning the opener 15-10 before SIUE won the late game 7-5.
The Cougars improved to 20-19 overall and 10-11 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Eastern Illinois is 21-20 overall and 11-13 in OVC play.
"We had to salvage game three," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "It was good of the guys to keep grinding and fighting to make sure we got one this weekend."
The Cougars pounced on EIU starter Foster Anshutz for three runs in the first inning. Brett Johnson homered to lead off the inning before a single from Connor Kiffer. Raul Elguezabal hit a ground ball to third which may have been an double play, but they never made the return throw from second. Brady Bunten followed and homered to left to put SIUE up 3-0. The Panthers tied the game with three runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batter in the fourth inning.
Elguezabal hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to put SIUE up for good at 5-3. Kiffer extended the lead with a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Avery Owusu-Asiedu added a solo home run in the eighth to make it 7-3.
EIU picked up a pair of runs in the ninth for the final tally.
Kiffer finished 2-3 with the RBI and a run.
Brant Glidewell worked six innings to earn his team-leading fifth win of the year. He struck out five and improved to 5-1.
With the wind blowing out Saturday afternoon, the opener became a slugfest. The two teams combined for 25 runs on 27 hits and hit seven home runs between them. EIU and SIUE traded leads before the Panthers used a five-run 9th inning to pull away.
Richie Well finished 4-5 with two home runs, three RBIs and four runs scored. Kiffer was 2-3 in game one with an RBI and run.
Brady Bunten finished the day with a home run in each game and five RBIs.
The season marks the first time SIUE has reached 20 wins in a season since 2017 when they won 23 games.
"It speaks to the group of guys that we have right now," Lyons said. "They have played pretty well to this point and I think we still have our best baseball ahead of us. It is a good stepping-stone at this point in the season."
The Cougars have just three weekends left as they compete for one of the top four spots in the standings and the chance to play for an OVC Championship.
"In the situation that we're in, and really all of our opponents as well, it is mentally and physically testing," Lyons said. "These doubleheader days are really a grind. Our guys know it. You hope that they aren't feeling that type of pressure at this point, but you can't run from it."
The Cougars travel to Jacksonville State for a weekend series beginning Friday.
