EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE baseball homered its way to a series sweep Monday, hitting six long balls on its way to a 13-11 win over Oakland at Simmons Baseball Complex.
SIUE tied a Division I-era record with six home runs, to lift their season total to 35, which leads the Ohio Valley Conference. The Cougars were No. 7 in the NCAA before Monday's game.
SIUE improved to 9-5 overall and 7-0 at home this season with series sweeps in back-to-back weekends.
SIUE prevailed Monday in a see-saw battle which saw the Cougars come back from three and four-run deficits in the game.
"It was a good win," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "We answered the bell every time Oakland put up a fight and took the lead. We answered the bell whether it was a big a hit or some good at-bats. All-in-all when you are able to put up 13 runs and sweep a series it's a good day."
Trailing 4-0 after going to the bottom of the third, Josh Ohl hit a two-run home run to make it 4-2. Brennan Orf and Richie Well homered in the fourth to tie the score.
It was 5-4 Oakland in the sixth when senior catcher Steven Pattan hit his first career home run, a two-run shot, and then Well followed with his second of the day to put SIUE up 7-5.
"Steven hit that ball well," Lyons said. "I know he was pretty excited about it."
A four-tun 7th inning pushed the Golden Grizzlies back in front 10-7, before the Cougars scratched across three runs on just a single hit in the bottom of the inning to tie the score. Pattan was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Well walked with the bases loaded and Ohl was hit by a pitch all to force in runs.
Orf struck again in the eighth inning. With two on, he delivered the game-winning blow to straight-away centerfield to push SIUE in front 13-10.
"Exciting to see Brennan Orf with the two big home runs to give us a lead," Lyons added. "It was a good day out of him. It's just been a matter of time with the hard work he's been putting in at practice. I am excited to see it show up for him."
The six home runs mark the third time SIUE has homered six times in a game at the Division I level. The Cougars did it twice last season.
"You'd like your offense to be a little more dimensional," Lyons said. "Today it was a little one dimensional, but when we got pitches to hit we hit balls well and it came from a little bit of everybody."
Jake Bockenstedt (2-1) got the win in relief after throwing the last two innings. He struck out four and gave up three runs on four hits. Taylor Bruninga allowed four runs in four innings to start the game. Spencer Smith allowed a run on three hits in two innings and Alex Scherer gave up four runs in just 2/3 of an inning.
"We got two good innings out of Spencer Smith and that was a plus today," Lyons said. "For the rest of the guys, it was just a little bit of a grind today."
SIUE will put its perfect home record on the line Wednesday when Western Illinois come to SIUE for a 4 p.m. game.
"Everybody likes to play at home," Lyons added. "Our guys play with a lot of confidence here."
