MONROE, La. – Louisiana Monroe starter Cole Cressend kept the SIUE bats at bay Saturday as ULM evened the weekend series at a game apiece with a 7-1 win over the Cougars.

SIUE dropped to 4-2. ULM is 4-3.

"It was a struggle for us offensively today," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "We just couldn't get anything going. We had a hard time squaring anything up."

Cressend gave up a single run over five hits over six innings. He walked a batter and struck out four.

"He did a really nice job of keeping balls off of the barrel," Lyons said of the ULM starter.

The Warhawks were able to get to SIUE pitching early, scoring three times in the third inning and adding a run in the fourth for a 4-0 lead against SIUE starter Hayden Cooper (0-2). Cooper worked four and allowed just two earned runs. He struck out five hitters.

ULM extended the lead to 6-0 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning against reliever Tyler DeLong. The Warhawks used two singles, a walk, a stolen base and a groundout to plate two runs.

"They were able to manufacture some runs to extend the lead," Lyons said. "We just weren't able to get back in the game."

SIUE scored its only run of the day in the sixth inning. Brennan Orf led off the inning with a double and Brady Bunten drove him in with a single to center field.

Newcomers Dimitri Ivetic and Gunner Millsap made their SIUE debuts out of the bullpen. Ivetic worked a scoreless seventh inning, retiring the side in order. Millsap struck out two hitters in the eighth.

"From a positive side, Millsap and Ivetic got their feet wet and had good days," Lyons said.

The Warhawks outhit the Cougars 9-5. Ole Arntson had two hits.

The rubber game of the series is Sunday. It is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.