LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – SIUE baseball nearly erased an 11-run lead Sunday but fell to Little Rock 13-11 as the Trojans swept the three-game Ohio Valley Conference baseball series.

The Cougars fell to 5-7 in the OVC and 22-17 overall. Little Rock improved to 23-14 overall and 10-5 in the OVC.

"It was a frustrating weekend," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "We didn't play clean baseball and it hurt us. We'll learn from it, and we will be better because of it."

The Trojans opened the scoring with four runs in the first against SIUE starter Teague Conrad (3-2).

The Cougars got two back in the second inning thanks to a wild pitch and a groundout, but Little Rock answered with a six-run third and three more tallies in the fourth.

The Cougars began the comeback with a five-spot in the fifth, highlighted by Kyle Ratliff's grand slam, the first for the Cougars this year. SIUE scored two in the sixth and one each in the eighth and the ninth to trim the lead to 13-11. The Cougars had the tying runs on base when the game finished.

"I am proud of the fight in our guys," Lyons said. "After going down 13-2 we battled and had the go ahead run at the plate."

Both teams finished with 14 hits. Drew Mize and Brady Bunten each had three hits. Braedyn Brewer and Chase Bloomer had two hits apiece. Ratliff was 1-4 with the grand slam, a walk and two runs scored.

SIUE used six pitchers. Conrad worked just 2 1/3 innings. He allowed eight runs, six earned, on seven hits. He walked three and struck out two. Garret Helsel allowed two run in 2/3 of an inning. Taylor Bruninga allowed three runs on a hit without retiring a hitter in the fourth.

Ian Benner, Spencer Stearns and Hayden Cooper combined for five scoreless innings. Stearns and Cooper each threw two scoreless innings.

"Stearns and Cooper, especially, were fantastic out of the bullpen," Lyons said.

The Cougars return home to play host to Mizzou Wednesday at Simmons Baseball Complex.