CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – SIUE golf defeated Southern Indiana to advance to the Ohio Valley Conference final match Wednesday, before falling to Little Rock. The Trojans knocked off SIUE 4-1 after SIUE defeated USI 4-1.

"I'm so proud of this group," SIUE Head Coach Derrick Brown said. "We played so well all week. Little Rock is a very good team and we hung with them today."

Little Rock earned the OVC's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship.

Brady Kaufmann, Luke Ludwig, TJ Baker and Anthony Ruthey each picked up semifinal wins over Southern Indiana while Baker added a win in the final as well.

"We play a tough schedule for a reason. It is so when we get to the OVC Championship we are ready for anything. We will miss this senior class who have helped this program a lot over the years. We will get better this summer and next year we'll be ready to go."

Semifinal #2: No. 2 SIUE 4, #3 Southern Indiana 1

Brady Kaufmann (SIUE) def. Carter Goebel (USI), 4&2

Luke Ludwig (SIUE) def. Bryce Kirchner (USI), 5&3

TJ Baker (SIUE) def. Trevor Laub (USI), 2&1

Jason Bannister (USI) def. Alex Eickhoff (SIUE), 1UP

Anthony Ruthey (SIUE) def. Zach Williams (USI), 1UP

Final: #1 Little Rock 4, No. 2 SIUE 1

Jansen Smith (LR) def. Brady Kaufmann (SIUE), 6&5

TJ Baker (SIUE) def. Magnus Lomholt (LR), 5&4

Nico Horder (LR) def. Luke Ludwig (SIUE), 1UP

Anton Albers (LR) def. Presley Mackelburg (SIUE), 3&2

Archie Smith (LR) def. Anthony Ruthey (SIUE), 5&4