CARBONDALE, Ill. – SIUC first baseman Matt Schark's one-out single in the bottom of the 10^th inning scored Nathan Bandy to give the Salukis a 6-5 win over SIUE Tuesday at Itchy Jones Stadium.

The Cougars dropped their fourth consecutive game and fell to 24-23. SIU Carbondale improved to 28-21. The win evens the season series after SIUE picked up a 5-4 win in Edwardsville in March.

The 10^th began with an SIUE error allowing Steven Loden to reach. A fielder's choice and back-to-backk hits left runners at second and third for Schark. Zeus Ponder (2-2) suffered the loss-allowing the 10^th-inning run.

The walk-off win followed an SIUE comeback which saw the Cougars score twice in the top of the ninth inning. The Cougars trailed 5-3 Avery Owusu-Asiedu's bases-loaded hit plated the game-tying runs.

"We showed a lot of fight tonight," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "Being able to put a rally together, down two in the ninth is a positive."

The Salukis scored three times off SIUE starter Teague Conrad, who worked the first two innings. The Cougars tied the game in the third. Brennan Orf drove home Chase Bloomer, who had doubled to start the inning, to make it 3-1. Owusu-Asiedu followed with a home run to straight-away center to even the score.

The Salukis scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to take the 5-3 lead.

SIUC had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases with one out against Ponder, before the right-hander picked up a strikeout and a flyout to hold the game at 5-5.

Owusu-Asiedu finished 4-5 with four RBIs to lead SIUE. He has hit six home runs in his last six games.

"Avery had some great at-bats and a clutch hit to tie it in the ninth," Lyons said.

Bloomer was 2-4. Orf was 1-4.

Ian Benner worked three scoreless innings in relief of Conrad. Garrett Helsel allowed a run in two innings of relief. Taylor Bruninga allowed a run in an inning of work.

"We got some good outings out of the bullpen," Lyons added.

SIUE finishes its home season with a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series with Morehead State beginning Friday at Simmons Complex.

"We have to move on mentally to the weekend series with Morehead State," Lyons said.