TROY, Ala. – SIUE baseball picked up its first win of the season Saturday knocking off Troy 7-6 in the second game of a doubleheader at Riddle-Pace field.
The Cougars and Trojans split the day with Troy picking up a 24-13 win in seven innings in game one. SIUE is 1-2 overall. Troy is now 2-1.
"The boys deserved that win," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. In two of the three games we've had the lead. It was great to see the way they bounced back after the loss in game one. It would have been easy to fold and they didn't."
Ethan Willoughby's two-out single in the first put SIUE on top in game two, but Troy answered with a three-run bottom of the first.
The Cougars then scored five times on five hits in the third inning. Willoughby drove in two more with a bases-loaded single. Zack Floyd doubled to score Willoughby. Floyd scored on a throwing error and Drew Mize singled home a run.
Floyd reached on a fielder's choice in the fourth which scored a run to put the Cougars up 7-3.
Troy reliever Luke Lyon kept the Cougars at bay, working six hitless innings striking out seven.
"Lyon did a tremendous job for them," Lyons said. "He dealt. He was really tough out of their pen."
Garrett Helsel Worked four innings, allowing three runs in his first start of the year. He struck out three and walked four. Kyle Athmer (1-0) allowed three runs over five innings of relief to earn his first win as a Cougar.
"Garrett Helsel changed the momentum of that game after giving up some early runs," Lyons said. "Kyle Athmer gave us a tremendous effort in relief."
Troy took control early in game one, touching up SIUE starter Alex Rodriguez (0-1) for six runs in just one-third of an inning. The Trojans went ahead 12-0 after three innings. The Cougars scored three times in the fourth highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Ryan Niedzwiedz. John Stallcup added a sacrifice fly in the inning to make it 12-3 Troy.
It was 16-3 when the Cougars scored seven times in the fifth thanks to four hits and two errors. Willoughby drove home two with a double. Drew Mize added two RBIs in two plate appearances. He doubled in a run and then later walked with the bases loaded. Stallcup added and RBI on a groundout and the Cougars scored runs on an error and a passed ball.
Troy stretched its lead to 20-10 before a three-run Cougar sixth inning. Zack Floyd hit a two-run home run and Stallcup followed with his first homer of the year to make it 20-13.
The Trojans scored three times in the sixth, and SIUE failed to answer in the seventh.
Willoughby finished the day 4-9 with five RBIs. Niedzwiedz was 5-7 with two RBIs.
"Ethan and Ryan both had big days at the plate," Lyons added. "They were putting up some big at-bats and that is great to see from some young hitters."
Floyd finished with two hits and four RBIs. Daniel Gierer was 1-3 with a walk in game two after being added as a late substitute.
"Gierer and to fill in last minute and he put up some tough at-bats," Lyons said. "I'm really proud of our offense over the past two days."
The Cougars and Trojans will wrap up the four-game series with an 11 a.m. game Sunday.
