MARTIN, Tenn. - Despite a late-inning solo home run by Lauren Yslava, SIUE dropped the finale of a three-game series 4-3 at UT Martin Sunday.
Yslava tied for the team lead in home runs with three, joining
Grace Lueke.
The Cougars dropped to 10-20 overall and 2-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Skyhawks improved to 16-13 overall and 4-5 in the OVC.
"In the end, we need to play clean defense if we expect to win close games," said SIUE Head Coach
Ben Sorden.
SIUE and UT Martin each had eight hits in the game. That includes two each for the Cougars from
Paige Rocha,
Jenna Herron, Lueke and Yslava.
Rocha extended her hitting streak to 23 games. While holding the Division I era record, she can set the school record of 27 set by SIUE Athletics Hall of Famer Erin Newman in 2001.
SIUE held the lead early Sunday with two unearned runs in the first inning off starter Anna Hazelwood. SIUE starter
Sydney Baalman yielded just two hits over five innings of work, but UT Martin rallied for three runs in the fifth off SIUE reliever
Rylie Pindel with Anna Blanton's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth proving to be the difference.
Next up for the Cougars is a Wednesday night game at Illinois. Game time is 5 p.m. in Champaign with the contest being broadcast by Big Ten +.
"We've got to go to work," added Sorden.