EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Western Illinois scored five times in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday to earn a come-from-behind 7-6 win and avoid the sweep against SIUE.

The Cougars dropped to 8-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference and 16-24 overall. Western Illinois improved to 4-11 in the OVC and 8-27 overall.

Trailing 6-2 going into the inning, the Leathernecks used three one-out hits to score to cut the lead to 6-3. They scored another run on a throwing error to make it 6-4. Adam Juran then connected for a three-run homer off SIUE reliever Liam McKillop to right to walk off with the win.

McKillop (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing the final two runs on two hits.

"Unfortunately, we were unable to finish today," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "I hate it for the guys because we played well for 26 innings this weekend."

SIUE got out to an early lead. Ethan Willoughby drove home a run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Drew Mize singled in Sean Kang in the second inning for a 2-0 lead.

Western Illinois used three hits in the bottom of the second inning to even the score at 2-2.

A run came home in the fourth on a ground ball double play which made it 3-2 Cougars, but they left the bases loaded when the inning ended.

SIUE loaded the bases again in the fifth inning on a walk and a pair of hits, but failed to score a run, leaving the bases loaded for the second consecutive inning.

The Cougars went in order in the sixth and seventh innings before picking up some insurance in the eighth. Gage Franck drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Ryan Niedzwiedz added his team-leading fifth home run of the year-a two run shot to push the SIUE lead to 6-2.

Western Illinois outhit the Cougars 13-9. SIUE left 13 runners on base for the game.

"We just didn't get the big hit offensively to put the game away," Lyons said. "We left 13 guys on base and left the bases load multiple times. We just didn't capitalize."

Daniel Gierer and Mack Mitchell each had two hits for the Cougars. Niedzwiedz finished with two RBIs.  

Duncan McLaughlin started on the mound for SIUE and threw 6.2 innings and allowed just two unearned runs. He walked three and struck out three.

SIUE returns home for a Tuesday game against Bradley and a weekend OVC series with Little Rock. Little Rock is tied for first in the league. The Cougars are tied for fourth.