EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE baseball dropped its home opener Tuesday, falling 9-2 to Saint Louis at Simmons Baseball Complex.

Saint Louis (3-4) scored seven times over the last three innings to snap a 2-2 tie.

SIUE (2-5) scored the first run of the game, taking advantage of an error in the first inning. Chase Bloomer led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on an error. He scored on a ground out by Ryan Niedzwiedz.

Saint Louis scored twice in the third to lead 2-1, but the Cougars answered in the bottom of the inning. The Cougars loaded the bases on an error and consecutive hit batters. Kyle Ratlif drove a sacrifice fly to right field to score Bloomer with the tying run.

The Billikens scored three times in the seventh against SIUE reliever Alex Rodriguez and then scored four times in the top of the ninth against Andrew Ressler. Rodriguez (1-1) took the loss.

Kyle Athmer started the game and worked four innings allowing two runs. He struck out five. Liam McKillop pitched two scoreless innings in relief, striking out two. Tyler Davis also worked 2/3 of an inning scoreless. He struck out one.

Freshman Brennan Grams made his collegiate debut, closing out the ninth inning with a strikeout.

The Cougars finished with just three hits. Bloomer finished 2-4 with the two runs.

SIUE will play host to Northern Illinois in a four-game weekend series beginning Friday at Roy E. Lee Field.