ST. LOUIS – Ethan Willoughby had five hits and five RBIs and Mack Mitchell homered twice as SIUE baseball routed Saint Louis 17-5 Tuesday night at Billiken Sports Center.
The Cougars improved to 21-21 and have won a season-best five in a row. Saint Louis slipped to 25-19.
Willoughby finished 5 for 5 with two singles, two doubles and a triple. The five hits and five RBIs are both career highs for Willoughby. He matched Gierer as the only players with five hits in a game this season.
Mack Mitchell was 2 for 5 and led off the third and fourth innings with home runs. He now has 16 homers which ranks third in a single season at SIUE.
SIUE built a 12-0 lead through the first five innings. Willoughby and Kyle Hepburn both picked up run-scoring hits in a two-run second inning. Chase Bloomer and Ryan Niedzwiedz both singled before Gage Franck walked to load the bases in the third. Willoughby singled to drive in Bloomer and Niedzwiedz. After a double steal by Franck and Willoughby, Brenden Fry singled to make it 6-0. A one-out squeeze bunt by Kyle Hepburn plated Willoughby to push the advantage to 7-0.
After loading the bases with two walks and a hit, the Cougars pushed four more across in the fifth inning. Daniel Gierer brought home a run with a high infielder chopper for a fielder's choice. Bloomer drove home another with an infield hit. Niedzwiedz followed with a two-run single to center for an 12-0 SIUE lead.
The Billikens responded with three in the bottom of the fifth.
Willoughby picked up his fifth hit and fourth RBI of the game in the eighth to give the Cougars a 13-3 lead.
The Billikens scored two in the bottom of the eighth to keep the game going.
The Cougars sent nine men to the plate in the ninth and added four more runs on three more hits. Franck drove home a run with a single. Willoughby collected his fifth RBI of the game with a bases loaded walk. Franck scored himself on a base hit by Fry.
Bloomer finished 3-6 in the game. Niedzwiedz and Hepburn each had two hits.
SIUE starter Gabriel Nutter worked four scoreless innings. He gave up three hits and struck out two. Brady Coon (1-3) picked up his first career win. He pitched an inning in relief and allowed three unearned runs.
Kieran Bailey, Brennen Grams and Andrew Ressler each pitched a scoreless inning out of the SIUE pen.
SIUE returns to Simmons Baseball Complex for a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series beginning Friday with Western Illinois.
