MARTIN, Tenn. – Lane Crowden's ninth-inning single lifted SIUE baseball to a 5-4 win over UT Martin in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series Thursday at Skyhawk Field.

The Cougars moved to 17-8 in OVC play and remain within percentage points of first place with two games to play in the regular season. SIUE is 25-26 overall. UT Martin fell to 11-13 in the league and 20-32 overall.

Crowden's hit snapped a 4-4 tie, scoring Ethan Willoughby who had reached on an error to lead off the inning.

UTM reliever Jeb Bartle (1-4) pitched two innings allowing two runs, one earned, in the loss.

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Daniel Gierer led off the inning with a single, then stole second. Ryan Niedzwiedz drove him in with a single.

John Stallcup led off the fifth with a double and Lane Crowden followed with a single and stole second base. Stallcup scored on a groundout to short by Mack Mitchell. Gierer then drove home Crowden with a bunt single back to the mound.

UTM added a run in the sixth inning when Arderrius Townsend hit a solo home run off SIUE starter Tim Teixeira. Teixeira allowed a run on five hits over six innings. He struck out two.

Ryan Niedzwiedz doubled in the eighth to drive in Chase Bloomer to push the Cougars' lead to 4-1, before the Skyhawks answered in the bottom half of the inning against SIUE reliever Liam McKillop.

Brody Capps homered and Jonah Katsaboulas added a two-run double.

Alex Rodriguez (5-1) finished the ninth and earned his team-leading fifth win of the year.

Gierer finished 3-4 with an RBI. Niedzwiedz, Heyder, Stallcup and Crowden each finished with two hits for the Cougars, who outhit UT Martin 13-10.

Katsaboulas finished with two hits and two RBIs to lead UT Martin.

Friday's second game of the series has been moved to 11 a.m. because of the threat of inclement weather.