EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Ryan Niedzwiedz homered twice and SIUE baseball piled up 15 hits Friday on its way to a 12-7 win over Eastern Michigan in the opener of a four-game weekend series at Simmons Baseball Complex.

The Cougars have won two straight and improved to 4-5 for the season. EMU dropped to 2-7.

SIUE tied its season high in hits and nearly doubled its home run output as the Cougars went deep four times in the game.

Eastern Michigan got a solo home run in the first from Keegan Knupp before SIUE took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning.

Mack Mitchell dropped a triple into right field and Niedzwiedz hit his first home run to put the Cougars up 1-0. Joshua Heyder doubled and Ethan Willoughby singled to extend the lead to 3-0. Niedzwiedz singled to drive in two more runs in the second inning.

Brendan Fry hit a three-run home run in the third to make 8-1.

Terrick Thompson hit a solo home run in the fifth to put the Cougars up 9-1.

EMU chased SIUE starter Jase Phillips in the sixth inning with a walk, a triple and a three-run home run. The Eagles got a second three-run homer in the inning to trim the lead to 9-7.

Niedzwiedz hit his second two-run homer of the day in the sixth inning to push the lead back to four runs at 11-7.

Daniel Gierer drove home a run with a squeeze bunt in the seventh for the final tally.

Niedzwiedz finished 3-4 with the two home runs and six RBIs. Fry was 3-4 with the three RBIs and two runs scored. Mitchell, Heyder and Thompson-Allen all finished with two hits.

Phillips (1-1) pitched five innings allowing four runs for his first win. He struck out three. Noah Johnson allowed three runs in an inning of relief and Porter Conn worked the final three innings, striking out three for the save.

EMU starter John Carmichael allowed eight runs over 2.1 innings and fell to 1-1 with the loss.

The series continues with a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch of game one is set for 1 p.m.