EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE baseball earned a split in its four-game series with Eastern Michigan after a 4-3 Sunday win at Roy E. Lee Field.

SIUE improved to 5-7 with the win. EMU dropped to 4-8.

The Cougars never trailed, taking a first inning lead against EMU starter Tommy Rose.

Ryan Niedzwiedz and Chase Bloomer singled with one out. Ethan Willoughby singled in the Cougars' first run and Terrick Thompson Allen drove home another with a sacrifice fly to left. SIUE made it 3-0 in the third when Willoughby hit a sacrifice fly to score Niedzwiedz.

Rose (0-1) pitched into the fourth allowing two runs on five hits in the loss.

Keegan Knupp hit a two-run home run off SIUE reliever Gabriel Nutter (1-0) in the fifth before SIUE answered in the bottom of the inning. Bloomer singled with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He went to third on a Joshua Heyder base hit before scoring on another wild pitch to put the Cougars up 4-2.

Nutter worked two innings, striking out two to earn the win. Brady Coon started and pitched three hitless innings. He walked four and struck out five.

EMU used back-to-back two-out hits in the eighth to plate a run against Easton Harris but never pulled even in the game.

Harris pitched the final two innings, striking out three, for his third save of the year.

Willoughby finished 1-2 with the pair of RBIs. Niedzwiedz, Bloomer and Heyder each had two hits for the Cougars.

SIUE stays home to face Bradley Tuesday at Simmons Baseball Complex. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.