EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Tim Teixiera won his third consecutive start, leading SIUE to a 6-1 win over Tennessee Tech in the opener of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Roy E. Lee Field.

SIUE improved to 4-0 in OVC play and 12-14 overall. Tennessee Tech fell to 0-3 in the league and 9-17 overall.

Teixeira (3-3) tied his career high with seven innings pitched, while allowing a single unearned run on four hits. He walked three and struck out a season-high nine hitters.

The Cougars took a lead in the first inning on an RBI-hit from Ethan Willoughby. He drove home Mack Mitchell who tripled with two outs in the inning.

Tennessee Tech tied the score with an unearned run in the fifth inning before Teixeira retired the final seven batters he faced.

The Cougars scored three times in the sixth inning to knock out TTU starter Jaxson Pease. Sean Kang, Daniel Gierer and Chase Bloomer each had RBI singles in the inning for a 4-1 SIUE lead.

Willoughby scored on an errant throw after a double steal and Kang added his second RBI with a groundout as SIUE pushed its lead to 6-1 in the eighth inning.

Porter Conn pitched the final two innings, striking out three, to earn his second save of the season.

Willoughby, Kang and Gierer each finished with two hits and SIUE outhit Tennessee Tech 9-5 for the game.

The second game of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Simmons Baseball Complex.