EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Spencer Stearns tossed seven shutout innings to lead SIUE baseball over Little Rock 6-2 in the second game of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Roy E. Lee Field.

SIUE improved to 9-2 in the OVC and 18-16 overall. The Cougars are tied atop the league with Eastern Illinois. Little Rock is 8-3 in OVC play and 20-15 overall.

Stearns (5-2) allowed just three hits and struck out three on his way to his fifth consecutive win.

The Cougar starter got help from his defense as well as SIUE turned three inning-ending double plays. SIUE leads the OVC with 29 double plays.

The Cougars got on the board in the third inning when Chase Bloomer ripped an RBI single off the third-base bag. Bloomer then scored later in the inning to stretch the lead to 2-0. He made it a 3-0 score in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly to center.

Gage Franck doubled to lead off the seventh inning and went third with a Sean Kang infield hit. Franck scored on a wild pitch and Daniel Gierer belted a two-run home run to left to put the Cougars up 6-0.

Little Rock starter Brigden Parker (2-3) worked into the seventh inning allowing five runs on eight hits. He struck out seven in the loss.

The Trojans' only two runs came in the eighth inning on two hits and a walk against reliever Porter Conn. Nola Fruend drove in both runs with a two-out single. Conn retired the side in order in the ninth to close the door.

Franck finished 3-4 to lead the Cougars. Cooper Eggert was 2-4.

Fruend finished 2-4 with the two RBIs for Little Rock.

The rubber game of the three-game series is set for Sunday at Simmons Baseball Complex. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.