EVANSVILLE, Ind. – SIUE baseball won its fourth straight game Thursday, downing Southern Indiana 4-2 to move to 7-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play.

The 7-0 start is the best start to a Conference season in program history. The Cougars improved to 15-14 overall with the win.

Southern Indiana dipped to 18-12 overall and 3-4 in the OVC.

A Daniel Gierer RBI hit in the first put SIUE on top 1-0. Two hits and a Chase Bloomer sacrifice fly doubled the lead in the fourth inning. Ethan Willoughby singled ahead of Cooper Eggert's second triple in as many games made it 3-0 in the fifth inning.

USI starter Abdriel Figueroa (2-2) allowed all three runs on nine hits in five innings of work.

The Screaming Eagles got on the board with an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning. USI pulled within a run in the sixth inning when Parker Martin scored on a groundout.

Tim Teixeira (4-3) won his fourth consecutive start tossing seven innings for the third time in those four starts. He allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits. He struck out five.

SIUE added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning. Gierer doubled to open the inning and scored on a throwing error following a single by Bloomer.

The Cougars outhit the Screaming Eagles 12-4 for the game. Willoughby and Eggert each finished with three hits to lead SIUE. Gierer and Bloomer each had two hits in the game.

Patrick McLellan finished with two hits to lead USI at the plate.

The Cougars and Screaming Eagles will finish the series with a Friday afternoon doubleheader at USI Baseball Field. The first pitch for game one is set for 1 p.m.