CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Dustin Woodcock and Jordan Stading combined for three home runs and 10 RBIs Sunday as SIUE completed a three-game series sweep with a 14-4 win at Austin Peay Sunday.
The sweep marks the first OVC road sweep for SIUE since March of 2015 when the Cougars swept a series at Jacksonville State.
SIUE outscored Austin Peay 31-11 over the three games.
The Cougars improved to 21-24 overall and 9-15 in Ohio Valley Conference play. SIUE is now just one game back of UT Martin and Eastern Illinois in the OVC Standings with six conference games to play. The Skyhawks and Panthers are tied for the eighth in the league. The top eight teams make the OVC Championship field. SIUE plays host to Eastern Illinois in the final home series next weekend at Simmons Complex.
Austin Peay fell to 20-25 overall and 11-15 in the OVC.
"We had a really good weekend in all phases of the game," SIUE Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "Each game we were able to score early."
Woodcock got the Cougars on the board in the first inning with the first of four SIUE home runs. His three-run shot to right put SIUE up 3-0.
Chase Hamilton answered for APSU with a two-run homer in the second to cut the lead to 3-2. It was as close as Austin Peay would get the rest of the way.
Jordan Stading connected on a three-run home run in third inning to extend SIUE's lead to 6-2.
"I want to commend the offense," Lyons said. "(Austin Peay) put up two and we came right back and scored. We answered the bell."
SIUE scored five times in the fourth inning. Woodcock hit his second three-run blast of the game before Eric Giltz added a two-run single to left to give the Cougars an 11-2 lead.
Stading added an RBI-single and Marty Brunk hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to make it 14-2 Cougars.
Austin Peay scored twice on three hits in the seventh inning to make it 14-4.
Cougar starter Danny Ehrsam (4-2) turned in his longest out of the year, working into the seventh inning. He allowed four runs on seven hits. He struck out two.
"Danny really commanded the zone early today," Lyons said.
Woodcock finished 4 for 5 with the two homers and six RBIs. He also made a running catch against the brick side wall in right field to end the fourth inning.
"He obviously swung the bat really well," Lyons said. "Defense is something he prides himself on as a lot of our guys do."
The Cougars finished with 16 hits. Stading was 3 for 4 with the home run and four RBIs. Giltz was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and Alec Skender was 3 for 6 with two runs scored.
"We pitched well all weekend and we didn't have an error all weekend; we played clean baseball," Lyons said. "We had the timely hits in game one and game two and today we swung the bats well had some big hits and some extra base hits."
