EDWARDSVILLE – SIUE scored four times in the final two innings, all coming in on wild pitches, to score a come-from-behind 9-8 win over Saint Louis in nonconference action at Simmons Baseball Complex.

SIUE improved 3-14 with the win. Saint Louis fell to 9-12. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Cougars in the series with the Billikens.

With the game tied 8-8, SIUE loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Austin Verschoore had reached on an error. Aaron Jackson doubled and Brock Weimer was intentionally walked. Reliever Aaron Stone skipped a pitch to home plate and past SLU catcher Braxton Martinez allowing Verschoore to score the winning run.

Stone fell to 0-1 with the loss. It was the fourth SIUE run in two innings to score on a wild pitch.

Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Verschoore walked to start the inning. Brock Weimer singled with one out and Alec Skender followed with a single to load the bases. With Keaton Wright at the plate, SLU reliever Drew Dekinger bounced a pitch by catcher Braxton Martinez, bringing Verschoore to the plate. He then threw another pitch in the dirt which skipped past Martinez to the backstop allowing Weimer to score from third and Skender to score from second base to give SIUE its first lead of the night 8-7.

"That's pretty odd," SIUE Head Coach Tony Stoecklin said. "I have never seen that before. Obviously I am happy to be on the winning end of that, but that is certainly a strange way to win a baseball game."

SLU tied the game with an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning after an errant throw on a stolen base allowed Michael Bozarth to advance to third.

Skyler Geissinger (1-0) earned the win with two innings of relief. Regularly an infielder, Geissinger was making his second relief appearance of the season. He retired the side in order in the eighth, including a strikeout. Bozarth led off the ninth with a single and advanced to third after stealing second base. He scored on a sacrifice fly.

Saint Louis initially built a 7-2 lead after four innings. Taking full advantage of a strong wind, the Billikens hit three home runs in the first three innings.  

SIUE scored twice on three hits in the third inning and added a run in the sixth inning.

"What we want our guys to learn from this is that we got down early on the scoreboard, but we didn't get down on ourselves," Stoecklin said. "We were down 7-2 after four innings and we didn't quit."

Brendan Miller, Ryan Agnitsch and Geissinger combined for 5.2 innings of strong relief. The unearned run in the ninth was the only run the trio allowed, and SLU managed just three hits combined. Miller allowed just a hit in 1.2 innings. Agnitsch allowed just a hit in two innings and struck out two.

"Our bullpen was really good tonight," Stoecklin said. "From the fifth inning on, we were pretty hard to score off."

Skender, Wright and Dustin Woodcock each had three hits for SIUE, which finished the night with a season-best 15 hits.

"Starting in about the sixth inning we started to come alive on offense and we started putting pressure on them," Stoecklin added.

Aaron Jackson and Wiemer each had two hits. Of the Cougars' 15 hits, just four were extra-base hits.

"We teach using the whole field. Not trying to yank the ball out of the park when the wind's blowing out, but staying within your approach, and staying in the gaps and staying inside the baseball.

"That's what we did tonight," Stoecklin continued. "It really clicked from the fifth inning on. We put up seven runs in four innings."

Skender scored three runs and drove in a run, while playing only his second game of the year at short stop.

"He played good defense and he took great at-bats," Stoecklin said of Skender. "The play in the eighth inning when he scored from second base was just a pure hustle and determination play. He made up his mind that he was going to score. He's playing good baseball and he's working his tail off."

Parker Sniatynski, Cole Dubet and Martinez each had two hits for Saint Louis.

SIUE will look to continue the winning streak when Tennessee Tech comes to Edwardsville for a three-game series beginning Thursday night.