EDWARDSVILLE – Valparaiso built an 8-0 lead Sunday and held on for a 13-9 win over SIUE to avoid a sweep at Simmons Baseball Complex.
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SIUE is now 8-12 overall. Valpo is 6-10.
On a windy day at Roy E. Lee Field, the Cougars tied their season high with six home runs in the game. Valpo added two of their own.
Valparaiso chased SIUE starter Noah Johnson (0-2) with a five-run first inning. Johnson gave up three hits and three walks in just two-thirds of an inning. Thomas Cooper hit a two-run home run against Trent Koehler in a three-run second inning.
The Cougars scored four times in the third to cut the Beacons' lead in half. Ryan Niedzwiedz and Joshua Heyder each hit two-run home runs in the inning.
George Betevis hit a three-run home run for Valparaiso as part of a four-run inning, which pushed the lead out to 12-4.
Niedzwiedz hit his second home run of the day, another two-run homer, in the fifth to make it 12-6. Niedzwiedz leads the Ohio Valley Conference with 10 home runs for the season. He is second in the OVC with 25 RBIs.
Brenden Fry and Daniel Gierer each homered in the sixth to close the gap to 12-8.
It was 13-8 in the ninth when Chase Bloomer went deep for the final margin.
Bloomer, Niedzwiedz, Heyder and Gierer all had two hits for the Cougars.
Valparaiso was led by Cole Lockwood and Eli Riley who each had four hits.
The Beacons outhit the Cougars 14-10 in the game.
SIUE will go on the road to face Illinois State Tuesday night in Normal, Illinois.
