SPRINGFIELD – Visiting SIU Edwardsville jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held off a late Missouri State charge with a six-run ninth to take the opening game of the weekend series by an 11-4 final Friday afternoon at Hammons Field.
 
The Cougars (6-10) stole home for a run in the first, knocked a two-out, two-run single in the third and began the fifth with back-to-back homers to build their 5-0 lead.
 
Missouri State (5-11) began to chip away in its half of the fifth, loading the bases with one out and scoring when Carter Bergman was hit by a pitch followed by Max Knight's sacrifice fly.
 
Nick Rodriguez laced an RBI double in the sixth to make it 5-3, and Zack Stewart added an RBI two-bagger the next inning for a 5-4 deficit.
 
The Cougars responded in the ninth, finally getting to reliever Owen Slater after the freshman had already thrown four hitless innings out of the bullpen. With one out, the Cougars reached safely with six consecutive batters against three MSU arms, dealing the big blow with a grand slam for the 11-4 final.
 
MoState was limited to eight hits and stranded 11 runners, with Rodriguez and Stewart logging two-hit days. Caden Bogenpohl's double in the second inning extended his reached safely streak to 29 games.
 
The pitching staff struck out just four SIUE hitters and fanning at least seven in every game this season.
 
Game two of the series is at 2 p.m. Saturday.