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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Southeast Missouri offense exploded for 22 runs in Sunday's win over the SIUE Cougars, 22-8. It is a new season-high in runs for the Redhawks.

With the win, Southeast Missouri and SIUE are now tied for first in the Ohio Valley Conference at 9-3. Southeast is 17-10 overall and SIUE is 9-13. With a win for Belmont Sunday, all three teams will be tied for first place with a .750 winning percentage.

The Redhawks have won all four of their conference series so far this season. 

The day was highlighted by freshman Peter Williams recording his first two career hits, both home runs, in his first career start. He had five RBI on the day.

Other offensive highlights included Dalton Hewitt recording a career-high six RBI and getting on base six times in the game after going 3-for-3 with three walks. Nolan Fisher also had a pinch hit grand slam late in the game.

After Alex Winkelman issued a pair of one-out walks, Parker Guinn launched a home run to left center to put the Cougars on the board, 3-0 in the first.

Hewitt narrowed the SIUE lead to 3-1 with a home run of his own in the top of the second inning.

Denton Reed advanced from first to third on a throwing error by Winkelman on a failed pickoff attempt. He scored on a ground out by Nick Lombardo and extended the lead to 4-1. SIUE went on to load the bases but Southeast got out of the inning without any further damage.

After reaching on a fielder's choice, Trevor Ezell scored from first on a double that split the left-center gap by Jason Blum to narrow the SIUE lead to 4-2 in the third inning.

Winkelman fanned two batters to start the third inning but a two-out home run by Mario Tursi extended the lead to 5-2. An RBI double by Lombardo plated another to make it 6-2 in the third. Winkelman's day was done after the RBI double.

The tides quickly turned in Southeast Missouri's favor in the fourth inning. After a walk and a hit, Branden Boggetto drove in Hewitt to narrow the lead to 6-3. In his third career at bat, Williams launched a three-run home run to left for his first collegiate hit, tying the game at six runs apiece. Clayton Evans singled to right for the fourth-consecutive hit in the inning. A one-out error by the third baseman allowed Blum to reach. Garrett Gandolfo singled to right to drive in Evans and give Southeast a 7-6 lead. Hewitt drove in two more followed by an RBI single by Scott Mitchell to extend the lead to 10-6. Southeast scored eight runs on seven hits with one SIUE error and sent 13 men to the plate in the inning.

Ryan Rippee added two more runs to the tally in the fifth inning with a two-run triple to centerfield, making it 12-6.

SIUE plated a run in the fifth inning on an RBI fielder's choice, narrowing the Redhawk lead to 12-7.

With Boggetto on base, Williams launched his second home run of the day, his second career hit, to left to extend the lead to 14-7. Two more runs scored on a single to right by Hewitt, opening a 16-7 lead for Southeast in the sixth inning.

Skyler Geissinger drove in a run for the Cougars in the bottom of the sixth to make it 16-8.

After three-straight, two-out walks loaded the bases in the top of the eighth inning, pinch hitter Fisher stepped in and drove a grand slam to dead center field, to bring the run tally to 20-8.

Two more Redhawk runs touched home in the top of the ninth inning with a sac fly by Hewitt and an RBI hit by Alex Burridge to bring the final tally to 22-8.

The Redhawks finished with 18 hits in the contest. Boggetto and Evans each had three hits and three runs while Mitchell went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

The bottom of the Redhawk order (Boggetto, Williams, Evans, and Fisher) combined for nine hits, nine runs, 10 RBI, and four walks in the game.

The Redhawks, who ranked third in the country in walks entering the weekend, drew 16 off SIUE pitching Sunday.

Greg Mosel (3-1) picked up the win for Southeast on the mound. He and Alex Siddle each pitched two and two-third innings in relief. Matthew Wade pitched the ninth inning to close the game.

Chase Green and Tursi each had a pair of hits for the Cougars.

Jarrett Bednar (0-4) recorded the loss. He pitched three and a third innings, allowing nine runs on nine hits.

The Redhawks will return home for a four-game tilt this week. Southeast welcomes Arkansas State to town Tuesday then Austin Peay for a three-game OVC series beginning Thursday.