EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – A seven-run sixth inning by SIUE (13-10, 4-5) was the deciding factor in Southeast Missouri's (11-10, 4-5) loss to the Cougars on Sunday, 7-5.
 
With the loss, the Redhawks drop their first-ever series to SIUE in the series history.
 
Southeast held a 5-0 lead through five and a half but the Cougars pushed seven runs across home plate in the sixth to erase the Redhawk lead take the only lead they needed in the contest.
 
The Redhawks outhit the Cougars 11-9. Dan Holst tied a career-high four hits, finishing 4-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored. Chris Osborne and Tristen Gagan each had two hits while Osborne picked up a pair of RBI and scored twice.
 
Robert Beltran pitched five and a third innings in his start, allowing two runs on five hits. He fanned four and walked two. He faced the minimum the first time through the SIUE lineup.
 
Carlos Vega (1-1) suffered the loss. He relieved Beltran in the sixth inning and allowed five runs on only one hit. He allowed three walks and his defense committed a costly error behind him. Jared Waldhoff and Matthew Wade combined for the final two and a third innings of scoreless pitching.
 
SIUE's closer Mason McReaken (2-1) picked up the win on Sunday. He was the second pitcher out of the pen and pitched the final five innings, allowing just three hits and allowed no runs while striking out six Redhawks.
 
For the fourth-straight game, the Redhawks touched home first. Osborne extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a one-out single to right. He advanced to second on a groundout then to third on a base hit by Gagan. Kylar Robertson legged out an infield hit to plate Osborne and put the Redhawks up 1-0 in the opening stanza.
 
The Redhawks added to the lead in the top of the third. Holst began the frame with a double to left center. Following a base hit by Gagan to put runners on the corners, Brian Lees flew out to deep centerfield, plenty deep for Holst to tag up and score on the sacrifice fly and widening the lead to 2-0.
 
SEMO continued to widen the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Garret Reynolds legged out a slow roller to third for a leadoff baserunner and Connor Basler followed with a walk. Clayton Evans moved the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and both scored on a double to right, past a diving right fielder, by Osborne. He came in to score on a double off the bat of Holst lined down the right field line, extending the lead to 5-0.
 
The shutout was broken up and the five-run SEMO lead was erased in the bottom of sixth inning. SIUE sent 12 men to the plate and scored seven runs to take a 7-5 lead on the Redhawks. A dropped popup by Danny Wright with one out extended the inning and resulted in four unearned runs in the frame.
 
McReaken silenced the SEMO offense, holding the Redhawks to two hits the final three innings. Southeast put a pair of runners in scoring position in the eighth but couldn't bring them home.
 
Keaton Wright and Jared McCun each recorded a pair of hits at the top of the SIUE lineup on Sunday. As a team, the Cougars scattered nine hits.
 
Southeast Missouri will bring its five-game road stretch to a close on Tuesday with a midweek matchup against in-state foe Missouri. First pitch from Columbia is set for 3 p.m.