MONROE, La. – SIUE built a 6-1 lead through four innings and limited any ULM comeback opportunities, as the Cougars defeated ULM, 7-4, Friday afternoon in the series opener at Lou St. Amant Field.
 
SIUE (4-1 overall) opened the scoring in the third inning. Brennan Orf hit an RBI single down the right-field line in the top of the third inning to score Nick Terrell, who led off the inning with a walk. Orf scored when Ole Arnston singled back through the middle to push the lead to 2-0.
 
ULM (3-3 overall) answered with a run in the bottom of the third inning as Michelle Artzberger singled to center to plate Shawn Dalton Weatherbee to cut the gap to 2-1.
 
SIUE blew the game open in the top of the fourth. Orf hit a 2-RBI double down the left-field line. Two batters later, Brady Bunten connected on a 2-run home run to right to extend the lead to 6-1.
 
ULM got back in the game in the fifth inning, as freshman Cardell Thibodeaux belted his first-career home run, a 3-run shot to right, with two outs in the inning, scoring Artzberger and Kade Dupont, to get within 6-4.
 
The Cougars added a run in the seventh inning. With two outs, Avery Owusu-Asiedu hit a line drive off of pitcher Russell Derbyshire. The ball landed in the turf to the left of the mound, and Owusu-Asiedu beat out the throw to first, allowing Bunten to score for a 7-4 advantage.
 
ULM had a chance to cut into the gap in the bottom of the eighth as Thibodeaux hit a single and Matt Abshire followed with a double to put runners on second and third with no outs. SIUE went to the bullpen for right-hander Zeus Ponder, who struck out Travis Washburn and Chase DeJean before getting Carson Jones to pop out to retire the side with the Cougar lead still at three.
 
Thibodeaux finished with two hits, three RBIs and a run scored, while Weatherbee, Artzberger and Riley Davis all had two hits each for ULM. Orf had two hits and three RBIs to lead SIUE, while Bunten had two hits and two RBIs and Arnston tallied two hits with an RBI.
 
On the mound, Jacob Kampf (1-0) earned the win for SIUE, firing 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing four hits with two strikeouts. Ponder earned his second save with two scoreless and hitless innings, allowing one walk with three strikeouts. Jake Bockenstedt threw 4 2/3 innings in the start, giving up four runs, one earned, on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in a no-decision.
 
For ULM, Cam Barlow (1-1) took his first loss of the year, allowing six runs on seven hits with four walks and two strikeouts in four innings. Dalton Burrell and Carson Orton threw two perfect innings apiece out of the bullpen.
 
The series continues at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lou St. Amant Field.