EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Interstat) — Spencer Stearns delivered eight strong innings, allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out six, to lead SIU Edwardsville to an 8-1 victory over Tennessee Tech in Ohio Valley Conference baseball Saturday at Roy E. Lee Field.

The Cougars (13-14, 2-0 OVC) erupted for four runs in the first inning, highlighted by Ryan Niedzwiedz’s RBI double. Niedzwiedz added a solo home run in the third, part of a 2-for-4, two-RBI performance. SIUE amassed 11 hits, with Chase Bloomer going 3 for 5 with an RBI.

Tennessee Tech (9-18, 0-2) managed only five hits, with Owen Lee collecting three of them. The Golden Eagles’ lone run came on a second-inning sacrifice fly. Cooper Casteel took the loss for Tech despite a solid start, yielding two earned runs over 6 2/3 innings.

The teams conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon.