EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Interstat) — Jase Phillips delivered a commanding start to steady the SIU Edwardsville pitching staff and the Cougars capitalized on early opportunities to complete a three-game Ohio Valley Conference sweep of Tennessee Tech with a 6-2 victory on Sunday at Roy E. Lee Field at Simmons Baseball Complex.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded in the evening, saw the Cougars (14-14, 3-0 OVC) erase an early deficit and never trail again after a decisive second inning. The Golden Eagles fell to 9-19 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

Phillips, the top star for SIU Edwardsville, earned the win with six strong innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out three. His performance provided crucial stability after a rough outing in his last appearance, a relief stint on March 22 against Morehead State where he surrendered six earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the bottom of the second inning, transforming a one-run deficit into a lead the Cougars would not relinquish. Trailing 2-1, SIU Edwardsville’s Chase Willoughby led off with a double down the right field line. Cooper Eggert followed by driving him home with a triple to left center, tying the game. John Fry then grounded out to second, allowing Eggert to score and give the Cougars a 3-2 advantage. This two-run rally answered a solo home run by Tennessee Tech’s Nash Crowell in the top of the frame and shifted momentum permanently to the home side.

SIU Edwardsville added insurance in the third on a solo home run by Mack Mitchell, his ninth of the season, and again in the fourth on a sacrifice bunt by Sean Kang that scored Eggert, who had reached on an error. The Cougars’ final run came in the eighth when Kang singled home Fry, who had doubled.

Tennessee Tech’s offense was limited to six hits, with two coming on solo home runs. Crowell finished 2-for-4 with his homer, and Jorsixt Jimenez went 2-for-3 with a solo shot in the sixth inning that pulled the Golden Eagles within 5-2. That was as close as they would get, as Cougars relievers Joseph Martin and Easton Harris combined for three scoreless innings to close out the game. Martin allowed one hit over two frames, and Harris pitched a perfect ninth.

Golden Eagles starter Carter Casabella took the loss, pitching into the seventh inning. He was charged with four earned runs on nine hits while striking out four. His outing was undone by the Cougars’ focused second-inning rally and the subsequent Mitchell homer.

The victory extended SIU Edwardsville’s winning streak to four games and completed a dominant opening conference series where they outscored Tennessee Tech 20-4 over the three games. The Golden Eagles have now lost five straight games.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tennessee Tech 2, SIU Edwardsville 8, while its ELO system gave the Cougars a 51.20 percent probability to win prior to first pitch.

SIU Edwardsville travels to face Southern Indiana for a three-game series starting Thursday. Tennessee Tech visits Western Kentucky for a non-conference game on Tuesday before hosting Eastern Illinois for an OVC series beginning Thursday.