CHARLESTON, Ill. (Interstat) — Spencer Stearns pitched six innings of no-hit baseball and Chase Bloomer homered twice to lead SIU Edwardsville to a 3-2 victory over Eastern Illinois on Friday afternoon in an Ohio Valley Conference matchup at Coaches Stadium at Monier Field.

Stearns, a right-hander, allowed one earned run with three strikeouts and did not surrender a hit before exiting after the sixth inning. His performance set the tone for a Cougars staff that combined to hold the Panthers to five hits. SIU Edwardsville improved to 28-21 overall and 28-16 in league play, while Eastern Illinois fell to 28-16.

The Cougars scored first in the top of the sixth inning. Cooper Eggert singled and later scored on a single to left by Bloomer. In the seventh, Mack Mitchell belted a solo home run to left center to make it 2-1. Bloomer added his second homer of the afternoon in the eighth, a solo shot to left center off reliever James Geshel, giving SIU Edwardsville a 3-2 lead.

Eastern Illinois answered quickly after each Cougars rally. In the bottom of the second, an error by SIU Edwardsville shortstop Chase Bloomer allowed Zak Goodwin to reach third, and Quade Peters plated him with a sacrifice fly to right. The Panthers tied the game in the fourth when Mike O’Conor homered down the left field line.

Tyler Conklin started for Eastern Illinois and worked seven innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts. He kept the Panthers in the game before giving way to Geshel, who surrendered Bloomer’s decisive homer.

The Cougars bullpen preserved the lead. Joseph Martin struck out three in 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Easton Harris closed with 1 2/3 hitless innings, striking out one. Harris earned the save.

SIU Edwardsville managed only five hits but made them count. Bloomer finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Mitchell was 1 for 4 with a homer and an RBI. Ethan Willoughby went 0 for 4. For Eastern Illinois, O’Conor was 1 for 4 with a homer, and Peters was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Brett Stanley reached base twice and stole a base but was caught stealing.

The game featured two defensive errors, one by each side, and Eastern Illinois executed two sacrifice bunts. The Panthers outhit the Cougars five to five, but SIU Edwardsville’s three solo homers proved decisive.

The most critical moment came in the top of the eighth when Bloomer’s second homer gave the Cougars the lead for good, after Eastern Illinois had tied the game in the fourth. The Panthers threatened in the seventh, putting a runner on third with one out, but Stearns and reliever Joseph Martin escaped the jam.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Eastern Illinois 7, SIU Edwardsville 6, and its ELO system gave the Panthers a 55.40 percent probability to win.