EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Interstat) — A back-and-forth Ohio Valley Conference series opener that stretched 11 innings saw the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks outlast the SIU Edwardsville Cougars 8-7 on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Roy E. Lee Field at Simmons Baseball Complex.

Tennessee-Martin broke a 5-5 deadlock in the top of the 10th, but SIU Edwardsville answered immediately, forcing extra innings again before the Skyhawks seized control in the 11th and held on.

The game featured eight home runs and several lead changes, with the decisive blow coming off the bat of Tennessee-Martin’s Greene, who launched a two-run homer to deep center field in the top of the 11th, scoring Popick and putting the Skyhawks ahead 8-6.

SIU Edwardsville’s Mack Mitchell made it interesting in the bottom of the 11th, crushing his second home run of the game — a solo shot to left field — to bring the Cougars within 8-7. But the rally stalled when Eggert singled but was stranded as Hepburn flied out and Franck fouled out to end the game.

The Skyhawks jumped on the board early. After a scoreless first three innings, Tennessee-Martin struck in the top of the third when Lawrence singled to left to drive in Strickland, who had reached on a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth, when Garner Anderson crushed a two-run homer to deep center, scoring Greene, who had walked, to extend the lead to 3-0.

SIU Edwardsville answered in the bottom of the fifth. Mitchell led off with a solo homer to left, his first of the game. Eggert tripled down the right-field line and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kang, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Tennessee-Martin got a run back in the sixth on an RBI single by Popick that scored Payton, making it 4-2. But the Cougars countered in the bottom half when Ryan Niedzwiedz homered to right, pulling within 4-3.

The Skyhawks extended the lead in the seventh. After Strickland singled and stole second, Grines reached on an infield single and later scored on a throwing error, making it 5-3.

SIU Edwardsville tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Mitchell singled, stole second, and scored on a single by Fry, making it 5-4. After a pitching change, the Cougars loaded the bases but Gierer lined out to third to end the inning, still trailing by one. However, the Cougars pulled even later.

Tennessee-Martin starting pitcher Maxwell Schumacher worked seven innings, allowing four earned runs on zero hits — a statistical anomaly that included three walks and two throwing errors — while striking out five. He exited with a 5-4 lead but did not factor in the decision after the Cougars tied it in the eighth.

Reliever Will Turner tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings for Tennessee-Martin, striking out one. Mason Little earned the win after pitching 1 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run — Mitchell’s second homer.

For SIU Edwardsville, starter Tim Teixeira went five innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Noah Johnson followed with three innings, giving up one earned run on four hits. Easton Harris worked two innings, allowing one earned run on three hits. Martin took the loss, surrendering the two-run homer to Greene.

Mitchell finished 3 for 5 with two home runs and two RBIs. Anderson went 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Daniel Gierer homered for the Cougars, and Niedzwiedz also went deep.

Tennessee-Martin improved to 24-27 overall; SIU Edwardsville fell to 32-22.

The series continues Saturday with the second game of the three-game set.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tennessee-Martin 5, SIU Edwardsville 8, and its ELO system gave the Cougars a 70.90 percent probability to win.