CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Interstat) — Josiah Hall homered twice and drove in five runs, and Nathan Mertens pitched a complete game as Southeast Missouri State defeated SIU Edwardsville 10-3 in an Ohio Valley Conference game Friday night at Capaha Field.

Hall, the Redhawks left fielder, went 4 for 5 with a solo home run in the fourth inning and a grand slam in the fifth that broke open a tie game. Mertens allowed four hits and two earned runs while striking out eight in nine innings.

Southeast Missouri State improved to 30-12 overall. SIU Edwardsville fell to 22-20.

The Cougars grabbed an early lead in the top of the second inning when second baseman Mack Mitchell homered to center field. SIU Edwardsville held the 1-0 lead through three innings as starting pitcher Tim Teixeira worked effectively.

Southeast Missouri State tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Hall launched a solo home run to right-center. The Redhawks took a 2-1 lead later in the inning when third baseman Carson Schrack grounded out to second base, scoring a run that was unearned because of a SIU Edwardsville error.

The decisive inning came in the bottom of the fifth. Redhawks catcher Tank Sims led off with a solo home run to right field to tie the game 2-2. After a single by Ben Kettering, a hit by pitch to Cole Klein and a single through the left side by Chase Sullivan loaded the bases, Hall delivered his second home run of the game, a grand slam to right-center that cleared the bases and put Southeast Missouri State ahead 6-2. The Redhawks added another run in the inning to make it 7-2.

SIU Edwardsville scratched across a run in the top of the seventh on a single by Logan Heyder, but the Cougars could not sustain a rally. Southeast Missouri State tacked on two more runs in the seventh on a walk to Schrack with the bases loaded and a sacrifice fly by Sims, extending the lead to 9-2.

The Redhawks added a run in the eighth when first baseman Dakota Joggerst singled to right field, driving in Klein, who had reached on a hit by pitch and advanced on a wild pitch.

SIU Edwardsville scored a final run in the top of the ninth when first baseman Ryan Niedzwiedz homered to right field, driving in two runs, but the Cougars could not close the gap.

Teixeira took the loss, allowing six earned runs on no hits in five-plus innings, though he walked six and struck out four. SIU Edwardsville used four pitchers, including Noah Johnson, who pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and Joseph Martin, who recorded two strikeouts in two-thirds of an inning.

For Southeast Missouri State, Sims went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs. Joggerst had two hits and drove in a run. Schrack drove in two runs despite going 0 for 4.

Hall’s performance continued a strong recent stretch. In his previous four games, Hall had gone 1 for 4 with a home run and an RBI against Southern Illinois, 2 for 5 with a home run and an RBI at Tennessee Tech, 1 for 4 at Tennessee Tech and 0 for 3 at Tennessee Tech.

SIU Edwardsville had won four of its previous six games entering Friday, including an 11-5 victory at Missouri on Tuesday, but had lost two of three at Western Illinois the weekend prior. Southeast Missouri State had won seven of its last nine games, including a 5-1 home win over Southern Illinois on Tuesday.

The teams continue the three-game series Saturday afternoon at Capaha Field. SIU Edwardsville then travels to Evansville on Tuesday, while Southeast Missouri State hosts Missouri on Tuesday. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Southeast Missouri State 7, SIU Edwardsville 6, and the Interstat ELO system gave Southeast Missouri State a 64.70 percent probability to win.