MARION, Ill. (Interstat) — Arkansas-Little Rock used a four-run third inning and a strong bullpen performance to defeat SIU Edwardsville 7-5 on Saturday afternoon in the Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Championship at Marion.

The Trojans improved to 34-26 overall, while the Cougars fell to 33-24. Arkansas-Little Rock’s win avenged a 4-3 loss to SIU Edwardsville two days earlier in the tournament and gave the Trojans a 2-1 edge in the season series.

Nico Baumbach led the Trojans’ offense, going 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. The designated hitter’s solo shot to left in the second inning opened the scoring. Baumbach added an RBI single in the third and singled again in the fifth and seventh. He has hit safely in five consecutive games.

The game’s decisive sequence came in the top of the third after SIU Edwardsville had taken a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second. With one out, Hill walked. Cooper Chaplain followed with a two-run homer to deep right, his seventh of the season, putting the Trojans ahead 3-3. After a strikeout and a hit batter, Simpson doubled down the left-field line to drive in Smith, and Baumbach singled to bring home Simpson, making it 5-3.

Arkansas-Little Rock tacked on single runs in the fourth and sixth innings. In the fourth, Smith’s fielder’s choice brought home Hill. In the sixth, Lopez singled, stole second and scored on Freund’s single up the middle, extending the lead to 7-3.

SIU Edwardsville answered in the bottom of the fifth when Heyder singled to left to score Bloomer, cutting the deficit to 7-4. The Cougars pulled within two in the sixth when Niedzwiedz grounded out to second, plating Kang. But SIU Edwardsville could get no closer.

The Trojans’ pitching staff limited the Cougars to five runs on 12 hits while striking out 14. Gage Haley started in relief of starter Busick and worked 3.1 innings, allowing one earned run on no hits while striking out three. Isaac Evaniew followed with two innings, giving up one earned run on no hits with two strikeouts. Tag Andrews earned the save by pitching the final two innings, allowing no hits and no runs while striking out four. Andrews retired six of the seven batters he faced.

For SIU Edwardsville, Brennen Grams pitched 3.1 innings in relief, allowing one earned run on five hits with three strikeouts. Easton Harris and Joseph Martin each threw scoreless innings. Chase Bloomer went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run. Daniel Gierer had two hits, including an RBI double.

The Cougars outhit the Trojans 12-9 but stranded eight runners and struck out 14 times. Arkansas-Little Rock’s defense committed one error, but it did not lead to a run.

The win keeps the Trojans alive in the double-elimination tournament. Arkansas-Little Rock is scheduled to face Eastern Illinois later Saturday. SIU Edwardsville was eliminated from the championship.

No betting line or over-under information was available for this game.