A Night of Power Hitting at Simmons Baseball Complex
May 14, 2026 will be remembered as the evening the SIUE Cougars surged to an 8‑2 victory over the UT Martin Skyhawks on their home diamond at Simmons Baseball Complex.
The Skyhawks drew first blood when TJ Grines launched a solo homer in the opening frame, but the Cougars answered swiftly. A misplay in the third inning allowed Sean Kang to reach second, gifting Cooper Eggert a timely score.
Ryan Niedzwiedz followed with a clutch double that plated two runs, and Joshua Heyder added his own two‑run blast later in the same inning, flipping the lead.
Andrew Lawrence’s fifth‑inning single drove in Garner Anderson, extending the cushion, while Heyder’s eighth‑inning homer added another two markers to the tally.
The late surge continued as Kang’s single brought in Mack Mitchell and kept Cooper Eggert on base, and Gage Franck’s sacrifice bunt capped the scoring sequence.
With contributions from a deep roster that included Colten Payton, Andrew Dunsford, JT Popick, Cameron Greene, Tommy Koch, and many others, the Cougars secured the win and improved their standing in the conference race.