Missouri State University is the only Missouri Valley Conference school with more losses than wins.

SIU Baseball (14-12, 1-2) had its first conference series at Missouri State University (13-14, 3-3) during the weekend.

Junior Sam Coonrod (0-3) started his seventh game of the season. The Salukis committed five errors Friday, a season high. Those errors added up to give the Salukis an 8-3 loss.

Coach Ken Henderson said it was Coonrod’s best start this season. Coonrod gave up five runs in five innings, but only one of them was earned because of errors. Coonrod recorded 11 strikeouts, a career-high.

“The errors were absolutely the difference in the ballgame,” Henderson said in a Saluki Athletics press release. “Who are you going to beat when you make five errors? By my count, six of those runs were gifts. Without a doubt that’s the story of the game.”

Coonrod was taken out after five innings because he was at 108 pitches. He was relieved by freshman Chad Whitmer (2-0), who gave up three runs and put the game out of reach.

Senior shortstop Jake Welch had a five-game hitting streak snapped after going hitless Friday.

Freshman Connor Kopach earned his first collegiate career start at shortstop on Saturday because Welch was feeling under the weather. Kopach batted in the leadoff position and went 2 for 4, which contributed to the Salukis 9-5 win.

Senior Todd Eaton (1-2) earned his seventh start and gave up four runs. Eaton struck out six and walked two in seven innings pitched.

The Salukis were tied at four when the game went to extra innings.

In the 11th inning, junior outfielder Parker Osborne broke the tie with an RBI single to score freshman Will Farmer. The Salukis went on to score four more runs in the inning to give the Salukis their first conference win of the season.

“I was just looking for something up that I could drive,” Osborne said in a Saluki Athletics press release. “I made an adjustment from my previous at-bats and ended up smoking one up the middle. It was one of those games that you’re just waiting for something to go your way, so it was nice for that to happen.”

Junior Aaron Hauge (3-1) started his sixth game of the season Sunday. Hauge has won his last two decisions, both of those wins were rubber games. It wasn’t in the cards for Hauge Sunday, as the Salukis fell 6-5.

Hauge had a streak of 16 scoreless innings before giving up a two-run home run to sophomore outfielder Tate Matheny. Matheny was selected to the preseason All-Conference team.

The Salukis were able to take a 3-2 lead in the second inning. They had a 5-3 lead in the seventh before Matheny hit his second home run to tie the game.

“We didn’t want to just put him on because he was the tying run,” Henderson said. “We tried to pitch around him a little bit. If we walked him that’s fine, we just made a mistake the very first pitch.”

The game went to extras and the Salukis gave up the game-winning run on a wild pitch from senior Tyler Dray.

The Salukis play the University of Missouri Tuesday in O’Fallon, Mo.