DAYTON, Ohio (Interstat) — The Dayton Flyers’ offense erupted early and often, overcoming a unique eight-run deficit before the first pitch to pound the Toledo Rockets 18-8 in a nonconference baseball game Wednesday at Woerner Field.

The game began under the most unusual of circumstances. Per a pregame ruling by the umpiring crew, Toledo was assessed an eight-run penalty for a violation of NCAA equipment protocol, placing the Rockets in an immediate 8-0 lead as the contest commenced in the bottom of the first inning.

Undeterred, the Flyers immediately set about dismantling the artificial margin. Dayton sent nine men to the plate in the first, scoring four runs on three hits, including a two-run single by catcher Martin Howell. The Flyers then seized the actual lead for good in a five-run second inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from second baseman Danny MacDougall. Howell capped the rally with a two-run blast to right-center, his third hit in two innings, giving Dayton a 9-8 advantage and chasing Toledo starter Giesige.

Howell finished 3 for 4 with a home run and five RBIs, solidifying his status as Dayton’s top star. MacDougall went 2 for 3 with the three-run homer and three RBIs, while left fielder Colin Lynch drove in three runs on a 3-for-4 day that included two doubles.

Toledo briefly threatened in the third when catcher Ty O’Brien hit a two-run homer to left, tying the game at 9-9. The Rockets added another run on an RBI single from Scholvin to retake a fleeting 10-9 lead. Dayton responded immediately in the bottom of the fourth, with Lynch and Grayson Carpenter delivering RBI doubles to push the Flyers ahead 11-10.

From there, Dayton’s bullpen silenced the Rocket bats and the offense pulled away. Reliever Carson Samuels was pivotal, entering in the fourth and throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit to earn the win. Dayton added two runs in the fifth on Howell’s RBI single and a double steal, then broke the game open with a four-run seventh inning, keyed by Lynch’s RBI single and a two-run double from Stang.

Toledo’s final push came in a chaotic top of the seventh, where they scored five runs on five hits against three Dayton relievers to close to 15-13, but Michael Fortes entered to record the final out and strand two runners. Dayton answered with three in the bottom half to seal the rout.

Toledo reliever Braden Curry provided a bright spot with 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief, striking out five, though he was charged with two earned runs. John Hojnowski also threw a scoreless inning for the Rockets.

The most important sequence of the game was Dayton’s immediate and forceful response to the unprecedented eight-run penalty in the first two innings. Rather than being demoralized, the Flyers treated the 8-0 score as a challenge, aggressively battering Toledo pitching for nine runs on eight hits to not only erase the deficit but take a commanding lead they would never relinquish. This early explosion set the tone for the entire offensive onslaught.

Dayton (5-2) collected 17 hits in the victory. Toledo (1-6) managed 11 hits but continued its early-season struggles. The result far exceeded the projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 7-2 Dayton win, and surpassed the ELO system’s probability of a 53.30 percent chance of a Flyers victory.

Dayton travels to face Ohio on Friday to begin a four-game home-and-home series. Toledo opens a four-game series at Lipscomb on Friday.