DAYTON, Ohio (Interstat) — In a wild offensive display that defied pregame projections, the Dayton Flyers erupted for 15 runs over the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to storm past the Fordham Rams 17-9 in Atlantic 10 Conference baseball action Saturday at Woerner Field.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded in the evening, saw the Flyers pound out 18 hits to overcome an early five-run deficit and even the weekend series. Fordham fell to 13-16 overall, while Dayton improved to 17-12.

The contest turned decisively in a marathon bottom of the seventh inning, which stood as the game’s most critical sequence. Entering the frame trailing 9-7, the Flyers sent 15 batters to the plate and scored eight runs on seven hits to seize control. The inning featured a three-run homer by designated hitter Colin Lynch that gave Dayton its first lead at 10-9, and a two-run single by Mason Smith that capped the outburst. Dayton batted around before recording an out and cycled through three Fordham pitchers.

Dayton’s offensive stars were numerous. Shortstop Dyrenson Wouters went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, a walk and four RBIs. Third baseman Jason Bello, the top star for Dayton, broke out of a recent slump with two home runs, including a two-run shot in the eighth, and three RBIs. Second baseman Danny MacDougall finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3 for 5 with a homer, a double, a triple and two RBIs. Lynch drove in three runs with his homer, and left fielder Aiden Heberlie was a perfect 3 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs before being lifted for a pinch-runner.

Fordham built its early lead with two runs in the second and three more in the third, capitalizing on eight hits off Dayton starter J. Whiteside. The Rams finished with 14 hits. Catcher Tommy McAndrews led the way, going 3 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs. Outfielder Mason Dean homered and drove in a run, and Caden Young contributed three RBIs.

The Flyers began chipping away with solo homers from Heberlie and MacDougall in the third. They added two more in the fourth on an RBI double from Wouters and a run-scoring single from Heberlie. The sixth inning saw Dayton draw closer on a two-run homer from Wouters and a solo blast from Bello, setting the stage for the game-altering seventh.

Pitcher James Heller provided critical relief for Dayton, entering in the third inning and throwing two hitless, scoreless frames to stem Fordham’s momentum. Mason LaBuda followed later with 2 2/3 innings of relief to earn the win.

Fordham starter Chase Hanawalt took the loss, charged with seven earned runs over 5 1/3 innings despite allowing only five hits.

The result flipped the script from both Friday’s series opener, which Dayton won 5-3, and the pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 6-3 Fordham victory, while its ELO system gave Dayton a 59.4% probability to win.

The teams conclude the three-game series Sunday afternoon.