DALLAS (Interstat) — The Liberty Flames erupted for 14 runs over the third and fourth innings, turning a tight Conference USA series opener into a 17-3 rout of the Dallas Baptist Patriots on Friday night at Ellis Davis Field House.

The game’s most critical sequence came in the top of the third inning. Holding a narrow 1-0 lead after a second-inning solo homer from Jaxon Sorenson, the Flames (27-10, 1-0 CUSA) broke the game open. They sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs on five hits and two walks. The rally was capped by a two-run homer from Easton Swofford, his first of the season, which stretched the lead to 8-0.

Liberty was far from done. In the fourth, they batted around again, sending 15 men to the plate and scoring another seven runs—only three of which were earned due to a key Dallas Baptist error. The inning featured six hits, three walks, two wild pitches and a passed ball. Swofford delivered another two-run single, while Riley DeCandido, Landon Scilley, Kyle Hvidsten, Josh Campos and Tanner Marsh all drove in runs. When the dust settled, Liberty led 15-2.

The offensive onslaught, which produced 16 total hits, made a winner of starter Ben Blair, who was named the top star. Blair (5-0) delivered five strong innings, allowing two earned runs on just two hits while striking out seven. The two hits were consequential—a single to Ben Tryon in the first and a two-run homer to Chayton Krauss in the second—but Blair otherwise silenced the Patriots’ bats, rebounding effectively from a tough outing the previous week.

Sorenson led the Flames’ hit parade, going 4 for 5 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. Swofford finished 2 for 4 with the homer and four RBIs. DeCandido went 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Marsh was 2 for 3 with an RBI and three runs scored.

For Dallas Baptist (22-16, 0-1), Krauss provided the early highlight with his two-run shot in the second. Luke Pettitte added a solo homer in the seventh off reliever Jackson Evans. Patriots starter Liam Watt (2-3) took the loss, surrendering eight earned runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. Relievers Jerrod Jenkins and Tate Hess struggled to stop the bleeding in the fourth. Dillon Haines provided a bright spot with two scoreless innings of relief, striking out five, and Avery Duncan added a perfect seventh with two strikeouts.

Liberty relievers Kaleb Smith and Jackson Evans closed out the final two innings, combining for four strikeouts.

The result defied pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a narrow 8-7 Liberty victory, while its ELO system gave Dallas Baptist a 63.3% probability to win.

The win extends Liberty’s strong recent form, while the Patriots saw a three-game winning streak snapped. The two teams continue the three-game series Saturday afternoon.