DAYTON, Ohio (Interstat) — The Dayton Flyers’ offense erupted for seven runs in the third inning and never looked back, cruising to a 12-5 victory over the Maine Black Bears in a nonconference baseball game Friday at Woerner Field.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded in the evening, saw the Flyers (10-3) overcome an early deficit with a relentless attack, amassing 11 hits to just two for the Black Bears (2-11). The outcome defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which had forecast a 7-1 Dayton win and gave the Flyers a 64.9% probability of victory.

Maine stunned the home crowd in the first inning when Hunter St. Denis launched a solo home run to left-center field, providing an immediate lead for the struggling Black Bears. That early advantage, however, proved to be the highlight for a Maine offense that was otherwise stifled.

The trajectory of the game shifted decisively in the bottom of the third inning. Dayton’s lineup batted around, turning a 5-0 deficit into a 7-5 lead. The rally started with back-to-back singles from Dyrenson Wouters and Tyler Ahlers. Danny MacDougall then drove in the Flyers’ first run with a double down the left-field line. After a walk loaded the bases, Colin Lynch delivered a two-run single up the middle to cut the lead to 5-3. A run-scoring single from Jayden Bello made it 5-4 before Bobby Stang capped the explosive frame with a three-run homer to left-center, putting Dayton ahead for good.

The Flyers extended their lead with three more runs in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, Wouters cleared them with a three-run double down the left-field line. MacDougall followed with an RBI double to center, pushing the lead to 11-5. Dayton added its final run in the seventh when MacDougall singled home Wouters, who had doubled.

Maine’s only other offense came via solo home runs. St. Denis hit his second of the game in the sixth inning, and Troy Carpenter followed with a back-to-back shot. In the ninth, Quinn Murphy hit a two-run homer off reliever Jack Zimmerman for the Black Bears’ final runs. Those three solo shots and Murphy’s two-run blast accounted for all of Maine’s scoring and half of its total hits.

Dayton starter Sawyer Jensen earned the win, navigating five innings and allowing three runs on just two hits — the two solo homers in the sixth. He walked two and struck out four. Austin McNabb and Zimmerman combined for four innings of relief.

Maine starter Gianni Gamba took the loss, surrendering seven runs on six hits in three innings. Thomas Stabley provided a bright spot for the Black Bears out of the bullpen, throwing two scoreless innings with a strikeout.

The most important part of the game was undoubtedly Dayton’s seven-run third inning. It completely erased Maine’s early momentum, demonstrated the depth and power of the Flyers’ lineup, and established a commanding lead that the Black Bears, with their anemic offense outside of the home run, had no hope of overcoming. The inning transformed a potential upset into a comfortable victory, setting the tone for the remainder of the series.

The teams are scheduled to continue their three-game series Saturday afternoon at Woerner Field.