DALLAS (Interstat) — Rigoberto Hernandez launched a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to break a tie, and reliever Garret Carter delivered three and one-third innings of scoreless, hitless relief to seal a 6-5 victory for the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns over the Dallas Baptist Patriots on Friday night at Ellis Davis Field House.

The win improved the Ragin’ Cajuns to 11-3 this season, while the Patriots fell to 8-6.

The most critical juncture of the game came in the bottom of the sixth inning, with Louisiana-Lafayette clinging to a 6-4 lead. After starter Andrew Herrmann allowed a solo homer to Adam Berghult and a single to Dylan Cupp, he was replaced by Tyler Papenbrock with no outs. Papenbrock recorded a flyout but then walked Cooper Neville, putting the tying runs on base. Carter entered the game with runners on first and second and one out.

Carter immediately walked Jake Bennett to load the bases, then walked Ryan Martin to force in a run, cutting the lead to 6-5. With the bases still loaded and the go-ahead run in scoring position, Carter induced a flyout from Chayton Krauss to escape the inning with the lead intact. He then proceeded to shut down the Patriots’ offense the rest of the way, allowing just one baserunner on a fielder’s choice over the final three innings.

Herrmann earned the win despite a turbulent outing, striking out nine over five innings but allowing five earned runs on nine hits, including three home runs. Carter’s dominant relief effort, in which he allowed no hits and just the one inherited runner to score, was the stabilizing force for the Cajuns.

Dallas Baptist starter Russ Smith took the loss, surrendering four earned runs on eight hits over six innings of work. The Patriots’ bullpen, featuring strong outings from Athan Kroll and JT Long, kept the game close. Kroll threw two scoreless innings, and Long struck out three in the ninth but allowed Hernandez’s decisive homer.

Louisiana-Lafayette built an early lead with a solo home run from Kasen Bellard in the third inning and a two-run single from Colt Brown in the fourth. Donovan LaSalle added a solo shot in the fifth, and Lee Amedee drove in a run with a single in the seventh.

Dallas Baptist’s offense was powered by the long ball. Dylan Schlaegel hit a two-run homer in the fourth, Martin added a solo shot in the fifth, and Berghult contributed his solo blast in the sixth during the Patriots’ rally.

The game was a contrast to pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had predicted an 8-5 Louisiana-Lafayette victory, while its ELO system gave Dallas Baptist a 65.3 percent probability to win.

Louisiana-Lafayette finished with 11 hits to Dallas Baptist’s nine. The teams will continue their three-game series on Saturday.