PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Interstat) — Defying pregame projections, the Columbia Lions erupted for 11 runs on 15 hits to rout the Brown Bears 11-2 in the first game of an Ivy League doubleheader on Saturday at Murray Stadium.

The victory, which came against a statistical model that heavily favored Columbia but a scoreline simulator that predicted a Brown win, improved the Lions to 9-20 overall. Brown fell to 17-14.

The game’s decisive sequence occurred in the top of the third inning, breaking open what had been a tight contest. After Brown scratched across a run in the first on DJ Dillehay’s RBI double, Columbia’s offense ignited. Jack Estabrook led off the third with a single, and after a fielder’s choice, Anton Kail launched a two-run homer down the right field line off Bears starter Drew Nelson to give the Lions a lead they would not relinquish.

Columbia continued to apply pressure, adding three more runs in the fourth. Skye Brewer led off with a solo home run to right field. Later in the inning, Nate Snyder drove in a run with a double and came home on a double by Noah Slabaugh, pushing the lead to 5-1.

The Lions broke the game open with a four-run eighth inning, chasing reliever Brenden Kline. The rally featured an RBI single by Griffin Fellows and a two-run double by Brewer, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, driving in three runs total. Will Chadwell added another run-scoring single in the frame, his fourth hit of the game.

Brown’s offense, which managed seven hits, was stifled after its first-inning run. The Bears grounded into two double plays and left multiple runners on base, including two in scoring position in the sixth inning. They did not score again until the ninth, when Christian Butera delivered an RBI single with two outs.

Nelson took the loss for Brown, lasting 6 2/3 innings and allowing six earned runs on 12 hits. Ian Keusch provided a bright spot in relief for the Bears, tossing 1 1/3 perfect innings. Columbia starter Santana earned the win, pitching seven strong innings and allowing just one run on five hits before turning the game over to the bullpen.

The most important part of the game was Columbia’s immediate and sustained response to Brown’s early lead. The Bears scored in the bottom of the first, but the Lions’ offense, which has been inconsistent this season, answered forcefully in the third and fourth innings. Kail’s two-run homer in the third not only erased the deficit but shifted all momentum to the visitors. The subsequent three-run fourth inning, capped by back-to-back doubles, demonstrated a relentless offensive approach that buried Brown early and set the tone for the lopsided result. This early outburst allowed Columbia to play from ahead comfortably, while Brown’s lineup never mounted a serious threat thereafter.

The teams were scheduled to conclude the doubleheader later Saturday.