DALLAS (Interstat) — The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns capitalized on early offense and weathered a powerful rebuttal from Dallas Baptist to secure an 11-6 victory in a nonconference baseball game Saturday evening.

The win improved Louisiana-Lafayette’s record to 12-3, while Dallas Baptist fell to 8-7. The teams will conclude their three-game series Sunday.

The Ragin’ Cajuns established command from the outset, scoring three runs in the first inning off Patriots starter Jared Schaeffer. Drew Mark walked and scored on an RBI single from Rigoberto Hernandez. Lee Amedee, who singled, then came home on a run-scoring hit from Colt Brown.

Louisiana-Lafayette starter JR Tollett held the Patriots hitless through three innings, and his offense added to the lead in the third when Donovan LaSalle launched a solo home run to left field, making it 4-0.

The game’s pivotal shift came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Tollett’s no-hit bid and shutout vanished abruptly as Dallas Baptist rallied for five runs. After a walk and a fielder’s choice, Chayton Krauss delivered an RBI single for the Patriots’ first run. Following another single to load the bases, Ryan Martin crushed a grand slam over the right-field fence, suddenly pulling Dallas Baptist within a single run at 5-4.

The Ragin’ Cajuns responded immediately in the top of the sixth, however, to reclaim control. After Schaeffer departed, the Louisiana-Lafayette batters worked a series of walks against the Dallas Baptist bullpen. A double steal allowed Colt Brown to score, and with the bases loaded, consecutive walks to pinch-hitter Mark Collins, Drew Mark and Lee Amedee forced in three more runs, extending the lead to 9-5.

Dallas Baptist’s Dylan Schlaegel hit a solo homer in the seventh to trim the deficit to 9-6, but the Ragin’ Cajuns put the game out of reach in the eighth. Amedee delivered the decisive blow, a two-run single up the middle that scored Mark Collins and Donovan LaSalle, pushing the advantage to 11-6.

The most important part of the game was Louisiana-Lafayette’s immediate answer to Dallas Baptist’s grand slam. The Patriots’ four-run blast by Ryan Martin in the fourth inning completely changed the momentum, turning a comfortable 4-0 lead into a tense 5-4 contest. Instead of faltering, the Ragin’ Cajuns manufactured a five-run sixth inning, largely through patience and discipline, drawing four walks in the frame to rebuild a multi-run cushion and ultimately halt the Patriots’ surge.

Following Tollett, the Louisiana-Lafayette bullpen sealed the win. Ty Roman allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings, and Parker Smith pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings of relief with one strikeout.

Amedee finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs for Louisiana-Lafayette. LaSalle drove in two runs, including his homer. For Dallas Baptist, Martin’s four RBIs on the grand slam led the offense.

Both teams collected eight hits in the game. Louisiana-Lafayette’s ability to draw 12 walks and three hit-by-pitches proved critical, providing constant traffic on the bases throughout the evening.