ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — The Saint Louis Billikens erupted for five runs in a chaotic second inning and never looked back, cruising to a 9-1 victory over the Dayton Flyers in the first game of an Atlantic 10 Conference doubleheader on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The game turned decisively in the bottom of the second. Dayton starter J. Delgado, who had navigated a bases-loaded jam in the first, unraveled after a defensive miscue. Saint Louis’ J. Crabbe reached on catcher’s interference to lead off the frame. After a strikeout and a walk loaded the bases, I. Blazier cleared them with a two-run triple to right field, scoring Crabbe and I. Halverson. The hit ended Delgado’s day, as he was relieved by C. Samuels.

The pitching change did not stem the tide. Samuels immediately walked D. Kleinheide, and R. Iffrig followed with an RBI single to score Blazier. A wild pitch and another walk reloaded the bases before H. Gomric and J. Canzoni drew consecutive run-scoring walks to push the lead to 5-0. The Billikens sent 11 men to the plate in the inning, capitalizing on two hits, five walks, and the critical error.

Saint Louis starter T. Holman was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst. He worked six strong innings, allowing just one unearned run on three hits while striking out four and walking two to earn the win. The Billikens’ offense provided relentless pressure, drawing 14 walks and being hit by two pitches to supplement their nine hits.

Dayton’s lone run came in the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter A. Heberlie was hit by a pitch, stole second, and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. Colin Lynch then delivered an RBI single up the middle to break up the shutout. Lynch finished 1-for-2 with the RBI, one of only four Dayton hits on the day. Jason Bello, Dyrenson Wouters, and Ryan MacDougall had the others.

The Billikens added insurance late, scoring three times in the seventh. Two runs came on a two-run single by M. Arnold, and another scored on a wild pitch during the same at-bat. Gomric led Saint Louis with two hits and two RBIs, while Iffrig and Blazier each drove in a run. Kleinheide scored twice despite not recording a hit, drawing four walks.

The loss dropped Dayton to 13-6 overall and 0-2 in the conference series, while Saint Louis improved to 9-11 and 2-0 in A-10 play. The teams were scheduled to conclude the doubleheader later Saturday.

The most important part of the game was undoubtedly the bottom of the second inning. With the score still close at 1-0, the Billikens transformed the contest by exploiting shaky Dayton control and a key defensive mistake. The five-run outburst, fueled by Blazier’s pivotal two-run triple and a parade of free passes, provided Holman with a commanding lead he would not relinquish and set the tone for a decisive Saint Louis victory.