Dillard bats erupt late, outlast SUNO 27–9 in wild road win

NEW ORLEANS — Dillard University turned a back-and-forth slugfest into a runaway Tuesday night, exploding for 13 runs in the eighth inning to pull away from the SUNO Knights, 27–9, at 6401 Press Dr.

Dillard piled up 22 hits, drew seven walks, and capitalized on five SUNO errors to post one of its most productive offensive nights of the season. After SUNO surged with a five-run third to briefly seize momentum, the Bleu Devils steadied, regained control in the fourth, then blew the game open with a relentless final-frame rally.

Dillard struck early. Eddie Velazquez opened the scoring with an RBI double, and RayJ Rose followed with the decisive early blow— a grand slam to center in the first inning that immediately put Dillard's offense in attack mode.

SUNO answered in the bottom of the first with three runs, including a sacrifice fly and a two-run single, foreshadowing a night where neither team would stay quiet for long.

Dillard kept adding on in the second and third, but SUNO's biggest push came in the third inning, highlighted by a Miles Bowens home run and a string of traffic that helped the Knights post five runs in the frame.

From there, Dillard's lineup began to separate. Key extra-base hits and steady pressure produced runs in the fourth and seventh, setting the stage for the decisive finish.

Dillard's 13-run eighth was fueled by a mix of timely singles, walks, hit-by-pitches, and defensive miscues—an inning that seemed to reset with every batter. The stretch included runs driven in by Mike Lewis, Ronaldo Rivera, K'Wality Williams, and Rose, as Dillard sent wave after wave to the plate and turned a competitive game into a rout.

Standout performers
- RayJ Rose delivered the headline line: 3-for-3, a home run, a double, two walks, and 7 RBIs while scoring three times.
- Mike Lewis was a constant table-setter and finisher: 4-for-7, 4 RBIs, 2 runs.
- Ronaldo Rivera went 4-for-7 with a double and 3 RBIs.
- Noah Riley logged 3 hits in 7 at-bats, including a double, with 3 RBIs and 4 runs scored.
- Christopher Owens Jr. reached base repeatedly (2 hits, 3 walks), scored five runs, and drove in two.

In total, Dillard recorded 24 RBIs on 27 runs, showing production throughout the order rather than relying on one hot spot in the lineup.

On the mound, Dillard pieced together the win after a bumpy start. Starter Aidan Nickles lasted 2.1 innings, allowing SUNO's early surge. But reliever Trenton Rosebourgh steadied the game and earned the win, tossing 5.2 innings of relief while allowing just one run on three hits, striking out three.

SUNO, meanwhile, cycled through multiple arms as Dillard's pressure mounted, with the final inning proving especially costly.

Dillard's effort was defined by persistence: early power, steady run creation, and then a finishing blow that left no doubt. The 27-run outburst underscored a lineup capable of punishing mistakes and sustaining rallies—especially when the game tightens late.

-Bleu Devils-