MARSHALL, Texas -- Dane Jones broke the ASC career record for home runs and Aman Patel allowed one hit over six innings as the LeTourneau baseball team opened a four-game series with a 9-1 win over Howard Payne on Saturday night.

LeTourneau (12-12, 4-1 ASC) has won six of the last seven games.

Jones hit a mammoth three-run home run to left field in the second inning to give LeTourneau a 5-0 lead. The home run was the 46th of his career, setting an American Southwest Conference career record. It was Jones' fifth of the season. 

LeTourneau grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning. After Jones reached on a three-base error, Xander Nabors doubled to left to bring Jones home for a 1-0 lead. Jack Kale followed later in the frame with a double of his own to make it 2-0.

Hayden Norris slammed a two-run home run in the third inning, his second homer of the season, to extend the margin to 7-1. Norris finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

That was plenty of offense for Patel (1-4). The left-hander notched his first win of the season as he allowed just one run on one hit in six innings of work. Patel struck out a season-high eight strikeouts.

Clayton Holt collected his first career save by going the final three innings. Holt struck out six and did not allow a hit.

LeTourneau totaled 14 hits in the win as five YellowJackets had multi-hit games. Jones, Nabors, Kale, and Zach Baker all had two hits each.

Bryant Chambers (1-3) went seven innings for Howard Payne (7-14, 0-1 ASC) in the loss. Jackson Earle had the lone hit for Howard Payne.

UP NEXT

LeTourneau and Howard Payne will play a doubleheader on Sunday at ETBU (3 p.m.).

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