Hays ? The Lawrence Raiders’ David Arndt couldn’t have picked a better time to break his 21/2-year home-run slump.

The Raiders trailed Salina by four runs in the top of the fourth inning of their opener in the American Legion AAA state tournament at Larks Park Thursday, and visions of another early exit crept into their minds.

“I was getting scared,” third-year Raider Matt Berner said. “I started to think, ‘Here we go again.'”

Then Arndt blasted a 350-foot bomb over the right-field wall, and the rest of the Raiders responded. They scored six runs in the inning and went on to pop three more homers, grind out 22 hits and beat Salina, 14-9.

“I was in shock when I saw it go off my bat,” Arndt said. “I thought it might have a chance, but … “

“I knew it was gone as soon as he hit it,” Berner said. “And as soon as it was gone, I knew we were right back in the game.”

Lawrence coach Carl Brooks summed up the blast — which came with the Raiders trailing, 5-1 — succinctly: “The biggest hit of the game.”

Brooks’ squad improved to 36-10 and will play Olathe North, which beat Great Bend, 10-9, at 6 p.m. today.

“This is exactly what we wanted,” Brooks said. “Our offense was just completely awesome today.”

So was Salina’s early. With one out and one on in the first inning, pitcher Aaron Madill fielded a routine grounder and promptly threw the ball away. Then Berner took a wicked hop off the artificial turf that bounced off his leg and into the outfield, allowing two runs to score.

“We were absolutely atrocious in the field today,” said Brooks, whose team committed five errors. “I don’t know if it was the artificial turf or what.”

The Falcons (36-11) hit Madill harder than anyone had all year, collecting 14 hits. Yet Madill — who joked his 140 pitches “felt more like 200” — went the distance, allowing four runs after the Falcons tallied five in the first two innings.

Fortunately for the Raiders, who are trying to become the first Legion championship team from Lawrence since 1964, the offense that has carried the team all season took over.

Arndt was 4-for-4 with the big home run. Berner and Matt Lane added solo homers, while Taylor Martin’s two-run homer expanded the Raiders’ lead in the fourth.

“It’s a great feeling to get this first one,” Madill said. “Hopefully we can come back each day and do the same thing and get that championship.”

Andrew Pyle, who had three spectacular diving stops at second base, scored the Raiders’ first run in the third when Berner scored him from second.

The Raiders really got rolling in the fourth.

Dominick Harrell started things with an infield single to short. Arndt followed with the big bang to right before Kyle Unruh recorded the first out on a pop-up. Pyle singled to left and advanced to second on a wild pitch, then scored when Derek Bailey blasted a single through the middle of the infield.

Berner singled in Bailey to tie the score, 5-all, then Martin gave the Raiders the lead for good with a two-run shot off the scoreboard in right.

The Raiders kept up the pressure, adding runs in every inning except the ninth.

“This team is just so motivated to do well,” Brooks said. “A lot of them have been here before, and I think they realize this is their last time. It’s the hungriest team I’ve ever coached.”

Lawrence 14, Salina 9

Raiders 001 622 120 — 14 22 5

Falcons 230 110 020 — 9 14 1

W — Madill (8-0). L — Pestinger.

2B — Falcons: Brian Bechard, Matt Ryan; Raiders: Tommy Mangino. HR — Raiders: David Arndt, Taylor Martin, Matt Berner, Matt Lane.

Raiders highlights: Matt Berner 4-for-5, HR; Dominick Harrell 3-for-5, 3 runs, David Arndt 4-for-4, 3 1Bs, HR; Andrew Pyle 2-for-4, 2 runs.