It’s tough to imagine, but the Lawrence Raiders have had better offensive games.

Just ask Paola.

The American Legion baseball squad pounded 16 hits in a 17-5, seven-inning victory Tuesday night against Paola at Free State High’s field. The Raiders (23-10) scored at least four runs in three different innings and four players had at least two hits.

“I was really pleased with the way they came out in the first three, four innings,” coach Carl Brooks said. “This is a game you can sleepwalk through if you want, but we didn’t do that.”

The worry came because the Raiders smashed Paola, 10-5 and 18-0, in a doubleheader sweep June 3 in Paola, including 34 total hits. After those wins, who would expect to lose?

“It was hard to take this game serious. I don’t know how many guys did,” shortstop Matt Berner said. “But we didn’t go to sleep. We came in businesslike and got the job done.”

Berner led the charge.

He had two doubles, a single and three RBIs before being replaced in the fourth inning by Andrew Pyle, who promptly followed with a double of his own.

Yeah, it was that kind of night.

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Taylor Martin went 3-for-3 with a double, triple and three RBIs, Tommy Mangino was 3-for-4 with a double, Kyle Unruh went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Aaron Madill was 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Plus, everyone got to play in the Raiders’ first home game in eight days. They get more home field comfort when they play host to Blue Valley West at 7 tonight.

Maybe then Lawrence can do the one thing it couldn’t Tuesday — hit a home run.

With the wind blowing out to left field — and having smacked four homers against the Panthers the last time — it seemed the game would have been ripe for dingers. Wrong.

“(Assistant coach) Troy (Wingert) had bets before the game that nobody would hit one out,” Berner said. “Because the wind was blowing out and we were all thinking about it and trying for it. But it didn’t seem to affect our hitting.”