New Iberia rallied to beat Patterson 11-4 Monday night.

T.J. Coughlin homered and Zack Charles pitched 3 2/3 innings of one-hit relief and the New Iberia Senior High Yellow Jacket baseball team did something that it hadn’t done all year in beating Patterson 11-4 Monday night in a non-district contest.

“It was the first time this year that we’ve been behind and came back to win a game,” NISH coach Eli Lewelly said. “It’s a testament to our our guys. They don’t give up. They play hard. They trust each other and the process.”

In fact, NISH had to twice rally in the game.

The Jackets trailed 2-0 after the top of the first inning and rallied with four runs in the second, IN LARGE PART DUE TO of Coughlin’s 3-run homer.

“We started out a little slow. We played down to the competition,” Coughlin said. “We weren’t as energetic as they were at the beginning.

“They scored two and we had to bounce back. I had the opportunity to do something and I came through and we had to maintain that level throughout the game.”

NISH added a couple more runs to go up 5-2 before Patterson got to NISH starter Dylan Ruffin and scored three runs to tie the game up at 5-5.

Enter Charles.

After giving up a hit in the top of the fourth, he settled down and didn’t allow a hit the rest of the way and struck out four to get the win as NISH improved to 8-4 overall.

“I did what I had to do,” Charles said. “I came in and had a bit of a rough start but after that first inning of work I seTtled down and controlled them the rest of the way.”

NISH put the game away with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.

“I like scoring runs in bunches but I wish we would do it earlier and more often,” Lewellyn said. “But we showed some heart tonight in coming back for the win.

The NISH coach talked about Charles’ effort on the mound and others in the field.

“We trusted Dylan on the mound but I saw that they were starting to get to him,” Lewellyn said. “So I put in Charles and he was able to get the ball over and hit his spots.

“Luke Landry got his first start at third base and did a fantastic job stepping up, and a junior and the rest of our defense didn’t make a mistake tonight.”

Cody Khammany had three hits and scored three runs. Colby Khammany had two hits and an RBI and Ruffin had a hit and Kanin Meyers added an RBI in the win.

NISH played host to Thibodaux Tuesday and then goes to the Eunice Tournament to face Breaux Bridge Thursday, Ascension Episcopal Friday and Eunice Saturday.