TicketsCINCINNATI — Bearcats ace Nate Taylor pitched into the seventh inning for the fourth-straight start, this time matching his career-high with 11 strikeouts, and Quinton Coats blasted his 21st homer for an eight-inning, 11-1 win over Baylor on Friday night.
A two-out RBI double in the top of the first was the only blemish against Taylor. He struck out the side in the fifth, which combined with the prior inning marked five punch-outs out of seven batters faced.
Ryan Tyranski, batting leadoff for the second time all season and in back-to-back games, doubled three times to tie the program record (Jace Mercer was the last in 2021 vs. Houston). Coats was also slotted in the No. 2 spot, and he went 3-for-5 with 4 RBI to go with his round-tripper.
Tyranski's RBI double to right-center in the fifth was more than met the eye. Charlie Niehaus, the second run to score of the sequence, was caught between third and home, and as Baylor's shortstop made a split-decision to throw behind the runner, Niehaus took off for home and slid ahead of the tag.
Two batters later, Jackson Smith's successful squeeze brought in the third run of the frame and a 5-1 lead.
Cincinnati scored two more runs in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Tyranski lined a double over the left fielder's head, Enzo Infelise singled up the middle and Coats finished the job.
Adam Buczkowski and Joel Pineiro split the eighth inning on the mound.
The two teams play again at 3 p.m. on Saturday.