STARKVILLE, Miss. — Cincinnati used a barrage of home runs and a five-run fourth inning to pull away from Louisiana for a 12-2 victory Friday in the opening round of the Starkville Regional.
The Ragin' Cajuns struck first in the top of the opening inning when Lee Amedee singled to right field, allowing Noah Lewis to score. An error by Cincinnati right fielder Ryan Tyranski helped Amedee advance to third as Louisiana grabbed a 1-0 lead.
The Bearcats answered in the second inning when Jack Natili launched a solo home run to left field, tying the game at 1-1.
Cincinnati seized control in the fourth. Enzo Infelise connected on a two-run homer to center field to put the Bearcats ahead 3-1. Later in the inning, Christian Mitchelle drove in a run with a triple before Charlie Niehaus capped the rally with a two-run home run, extending the lead to 6-1.
The Bearcats continued to add on in the fifth inning. Tyranski hit a solo homer before Natili blasted a two-run shot, pushing Cincinnati's advantage to 9-1.
Cincinnati scored again in the sixth on a Quinton Coats RBI single to make it 10-1.
Louisiana plated its second run in the seventh when Maddox Mandino singled to left field, scoring Donavan LaSalle.
Natili put the finishing touches on the victory in the eighth inning with his third home run of the game, a two-run shot to left field that gave Cincinnati a 12-2 lead.
Natili finished with three home runs and five RBIs to lead the Bearcats' offense. Cincinnati totaled 14 hits in the win.
Louisiana managed two runs and was limited offensively after scoring in the first inning.
The Cajuns will now face elimination in their next regional contest on Saturday, May 29 against Lipscomb. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
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